BC Children's Hospital - Child Psychiatric School Program

The BCCH: Child Psychiatry provides a comprehensive assessment, which includes psychology, education, occupational therapy and speech/language evaluations, as well as diagnostic clarification and medication review. 

It also includes individual therapy, family therapy and behaviour management education for the caregivers. The ultimate goal is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment plan, which is then shared in a discharge planning conference with those professionals involved in the community.

Pre-Admission

The Pre-Admission program’s mandate is to orient prospective patients and their families to the structure, goals and various professionals involved in the Inpatient Program.  The role of the unit classroom teachers is to liaise with the home school and family.  Present academic, behavioral and emotional/social functioning in the home school are established. Academic assessment may also be under taken at this time, in advance of admission.  The unit teachers have developed a clear understanding of the student’s strengths and weaknesses enabling them to create a program tailored to individual needs upon entry into the classroom.

Admission

The primary goal of the school program is assessment of academic functioning, social competency, and behaviour as they relate to school.  The information is collected though formal standardized achievement testing, discussions with other professionals working with the child, (weekly rounds) and informal observation. At a discharge meeting the recommendations for teaching, learning strategies and materials are based on the unit teacher’s knowledge/understanding of the student’s success while interacting with the program.

Program Objectives

The school program also adds consistency and normalizes the child’s day.  Students attend the unit schoolroom for up to three hours per day four days per week.

This is a school program for elementary students (kindergarten to grade7) with a maximum of ten students at one time, divided between two classrooms. The teacher's strive to meet student's individual learning through recognized 'best practice' strategies within the school program.

Referral Process

A child can be admitted to the inpatient Child Psychiatry Unit in a number of ways.  Referrals are made to Community Mental Health Teams by the child’s doctor, or parent/guardian. The Community Health Team screens all referrals.

Only the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health Regions are involved in the Pre-admission program due to their proximity to Children’s Hospital.  The home school may be contracted before admission into school, or during the first week. A child’s attendance at school is dependent on their health, medical appointments and other assessments that must be undertaken during their admission.  An educational report is completed for the child and the community school is contracted just as with a regular admission.

Exit Criteria and Follow up

A child is discharged when all disciplines have completed their assessments and there is a clear diagnosis. Patient health/ behavior, family teaching, medication stabilization, and community support is also considered.  Each health region participates in the Post-Program follow-up. The attending psychiatrist, in consultation with the unit team, determines the goals for follow-up. Teachers follow up independently or as part of the Post Program. 

Generally the teachers check in with the child’s community school. However, the unit teachers in consultation with district staff, often explore alternate school settings or specialized programs that may meet the needs of the student. During these discussions support may be offered in the form of resources, behavior plans, articulating the impact of the child’s diagnosis on his/her learning and behavior in the classroom.

Students who attend schools in the Vancouver/Coastal regions may also be eligible for an in person consultation with the teachers at the school or hospital.