Physician Resources

These tools provide general professional support for physicians:

  • COMPASS is a province-wide service to support evidence based care to all BC children and youth living with mental health and substance use concerns. The program connects community care providers across BC to the information, advice, and resources they need to provide timely mental health and substance use care to children and youth ( up to 25 years) close to home. Information on the Program Overview can be accessed here and answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available here.
  • SwitchRx aims to provide healthcare professionals with the most current and useful information to guide their clinical practice when adjusting their patient’s psychotropic treatment regimens. This resource features suggested tapering and titration schedules, clinical tips, detailed information on drug pharmacokinetics, and other precautions.

These tools are diagnosis specific:

Developmental Disability

Autism, FASD, CDBC

Mental Health Disorders (Other)

Here are ways to find suitable community supports for your patient:

  • Online Tools to Identify Community Resources
  • Pathways Online Tool for Physicians
  • HealthLinkBC Directory provides listings for health services offered by the provincial government, provincial health authorities, and non-profit agencies across British Columbia. Individuals can search for walk-in clinics, emergency rooms, hospitals, mental health program, home care programs, pharmacy services, laboratory services, and more.
  • Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and social service centres and online resources for young people ages 12-24. Foundry centres provide a one-stop-shop for young people to access mental health care, substance use services, primary care, social services and youth and family peer supports. Foundry provides safe, non-judgmental care, information and resources, and work to reach young people earlier – before health challenges become problematic. Foundry brings health and social services together in a single place to make it easier for young people to find the care, connection and support they need.
  • Confident Parents Thriving Kids is an effective, accessible educational service for families of children with mild to moderate behaviour problems (ages 3 to 12) offered through the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division. Strongest Families is delivered to parents and/or caregivers via telephone in the comfort and privacy of their own homes at times that are best for the family, and at no cost. Trained coaches give weekly guidance and telephone support to families as they work their way through the program. Coaches and parents work together to solve problems as parents apply new skills in their daily lives.
  • Youth Preparing to Leave Government Care
  • BC Psychological Association is committed to advancing the profession of psychology and supporting the emotional health and psychological well-being of all British Columbians by helping them access high-quality, clinically proven psychological care provided by Registered Psychologists.Free referral service of Registered Psychologists, searchable by location, area of concern, therapy method, and other criteria available here.
  • Child and Teen Mental Health (Provincial Government Website). If you need help, this website also has a number of resources including a map of mental health resources and a list of mental health intake clinics.
  • Collaborative Toolbox is a ‘one-stop-shop’ for child and youth MHSU tools and a number of local resources, for example:  facilitate engagement of community members and identify gaps in care, include assistance when engaging youth and families, and provide examples of how you can share information about supports and resources in your community.
  • Parent Support BC partners with communities and those in a parenting role to provide support, advocacy, education, research, and resources.

This information may be of interest to you and your First Nations patients:

This information may be helpful to your patients/families:

  • Funding for private autism assessment for children in BC and Yukon – Variety Children’s Charity
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers a collection of Audio Interviews with experts in children’s mental health to offer families practical advice on fostering positive emotional development in their children.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) BC Division exists to promote the mental health of British Columbians and support the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness.
  • Children’s Mental Health Ontario represents and supports the providers of child and youth mental health treatment services throughout Ontario. This is also a great resource for BC parents.
  • Early Warning Signs about Children’s Mental Illness Not Evident to Many Canadian Parents, a report of a 2011 survey of interest to parents.
  • eMentalHealth.ca is a non-profit initiative of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO and provides anonymous, confidential and trustworthy information.
  • HeretoHelp is a website of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information, a group working together to help people better prevent and manage mental health and substance use problems and live a healthier life. The website offers comprehensive online and other resources. The leading provincial mental health and addictions non-profit agencies are: AnxietyBC, BC Schizophrenia Society, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Canadian Mental Health Association’s BC Division, Institute of Families for Child and Youth Mental Health, Jessie’s Legacy eating disorders prevention and awareness (a Family Services of the North Shore program) and Mood Disorders Association of BC.
  • Kelty Resource Center is the provincial resource centre which provides children, youth, parents and families with appropriate information, options for support and treatment in BC in all areas of mental health and substance use. The centre also offers peer support to parents, youth and people of all ages struggling with eating disorders through email, phone or drop in.
  • MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health’s Web site for patients and their families and friends, produced by U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  • The Offord Centre for Child Studies has developed a series of handouts for parents on eight of the most common child and youth mental health problems. They are available in 9 languages.
  • FamilySmartTM Together-Centred is a provincial organization that provides families with an opportunity to speak with other families who understand and may be able to offer support or advice on what has worked for them.
  • Take a Breathr – mindfulness practices provided by BC Children’s Hospital, Kelty Mental Health Resources, and BCCH Centre for Mindfulness – QR Code and App

And here’s some research-based information:

  • Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly: The Quarterly provides summaries of the best available research evidence on a variety of children’s mental health topics, prepared using systematic review and synthesis methods adapted from the Cochrane Collaboration and Evidence-Based Mental Health. Their goal is to improve outcomes for children by informing policy and practice. The BC Ministry of Children and Family Development funds the Quarterly.
  • Teen Mental Health is a project of the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health, a partnership between Sun Life Financial, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre with the vision to improve the mental health of youth by the effective translation and transfer of scientific knowledge.