Mental Health Day Treatment Program

MHDT is a structured, time-limited program that is facilitated by a multidisciplinary team who assist clients with exploring and managing their mental health and associated behaviours. Areas of focus may include the following: anxiety, depression, stress management, effective communication, self-esteem, emotion regulation, resilience, therapeutic recreation, and healthy lifestyles.   

For adults over 25 years, MHDT offers treatment groups in stages with the total length of the program dependent on individual needs (typically up to 12 weeks). 

1. GRASP (Get Ready and Start Participating) provides assessment, stabilization, psychoeducation and basic skills acquisition to participants. Groups sessions occur twice per week for a one to 1.5-hour duration. All participants are required to begin involvement with MHDT at Grasp, transitioning to the next stage in programming (CORE) if assessed to be appropriate.
2. CORE provides intensive programming focused on evidence-based therapy and best practices. Treatment modalities typically offered are dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, recreation therapy, and psychoeducation. Groups are offered Monday to Friday with a requirement of daily in-person attendance.

For adults aged 18-25, MHDT offers the following groups: 

1. Transitional Age Youth Program (TAYP): Provides specific group programming and services to address the unique needs of transitional aged youth. Groups operate Monday to Friday and are 8 weeks in duration. Programming includes, although is not limited to, dialectical behaviour Therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, recreation therapy, and psychoeducation. 
2. Social Activation Group (SAG): SAG is a recreational therapy group for individuals who want to improve their confidence in social environments and have positive interactions with their peers. Groups are in-person and consist of a rotation of fun activities and events to support interpersonal skill development and social engagement. Groups are offered once per week; participants may attend for up to three months. 

The Ajax Pickering Hospital Mental Health Day Hospital and Mental Health Day Treatment Programs offer in-person psychoeducational groups to assist clients with gaining insight regarding their mental health challenges to improve their management of symptoms. Clients learn the basics of cognitive behaviour therapy and receive instruction for coping in healthy and positive ways to improve their mental well-being. The total length of the program is nine weeks occurring in three-week intervals. Clients are only expected to commit to attending three weeks at a time. 

1. Mental Health Day Hospital: All individuals start in the Day Hospital Program and then transition to the Day Treatment Program if appropriate. Groups occur Monday to Friday for three weeks and daily attendance is required.  
2. Mental Health Day Treatment: This program is offered part-time. The first phase offers groups three days per week for three weeks and the second phase offers groups two days per week for three weeks.  

Exclusionary criteria for all MHDT programs include:  

• Active psychosis, mania, anti-social/narcissistic traits  
• Substance use or dependence which will significantly impede the client’s participation and /or    attendance.  
• Significant language, literacy, memory, or cognitive impairment(s)  
• History of violence, aggression, or behavioural concerns 
• Current or recent ECT  
• Housing and/or medical instability