Clinical High Risk (CHR) Service

Intended For

Young people:

• Between 16 to 29 years of age 
• Who are at risk of developing psychosis

The people we help are young people who are experiencing the following symptoms:

• Trouble concentrating or thinking clearly
• Confusion about what is real or imaginary
• Hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t really there
• Feeling that the world has become strange or unreal
• Preoccupation with religion or superstitions
• Feeling suspicious or paranoid – with insight
• Disorganized speech, racing thoughts or slowed down thoughts
• Problems with social activities at work or school
• Mild withdrawal from family and friends
• Symptoms must have started recently or worsened in the last year

Individuals that would not be seen in the CHR service include those experiencing:

• Full blown psychotic symptoms
• Symptoms that might be related to another medical condition
• Symptoms that are better explained by another diagnosis
• Serious suicide or aggression risk

Referral Requirements:

Referrals from the CAMH Emergency Department only 

Additional Referral Details

• Patient must have a family physician or nurse practitioner in order to allow best care.
• Self-referral and/or physician/hospital/community agency/school referral accepted using the general CAMH referral form.

New referrals can be faxed to Access CAMH at 416 979-6815 using the CAMH referral form or the electronic form

• Electronic Referrals
• By faxing paper referrals

If the CHR service cannot best meet the needs of the patient, the service will provide recommendations for other clinical services.

 

Services Offered As:

Outpatient

Program Duration:

Short-term follow-up for up to 12 months will be provided

Waiting Period:

Strides are made to offer a consultation within 2 weeks of receipt of referral.

Location:

Queen Street site - 1025 Queen Street West

Additional Location Details:

4th floor

Hours of Operation:

Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

Contact Phone Number:

Access CAMH: 416 535-8501, press 2

More Contact Details:

Clinical High Risk Service: 416 535-8501, ext. 34841/37702

Types of Treatment and Services Offered

After an assessment, the clinic will work with the patient to develop a care plan and may offer the following:

• Psychiatric monitoring
• Medication management
• Psychosocial interventions
• At time of discharge, a transition plan will make recommendations to the patient’s family physician, and other clinical services.

Program Overview

The CHR Service is dedicated to the early identification and treatment of people aged 16 to 29 who are at risk of developing psychosis. We try to identify and treat early signs of psychosis as early as possible.

Psychosis happens when a person loses contact with reality and cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is not. Psychosis usually appears in a person’s late teens or early twenties. About three out of every 100 people will have a psychotic episode in their lifetime.

Mental and emotional changes are early signs that someone could be at risk for psychosis. These changes usually happen before more serious symptoms develop.

Mental and emotional problems are often like physical problems; the sooner they are treated, the better. In the past, it was common to delay active treatment until clear signs of psychosis appeared. However, the longer these early symptoms are left untreated, the greater the disruptions to the person’s ability to study, work, make friends, and interact comfortably with others.

People who have a family member with psychosis and are now experiencing their own difficulty with functioning may be at risk of developing psychosis and are encouraged to have their family doctor submit a referral.

For information about our Early Intervention Service for First Episode Psychosis, click here.