The CATCH Classroom Program

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Toronto District School Board offer a day treatment / Section 23 program for eight children ages 6 to 8 years (Grades 1to 3) with clinically significant emotional, behavioural and learning complexities across settings. Section 23 programs have the mandate of offering intensive therapeutic and academic programming for children and parents beyond that available in other classrooms. The CATCH Classroom is staffed by an interprofessional clinical team: a special education teacher; two child and youth workers in the classroom; social workers to support families; a registered nurse; a psychiatrist; psychology support; and an additional child and youth worker who completes liaison work with referring schools before a child begins with the CATCH Classroom and with receiving schools following their discharge. The CATCH Classroom operates from on-site at CAMH’s Child, Youth and Family Program.

Children attend the program for an academic year. Areas of therapeutic and academic focus include:

Academic skill and confidence
On-task academic performance
Independent work skills and group-work skills
Social skills / friendship skills with peers
Problem-solving and conflict management
Understanding, labeling and managing feelings
Managing adult expectations

Over the course of the year, the team – families, teacher and clinicians – discuss plans for the children’s school placement for the September following discharge, whether to a community school or another child mental health setting. Parents are asked to participate in weekly parent group sessions for 15-weeks, and in family sessions with a social worker; they are active in therapeutic planning and work.

Children and families who are referred to the CATCH Classroom will undergo an assessment as the first step of the admission process. Contact the CYFP Intake Office for more information on the groups and on the intake assessment process: 416–535–8501, extension 4366.