Media Release: Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Regional Children’s Centre (RCC) is pleased to announce the rebranding of its RCC Intensive Outreach Team to the Assertive Community Treatment Team for Children (ACT-C). This new name reflects the program’s growth into a more comprehensive, community-based model of care that aligns with the successful approach of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams used for adults, but tailored to the needs of children and families facing complex mental health challenges.
To the best of our knowledge, we are the first facility in Canada to offer this specialized program specifically for children as young as 6 years of age. ACT-C provides a transdisciplinary, family-centered clinical approach designed to support children, ages 6-12, and their families in their home environment and the community. By expanding the team and services, RCC continues to demonstrate its commitment to evolving its care models based on the unique needs of the community.
The team works collaboratively with other community service providers, such as Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society (WECAS), to ensure a comprehensive support system for families. The model is designed to be flexible, meet families where they are, and reduce families’ reliance on emergency services such as hospitals, police, or other crisis services, while providing the same intensity of support that a child and family would receive in a live-in treatment setting. Services that include individual and family counselling, in-home behaviour management education, recreational activities, and skill-building initiatives.
Key benefits of ACT-C include:
- Enhanced Support: Serving children and families in Windsor-Essex, particularly, the most severe complex clients who are in most need of intensive mental health treatment.
- Family-Centered Care: Involving parents and guardians as essential partners in the treatment process, with the team meeting with families multiple times per week based on their needs.
- Effective Transition: Helping families move to less intensive or intrusive services as treatment goals are met.
- Crisis Prevention: Reducing repeat use of crisis or emergency services and minimizing wait times for existing intensive treatment options in Windsor-Essex County.
Early results show enhanced outcomes for the families in the program and across the agency as it has led to reduced wait lists for other intensive services, such as day treatment, and improved access to counselling and therapy services.
The HDGH Regional Children’s Centre is dedicated to meeting the growing needs of our community and we are excited about the positive impact the Assertive Community Treatment Team for Children will have on the lives of the children and youth, and their families in Windsor-Essex.
For more information about ACT-C or to learn how to refer a family, call 519-257-KIDS (5437).
Quotes & Testimonial
Since our expansion in April, our Assertive Community Treatment Team for Children has already provided care to 62 families. With this increase in capacity, we have decreased wait times and increased access by providing a low-barrier, flexible service to more families, all while enhancing the quality of care provided. We believe that involving parents and the community is crucial to the success of our Team. By working closely with families multiple times a week, we can ensure that their unique needs are addressed and that they feel empowered throughout the process. - DJ MacNeil, Director of the Regional Children’s Centre
There are children and youth in our community with very complex needs that require community partners to come together and provide the support, services, resources and hope that they need to reach their potential. The partnership between HDGH and WECAS, is a shining example of community partners working together to address the needs of families in Windsor-Essex. - Derrick Drouillard, Executive Director, WECAS.
The Assertive Community Team for Children has impacted our family in a wonderfully, positive way. Jen has been very thorough with the education she has given to us, and has given us a great follow through plan. It has been very helpful to our family that Jen has come into our home to be hands on teaching us and the children to build a morning routine through modeling and visual charts. She has also given us resources to the community partners so Adam and I can continue positively in our journey. The collaboration between the team and our family has been great and very professional. Since participating in the program, the boys have been better behaved, not as destructive. They are willing to participate in things we are asking them, they have a sense of purpose again. – Krystle and Adam, Parents