A recently launched Adolescent Intensive Day Treatment program aims to provide comprehensive therapeutic and educational services for youth aged 14-18 grappling with complex mental health needs and behavioral challenges. The program, which began on February 5, 2024, operates at Queen Alexandra Hospital for Children’s Health, focusing on fostering recovery while maintaining close ties with participants’ home communities.
Designed to support young individuals with challenging needs requiring intensive care, the program caters to those who don’t require hospital-based care but necessitate more substantial assistance. The initiative is voluntary and helps bridge the gap for youth who may have completed acute care but aren’t yet prepared for less intense community-based services.
Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, emphasized the importance of ensuring children and young people have the necessary supports for success. The Adolescent Intensive Day Treatment program offers a safe and nurturing environment to help participants build resilience and competency.
The program adopts a strength-based and trauma-informed approach, focusing on resiliency, competency, and recovery. Participants spend half the day receiving therapeutic services, either one-on-one or in group settings, and the other half engaged in schoolwork and life skills development. The Garden House at Queen Alexandra, renovated and redecorated for optimal care, serves as the daily venue for program activities.
Leah Hollins, Island Health Board Chair, expressed the goal of expanding the program based on learnings and experiences in Victoria, aiming to address mental health service gaps for young people on Southern Vancouver Island.
The program development involved collaboration with patient, parent/family/caregiver feedback advisors, clinical staff, medical staff, and ongoing relationships with indigenous communities, including the Songhees Nation, Esquimalt Nation, and Island Métis Family and Community Services Society.
The name “Adolescent Intensive Day Treatment Program” is considered interim, with plans for updates based on feedback from program participants and partners in the coming months.
