Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub: FAQs for Providers

The following FAQs are for individuals referring youth to the Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub, including family doctors, crisis workers, social workers and community members.

Are you a youth or young adult looking for more information on hub services? Please refer to our FAQs for youth.

General FAQs

Who runs the Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub?
The hub is collaboration between Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario and several organizations from East Toronto Health Partners:

• TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization
• Michael Garron Hospital
• Flemingdon Health Centre
• Health Access Thorncliffe Park
• LOFT Community Services
• The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at SickKids
• Strides Toronto

Who is eligible to access services at the hub?
All individuals aged 12-25 are eligible to access services at the hub.

What services can youth receive at the hub?
We offer the following services: counselling, peer support (individual and group), care navigation, primary care and sexual health services, psychiatry, employment support, housing and settlement services, and drop-in social/recreational programs. Learn more about our programs here. We are also home to TNO Trades Connect (a trades training program), and the TNO Food Collaborative (a food bank).

What else is available at the hub?
In addition to our core services, we offer activities like movie nights, game tournaments, tutoring, leadership development, and volunteer opportunities. Youth can also drop in during opening hours to hang out with friends or do homework. Our games room is open 3-6 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

How can youth access these services on their own?
Youth can drop in anytime during our opening hours! Some services (including counselling, peer support, psychiatry, care navigation, employment, housing and settlement), require meeting with an intake worker on the first visit, to match youth to the service they are seeking. The rest of our services (drop-in activities, tutoring, games room) are offered on a drop-in basis and don’t require a meeting with the intake worker.

How do I refer someone to the youth hub?
To refer a client, call 416-421-8397 Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., or email thorncliffe@youthhubs.ca with the client’s information and consent. Our intake worker will either reach out to the client directly or follow up with you for more information. In some cases, we will need a referral form, but the intake worker will walk you through the process.

Do youth need a health card to access services at the hub?
No, youth do not need a health card to access any of our services.

Counselling FAQs

Who are your counsellors?
We have several counsellors on staff from our partner organizations, including Michael Garron Hospital, TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization, Strides Toronto and The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at Sick Kids. Each of our counsellors have different specializations and availability, and we will match each youth with the counsellor who aligns best with their needs.

What type of therapy do you provide?
All of the counselling we provide is evidence-based and solution-focused. Our counsellors may use elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, and other therapies in their practice. Some of the most common challenges we help youth with include depression, anxiety and stress, challenging relationships, disordered eating, and substance use.

Do you provide counselling for trauma?
Our counsellors are trauma-informed. They can talk with youth about the impacts of trauma on their lives, however their practice is not focused on processing trauma.

How many counselling sessions can the client attend?
We offer short-term counselling, meaning each person can receive six to 12 counselling sessions, depending on the counsellor and the individual’s needs.

What happens after the short-term sessions are complete?
If a client continues to need support after their counselling sessions are completed, we have a Care Navigator on staff who will develop a long-term plan with them and connect them directly with services outside the hub.

Do you take high acuity clients?
Because we offer a short-term counselling model, we are best matched with low- to medium-acuity clients. High acuity clients will be connected to our Care Navigator, who will assist them in finding more intensive supports over the long term.

I’m referring for therapy. Will you help my client find housing?
Yes, youth can access more than one service at the hub. Based on each youth’s needs, our intake worker may connect them with additional services.

Will I know the status of my referral once I send it in?
Our intake worker will confirm receipt of the referral and immediate next steps. Please let our intake worker know if you’d like further follow up.

If I have questions, who is the best contact person?
Please call us at 416-421-8397 (Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.), or email thorncliffe@youthhubs.ca.

Can my client meet a psychiatrist at the hub and book follow-up psychiatry appointments?
Yes, they can access psychiatry at the hub, however this service requires a physician referral. If a physician referral isn’t possible, the youth will be seen by a Nurse Practitioner who may make the psychiatry referral if needed. After their first psychiatrist appointment, the client may or may not get a follow-up based on the issue and the availability of our psychiatrist.

Can my client access primary care through the hub?
Yes, we provide primary care and sexual health services to our clients on an as-needed, short-term basis. Please note that we do not provide ongoing, regular care as a family doctor.

Do you offer culturally sensitive services?
Yes, our hub is rooted in community-based mental health care tailored to the needs of the Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park communities.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Feel free to reach out by emailing us at thorncliffe@youthhubs.ca or calling us 416-421-8397, Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.