Adult Mental Health
Note: If you are having thoughts about ending your life, have thought about the steps you are going to take to end your life, or are experiencing emotional pain that is hard to bear, call or text 9-8-8 for immediate help.
If you have already tried to seriously hurt yourself or end your life, please call 9-1-1 right away or go to your nearest emergency department.
One of North York General Hospital’s clinical priorities is to provide complete and accessible mental health services to patients and their families. Our mental health services are planned and evaluated in collaboration with patients, families, and community stakeholders in order to meet needs of the patient and family. We are dedicated to delivering innovative services and developing creative partnerships that enhance lives and communities.
These services and partnerships include:
- Crisis Intervention and Stabilization
- Mental Health Assessment and Diagnosis
- Addictions
- Medical Management
- Treatment
- Aftercare
- Reintegration into the Community
- Community Outreach including: Assertive Community Treatment Team
- Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCITs)
Referrals
Individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety or schizophrenia that are in crisis may be admitted to our Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit.
Treatment includes assessment, stabilization and discharge to an appropriate follow-up care. Group based treatments are offered as needed.
Our goal is to assist people with mental health challenges to remain in the community, using hospitalization only when necessary. North York General Hospital works with many community partners that offer services that reflect the special needs of the population we serve. Because of our partnerships with community agencies, many of our patients receive care while staying at home, rather than being admitted to a bed in the hospital.
North York General Hospital offers a wide range of outpatient services to community members with mental health concerns at both at the General site and the Outpatient Community Services Centre.
These services include assessment, group therapy, stress management, and education about mental health and addiction problems. We also offer a broad range of specialty and outpatient clinics. Consultation from family physicians is also available.
Our outpatient services for adults include:
Adult Outpatient Mental Health Referral form
- Includes Addiction Program – Adult & Transitional Age Youth
- For self-referrals, please call 416-756-6642 or use the referral form
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (outpatient) – referral form
- Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) – referral form
- Day Hospital Program – referral form
- Adult Outpatient Mental Health – referral form
- Mental Health and Justice Treatment and Support Services
- Primary Care Reversed Shared Care Services
- Participants’ Council – Peer Support
Day Hospital Program at the General site
North York General Hospital’s Psychiatric Day Hospital program is a 4-week program, running every weekday from 9am-3pm. The program provides in-person care for adults with a primary mental health condition, experiencing acute symptoms. Patients participate in groups, from a Dialectical Behavioural Therapy-informed approach, teaching skills to improve emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. Patients will have individual access to a multidisciplinary team, including psychiatry, nursing, social work, occupational therapy, therapeutic recreation, dietitian, pharmacy and peer support.
Referrals – As the program is directed to individuals requiring a higher acuity of care, only internal referrals from NYGH psychiatrists are accepted at this time and can be made through the Adult Outpatient Mental Health Referral form. For any questions, please contact Central Intake at 416-756-6642.
North York General Hospital – General site
4001 Leslie Street,
Toronto ON M2K 1E1
Tel: 416-756-6723
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Psychiatric Day Hospital Program?
This is an intensive, in-person, outpatient program at the General site offering groups and individual support and assessment from a multidisciplinary team.
What kind of groups are offered?
A recent program restructuring now offers a new program, teaching Dialectical Behavioural Therapy skills, based on mindfulness principles, to provide strategies on improving distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Other groups included involve interpersonal therapy, nutrition, pharmacy, therapeutic recreation and peer support.
For patients who would benefit more from closer medication management and life skills, there is a modified program offered through the Day Hospital program as well.
Who can be referred to the program?
Adults (18+) who have a primary psychiatric condition (eg. mood, anxiety, psychotic, or personality disorders), requiring a higher intensity of care, as an alternative to inpatient treatment. Patients must be able to participate in groups that are delivered in English.
Who is not suitable for the program?
Patients who have acute safety concerns, who are medically unstable, acutely intoxicated, or have moderate-severe cognitive impairment would not be suitable for this program.
Who can make a referral?
At this time, given high demand, and to support the program’s mandate of supporting individuals with the highest level of acuity as quickly as possible, only internal hospital referrals are being accepted. Patients are typically referred through an NYGH psychiatrist.
How long is the wait from referral to admission to the program?
The majority of referrals are sent from the inpatient units and crisis, and patients are typically accommodated within days of referral. Referrals from outpatient psychiatry have a waitlist of weeks.
Who will provide treatment in the program?
The Day Hospital staff are comprised of a multidisciplinary team. The DBT skills groups are delivered by nurses, social worker, occupational therapist and therapeutic recreationist. Other groups are provided by the pharmacist, dietitian and peer support. Each patient will also see a psychiatrist for assessment and medication management. Case managers offer individual support throughout the program.
What happens at the end of the program?
Treatment is provided by the team throughout the four-week admission, as a discrete episode of care. Appropriate referrals to ongoing resources and supports will be made during the program, and ongoing care is not provided by the Day Hospital staff on completion of the program.
A primary care physician and nurse are available at the Outpatient Community Services Centre (unit E8) for patients registered in North York General Hospital’s Mental Health Program.
