Four Counties

What is the System Challenge?

Currently, young persons with complex mental health and addiction service needs and their families experience increased vulnerability due to system navigation challenges, variations in approaches to care, and a lack of interconnectedness between youth and adult services.

What are we doing about it?

The Four Counties Service Collaborative has used the guidelines from the Track Study as a basis to form a protocol outlining the process for child to adult transitions. The protocol identifies the common standards for the preferred transition pathways from child and youth services into adult services for youth who are:

• Aged 14-24;

• Experiencing mental health and/or addictions issues;

• Marginalized due to a complexity of needs; and

• Who are in need of services and transitioning between services.

Organizations have approved the use of these common standards in their approach to transitioning youth. Two initial groups have been identified to implement their different approaches, and align them with the common standards. These groups will support transitions across the Peterborough County, Haliburton County and the City of Kawartha Lakes.

?What's this?

Full Implementation

The project has not yet reached this implementation stage.

How do we know it works?

The entire process of transitioning youth to adult services has brought our adult and youth service providers closer together to better serve our community. It has helped identify changes that could be made to our own system here at Point in Time.”

— Mary Sisson, Youth Mental Health Court Worker

Who is involved?

The oversight committee, TAG, is responsible for the implementation and sustainability of the 4Step Process. During bi-monthly meetings TAG receives detailed updates from co-chairs representing the Haliburton County and Kawartha Lakes working groups, including 24 agencies. 

Next Steps

Working groups continue to meet bi-monthly to update their work plan for successful transition of youth to adult services. Co-chairs for the Haliburton County and Kawartha Lakes working groups report on implementation progress and provide status updates to TAG membership. The evaluation tools and processes will be sustained within the 4Step Process to further support improved transitional care of youth from youth to adult services.

Resources

  • 4Step Process Brochure
  • Status report template provided to TAG
  • Kawartha Lakes Gathering PowerPoint presentation

For more information, please contact:

Heather Lackner

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