When Brooke began experiencing anxiety at age 13, she was initially worried about ‘the small stuff. But when Mandy, Brooke’s mom, noticed her daughter was losing weight and self-harming, she knew her anxiety had escalated, and she needed urgent help and support with her mental health.
Mandy, a student support worker at a junior high, encouraged her daughter to call the IWK’s Central Referral toll-free number for mental health support. Although Brooke was scared and hesitant to make the call, she did—and it would be a life-changing decision with a positive impact on her life.
Brooke met with a mental health clinician for a first appointment—called a Choice appointment. The appointment was an opportunity to share her challenges and struggles. From this appointment, it was recommended that Brooke be admitted to a program called Adolescent Intensive Services (AIS).
AIS is a day and inpatient program for youth ages 13 to their 19th birthday with mental health and/or substance use disorders. Within AIS, there are three treatment care teams that offer different treatment services to best meet the needs of the youth who attend.
Brooke was referred to Adolescent Intensive Services (AIS) as an inpatient, where days are broken into half days spent in therapeutic groups and half days spent in a therapeutic classroom. Brooke received individual and family therapy from a clinician who focused on treatment goals that helped her move forward.
Time at AIS is also spent engaging in life skills, recreation and leisure therapy provided by well-trained recreation therapists and occupational therapists. Following her inpatient admission, Brooke and her family were supported and provided with three months of transition support in her home community to ensure she continues to succeed in her home and community.
Initially, Brooke struggled when she started the program and didn’t want to return when she’d go back home on weekends; however, she adjusted and gratefully accepted the help. “Admitting that I needed someone to help me was one of the hardest things to admit to myself,” shares Brooke. “But once I started getting the help, I started to feel so much lighter.”
Brooke spent three months in the AIS program and attends therapy sessions for ongoing support. She wants others to know that it’s okay to reach out for help. “I look forward to my therapy appointments because it helps get the weight off my shoulders and I leave feeling like a new person.”
For Mandy, reflecting on how far her daughter has come is something she is proud to celebrate. “The IWK brought the spark to my daughter,” she emotionally shares. “She has a life, and it’s beautiful.”
