Programs

The Community Counselling program provides mental health counselling, service coordination and support to youth ages 12 to 17 and their families who are struggling with issues that affect their mental health and well-being. Examples include, but are not limited to: anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, self-harm, getting along with friends or family, problems in school, avoidance, trauma, substance use, bullying, and/or conflict with the law.

The goal of Counselling is to assist youth to reduce mental health symptoms, improve their well-being, build on strengths, and develop life skills.

Counselling services are available in person (95 Wellesley St. East), virtually or by phone (short term). Length of service is from 6 to 9 months and frequency is about once per week. Day and evening appointments are available.

The In-Home Intensive Program (IHIP) is for youth ages 12 to 17 and their families where there are more significant mental health, relationship, or behavioural concerns than can be addressed in counselling alone. Service is provided more frequently by a counsellor and/or youth worker in the home with the youth and parent/family. The program aims to strengthen individual mental health, family cohesion, and the family’s ability to develop the relationship skills needed.

Youth and their parent/family are required to commit to an individualized plan of 6 to 9 hours/week.

Live-In Treatment

TPYS offers a supportive Live-In Treatment program for youth ages 12 to 17 who live with mental health or substance abuse issues. For some youth these challenges can make it difficult to live with their family, and getting care at one of our homes is an effective alternative.

TPYS has two residences, which look just like private homes. Each home is staffed by trained youth workers and professional counsellors trained in social work or related fields such as clinical psychology. A consulting psychologist or psychiatrist may also be involved as part of the multi-disciplinary service team.

Some youth stay a few months, while some stay for a few years. There is no set time for how long a client can stay in Live-In Treatment. Goals are created when the client moves in, so their length of stay depends on their progress toward their goals.  Youth are involved in all aspects of life in the residences, including grocery shopping, menu preparation, cooking, cleaning, and choosing community activities and in-house programming.

To ensure clients stay on track with their education, we partner with the TDSB and provide an educational assessment and plan for clients who need to complete their schooling. When appropriate, we also provide employment services and training, life skills training (such as financial and household management), health and mental health services and counselling, and legal services. For those transitioning towards independence, our transitional housing program may be an option, but we can also help them navigate the adult services available to them.

We have two Live-In Treatment programs for youth whose social-emotional-psychological needs and family relationships require an out of home treatment approach.

• The Clifton Program is a structured, non-gender specific, Live-In Treatment program for youth ages 12 to 17. The program is a 6-bed residence providing each youth with their own bedroom.

• The Withrow Program is a structured, Live-In Treatment gender specific program for females ages 12 to 17. The program is an 8-bed residence comprised of a combination of single and double rooms.

• Emergency Shelter is available in a 35-bed dormitory setting at our 95 Wellesley Street East location for homeless and street-involved male and transgender youth (who identify as male), ages 16 to 24.

• Our Redwood Program supports youth who identify as male, ages 16 to 18 (at time of referral) who need housing support as they transition towards living more independently. The primary focus of the program is to help clients gain the skills they need to be successful either on their own or wherever they may live next. Clients are expected to be full-time students or engaged in full-time employment, a training program, or some combination of these, and are expected to pay a contribution toward their living expenses. Click for more information on the Redwood Program.

• Our residences are accredited by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA), and licensed by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

Day Treatment (School Program)

TPYS partners with the Toronto District School Board to operate an educational and community partnership program (ECPP) located at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. Our program is designed for high school students between the ages of 12 to 17 who are experiencing significant challenges at school, including struggling with academics, attendance, mental health, family, or other persistent issues, and who are not able to successfully attend a community school. Students benefit from the intensive therapeutic support that the program provides. The Day Treatment (School Program) aims to assist students to deal with their challenges and help them to return to the mainstream school system.

Daily programming includes three academic periods and one therapeutic treatment period, where students explore personal areas of strength and focus on skill development in the areas of anger management, communication skills, relationship building, self-esteem/self-awareness, responsibility, stress management, substance use, and problem solving.  Students participate in planning their own program and future goals.

