CGT Program

What:

For:

Alberta Mental Health and Addictions Therapists and related service providers in the NE, NW and Central East AHS regions.

Mental Health Therapists Will Receive:

• Education on subjects related to children’s mental health assessment and treatment.
• Training on topics of their choosing (e.g. infant assessment, parent group facilitation).
• Coaching and mentoring upon request (in particular, for newly hired, inexperienced therapists) to support the education and training.
• Consultation on patient files brought to the CGT by the regional therapist.

Clients and Communities Will Experience:

• Improved local availability of resources for children’s mental health assessment and treatment.
• Decreased wait times and travel time for services or programs that were previously available only in urban centres.

Format:  

• Services are delivered through video-conferencing, teleconferencing, on-line networking, and in-person sessions
• Education is provided in the form of workshops and written materials
• Skills are developed through Workshops, 1:1 coaching, Co- Therapy, Observation.
• Coaching and mentoring refers to a 1:1relationship between a CGT Therapist and a MHT who is seeking in-depth support  in areas where CGT has expertise. Involves sharing clinical experiences and expertise.
• Consultation; CGT therapist provides advice or second perspective/opinion on a subject or case at the request of a local mental health therapist.

Session Length:

3 year pilot project; implementation January 2011

Participants:

Alberta Health Services mental health therapists and other service providers in Northeast, Northwest and Central Alberta Health regions.  Infants, children adolescent and their families with mental health concerns in these regions.

When:

Where:

CGT Therapists are based at CASA cites in Edmonton.  Each CGT therapist is responsible for liaising with and delivering services to a designated zone.

Referral Eligibility:

• Any AHS MHT in the NE, NW and Central East providing mental health services to an infant, child, adolescent or family.
• The referring clinician remains the primary therapist responsible for directing patient care and providing treatment and follow-up.
• The child and family are aware of, and have consented in writing to the CGT therapist involvement The parents or guardians may participate in consultations.

 Eligibility exclusions:

Mental health therapists and service providers outside the northeast, northwest and central regions. 

Information Required:

• A schedule of Education and Training opportunities./events will be made available and communicated
• CGT therapists will create Coaching / Mentoring files related to work done with individual therapists.  This information will not be used for performance review purposes, and will not be shared unless key regulatory or legislative conditions have been contravened.
• A summary of consultation referrals, discussion and recommendations will be documented and a copy will be forwarded to the MHT or service provider.

 Referral Process:

• The referring clinician directs the referral to CGT Therapist responsible for their community.
• CGT Therapists will determine whether they are qualified to to address the referral.
• CGT Therapists will refer to someone else on the CGT Team or to alternate resources (eg. telepsychiatry.)in the event that they do not feel qualified (
• CGT Therapist will keep a record of all calls and inquiries by clinicians and will initiate consultation records for each consultation.
  

For More Information:

Please contact the Program Coordinator, Community Geographic Team at 780-438-0011.