Mental Health Support for Children, Youth, their Parents and Caregivers

Yes, our mental health services are free. We are funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) which allows us to provide high-quality, evidence-based mental health services by professional counsellors for free to children, youth, their families and caregivers. Your OHIP card is not required to access support.

We also receive financial support from our community of fabulous donors, who help to ensure that we are able to support children, youth, their families and caregivers in areas our funding doesn’t cover.

Many of our counsellors have received training through Safer Spaces that provides professional development workshops to create more inclusive programs and workplaces for 2SLGBTQ+ communities. As an organization, New Path is committed to prioritizing and integrating principles of equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and belonging in its service delivery and communication. Our strategic plan has four pillars: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Partners; Programs; and People. These pillars set the foundation for our efforts to move towards our vision of healthy, thriving communities that support personal growth and wellbeing and achieve our mission: Through leadership and partnerships, we ensure that children and youth have integrated, accessible, and inclusive mental health services when and where they need them.

Internally, our EDI team works to broaden our knowledge and perspectives through initiatives and activities such as an EDI calendar, an inclusive language guide and a virtual EDI library.

Here at New Path, we have a range of programs and services offered by a compassionate team of diverse professionals.

In the Family Support Program, we have workers who have lived experience navigating the child and youth mental health system and knowledge of community resources within Simcoe County.

We also have workers with Child and Youth Care diplomas who work within an interdisciplinary team to improve the emotional and social development of children, youth and families.

The majority of our workers providing counselling hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and are registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

Our psychotherapists hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree or a master’s level program central to the practice of psychotherapy and are registered with Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers or the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

To ensure we provide a high standard of service rooted in evidence-based/informed practises, each worker is provided training and ongoing development specific to their role and is also supervised by a qualified professional.

As children grow they undergo many changes and will often have different moods, thoughts and behaviours that are all part of normal childhood development. Some of these include: outbursts of anger, acting out or rebelling, changes in sleeping or eating habits, or frequent mood swings.

However, if these moods, thoughts and behaviours become intense, persist over a long period of time, or interfere with a child’s life, it may signal a mental health concern. If this is the case, it is a good idea to access support to understand what is happening and develop a plan to help.

When you book an appointment with a professional counsellor, they will work with you to understand your concerns, answer your questions, guide you through the services that are available, and match you with support in the community that best meets your needs if needed. You will always leave with a plan in place and often one appointment is enough to make a big difference.

During your one-hour session, you will have the opportunity to speak with a counsellor who will work with you to gain a better understanding of the concern that has brought you to the clinic and/or help you to develop strategies for this concern.

The counsellor will complete a summary note that will include feedback, recommendations, and a possible referral to other supports/services at New Path or within the community as needed.

If you access the clinic for additional support, the same clinician may not always be available. Don’t worry, we are all here to help.

Please note that New Path does not diagnose specific conditions or disorders nor can we provide a medication treatment review.

The Quick Access Counselling Clinic provides a one-hour counselling session and can be your first step to accessing other New Path services as needed. To book an appointment, visit the Quick Access Counselling Clinic webpage. If you don’t have online access, you can call New Path at 705-725-7656. We will get you the mental health support you need.

In-person mental health services are available in communities throughout Simcoe County:
Alliston
Barrie
Bradford
Collingwood
Midland (through the North Simcoe Youth Wellness Hub)
Orillia

Services are also available by-phone and online.

Regardless of whether your session is in-person, on the phone, or online, there is paperwork to complete. There may also be some additional questionnaires to complete if you attend an in-person session.

To provide the best service possible, we need to collect and use information, including personal health information, about you and your child/youth. We are committed to keeping this information safe and confidential. We follow rules set out in law about collecting, using and disclosing information and providing you with access to your information.

For further details, please read our Privacy Policy and What to Expect as a New Path Client documents.

Information for your counselling appointment is collected through a secure online platform.. If you do not have access to a computer, please call us at 705-725-7656 to book your appointment.

Personal information collected includes your full name, phone number, address, and date of birth.