Supporting information gathering for clinician assessment. “[The ChYMH] pulled out information about constipation due to a drug side effect, that would not have been collected previously.” Supporting the client interview. “The assessment helped my client who really wanted to talk but have difficulty articulating her issues. Using the ChYMH helped open up conversations this client probably wouldn‟t have gone to otherwise.” Supporting care planning. “[Evidence-based care guidelines embedded in the instrument] can help us share information with members of the community who have never worked with kids who have these needs.” Supporting triage decisions. “[With two very similar cases] the ChYMH helped us clearly identify the greatest and most urgent need.” “Having one tool that can serve multiple purposes is very important in applied service agencies where efficiency is of the utmost importance given extremely tight demands on resources.” Dr. Karen MacLeod Psychologist, Mental Health Services, Lutherwood “Honestly, I really like [completing the assessment interview] with the families. It makes you feel like you really know the client well.” The interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health (ChYMH) and Rapid Screener (ChYMH-RS) instruments: Personal experiences from mental health professionals in Ontario Melissa Currie & Jennifer Pearce – Child and Parent Resource Institute 4. Role of the Assessor in the Pilot Project Participate in Training Conduct Assessments & Share Results Provide Feedback 354 assessors have been trained (over 100 Mental Health and Addiction Nurses) Assessments are used to share results with the clinical team for care-planning. Assessment data are also used for research purposes. Assessors fill out feedback forms and participate in focus groups The Child and Youth Suite is currently in development at the Child and Parent Resource Institute in London, Ontario. The suite is comprised of assessments for children from birth to age 20 with mental health and/or developmental issues. CCAC Partners Other Partners At the CCACs, assessments are being used in the Mental Health and Addictions Nurse (MHAN) project. 1. Overview of interRAI 5. Assessor experiences: How has the assessment helped? With thanks to our supporters: Child and Youth Mental health (ChYMH): Comprehensive, standardized mental health assessment for children/youth (age 4-18) ChYMH-Rapid Screener (ChYMH-RS): Summary of mental health needs to support decision making related to triaging, placement, service utilization for children/youth (age 4-18) The developers of the interRAI Child and Youth Suite are still reviewing and accepting pilot sites. For more information, contact Ian Kerr [email protected] Researchers and practitioners from around the world are collaborating to create the interRAI Child and Youth Suite of mental health assessments. interRAI is an international organization that brings together experts to create comprehensive, valid and reliable health assessments for vulnerable persons. The family of interRAI assessments is unique because they share a common language, which promotes information sharing across health sectors and services. They are also unique because one assessment provides information for many different applications: The applications have utility for a wide array of stakeholders across the service system. More information on each application can be found at www.interrai.org . 3. Overview of pilot project 2. Overview of the Child and Youth Suite For more information on the suite visit cpri.ca and click on „Research.‟ The ChYMH and the ChYMH-RS are being piloted across sites in Ontario, including 13 local Community Care and Access Centres (CCACs). The assessors from 21 sites across Ontario have been trained on Child and Youth Suite instruments. Analysis of training feedback indicates trainees appreciate (1) the use of vignettes (2) peer support, and (3) working with the assessment software at computers during training. CPRI has been responsive to training feedback by making it more flexible (e.g., teleconferences) and adding follow up sessions. © interRAI Canada Analysis of preliminary feedback from assessors has revealed a number of areas where the interRAI instruments have supported information gathering, care planning, and decision making: “One of the major initiatives in children’s mental health is the development of the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Instrument…” Dr. Sandra Fisman, Chair, Dept. of Psychiatry, Western University