The Residential Treatment Progam

Who :

Youth 12 - 18 years of age from City of Kawartha lakes, Durham Region, Northumberland, Haliburton and Peterborough Counties. This program is for adolescents who cannot remain in the community: they may have been in trouble with the law, be involved with drugs, are not attending school, be depressed, have relationships or other behaviours that are destructive. Their families, for a variety of reasons, have not been able to assist their adolescent in directing their energy toward more positive ways of relating to others and acting responsibly. They may have had community-based services which have not been helpful in turning things around for the youth and family. After an assessment with the consultant psychiatrist, and everyone is in agreement with a residential placement, a pre-placement visit can take place and then planning for admission.


What :

This structured skill building program provides an opportunity for youth to learn new ways of relalting with those around them. The youth workers intervene in daily life events and assist in the adolescents making more positive choices in those situations. Goals are developed for each youth and reviewed about every three months. Families are very important in the processand family sessions are held weekly with one of the Clinical Workers. A clinical worker is assigned to those adolescents who can benefit from individual therapy. Psychological testing is available to the client.
Our goal for each adolescent is to have them return to the community as soon as possible. They go for visits every other weekend to provide an opportunity to work on their new skill in the community.


Where :

The Female Residence is in Port Bolster, with the educational component provided by Grove School on site.

The Male Residence is just outside of Kinmount in the Haliburton Highlands, with the educational component provided by the Trillium Lakelands District School Board on the site. Due to location and lack of immediate medical facilities, our residences are unable to accept individuals with disorders that require intensive medication monitoring or those who are in need of regular emergency medical services, ie those who are actively suicidal or not stabilized on required medications.


How Long :

The average length of stay is 12-18 months. It can take 6 months to 1 year to develop a relationship with the youth and family to enable treatment to occur. All of this depends on client motivation.


Services Offered :

  1. a separate living environment for males and females that house a maximum of eight youth in each facility


  2. a psychoeducational treatment program for individual youth develops adaptive behaviours and attitudes of the youth, family or caregiver through a reciprocal partnership and collaboration of Chimo workers


  3. direct care workers collaborate with collateral agendes and services such as Probation Services, CAS, family physicians, individual therapists,etc. when authorizedby the family / youth


  4. groups


  5. specialized and individual treatment plans


  6. assesment including problem identification, intervention goals, indicators and strategies to be used in a time limited treatment format


  7. individual and or family counselling


  8. combined therapeutic and educational programs


Residential Treatment Benefits

  1. 24 hour monitoring and care in safe environment, which maintains safety for adolescents with severe treatment issues


  2. support of trained Direct Care Workers to provide for their basic needs


  3. opportunity for a fully integrated treatment plan consisting of family therapy, residential treatment and day treatment


  4. focused individual treatment consisting of a corrective living environment, collaborated and individualized Care & Treatment planning and implementation, individual and group recreational activities available with Direct Care Workers; group therapy, individual counseling / therapy available with Clinical Response Workers


  5. parents remain actively involved in their adolescent's lives through weekly visits, family sessions and participating in the development of their adolescents and family's treatment plan


  6. safety is provided for adolescents who were at serious risk of harm while residing in their family home through physical / psychological / psychiatric assessment, which may lead to diagnosis previously unknown


  7. 24 hour observation of behaviour


  8. gradual reintegration process supported by treatment team which is based on reaching treatment objectives


  9. learn new coping skills and improved communication skills


  10. positive life experiences in self efficiency and self management


  11. provides predictability of consistent routines


  12. provides safety of firm, clear limits to behavious and interactions


  13. families are supported by Clinical Workers during the adolescent's stay in residence and for a period of after-care


  14. basic adolescent needs are met


  15. affirmation of strengths within the family


  16. medical support


Residential Treatment Risks

  1. all adolescents in residential treatment may be exposed to the numerous issues of the other residents such as: sexual acting out / exposing themselves, actual physical contact, verbal abuse by other residents, physical aggression or threats of such as exposure to residents who may have problems with drugs or alcohol, peer pressure to smoke, witnessing self-abuse such as cutting, residents who threaten or attempt suicide


  2. separation / isolatlon / abandonment / rejection issues as a result of being removed from their family


  3. adolescents will be exposed to numerous Direct Care Workers as they will be living in a staff model facility


  4. may experience separation from friends and loss of other relationships as a result of moving to another area


  5. physical containments are necessary


  6. adolescents may experience set-backs in academics


  7. "extreme" norms (e.g. in staffing, recreation, food) which may be more than the families can provide once the child retums home


  8. intrusive


  9. school / community change


  10. demanding on time and energy


  11. parents may feel inadequate


  12. older adolescents may not return to family home


CHIMO Youth and Family Services
2 Kent Street West, Unit #3
Lindsay, ON
K9V 2Y1

Central Intake: 1-888-454-6275