Recognizing Our Achievements
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This fiscal year has been marked by many milestones, which Kinark is proud to celebrate. We have nurtured existing and forged new partnerships with other community organizations, strengthening our collective impact. Our commitment to quality has been validated through a comprehensive and positive assessment by Accreditation Canada. We have also introduced ground-breaking programs that are setting new standards in the field. Furthermore, we have made significant strides in our efforts to enhance inclusion, equity, and diversification, ensuring that our services are accessible and welcoming to all members of our community.
Kinark is Accredited by Accreditation Canada
A major accomplishment that took place in March 2024 was the completion of Kinark’s first Qmentum Global Survey assessment with Accreditation Canada. This survey spanned across the organization and assessed every department within the Kinark agency to ensure that Kinark is engaged in the improvement of quality and safety, that standards of excellence are being met, and that Kinark is held accountable for achieving what has been set out to do.
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Working Together to Shape Our Sector
Kinark is the Lead Agency for Children and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) service providers in Durham region, York region, and Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough region, supporting the coordination of service delivery across community partners in these service areas, while ensuring those services are effective and reflect the needs of children, youth, and families in these regions.
This year, the group of providers delivering mental health services to these communities came together to renew their multi-year plan for realizing a more coordinated system, enhancing our ability to share resources, learn, and collaborate. We have spoken with our partners, including in education, adult health, and families, to ensure we build towards a stronger system together. You can learn more about our work and role as Lead Agency here.
This year Kinark implemented the ground-breaking mental health protocol called DBT-Kids (DBT-K) across all Children and Youth Mental Health teams. Dr. Alan Fruzzetti, Ph.D. and Dr. Armida Fruzzetti, Ph.D., recently developed the DBT-Kids protocol, a variation of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to better support preadolescent children (ages 7 – 12) within the context of their families. DBT-K is breaking new ground as a multi-level intervention approach. This innovative new approach to DBT therapy is the first of its kind in Ontario. In fact, Kinark is the first and only provider in Canada to be implementing the DBT-Kids protocol developed by the Fruzzettis. Dr. Graham Trull and Dr. Megan Hancock led the efforts around the implementation of the DBT–Kids therapy program at Kinark. Learn more on what the implementation process was like, as well as the success of the program.
The introduction of new programming and therapies to better serve the needs of the clients and client families within Kinark’s service areas has been a priority for the agency over the past year. Wherever needs are identified, Kinark aims to provide the necessary support.
In July 2023, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) and Kinark partnered together to expand community-based Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Services in order to meet the needs of East Region clients. This partnership allows for a smooth transition for patients as they move from more-intensive on-site treatment to less-intensive care within the community. This shared-care model is capacity building for this client population where more program supports were urgently needed. Learn more about this collaboration to better support children and youth experiencing eating disorders, and the Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Program offered by Kinark.
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Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
In 2022-23, Kinark piloted the collection of gender and diversity data from clients and families within the CYMH program. Since then, Kinark has expanded our efforts to include clients in the Autism and Forensic Mental Health programs. This data is crucial for the provision of safe, inclusive, and responsive services for children and youth, as well as for informing quality improvement initiatives that aim to identify and dismantle barriers to service and optimize the client experience.
Read more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity.