CASA Classrooms provides tailored mental health treatment for students in grades four to 12. These students are experiencing persistent mental health symptoms affecting their home, peer and school life. Treatment and support includes:
• a treatment plan tailored to the student’s needs;• education to help students manage their mental health conditions;
• medication support;
• individual and group therapy;
• education and support for caregivers;
• referrals to community and social supports; and
• support for the student to transition back to their home school and health team.
Students participate in a CASA Classroom for half the school year. After the half school year is completed, the team supports the student’s transition back to their usual school for another half of the school year. CASA Classrooms begin in September or February.
The program supports students with one or more mental health diagnoses (anxiety, depression, mood disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, etc.) and who:
• have previously received mental health treatment but have not shown notable improvement;
• do not need care from a hospital or residential program;
• are able and willing to participate in programming;
• currently have a family doctor, nurse practitioner or psychiatrist providing care for them; and
• have a caregiver who is also willing to participate.
The classroom team works to develop treatment and programming tailored to the student’s mental health and learning needs. This includes collaborative goal setting with you and your child. Short-term program outcomes include a better understanding of your child’s diagnosis, a reduction in symptoms and an increase in your child's mental health management skills.
Children and youth must be referred to CASA Classrooms by their school.