THE SUMMIT:
Marian & Jim Sinneave
Centre for Youth Resilience
INSIDE THE SUMMIT
Thanks to support from a parade of donors, The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience has completely changed mental health treatment for youth and families in our community. Over the last year, thousands of children and teens have received care from multiple new service options in this beautiful space designed just for them.
“The Summit and the services it houses were purpose-built to help meet the rising need for mental health supports and specifically, for young people and their families,” says Ryan Clements, Program Manager. “We are so grateful for how quickly and generously our community stepped up to make this a reality and now, it is amazing to see children, teens and their loved ones getting the help they need.”
FIRST FLOOR OWERKO FAMILY WALK IN SERVICES
Compared to a hospital emergency department, from the moment they arrive, families say the walk-in service at The Summit provides a calm, stabilizing environment. It offers immediate access to specialized mental health treatment without an appointment, seven days a week.
Over the last year, staff in the Owerko Family Walk In Services saw 2,234 young people, of which 1,342 returned for a follow-up visit — a total of 3,576 walk-in sessions.
The top three presenting concerns were general counselling, disruptive behaviors by children in the home and feeling upset or mentally unstable. Many youth presented with two or more issues and 66 percent of children seeking care through these services had some form of suicidal ideation that was addressed.
VOICES OF PATIENTS & FAMILIES
It feels warm and inviting here. Very helpful information was given and my child felt comfortable answering questions and listening to the strategies. Thank you so much for all of your help!”
Everyone was so understanding and kind. It was a wonderful experience.”
By the numbers
Many walk-in clients were seen for a follow-up appointment at The Summit. Of those additional visits:
22% had a nursingrelated appointment for risk assessments and safety planning
21% had a social work appointment
7% saw a psychologist
The service added hope to a very stressful time. Thank you!”
7% returned for additional family support (For example, Peer Support services, spiritual care or a pharmacy or dietitian consult)
SECOND FLOOR TALLMAN FAMILY TREATMENT SERVICES
The second floor of The Summit is home to Tallman Family Treatment Services, offering programs aimed at helping young people manage acute and escalating symptoms to prevent or reduce the need for hospitalization. Over the last year, the Intensive Community Treatment Services (ICTS) team cared for 146 young people and families, with an average length of time in the program of 58 days.
Children and adolescents benefitted from personalized intensive individual, family and group therapy for one to four hours, three to five times a week for up to six weeks. These programs are designed to meet the needs of those who require more support from an integrated team of professionals.
The primary presenting concerns for ICTS clients were anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and difficulty coping. Referrals primarily came from Acute at Home — programming that supports families as they transition out of a hospital setting — as well as community clinics.
Sensory room
The ability to recognize how the environment affects your nervous system is a skill kids can build with education and practice. The Summit’s sensory room is a special place that provides the opportunity for children and youth to engage with lights, sounds, textures and movement to promote optimal levels of relaxation or energy. Experimenting with sensory experiences can help them learn how to recognize stressors and explore strategies to adapt.
Since The Summit opened, there have been 319 sessions in the sensory room.
“The hope is they will identify things that help them regulate their emotions in a way that is transferrable outside of The Summit,” says Morgan Pelley, Patient and Family Centred Care Program Facilitator. “For example, some kids might learn that a certain type of music or the sound of the ocean helps calm them, and that’s something they can employ in stressful situations in their day-to-day lives. Others might learn that turning the lights down or being able to rock back and forth reduces their stress.”
In one scenario this past year, a boy found the bubble tube in the sensory room was extremely helpful. Staff were able to help facilitate him getting his own similar bubble tube with community support from the Special Children’s Fund, making it so he could also use what he had learned at The Summit in his home environment.
VOICES OF PATIENTS & FAMILIES
It was very clearly tailored toward assisting teens in their struggles. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly, professional and empathetic.”
There was always ongoing, open communication with the family therapist about areas of focus for treatment.”
I was given many resources so that I can support my teen at home.”
Liam’s Community Connections
Liam’s Community Connections provides clients easy access to other community-based adolescent health specialists and services. Clinics include those that help youth with eating disorders as well as sexual and reproductive health.
This specially designed space is also home to the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) lab where research is currently underway to discover if this non-invasive therapy could be an effective, drug-free treatment for ADHD.
Me!
Scan the QR Code or click here to watch a CTV News Calgary story about the lab and the current study.
THIRD FLOOR PTARMIGAN DAY HOSPITAL
To reduce the length of stay in hospital and ensure a smooth transition back to home, school and community, the Ptarmigan Day Hospital helps youth shift from around-the-clock care to daily intensive therapy while allowing them to sleep in the comfort of their own beds at night. This space includes Calgary Board of Education schooling onsite for elementary through senior high, boosting patient integration back to their home communities.
