Access CAMH

Referring to our services is simple.

For mental health services, have a referral form completed by a healthcare professional.

For the majority of mental health services at CAMH, patients require a referral form to be completed by a physician or nurse practitioner. The referral forms can be completed in two ways:

1. electronically or
2. by faxing a paper referral.

For referring providers, when submitting a referral, clearly indicate the reason for your referral and attach any relevant materials. The completed form should be faxed to Access CAMH at 416 979-6815. Additional details regarding how to submit a referral are outlined in the Referral Information Guide for Referring Providers. 

For patients seeking a referral to CAMH, please review the information outlined in Referral instructions Guide for patients regarding the process.

For addiction services, self-refer by calling 416 535-8501, press 2, then press 4. 

For addictions services, patients can refer directly by calling Access CAMH at 416 535-8501 press 2, then press 4. Please note if the patient currently has a methadone/ suboxone provider or addictions physician involved in their care, that provider will need to fax the completed CAMH referral form.

For emergencies anytime, call 911 or visit your local hospital emergency department. Access CAMH does not provide crisis counselling over the phone. Please visit our Crisis Resources page for a list of resources available for areas in and around Toronto.

Service Announcements

Update on status of Access CAMH referrals 

Please note that due to an increase in volumes and technology changes, we are currently experiencing longer than usual processing time for referrals. We anticipate that current response times could be as long as 6 weeks. We are working as quickly as possible to clear the backlog and return to our usual turnaround times. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to provide updates to the status of specific referrals in the queue. Thank you for your patience as we work through these issues. 

As always, if you require immediate care, please go to your nearest emergency department.

Please note that due to COVID-19 restrictions, the majority of care is being provided virtually.

For CAMH’smental health services, clients are usually offered a psychiatric consultation for the purposes of:

• Diagnostic clarification
• Treatment recommendations 
• Medication review

Following the psychiatric consultation, recommendations are made to the referring provider. If eligible, follow-up care may be offered, such as:  

• Group psychotherapy (e.g., CBT)
• Pharmacological treatment/Integrated care pathways
• Brain intervention (e.g. rTMS, MST, and ECT)
• Intensive case management and assertive community treatment

For CAMH’s addictions services, clients will participate in a screening questionnaire over the phone by Access CAMH in an effort to book the client into the most appropriate service. Once connected, clients will complete a comprehensive initial assessment after which a treatment plan may be developed. The treatment plan may include the following:                  

• Client identified goals
• Pharmacotherapy
• Group and/or individual therapy (e.g. early recovery/coping)
• Integrated care pathways 
• Medical withdrawal services

The eligibility criteria for CAMH’s mental health and addictions services may change. For up-to-date information, please contact the outpatient services directly by dialing their specific extension or contact Access CAMH at 416-535-8501 ext. 2
 
• We are unable to offer the following services and encourage a review of our community resources sheets for alternative resources within the community: 
  • ADHD assessment and treatment
  • Anger Management
  • Driver’s license reinstatement assessment
  • Kleptomania assessment
  • Medical marijuana assessment
  • Parental capacity assessment or Children’s Aid request
  • Ongoing individual therapy/counselling
  • Perinatal services
  • Trichotillomania treatment
  • Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT)
  • Child obsessive compulsive disorder assessment (6-18 years old)
  • Eating disorders treatment
  • Shopping addiction assessment and treatment
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR)