The Mental Health and Addictions Program (MHA) is one of three clinical programs at IWK Health. We treat children and youth up until their 19th birthday within a patient and family-centred context.
Families are essential partners in the treatment of the childhood onset of mental health and addictions issues, and we strive to include families in treatment and to partner with families to support health and wellness for their children. The MHA Program provides services in schools, community clinics, day and inpatient settings.
How to get help
IWK Central Referral
Central Referral can help you get an appointment for mental health and addictions services. At the IWK we offer mental health and addictions service for children and youth under the age of 19. Please call toll free 1-855-922-1122 or for more information, click here to visit the Central Referral webpage.
Emergency mental health and addictions help
A psychiatric emergency is when a person is in immediate danger to him/herself due to compromised thinking and/or judgement. Call 911 or go to IWK Health Emergency. A psychiatric emergency may require hospital-based treatment.
Crisis Support
A mental health crisis does not necessarily require hospital-based care and can be supported in the community by a team of mental health care providers. Examples include thoughts of suicide, distorted or psychotic thinking, intense anxiety, depression or the inability to cope. If you are experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis call 902-429-8167 or 1-888-429-8167 (toll-free) for the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team.
Family doctor
A good place to start is with your family doctor. Talk to them about how you’re feeling. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may treat you, or they may refer you to a local community mental health team or a private practitioner.
35 Clinics, Programs or Services
Adolescent Intensive Services (AIS)
Adolescent Intensive Services (AIS) is a day and inpatient program for youth ages 13 to their 19th birthday with mental health and/or substance use disorders...
Offered at 1 Location
African Nova Scotian Service
What is the IWK African Nova Scotian Service (ANSS)? The IWK African Nova Scotian Service (ANSS) treats African Nova Scotian children, youth, and their families...
Anchor Youth Space
In September 2025, IWK Health was excited to announce the opening of two more Integrated Youth Services sites—in Halifax and Sydney—bringing the total to three...
Offered at 3 Locations
Autism Spectrum Disorders Specific Care Clinic (ASD SCC)
The IWK ASD SCC is a specialty service that is part of the IWK multi-disciplinary clinical and academic program for children and youth with autism...
Bereavement Support Services
Families who have experienced the death of a child or pregnancy loss at IWK are offered IWK bereavement follow-up services. IWK bereavement care professionals are...
Offered at 1 Location
Bipolar Specific Care Clinic
The IWK Bipolar Specific Care Clinic is a multidisciplinary specialty team that services youth with severe and persistent mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder. The...
Child Life Services
Health care experiences can be stressful for children and youth. These experiences may cause fear, confusion, and changes in behaviour. Children and youth need to...
Offered at 1 Location
Children's Intensive Services (CIS)
About the Service CIS supports children aged 6 to 12 in Nova Scotia who are experiencing complex emotional, social, or behavioural challenges. We work with...
Offered at 1 Location
Community Mental Health & Addictions Clinics
Four Community Mental Health and Addictions (CMHA) clinics, located in Halifax, Sackville and Dartmouth, help kids and teens up to 19 years of age, and...
Offered at 4 Locations
Developmental Pediatrics Clinic
Every year the Developmental Pediatrics Clinic helps about 1200 children and youth with a wide variety of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit...
Offered at 1 Location
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Dalhousie University is located at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The psychiatry division has...
Eating Disorders Team
The IWK Eating Disorders Team is a multidisciplinary specialty team that services youth identified as having moderate to severe anorexia or bulimia nervosa. The team...
Emergency Mental Health and Addictions (EMHAS)
The Emergency Mental Health and Addictions Service (EMHAS) is located within the Emergency Department (ED) of the IWK Health Centre. The team of Registered Nurses...
Offered at 1 Location
Family Intensive Outreach Service (FIOS)
What kind of treatment will my family get? FIOS work is guided by the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) model to support children/youth and families...
Family Legal Health Program
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This program or clinic is not administered by the IWK. Program information may be incorrect and/or out of date.
Confirm details with the program or clinic provider.
Confirm details with the program or clinic provider.
The IWK Family Legal Health Program (FLHP) connects IWK Health patients and their families to our community partners who may be able to provide legal...
Family Therapy
Families are a key resource to youth as they grow and develop. During stressful times and when youth experience difficulties in life, families are an...
Feeding Clinic
The IWK Feeding Clinic helps by providing evidence-based assistance to children and youth exhibiting significant feeding difficulties or concerns. We provide intervention and consultation for...
Offered at 1 Location
Garron Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health (acute inpatient services)
Who we help The Garron Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health (acute inpatient care) supports children and youth up to 19 years of age...
Gender Affirming Care
IWK Health is a proud leader in gender-affirming care. We ensure youth in Nova Scotia access support and treatment based on evidence. Gender-affirming services at...
Healthcare Services to Nova Scotia Youth Centre
The IWK partners with the Department of Justice to provide essential healthcare services to young persons in custody at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre (NSYC)...
Mental Health & Addictions Central Referral
Make the Call to Central Referral If you need help with a mental health and addictions problem, Central Referral is there to help. At the...
Mental Health & Addictions Health Promotion Team
The Mental Health and Addictions Promotion Team (HPT) recognizes that to achieve a healthy future there needs to be safe and healthy communities where children...
Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team (MHMCT)
The Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team (MHMCT), also known as the Provincial Crisis Line, is a provincial crisis service that serves all of Nova Scotia...
Mothers' Mental Health Toolkit: A Resource for the Community
What is the Mothers' Mental Health Toolkit? The Mothers’ Mental Health Toolkit was born out of a novel partnership between the IWK Reproductive Mental Health...
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Clinic
The IWK OCD Clinic provides specialty service to children and youth with moderate to severe OCD and their families. Care is multidisciplinary including psychiatry, psychology...
Pediatric School Services
Pediatric School Services is a multidisciplinary team, including a Teacher and an Educational Support Worker, who help make sure that youth being treated at the...
Psychiatry Consultation Liaison (C/L) Service
The IWK Consultation Liaison service provides psychiatric consultations for children and youth being treated as inpatients on the medical and surgical units at IWK Health...
Psychiatry Consultation Services
Physicians can request Collaborative Care phone consultation or one-time assessment from an IWK child psychiatrist. To request a consultation, please call Central Referral and speak...
Reproductive Mental Health Service (RMHS)
About the Reproductive Mental Health Service: IWK Health’s Reproductive Mental Health Service (RMHS) provides care for those experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and after...
Offered at 1 Location
Secure Care Unit
The IWK Secure Care Unit (SCU), located in Waterville NS, is a three-bed inpatient unit that provides mental health assessments and care to youth who...
Offered at 1 Location
Social Work
Social Workers help by improving the physical and mental health of patients and families by working on the issues that patients and families identify as...
Offered at 1 Location
Suspected Trauma and Abuse Response Team
The Suspected Trauma and Abuse Response Team (START) helps by providing compassionate and rapid assessment, management, and treatment to Maritime children and youth up to...
Offered at 1 Location
Urgent Care Clinic (UCC)
The Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) is an ambulatory service within the Mental Health and Addictions program. They provide short-term care and treatment to patients up...
Youth Forensic Services
Who we can help The IWK Youth Forensic team provides assessment and treatment services to youth who are involved with the criminal justice system. The...
Youth Psychosis Team
The IWK Youth Psychosis Team is a multidisciplinary specialty service providing clinical service, research, education and advocacy in early identification and treatment of psychotic illness...
Offered at 1 Location