Over the last year, the day hospital has supported 216 patients and the standard length of stay is 14 days. The top referral sources for the day hospital came from units at Foothills Medical Centre (which are a part of the Child and Adolescent Addiction and Mental Health Psychiatry Program) and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.
Families say day hospital staff were kind and compassionate and that they went home feeling connected to support options, feeling much less alone.
VOICES OF PATIENTS & FAMILIES
The staff was very nice and understanding. They helped me with my concerns and helped me achieve my goals, they were interested in talking to me and I never felt uncomfortable or alone.”
I
loved the staff, I just felt truly loved there.”
CARING FOR BODY & SPIRIT
Over the course of the last year, community-funded patient and family-centred care and therapeutic enhancements have become the heart of The Summit.
MUSIC & ART THERAPY
Caring for a young person’s emotional, social and spiritual needs are equally important parts of the healing journey, as are treating or managing mental and physical challenges. That’s why it was vital that there be a robust therapeutic arts program at The Summit — to support healing while also offering creative outlets for self-expression, distraction from the more difficult parts of the journey and the opportunity to learn new skills and often connect with others on a similar path.
Thanks to generous community support, hundreds of children and teens receiving care at The Summit benefitted from specialized therapeutic programming last year. Many of these programs — including art and music therapy as well as some recreational and occupational therapy — take place in the Expressive Arts room, a bright and accessible space on The Summit’s second level.
“The Expressive Arts room is one of our most frequently used spaces — there’s something happening in there pretty much every day,” says Pelley. “The fact there’s a dedicated therapeutic arts space that was planned for and built at The Summit speaks to the forethought and intention that went into ensuring these programs were integrated into mental health care for young people.”
Last year, there were 109 music therapy engagements and 175 art therapy engagements with youth in intensive treatment. Meanwhile, there were 247 music or art therapy engagements with children and teens receiving care in the day hospital.
In my work at The Summit, the goal is for young people to find new and meaningful ways they can use music to help manage their mental health. Teenagers aren’t often encouraged to speak out MORE, to embrace their emotions MORE, but we try hard to build them up and encourage them to communicate through music. For some, it’s a fun distraction from or a peaceful rest stop on the rocky road they’re walking. For others, it’s a safe space to come out of their shells, to release whatever’s bottled up inside. And for those who are already musical, it’s an opportunity to heal in a way that’s familiar and comfortable for them. Music is a beautiful thing that touches and motivates each person differently, in exactly the way they need it.”
— Colleen Kehler, certified music therapist
Art therapy at The Summit has been well-attended and the feedback from these children and teens has been positive and hopeful. Participants appreciate having a space to be creative and expressive, especially amidst the stress and busy-ness of daily life and navigating support for their mental health. Often, I will hear clients say that they were able to feel fully relaxed and peaceful in the art space, and that making art has given them an opportunity to look at their experiences in a way they never have before. Sometimes they even use their artwork to communicate to their other mental health professionals what they are going through in a way that feels more real and authentic than words alone. And witnessing the shared artistic process in The Summit’s art therapy groups has been powerful; teens are able to relate to each other through the art-making process and share vulnerably through their artwork in a way that might be more challenging without that shared medium. As an art therapist, I am honoured that clients and families invite me into their worlds, to walk alongside them in the unfolding of their stories.”
— Nia Neumann, art therapist
HORTICULTURAL THERAPY
This spring, The Summit welcomed Becky Feasby to the team as its first horticultural therapist. Feasby facilitates programming every Thursday afternoon for clients receiving care from Intensive Community Treatment Services and the Day Hospital.
Whether planting and tending to outdoor raised beds in the Foo Family Healing Garden or propagating plants indoors and growing them during the winter under lights, horticultural therapy programming offers a rich variety of experiences aimed at meeting the therapeutic goals of children and adolescents.
“When the kids come together for these sessions, they might not even realize that this is actually part of the therapy they’re getting at The Summit,” says Feasby. “They are socializing and communicating in a group and solving problems together — all valuable skills to help them grow as people and gain confidence.”
Horticultural therapy takes them into the kitchen and art room, as well. Pumpkin pie baking involves learning about pumpkins as food and how that food came from what they planted. Making winter wreaths from dry branches and twigs shows that everything from the earth can be made into something beautiful. The added bonus is the pride patients express when they see their finished product, as well as the warm feeling of making something for someone else to enjoy as a gift or treat.
“Some of these kids are facing really tough struggles,” says Feasby. “It’s gratifying when I see smiles on their faces at the end of a session.”
The horticultural therapy programs have also offered a valuable means of building community onsite at The Summit by beautifying indoor and outdoor spaces and providing opportunities for social networking and psychological and physiological well-being. Staff report being grateful for the respite and rest they can find in the outdoor gardens during their hectic and sometimes stressful shifts. They have also been eager to learn about gardening and plant propagation and have enthusiastically signed up for shifts to keep the gardens watered and healthy.
