title: "We suffer from being lost": formulating policies to reclaim youth in mental health transitions.
abstract: The greatest financial and institutional weaknesses in mental health services affect individuals between the ages of 16 and 25. The current project sought to identify bodies of evidence supporting effective transitional pathways and to engage policy leaders in a discussion of youth mental health transitions to highlight stakeholder perspectives. Three efficacious pathways from youth health service environments to adult health service structures were identified in the literature: the Protocol/Reciprocal Agreement Structure, the Transition Program Model and the Shared Management Framework. Evidence was presented to a panel of policy officials occupying various roles, up to the position of assistant deputy minister, from the provincial ministries of health, education, child and youth services and training, colleges and universities in Ontario. The panel was then engaged in a discussion regarding youth mental health transitions, and thematic analysis was used to identify policy- and practice-level considerations. The Shared Management Framework was recommended as the preferred transitional model from a policy perspective; however, continued research is required to determine the appropriateness of this approach for all stakeholders involved in youth mental health transitions.
authors: PhD (c), is a doctoral student in the School of Psychology at University of Ottawa, in Ottawa, Ontario and a research assistant with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
authors: Melissa A
authors: MA
authors: Vloet
authors: MBBCh, is professor and chair of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and the regional chief of Specialised Psychiatry and Mental Health Services for Children and Youth (Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario).
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Davidson
authors: PhD, C. Psych, is the director of mental health research at CHEO and a clinical professor in psychology, adjunct professor in psychiatry and the Telfer School of Management, and a member of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Ottawa.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Cappelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011050:Policy Making; D060305:Transition to Adult Care / Q000458:organization & administration