The Summit boosts mental health care for youth

Calgary centre offers care and comfort for children, teens and families

Story by Jason Morton | Photo by Leah Hennel

CALGARY — Area youth, children and their families now have improved access to mental health services with the opening of a new mental health facility in the city’s northwest.

The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience, which opened its doors to children, teens and families on March 13, offers three distinct mental health services under one roof for people up to and including 18 years of age.

Lori Anderson, chief zone officer for Calgary Zone, says The Summit’s services will build upon and integrate well into the range of services already provided by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and community-based agencies.

“We’re focused on reducing the incidence of mental health crises through early intervention and effective treatment — and having all these mental health services under one roof will make it easier for children, youth, and their families to access the care they need,” she says.

The centre is expected to support about 8,000 more patients and their families every year, adding new capacity in Alberta.

The Summit offers the following services:

• The Owerko Family Walk-In Services offers no-cost therapy sessions for children, youth and families who need help with specific issues and possible solutions. These services are available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days per week.
• The Tallman Family Treatment Services helps young people manage acute, escalating symptoms to help prevent or reduce the need for hospitalization.
• The Ptarmigan Day Hospital is the city’s first pediatric mental health day hospital, helping youth transition from around-the-clock inpatient care to eight to 10 hours of daily intensive therapy in a community setting.

The Summit was designed in collaboration with children and youth to ensure youth 18 and under feel comfortable.

Julia Caddy, a member of the AHS Youth Advisory Council, says she believes The Summit will significantly improve access to mental health services for young people.

“My hope is that kids will see how welcoming The Summit is — and will reach out for help way sooner than I did,” says Caddy. “We want young people to know that they are not alone. They can find the support they need right here, every day of the week.”

The Summit was built in partnership between AHS and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF). The foundation raised more than $50 million for construction as well as innovative program and research enhancements.

“Thanks to our wonderful community, young people now have a place just for them, specially designed to help them grow stronger and more resilient,” says Saifa Koonar, ACHF president and CEO. “We hope every person who walks through The Summit doors will feel all the love and support that has gone into creating it.”

The Summit will be one of the most research-intensive community-based mental health facilities for young people in Canada, thanks to its collaborative partnership with the University of Calgary.

“By incorporating accessible mental healthcare with leading-edge research, we can mobilize academic insights into the best possible clinical care for children and youth,” says Ed McCauley, president, University of Calgary.

As The Summit matures, new partnerships will be forged with community agencies, who will run specialized clinics from the centre.

Learn more about The Summit.