Geriatric Mental Health Program

The Geriatric Mental Health Program is dedicated to the provision of specialized, interprofessional assessment, treatment, consultation, and follow-up services to older persons with mental health and addiction problems. The program accepts referrals of clients 60 years of age and older. To access program services, a doctor's referral is not necessary but is preferred. 

Program Services:

Central Intake & Referral Service: To access any program service, you can contact the program's Central Intake. This service operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday to Friday. Calls are usually returned within one business day. The telephone number is 416-535-8501, extension 2875. 

Inpatient Services: 
The focus of inpatient services is acute stabilization of symptoms and active treatment utilizing interprofessional approaches that integrate mental health, addictions, and geriatric perspectives.  In total, the program manages 48 inpatient beds. 

Prior to July 2009, program beds were distributed over 2 units in the Administration Building at the Queen Street site-one unit was designated an acute admission unit with 28 beds, and the second, was formerly designated a continuing treatment unit with 20 beds.  However, as a result of a number of pressures (a growing need to address clients deemed as requiring an alternative level of care, financial pressures, and the planned interim relocation of the program into a smaller physical space in October 2009), 8 inpatient geriatric beds were dedicated to a collaborative initiative with CAMH’s Schizophrenia Program, and are now located on Units 1-4 and 1-5 as part of the Schizophrenia Program’s Integrated Rehabilitation Unit, also on the Queen Street site. 

Since July 2009, the remaining 40 inpatient beds were no longer part of an acute unit and a longer stay unit (formerly known as the Geriatric Admission Unit and the Geriatric Continuing Treatment Unit, respectively).  Now, there are 2 units of 20 beds each, located on Units 4-2 and 4-3, who have a mix of acute and longer-stay clients, about 70% acute to 30% longer-stay.  Older clients who require an admission to an inpatient bed are generally triaged through our Central Intake Service, and then admitted to an available bed on Unit 4-2 or 4-3.

Referral Required: yes. Inpatient admissions and transfers are processed through the Geriatric Mental Health Program Central Intake and Referral Service

 

Outpatient Services:

The mandate of the GMHP's outpatient services is to maintain clients in the community for as long as possible, to provide specialized geriatric mental health consultation services to our community partners, and to assist the in-patient units by providing continuity of care to clients upon discharge.

PACE Clinics: Our interprofessional outpatient teams provide assessment, consultation and education services to the community. There are currently 3 PACE clinics (Pace Central/East, Pace West and Pace Peel). Two of our clinics also have Psychogeriatric Resources Consultants who provide case-based education to long-term care homes and other community agencies.

Late-Life Mood Disorder Clinic: The late-life mood disorder clinic is a part of the PACE clinics. We provide psychiatric consultation for patients/clients who have had long standing mood disorders and are now over age 60 as well as those individuals who develop a mood disorder after the age of 60. The clinic has a particular interest in older persons with difficult to treat mood disorders. The clinic is also involved in a number of research studies in which older clients may be eligible to participate.

Late-Life Schizophrenia Clinic (LLS Clinic): provides psychiatric consultation and treatment when needed for: (1) patients who have had schizophrenia or a related disorder since an early age and are now age 60 or above; and (2) patients who develop a psychotic disorder late in life. The clinic staff has also a number of special interests related to late-life psychosis including: comprehensive cognitive and functional assessments, brain imaging, genetics, and assessment of patients not on any antipsychotic or on more than one.

Cognitive Behavioral and Social Skills Training (CBSST): CBSST is an evidence-based group therapy that has been developed to improve social function in clinically stable older patients with schizophrenia or a related disorder. The groups meet once a week and the course of therapy is typically for 36 weeks.

Rapid Assessment Clinic (RAC): The Rapid Assessment Clinic was developed for clients who do not need emergency psychiatric services but do need to be seen on a more urgent basis. The goal of the clinic is to provide psychiatric assessments to clients 60 years of age or above within 2 weeks of receipt of a completed referral form. All patients are assessed by a geriatric psychiatrist or a psychiatrist-in-training under the supervision of a geriatric psychiatrist.

Memory Clinic: The CAMH Memory clinic accepts referrals for clients 50 years of age and older who specifically have concerns regarding their memory. Typical referrals include those clients with potential neurodegenerative illness (mild cognitive impairment), early to moderate dementia, and people with schizophrenia who have cognitive impairment. For this service, physician referrals are necessary.

Telemedicine Clinic: CAMH has partnered with the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) to provide clients in remote areas of Ontario with accessible care. The Geriatric component of the service provides clients 60 years of age and over with mental health and addiction issues with geriatric psychiatry consultations including: medication review; diagnostic assessment of common psychiatric disorders; behavioural management of dementia; and suitability for psychotherapy. A physician's referral is required for this service. The OTN Scheduling office will work with CAMH, the Patient TM site and the client/client's family to schedule the telemedicine appointment. For more information regarding this clinical telemedicine service, or to discuss patient referral please contact the Geriatric Mental Health Program's Central Intake and Referral Service at 416-535-8501, ext. 2875. 

Contact: Program Central Intake and Referral Service: 416-535-8501, ext. 2875

Location: Inpatient Services: Unit 4-2 and 4-3, Queen Street Site, 1001 Queen Street West, Toronto; Outpatient Services: Room 2043-1, Russell Street Site, 33 Russell Street, Toronto

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