How it works

Family Help Program is a distance treatment research service developed to provide up-to-date, evidence-based primary care for families whose children has mild to moderate problems not currently being treated in mental health services.

* Treatment is delivered via educational (self-help) handbooks and videos.
* Once-a-week telephone contact with a trained coach who reinforces information outlined in the materials

Advantages

• Direct physician access.
• 1-page fax referral.
• Process time: 2-3 days.
• Early intervention focus.
• Bridges gap between physician and specialist
• Families receive
  • Help from a distance
  • Privacy by learning at home
  • Convenient call times
  • Consistent, evidence-based care
• Free treatment
  • No need for travel
  • No time off work
  • Materials free
  • Toll-free access

Attention Physicians

If you are a physician within Health Districts 4, 5, 6 or Capital Health, and you would like to receive the Family Help referral binder to be able to refer patients to Family Help, please contact Trish Pottie, Program Manager at 1-866-470-7111. We would be happy to provide you with all the information and materials that you will need.

To date, we have recruited approximately 140 family physicians and pediatricians from Nova Scotia District Health Authorities 4, 5, and 6 to collaborate with our program, and there are already physicians from the Capital Health District who have expressed interest as well.

Fax Your Referrals to 1-866-470-7222

Randomization

The randomization phase for the Enuresis, Behavioral problems (ADHD/DBD) and Anxiety modules of the Family Help Program is underway! This means that Family Help will compare different treatment groups by randomly selecting families so that they have equal chance of receiving one treatment or another i.e. standard treatment or Family Help treatment. For all children referred for these modules, this means that:

50% of the participants will be randomly selected to be referred back to their family physician for standard treatment

The remaining 50% of referred participants will commence Family Help treatment

Family Help will perform assessments with the standard care group at regular intervals

If at any point the problem has become too severe, the family doctor will be notified

At the end of the 12 month period, if it is determined that children who received standard care could benefit from Family Help, treatment will be offered If you are a physician within Health Districts 4, 5, 6 or Capital Health, and you would like to receive the Family Help referral binder to be able to refer patients to Family Help, please contact Trish Pottie, Program Manager at 1-866-470-7111. We would be happy to provide you with all the information and materials that you will need. To date, we have recruited approximately 140 family physicians and pediatricians from Nova Scotia District Health Authorities 4, 5, and 6 to collaborate with our program, and there are already physicians from the Capital Health District who have expressed interest as well. Fax Your Referrals to 1-866-470-7222