Horticultural therapy is defined as the use of nature-based environments and activities designed to meet the therapeutic goals of participants.
At The Summit, it is used in both indoor and outdoor programs and can assist in the treatment of a variety mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, mood disturbance and cognitive function.
RECREATIONAL THERAPY
Recreation and play are a critical part of the healing journey for children and young people striving to improve their mental health.
The Ibbotson Gymnasium on the second floor of The Summit is a hub for many recreational and therapeutic activities throughout the week.
Daily exercise breaks
Clients from the Day Hospital enjoy regular exercise breaks in the Ibbotson Gym every day. Among the many games available to play in the fully-outfitted facility, clients tend to favour basketball and bowling the most.
Yoga
Yoga instruction is offered in the gym every Friday afternoon to clients of the Day Hospital. It is also provided twice a month on Saturdays to clients from across all mental health programs in the city.
Therapy Sessions
The gym is often used by counsellors at The Summit to engage with clients in a casual, less structured way.
Move Your Mood
This research-based program uses physical activity and healthy lifestyle practices to improve the mental and physical well-being of participants. Offered to those enrolled in the Day Hospital, as well as clients from across all mental health programs from the city for ages 10-13 years and 14-17 years, the program focuses on five core themes over the course of six weekly sessions:
Move your body: With activities that are inclusive, safe and fun, clients are encouraged to try different ways to move their body and learn how it enhances their physical and mental health.
Fuel your body: Participants learn about basic nutrition and learn how to make healthy snacks.
Mindfulness: With the goal of improving attention and focus, regulating emotions and managing stress, clients are taught ways to be calm, be mindful and present with their emotions.
The team appreciates being able to have this space as an option for therapy sessions. In some cases, conversations happen more easily when shooting hoops in the gym as opposed to sitting in a therapy room.”
— Morgan Pelley, Patient and Family Centred Care Program Facilitator
Meditation sessions
With the addition of a state-of-the-art audio visual system, meditative scenes, sounds and music are projected on a large screen in the gym for specific groups of clients and families to experience a guided meditative experience.
Family connection opportunities
The large screen has also featured movies for clients and families to enjoy together. With lots of space for people to gather, there are plans for the gym to be the site for a regular, weekly family movie night in the near future.
Expand your mind: Recognizing that simple things we practice every day can promote positive mental health, clients are given new ideas to improve their sense of self and feel more connected to others.
Build assets: Extensive research has identified 40 positive experiences and qualities that influence young people’s development, helping them become caring, responsible, and productive adults. Clients are shown ways they can build these internal and external assets into their lives.
PET THERAPY
The gentle and calming nature of animals is another helpful tool for many young people on a mental health journey. Last year, kids and teens at The Summit benefitted from 54 hours of pet therapy provided by volunteers with the Pet Access League Society (PALS) and their furry companions. There was also the occasional visit from a support dog through the Calgary Police Service.
SPIRITUAL CARE
For some, leaning heavily on their faith or spirituality is a crucial component of the healing journey, which is why it is important to have the option for spiritual support to be interwoven into their individual treatment plans.
Last year, 65 sessions were provided by a spiritual care practitioner at The Summit.
Beyond working directly with patients and families, says Pelley, a spiritual care practitioner is available to be at the table for discussions between other mental health professionals on a patient’s care team to weigh in and advise on the overall treatment where appropriate.
Sometimes there are religious or cultural barriers to acknowledging and addressing mental health concerns, she adds, so a spiritual care practitioner also plays an important role in knowledge translation and fostering understanding for young people and their support systems so they can receive the most effective care possible.
COOKING CLASSES AND COFFEE CLUB
Developing new skills can contribute to a young person’s confidence, self-esteem and aspirations for the future. Cofacilitated by a dietitian and an occupational therapist, there were 90 cooking sessions provided through the program at The Summit last year. Through these classes, youth learned to bake cookies and make simple meals, such as tacos and pizza. On the surface, it sounds like a fun and delicious pastime, however, the underlying benefits are incredibly significant, says Pelley.
“There are lots of life skills being taught through these classes,” she says. “Everything from learning to read a recipe, following directions in the right order, food safety and more. It’s promoting improved executive functioning for these young people.”
And for some, who come from a place of food insecurity, says Pelley, the classes are helping them learn skills they otherwise wouldn’t be able to at home, while hopefully teaching them about some accessible meals they could make for themselves or their families.
Additionally, there were five ‘Coffee Club’ groups offered last year, where youth had the opportunity to learn the history of coffee, work on their math and practice patience while getting hands-on experience using barista equipment to make delicious hot beverages. While this supports healing, it also provides young people with a skillset they could use to secure future employment at a coffee shop.
As a Peer Support Worker at The Summit, Jason helps young people and families navigate their mental health journeys.
