Residential Treatment Services

The George Hull Centre has two residential treatment programs, Libby's Place and the Boys House, for youth who are experiencing complex and longstanding difficulties. Adolescents and their families are referred through the Ontario Ministry of Children & Youth, Centralized Access to Residential Services (CARS). CARS may be reached at 416-482-7884. The residences are licensed by the Ministry under the Child and Family Services Act.

Libby's Place

The program at Libby's Place offers a high degree of structure for its six residents, ages 12 to 17, with an emphasis on relationship-based programming. This approach, following the developmental research of young girls and adolescents, uses the program for working on, responding to and building relationships.

A highly structured program emphasizes and uses both individual and group strengths. The therapeutic milieu includes group therapy, group and individual activities, group tasks and chores. It also includes individual meetings with an assigned child and youth worker. The emphasis on group allows for the residence to rely on a forum, which will help with group problems and difficulties. The individual worker attached to each resident allows for conversations, which the resident may or may not want to share with the group.

The program reflects a Centre-wide commitment to competency-based approaches to treatment. Family involvement is encouraged at every level of the program.

Child and youth workers staff Libby's Place. Psychiatry, psychology, social work and education are fully integrated within the program. A clinician from the Community Clinic is assigned to each girl and her family prior to admission. Pre-admission discussions lead to a beginning clinical formulation regarding the problem, the context and the particular idiosyncratic aspects which are preventing change.

An outside consultant provides additional clinical support to the team on a bi-weekly basis. A clinical understanding of each girl’s behaviour and symptoms is developed and specific treatment plans, team issues and therapeutic programming are discussed. Girls are interviewed in the presence of one another, which increases group cohesiveness, understanding and compassion.

The approach to treatment is based on a multi-disciplinary process in which the above mentioned disciplines collaborate in clinical discussion and coordinate all aspects of treatment jointly with the clients, their families, their George Hull Centre clinician, and outside agencies. The length of stay is one to two years.

Upon admission, each girl and her family meet with the psychiatrist and following admission, a psychological assessment on each girl is completed. All residents of Libby's Place have access to the Centre’s School Program.

In addition to family sessions with their clinician, family members are invited to spend time in the house, come for dinner and participate in special organized events throughout the year. Parents are encouraged to attend seminars and groups offered by the Community Clinic.

Many of the girls in Libby's Place are wards of the Children’s Aid Society or the Crown, and their families are unable to parent them. Family Group Conferencing may be utilized to find underused resources within the extended family system. This process can assist with discharge planning, enhance competency and connections, and strengthen the girl’s sense of belonging.

The girls participate in their treatment planning and the operation of the house. A weekly House Management meeting involving all the girls and staff builds on relationships, and creates an atmosphere of trust and working together.

Opportunities for achievement and community involvement are provided to each resident. Group and individualized programs are based on interest, need and each girl’s stage in treatment.

The program includes a girls’ discussion group, house management meeting, physical activity night, music lessons, expressive arts, gym memberships and camping and wilderness canoe trips. Girls with specific needs attend community group treatment programs, which address issues such as anger management, sexual orientation, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and life skills.

Girls who are approaching discharge are encouraged to increase their community involvement, through part time jobs, volunteer experiences and community youth groups.

Tutors are available to assist with homework. Additional credits may be completed through online classrooms.

The Boys House

The Boys House offers residential treatment to eight boys, ages 12 – 16, who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

A highly structured program emphasizes and uses both individual and group strengths. The therapeutic milieu includes group therapy, group activities and individual, group tasks and chores. It also includes individual meetings with an assigned child and youth worker. The emphasis on group allows for the resident to rely on a forum, which will help with group problems and difficulties. The individual worker attached to each resident allows for conversations, which the resident may or may not want to share with the group.

The program reflects a Centre-wide commitment to competency-based approaches to treatment. Family involvement is encouraged at every level of the program.

Child and youth workers staff the Boys House. Psychiatry, psychology, social work and education are fully integrated within the program. A clinician from the Community Clinic is assigned to each boy and his family prior to admission. Pre-admission discussions lead to a beginning clinical formulation regarding the problem, the context and the particular idiosyncratic aspects which are preventing change.

An outside consultant provides additional clinical support to the team on a bi-weekly basis. A clinical understanding of each adolescent’s behaviour and symptoms is developed and specific treatment plans, team issues and therapeutic programming are discussed. Boys are interviewed in the presence of one another, which increases group cohesiveness, understanding and compassion.

The approach to treatment is based on a multi-disciplinary process in which the above mentioned disciplines collaborate in clinical discussion and coordinate all aspects of treatment jointly with the clients, their families, their George Hull Centre clinician, and outside agencies. The length of stay is one to two years.

Upon admission each boy and his family meet with the psychiatrist and following admission a psychological assessment on each boy is completed. All residents of the Boys House have access to the Centre’s School Program.

In addition to family sessions with their clinician, families are invited to spend time in the program, come for dinner and participate in special events throughout the year. Parents are encouraged to attend seminars and groups offered by the Community Clinic.

Many of the boys in the Boys House are wards of the Children’s Aid Society or the Crown and their families are unable to parent them. Family Group Conferencing may be utilized to find underused resources within the extended family system. This process can assist with discharge planning, enhance competency and connections, and strengthen the adolescent’s sense of belonging.

Group and individualized programming is designed to provide a range of opportunities that promote self-esteem, confidence and skill development. The program reflects a sensitivity to the fact that boys are ‘shame prone’ and under social expectation to ‘keep a stiff upper lip’ and ‘act tough’. Athletic programming is less competitive and activities are based on an understanding of the need for connection.

Boys with specific needs attend community group treatment programs, which address issues such as anger management, sexual orientation, substance abuse, sexual abuse etc.

Activities include rock climbing, swimming, photography, skiing, music lessons, weight training, tennis, skiing, camping and canoeing, dog sledding, bike trips, fishing, trampolining, and billiards. The boys are encouraged to participate in community teams/groups of interest.