Clinic hours
September to June: 9 a.m. to 12 (noon)
July to August: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location and contact
North York General Hospital
Outpatient Community Services Centre
2 Champagne Drive, Unit E8
Toronto ON M3J 2C5
(Quick access to the clinic use the South entrance)
Tel: 416-756-6919
Clinic fax: 416-758-6318
*All referrals should be faxed to: 416-756-6671
The Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) provides services for adults who have mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and schizoaffective disorder. The program is designed for those individuals who require intensive follow-up services provided in their own community.
ACTT is a long-term program that assists clients in accomplishing a wide range of treatment, support, and rehabilitation goals. Our team offers psychiatric, nursing, social work, occupational therapy, addiction, peer support and mental health worker expertise. The team has the potential to provide a 1:8 staff to client ratio.
The ACTT model stresses the importance of using psychosocial and medical approaches. Typical clients require frequent contacts and often need assistance with activities of daily living, social relationships, employment, housing, medical, financial, legal or addiction issues. ACTT also has the ability to assess, prescribe, dispense, administer, monitor and evaluate medications.
North York General Hospital’s ACCT is a founding partner of ACCESS 1, the North York and Scarborough Individual Support Service Access Network.
Referrals
Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) Referral Form
Assertive Community Treatment Team Admission Criteria
Hours
Monday to Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
After hours service is available.
Location and contact
North York General Hospital
Outpatient Community Services Centre
2 Champagne Drive, Unit E8
Toronto ON M3J 2C5
Tel: 416-756-6919
Clinic fax: 416-756-6477
Mindfulness for Medical Conditions (MFMC) is an 8-week group program led by a physician. It is currently offered virtually for three and a half hours once a week, on Fridays. During these sessions, instruction is provided for various guided meditations, cognitive strategies, and gentle mindful movements/ yoga.
MFMC is ideal for individuals with stable chronic medical illness such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure and other chronic medical conditions. It may also be helpful for caregivers and other health professionals in coping with their stress levels. This program requires an active commitment to one’s own health, and to doing an hour of daily homework
Learn more and register
To learn more about MFMC please visit Dr. Katalin Margittai’s website and find out when the next orientation seminar is being held. After reviewing the website, you can call 416-483-3778 to register.
Referrals
Mindfulness for Medical Conditions MFMC Referral Form
If you are interested in MFMC, ask your physicians to fax a completed referral form to intake at 416-756-6671.
Location and contact
North York General Hospital
General site
4001 Leslie Street, 8th floor
Toronto ON M2K 1E1
Tel: 416-483-3778
Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCITs) are collaborative partnerships between participating Toronto area hospitals and the Toronto Police Service. The program partners a mental health nurse and a specially trained police officer to respond to situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Coverage is now available throughout the City of Toronto.
The MCIT’s mandate is to:
- Make an immediate onsite clinical assessment of the person in crisis
- Attempt to stabilize and defuse the crisis
- Assist in removing the individual from serious harm to themselves or others
- Provide supportive counselling, as needed
- Arrange appropriate mental health treatment through referrals to an appropriate agency or apprehension under the Mental Health Act
- Coordinate and facilitate transportation to the hospital emergency department if further psychiatric and medical assessment is required
Can I call an MCIT?
No, you cannot call an MCIT directly. If you or someone around you is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the Toronto Police Service at 416-808-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Are MCITs first responders?
No. Priority Response Units (PRU) are the officers that respond to all calls for service including 9-1-1 emergency calls. They will attend calls for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis first to ensure it is safe for the nurse. The MCIT will then attend as secondary responders when the PRU indicates it’s safe to do so.
Although MCITs have traditionally been considered secondary responders, the program has evolved since its inception in 2000. The MCITs now may operate as co-responders to calls that do not include weapons or any other identified safety concerns. This means, when appropriate, MCITs will respond simultaneously with Priority Response Unit officers.
Are MCITs accessible 24/7?
The teams operate seven days a week and, depending on the team, will work beginning at 11 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. The hours are based on the times when the police receive the highest number of calls related to people experiencing a mental health crisis. The Toronto Police Service is available 24/7 to attend 9-1-1 calls involving a person in crisis.
Do MCITs use police vehicles?
Yes, MCITs use police vans designated for MCIT.
Do the teams use handcuffs?
The police officer has the responsibility to ensure individuals, and the community are safe. However, police officers are able to use discretion in any situation where they may have to use handcuffs.
If apprehended under the Mental Health Act, where will the person be taken?
An individual who may be experiencing a mental health crisis that is potentially a danger to themselves, or others may be apprehended by police under the Mental Health Act. In doing so, the individual will be taken to the nearest psychiatric facility which is most often the nearest hospital emergency room.
The Toronto Police Service is currently partnered with the following hospitals:
11/14/22 Divisions are partnered with St Joseph’s Health Centre.
12/13/23/31 Divisions are partnered with Humber River Hospital.
32/33 Divisions are partnered with North York General Hospital.
41/42/43 Divisions are partnered with Scarborough and Rouge Hospital (formed from the merger of The Scarborough Hospital and the Centenary site of Rouge Valley Health System).
51/52 Divisions are partnered with St. Michael’s Hospital.
53/54/55 Divisions are partnered with Michael Garron Hospital (formerly Toronto East General Hospital).
View divisional maps and boundaries on the Toronto Police Service website.