Compass, the organization responsible for child and youth mental health services in Sudbury and Manitoulin, is now offering a new online self-referral system.

Compass CEO Mark Fraser said the online service allows them to reach more people.

Compass System Performance Manager Alana Jackson and Compass CEO Mark Fraser say wait times for youth mental health services have been significantly reduced. (Lyndsay Aelick/CTV News)

“If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s how to leverage technology to increase our reach to the families who need us most,” said Fraser.

“The Compass team has worked very diligently…to increase its reach virtually, which is the result of our central child and adolescent mental health access and intake web portal in which families can access to our mental health services.

Additionally, Compass has simplified the referral process for third-party professionals.

“In our rural locations, we have always been able to access and receive third-party referrals from our community partners,” said Alana Jackson, system performance manager at Compass.

“We’ve never had the capacity to do this in our urban centers. So we’ve now allowed school boards to refer us to primary care physicians, to family health teams, to anyone working with a child, a young person or a family and as identified, there is a mental health problem.

In separate statements, the Sudbury Catholic School Board and Rainbow District School Board agree that this is a good thing for staff and students.

Helping families when they need it

“When children and families receive the support they need when they need it, it helps students reach their full potential,” Nicole Charette of the Rainbow District School Board said in a statement.

“Mental health and well-being are essential to student success. »

“The introduction of the new 24/7 online self-referral system represents a significant step forward in making mental health support more accessible and user-friendly for children, young people and families.

“Mental health is essential to the academic and personal success of our school communities and these changes remove barriers and provide the resources students need to thrive,” said Brooklyn Olive, spokesperson for the Catholic school board.

“The streamlined referral process is invaluable because it allows us to connect our students and their families to Compass more effectively and efficiently.”

Jackson said Compass serves children up to 18 years old, while the Downtown Youth Wellness Center helps young people ages 12 to 25.

Since its opening in June 2023, more than 15,000 people have been welcomed there.

“We have lots of services for any young people who might be struggling and don’t know where to go,” she said.

“We have tons of programs, and if we can’t offer them to you, the service will help you find what you need.”

Jackson said wait times have been significantly reduced. For first admission, clients can expect to be seen within two weeks.

For services beyond this limit, the waiting time has been reduced from six months to a year to one or two months.