The first-line mental health service treats adults with mild-to-moderate or severe/complex, but stabilized, mental health problems. Symptoms must have an impact on their level of functioning. A person does not need to be diagnosed with a mental disorder to access the services; they need only present with symptoms suggestive of a mental disorder. A user who does not have a family doctor can also access mental health services. The service is voluntary. However, a family member, friend or other person who is worried about an adult showing signs of a mental disorder can also make a request for help.
It is important to remember that simply having a mental disorder does not guarantee access to the mental health program. The need/request for assistance must be related to the mental health problems experienced. For example, a person with schizophrenia whose symptoms are under control does not need mental health services every time something happens. They can turn to the social services network or community resources for assistance.
Problems
- Trauma and stressor-related disorders
- Anxiety disorders (including panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Personality disorders
- Disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders
- Somatic symptom disorder
- Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
- Bipolar and related disorders
- Eating disorders
- Concurrent mental health and substance use disorders
The services provided are intended to improve, restore and maintain good mental health through outreach, prevention, assessment, treatment and support. Mental health assessments and individual follow-ups are also provided.
Group therapy is available for various issues (anxiety, depression, crisis management for borderline personality disorders, relational disorder, etc.). The services may vary from one territory to another and are subject to change depending on users’ needs.
Referrals - Adult mental health access desk
All first-line adult mental health service requests are processed by the mental health access desk. The intervention with the user begins from first contact with the access desk, which assesses the user’s need for help and refers them to the appropriate level of care (first- or second-line) and to the right service (individual follow-up, group therapy, etc.).
The following partners can deal directly with the adult mental health access desk:
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- General practitioners
- Staff from CLSC psychosocial intake departments
- Professionals from other services/programs of the CISSS Montérégie-Ouest
- Psychiatrists from Hôpital du Suroît, Hôpital Anna-Laberge, and outpatient adult mental health clinics on the territory
- Partners with an agreement with the CISSS Montérégie-Ouest