PEER SUPPORT
When a young person is struggling with their mental health, it can be a scary, hopeless and isolating experience for both them and their loved ones. For many families, having an understanding and empathetic person to walk beside them for part of the lonely journey is a relief and comfort. Thanks to generous community support, the Peer Support program means families can receive guidance and hope from someone who has had their own experience with mental health struggles.
Peer Support Workers are trained and certified by the Canadian Mental Health Association of Calgary. The six-month training process, which includes a 50-hour internship, equips those who have experienced a mental health or substance use recovery journey to support others facing a similar struggle.
Among services offered by the Peer Support program are parent groups — one for parents of gender-diverse youth and another more general one for parents of children receiving care at The Summit — as well as a group to support the siblings of young people receiving care.
We
know that having a loved one facing a mental health challenge is incredibly hard on families. It’s vital that the people walking the road alongside the patient are taken care of and supported as well. These groups exist in order to support the support systems.”
—
Morgan Pelley, Patient and Family Centred Care Program Facilitator
BEYOND THE BUILDING
While The Summit serves as a hub for many specialized programs and services to support child and adolescent mental health, community generosity extends beyond the walls to help kids, families and staff at Child and Adolescent Addiction and Mental Health Psychiatry Program (CAAMHPP) sites across the city.
FUNCTIONAL FAMILY THERAPY
In order to support whole family units as they navigate unique mental health journeys with their own individual set of circumstances, Functional Family Therapy is designed to meet them where they’re at with help that is personalized for them.
Through this program, a trained therapist works with every member of the family in their own home and creates a customized plan based on the specific needs, dynamics and relationships that exist there. The plan aims to fix negative interactions, improve communication and problemsolving skills while reducing conflict.
As a single mom of two young boys, one who had been diagnosed with anxiety and oppositional defiance disorder, Katie Bushell found support and solace in Functional Family Therapy. She remembers becoming emotional when she learned the therapist would come to her home — eliminating the need to travel to appointments — and the cost would be covered.
Over the next few months, the therapist visited weekly and spent time getting to know Katie and each of her two sons — Zadyn and Dontae — both as individuals and a collective family unit. She provided constructive, positive and personalized support to help them move forward.
“She came from a place of compassion and kindness and the sessions were tailored to suit our family and our specific needs,” says Katie, adding she is so thankful for the community support that made this resource accessible for families like hers.
STAFF EDUCATION FUND
There are many different types of specialists who provide care at The Summit and across the CAAMHPP. Community support has helped ensure they have access to worldclass training and the latest evidencebased information and best practices to inform the care they provide.
Thanks to the Staff Education Fund, 399 CAAMHPP staff members were able to attend Connect Days — an opportunity to hear from a keynote speaker and network with and learn from fellow frontline mental health specialists. Additionally, 24 staff took part in external professional development courses and conferences and five staff received financial support for post-secondary education.
The Fund allows staff to prioritize continuing education and fill any gaps they’re currently recognizing as a skill deficit, says Pelley.
“We know the system can be hard to navigate, so we want to make sure our staff know the system well so they can support families with next steps,” she adds. “Well-trained staff and staff who are invested in continuous learning allow for implementation of best practice and, ultimately, improved patient experiences and outcomes.”
SPECIAL CHILDREN’S FUND
Seeking help for your mental health can be emotionally, physically and logistically taxing. For some, the expenses that can accumulate through frequent visits to The Summit only add stress to an already difficult time. Thanks to community support, the Special Children’s Fund is a helping hand for those who need one.
More than $48,000 in Special Children’s Fund assistance was provided to 89 eligible families relying on mental health care or programming last year. This included coverage for transportation to and from The Summit as well as medications and equipment to support mental health rehabilitation and wellness.
“For many of these families, transportation to and from the centre could be a huge barrier to getting the care and support they need,” says The Summit’s Program Manager, Ryan Clements. “When we tell them we can help with those expenses, it’s a huge burden lifted.”
MAKING NEW DISCOVERIES
IN MENTAL HEALTH
When The Summit opened, it was celebrated as one of the most researchintensive mental health facilities for young people in Canada. Just as science moves medicine forward for physical health, the same can be said of discovery and development of new therapies to improve mental health.
Every patient who receives care at The Summit has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from leading-edge studies conducted in partnership with the University of Calgary to help advance treatments for young people in our community and around the world.
Research currently underway includes:
A study to understand the connection between the digestive system and some brain-related conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette Syndrome.
A study about mindfulness and how it is associated with mental illness and psychological well-being.
Young people are invited to help improve knowledge and treatment of child and adolescent mental health concerns by enrolling in the research registry. For complete information, visit: Mentalhealthresearch4kids.ca
A study focused on finding predictors, understanding the progression and determining the appropriate treatments of serious mental illness, in particular psychosis.
