SchoolsPlus Mental Health & Addictions Clinician

SchoolsPlus Mental Health & Addictions Clinician (SMHC)

SMHCs serve children and youth in a purposeful way that is both culturally responsive and collaborative with families, school staff, and other agencies and providers, while also supporting and enhancing the school as a positive mental health environment. They play a consultative and liaising role between education and health systems within SchoolsPlus. All activities and interventions, within the continuum of mental health and addictions services, are based on best available evidence wherever possible.

SMHCs also encourage parents to be engaged in their child’s treatment. Evidence is clear that outcomes are better when parents are involved (Ontario Center for Excellence 2016); when needed or requested, youth who have capacity to consent to treatment can do so without parental involvement.

SMHCs are not expected to address all the mental health needs of all children and youth in the school(s) they serve. Voluntary participation in SchoolsPlus and consent for services, including the SMHCs, is necessary. When determining priorities for services, the following must be considered:

When determining priorities for services, the following must be considered:

Access barriers—barriers that may hinder mental health and addictions services (transportation, reluctance to attend community clinics due to stigma, adolescents requesting no parental involvement in care, etc.)
Integrated school service delivery—complexity of situations in which multiple services are involved at the school level
Warm handover—the need for the child/youth and family to feel supported when navigating referrals to other agencies; the SMHC works with other members of the SchoolsPlus team to ensure continuity of care through the development of a transition plan to other services and into the community when care needs change

Flexibility in support and intervention offered is also important in order to reflect the individual needs of children, youth, and families. For example, some children/youth may be estranged from their school or no longer attend school; they may prefer to receive mental health services outside the school context or may require specialized care and skills beyond the role of the SMHC.

SchoolsPlus Mental Health and Addictions Clinician (SMHC)

SMHCs are unique in that they bridge two different systems and cultures—education and health. Historically, these two systems have operated separately. The SchoolsPlus integrated service delivery model enables the two systems to blend and create services for students. This results in early identification and treatment of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems and illness. SMHCs are active members of a broader collaborative SchoolsPlus team, and hence, participate regularly in collaborative service planning, shared education, review meetings, etc. SMHCs also maintain connection with their local community mental health and addictions team through participation in team meetings, shared professional development, etc.

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