Children's Intensive Services (CIS)

About the Service

Children's Intensive Services (CIS) provides mental health services to children aged 5 to 12 years. Families are referred by their community mental health clinician for more intensive services to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of their child’s behaviour and what may be getting in their way of doing well, including understanding of diagnosis.
• Learn new ways to manage their child’s behaviour.
• Psychiatric consultation for diagnostic assessment and adjustment of medication.

Referrals to CIS come from Mental Health and Addictions clinicians.

Our Team/Who You Will Meet

Our team includes youth care workers, Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), psychologist, psychiatrist, teachers, transition support workers, educational support worker, social workers, occupational therapist, recreation therapist, recreation therapy associate, manager, and administrative assistants. 

What Happens in the Service

We admit children/families to CIS in cohorts, all the same week. The service runs five days a week for four months. Depending on the child's needs and circumstances, children may be assigned to the overnight or day treatment stream.

The children in the overnight stream arrive Sunday evening, leave for home on Thursday afternoon and attend community school on Friday.

The children in the day stream attend program at CIS from 8:15am to 3:15pm, from Monday to Thursday and attend community school on Friday.

Your child may increase the number of days they attend community school if this is an agreed upon plan to best meet your child’s needs.

How We Help

Children's Intensive Services (CIS) uses a Collaborative Problem Solving Model. This focuses on the child's strengths and the skills they need to be successful in their everyday life.

This is accomplished through group and individual interactions with staff. These are offered in areas such as: emotional regulation, problem solving, social skills, life skills, recreation, and relaxation.

The children also participate in outings in the community.

By attending the therapeutic classroom, the child will learn skills to be successful in their community school. 

In this program the caregivers' participation is key to their child's success. We work with caregivers to help them understand and address their child's challenges. We involve them in treatment decisions. Caregivers are required to attend weekly meetings with our clinical team, participate in a weekly caregiver group and weekly in-home treatments.

Transition Support Workers (TSW) lead the in-home treatment part of CIS treatment with another member of our team. These two team members support parent-child interactions in the home on a weekly basis.

As part of the CIS treatment, our multidisciplinary team may also work with community partners. For example, our team members may attend community school with the child, or our recreation therapist and the child/caregiver may meet with different organizations, in their home community. 

Referring community mental health clinicians stay involved through the child's admission. They play a role in reviewing the child's progress. They also participate in discharge planning.