Page 74 - 2017-2018 Department of Psychiatry Annual Report
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Clinical in the work to review our current also provides physician consults for
Lean/Value Stream state and determine a future state for psychiatry for children and youth with
autism services at the IWK. moderate to severe mental illnesses
Community Mental Health and from across the province (and the
Addictions: After almost two Provincial Child and Adolescent Maritimes). There has been an
years incorporating value stream Psychiatry increase in these consultations from
improvements in our community The provincial child and adolescent Cape Breton since December 2017.
mental health and addictions team, psychiatrists gather every four
there has been significant reduction months by teleconference to Dr. Selene Etches has been part
in time to first appointment for our discuss issues relevant to child and of a provincial opioid strategy with
patients and families. The teams youth psychiatry in the province. the IWK, NSHA and Department
have worked very hard in this Recruitment has been a significant of Health and Wellness. She has
process, and families have reported issue impacting child and adolescent also been involved in the cannabis
ongoing satisfaction with the care psychiatry and work is in progress legalization recommendations for
they receive. The changes in work to collaborate on a provincial government document produced by
flow and process are gradually recruitment effort for child and the IWK Health Centre to reduce
being incorporated into each of adolescent psychiatrists. risk to children and youth, as well as
the community mental health and in maternal/newborn populations.
addictions clinics. IWK Child and Adolescent Psychiatry The IWK faculty have been strong
has been working with Cape Breton supporters of this advocacy for
Autism: The autism services to support children and youth in understanding cannabis risks for
external review was completed and crisis requiring emergency psychiatry mental illness and brain development
released in summer 2017. The IWK assessment, with transfer for in children and adolescents, including
started work on autism services consultation from the Cape Breton producing a position statement by
improvement through value stream ER to the IWK ER for psychiatry the Division of Child and Adolescent
lean process with the first event on consultation. Cape Breton has had Psychiatry.
Oct. 31-November 1, 2017. The IWK several psychiatrists leave, and are
Autism specific care clinic is very under-resourced for both general Our specific care clinics are very
involved in this process, and helping involved in building capacity in the
and child psychiatry. IWK psychiatry community, schools and clinicians in
74 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY C&A leaders (L-R) Drs. Alexa Bagnell, Sabina Abidi, and Lukas Propper.
