MATC COVID-19 INITIATIVES

Grand Rounds Presentation

Learning Objectives

• Share information about MATC programs and services

• COVID-19: initiatives and modifications to address

service delivery during COVID-19

• Initiatives and responses to support community services

and partners

• Communications with stakeholders, referral agents,

• Involvement in provincial initiatives to support children

and youth in rural and northern areas

• Staff support

• Identification of challenges, barriers

• Lessons learned

MATC SERVICES

MATC

Centralized Intake Service

Youth Addictions Centralized

Intake

Itinerant supports to Manitoba RHA’s

Early Childhood Clinic

Neurodevelopmental Service

▪ Tourette Service

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder Service

Rural and Northern Telehealth Service

•Jordan’s Principle

Community Child and Adolescent Treatment Service ▪ Student Mental

Health Resource Team

Youth Forensic Services

Intensive Treatment Transition Service

Intensive Treatment Service

(14 beds)

Intensive Community

Reintegration Service

Jordan’s Principle Funding to Intensive Treatment Transition Service,

Centralized Intake Service and Rural & Northern Telehealth Service

MATC Services

• MATC provides a range of mental health services to children and youth between the ages of 3 to 18 years, who experience psychiatric and/or emotional disorders.

• A full continuum of programs and services (community and hospital-based) are available to children, youth and their families in Winnipeg, rurally, and in the North.

• Services are offered through 5 different site locations.

MATC Services

• Services are also coordinated with communities and federally-funded agencies under the Jordan’s Principle.

• Addictions consultation, training and referral by Youth Addictions Centralized Intake.

Services are delivered by an inter-professional team:

Mental Health Clinicians

Mental Health Nurses

Occupational Therapist

Adolescent Mental Health Counsellors

Social Workers

Psychiatrists

Psychologists

ISS School Staff and Teachers

Staffing

Assessment

Consultation

Individual therapy

Group therapy

Family therapy

Pharmacological therapy

Parent and family support

Educational services

Elder services

Clinical services Mental Health and Addictions

COVID-19 Initiatives Service Delivery Initiatives • Clinical services, including assessment and

treatment services, are being delivered by telephone, videoconference and in-person where necessary.

• Virtual admission processes are being developed.

• Heightened responses to increases in severity of addictions related issues re: COVID-19.

COVID-19 Initiatives Service Delivery Initiatives

• Enhanced Brief Treatment using virtual technology to address immediate clinical needs as well as other mental health issues.

• Reorganization of vitals assessments to one site in order to support medication monitoring and administration.

COVID-19 Initiatives Service Delivery Initiatives • Clinical resources/materials adapted for

delivery through virtual technology (videoconferencing, webinars, tip sheets, etc.).

• Educators developing information to be sent to families on a variety of topics relating to the challenges of being out of school.

• Autism Education Series being developed remotely to families with queries of ASD and to those newly diagnosed.

Community and Provincial Initiatives

• Communication with external stakeholders regarding MATC service delivery models.

• Collaboration with external stakeholders (government and community) in developing/ providing resources to external agencies, such as Child & Family Services, Health Links, Physician groups.

Community and Provincial Initiatives

• Provision of services to support community agencies and partners such as community group and residential care facilities.

• Northern Initiative – increased communication and collaboration with partners (health partners in all regional health authorities in addition to MKO, Ongomiizwin, MATC, HSC and FNIHB) has led to better pathways to rural and Northern areas.

Community and Provincial Initiatives

• Developing mechanism to broadly and quickly communicate with the public (e.g. Facebook, flyers, website information, etc.).

• Biweekly informational sheets being developed to

distribute to community stakeholders on topics related to coping with COVID-19 and beyond.

Staff Needs Response

• Deployment of technology to staff to facilitate both onsite virtual therapy sessions with patients and staff working from home.

• Regular communication to staff re: COVID-19 related information through MATC newsletter.

• Adjustment of staff schedules to facilitate childcare

• Adjustment to clinical documentation processes to accommodate working at home while maintaining privacy of patient information.

Staff Needs Response

• Updated resource information for both staff and patients (internal and external communications).

• Daily communication (Incident Command) with leadership and management to continually review information and ongoing contingency planning.

• Teleconference town hall meetings with staff to answer questions and communication of recent events related to COVID-19.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenge: The decision to provide clinical services through a virtual means resulted in a significant learning curve for staff.

• Solution: Peer mentorship in computer/technology literacy; engaging Digital Health in their expertise and assistance.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenge: Providing services to First Nations communities primarily where access to video modalities and/or phones within communities may be unavailable.

• Solution: Utilize champions on the ground that have

facilitated the ongoing use of Telehealth through the nursing station where available, and through using the school-based Telehealth systems.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenge: Responding to the regularly changing information and advice as the environment continues to evolve.

• Solutions: Developing acumen to decipher relevant and salient information for Mental Health Service.

• Streamlining processes at a Management level to quickly respond.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenge: Responding to the various needs of both clients and staff in a COVID-19 environment and managing of the unknowns and complex environment that is ever changing.

• Solution: Ongoing communication with staff regarding COVID-19 related updates, changes in procedures, responding to questions and concerns as quickly as possible.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenges: Difficulties where the use of technology (virtual/telephone) are difficult for some families (accessibility/suitability).

• Solution: Availability of donated cell phones for clients use supports engaging clients who otherwise would not have access to the technology.

• Continued monitoring of effectiveness of virtual modalities with clients.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenge: Limitations on personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout the system.

• Solution: Limiting usage to inpatient, staff/visitor screening and in-person outpatient client contact where deemed necessary.

Challenges and Barriers

• Challenge: MATC has been the recipient of Provincial Mental Health and Addictions initiatives. Adapting the roll-out of these initiatives within a COVID-19 environment has proven to be a challenge.

• Solution: Collaboration with relevant partners in anticipation of increased activity over the next quarter.

What We’ve Learned

• There are “keepers” in our attempt to be responsive, with our new learning and the new procedures implemented.

• Equity – with the new processes we found that there are ways we can engage those clients who do not have easy access to services and that, while not perfect, bodes well for the future.

What We’ve Learned

• Staff and clients are resilient and innovative!

• The challenges have enhanced collaboration across the organization and with other partners.

• There are many virtual modalities that are worth keeping and continuing to use into the future.

What We’ve Learned

• Development of increased listening skills when using virtual technology are a work in progress.

• Challenges have brought out the many talents of our staff.

• Collaboration…Innovation….Opportunity!