TPYS provides services to youth who are in trouble with the law. We are committed to providing services that attend to the safety of youth, the community and TPYS employees. Our specialized programs include the following:

• The Turning Point PATH Program (PATH) helps young people who are in trouble with the law to build the skills, awareness and supports they need to strengthen their life path and reduce the risk of reoffending. Group and individual services are offered on site at 95 Wellesley Street East, at probation offices in Toronto, and in the community, with flexible hours to meet client needs. Some examples of programming include SNAP-Youth Justice (Stop Now and Plan) for males, Life PATH program, Girls PATH, Music PATH, counselling and trauma specific counselling. Service length and frequency can vary based on individual needs and young people are welcome to reconnect with the program if they encounter challenges later or if they find themselves in crisis. Referrals to the PATH Program usually come through youth court services or probation services. Download PATH brochure
• The Youth Mental Health Court Worker Program (YMHCW) serves youth who have been charged and are required to appear at court. Services are offered at the Ontario Court of Justice – Toronto (OCJ-T) at 10 Armoury St. (6th floor) and in the community, with flexible hours to meet young person’s needs. The program is a voluntary short-term assessment and planning service for youth and the courts. The YMHCW plays a central role in the Community Youth Court, a specialized youth court at 10 Armoury St., focused on youth who may have mental health and addiction concerns and/or developmental disabilities. It is not a trial court, but rather a problem-solving court. Youth work with the court team to develop a creative, individualized plan focusing on the young person’s mental health, substance and/or developmental needs and the offending behaviour that brought them into conflict with the law.
• The YJ Mental Health Access Program is a partnership with Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) and offers specialized assessment and counselling support to youth who are working with a Youth Mental Health Court Worker or a Probation Officer. YJ Mental Health Access offers quick access to services such as mental health assessments, psychiatric and psychological assessments, psychoeducational assessment to help youth understand their learning style and needs, substance use assessment and treatment, brief counselling (8-10 sessions) and family support. Download the Youth Mental Health Access Program brochure

TPYS operates a live-in program for youth involved in the youth justice system. The Everett Program is an 8-bed, gender specific, structured, live-in program for young males living with mental health challenges. Clients are referred through the courts and probation services. The goal of the program is to prevent and reduce youth involvement in the criminal justice system and support their reintegration back into the community. TPYS staff work with clients to develop individualized Case Management Plans that reflect the client’s needs, strengths, and factors that could lead to reoffending. This program is staffed by at least two youth workers at all times, with additional employees scheduled to support programming and court. Residents also receive additional counselling support from professional counsellors with training in social work and clinical psychology, and can make use of the services offered by TPYS including the YJ Mental Health Access, PATH and YMHCW programs.

Youth in the Everett program may also attend school while in the program. The School Program aims to assist students to deal with their challenges and help them to return to the mainstream school system. Daily programming includes three academic periods and one therapeutic treatment period, where students explore personal areas of strength and focus on skill development in the areas of anger management, communication skills, relationship building, self-esteem/self-awareness, responsibility, stress management, substance use, and problem solving.  Students participate in planning their own program and future goals.

Everett

TPYS also provides a number of other programs and services that supplement and enhance our core programming. If you are a youth or caregiver and are interested in learning more about all of the services we provide, please refer to our handbook.

Download What We Do – A Guide to our Programs and Services

Download brochure Youth In Transition Worker

If you are a worker in the Sector and would like more details about our programming, please see For Sector.

How to begin?

Clients start the process by calling Help Ahead at 1-866-585-6486. They will guide you through an initial assessment over the phone, and direct you to the appropriate services. If you are directed to Turning Point, TPYS staff will develop a personalized service plan that is delivered through one or more of our programs. At the end of treatment, TPYS staff will assist you and your parents or caregivers in developing after care and follow-up support plans so you can maintain the progress you have achieved with TPYS.

What does it cost?

There is no fee for accessing services through TPYS.

Is there a wait time?

Help Ahead will accept your calls during regular business hours. Depending on the agency you are referred to, there may be a wait to access counselling or Live-In Treatment services. They will be able to tell you how long the wait is likely to be, and what alternatives are available.

How long does it last?

Treatment programs can last a few days or several years, depending on the needs of the individual client. Individual counselling sessions typically occur weekly in one hour sessions. The times for these sessions are very flexible and can occur either during the day or after school, or even in the evenings – whatever works best for the client’s schedule.