ROMHC — Brookfield
Location — Brookfield High School
Treatment partner — Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre (ROMHC)
Grade/Age — Grades 9-12 (14-18 years)
Capacity — 24 spaces
Duration — The length of stay in this program is one to three semesters.
Program Referral — Referrals to this program are made by the student’s community school and program admission is decided upon by the Coordinated Referral Committee through Coordinated Access.
The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre Adolescent Treatment program is located inside an Ottawa-Carleton District community high school, with two classrooms, a kitchen and dining room, and three counselling offices. It offers adolescents with serious psychiatric or mental health concerns, academic and psychiatric services from a multidisciplinary/multi-agency team.
The M.F. McHugh Education Centre provides the adolescents in the program a learning environment that incorporates appropriate pedagogical practices for each students’ specialized educational needs. This includes effective and safe accommodations, and team-based academic planning in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum standards.
Students in our program are working towards meeting the Course expectations outlined in the Ontario Curriculum. All students have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) created by the classroom teacher in collaboration with the youth’s parent/guardian. In order to focus on Social Emotional Learning, all students in our program have Alternative pages in their IEP which focus on Learning Skills.
The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre offers adolescents in the program access to a broad range of specialized treatment professionals that includes two Child and Youth Counsellors, a Psychiatrist, a Psychological Associate, and a Social Worker. The delivery of this intensive and specialized mental health support provides adolescents and their parents accurate psychiatric assessment with corresponding treatment.
The length of stay is determined by the needs of the adolescent, and their participation in the treatment being offered. Full transitions are planned before the adolescent leaves the program, and an M.F. McHugh Transition Teacher provides support for up to three months afterwards.