Community Mental Health clinics offer treatment and support to anyone living with a mental illness, as well as their family. If you are concerned about your mental health or a loved one's, please talk to your family doctor.
If you do not have a family doctor, you can see a doctor at one of several Family Focus Medical Clinics. They offer drop-in medical services at all of their clinics and appointments with doctors at two locations.
Visit Family Focus Medical Clinics online for more information and locations.
Who we are
The following community/outpatient locations in the Capital District Mental Health Program offer services to the Metropolitan area, Hants and all of Halifax County.
- Mental Health Community Bayer's Road Halifax
- Mental Health Outpatient Department (Abbie J. Lane Building, Halifax)
- Mental Health Services Bedford-Sackville
- Mental Health Services Dartmouth
- Cole Harbour / Eastern HRM Community Mental Health
- Mental Health Services Hants Community
We also provide services directly in General Practitioner’s offices and in community agencies through Shared Care.
We offer general mental health services for adults. Hants Community also provides child and adolescent mental health services.
Community/outpatient and Shared Care Mental Health Services are provided by inter-disciplinary teams including clinicians and learners from nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, social work, psychiatry, and other health care professions.
Staff provide services to people who are experiencing mental illness such as complex depression, anxiety, complicated adjustment disorders, bipolar illness and schizophrenia. We work with others in the community to promote mental health and to reduce the risk and impact of mental illness.
Services We Provide
Services offered vary depending on the issues/illness the person presents with. Some people are seen for assessment only; others may have a set number of individual treatment sessions or group programs, while those with more serious and persistent illness, resulting in disability, are supported by the service over a longer period of time.
People may receive services in an office, in the community, or in their home, depending on their need and the type of treatments being provided. A range of different treatments are available within mental health services:
Mental Health Assessment involves meeting for a discussion to gather information, identify problem areas, explain a diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan. Consultation is available from the different professions to assist family doctors or other primary care providers.
We can help explain a diagnosis, answer questions about medication, disucss recommended treatment, and tell you about resources avaialable to help and support you. This can be done through a direct referral, or where available, through Shared Care.
Group Therapy has been shown to be a very effective treatment for many mental health needs. A variety of group programs are offered at each site. These include:
- Anxiety/Panic Management
- Coping With Depression,
- Self-Esteem/Assertiveness,
- Stress Management
- Relationship
- Healthy Living
Individual Therapy can include counselling, medication therapy, psychotherapy, and other options.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation. We provide a range of services to assist people who have major psychiatric disabilities. The focus is to improve a person’s connections and participation within their community.
Family Education is provided for family and friends of individuals living with a mental illness.
Prevention & Promotion. A growing number of staff are working closely with primary care providers in the community (such as doctors, schools, outreach centres) to increase awareness, and promote wellness.
Community Education. Staff provide information and education to community groups and other health care providers on a variety of mental health topics.
Access to Other Mental Health Services such as day treatment, inpatient care, specialty consultation, and other services can be arranged when needed.
These services are normally offered Monday through Friday during daytime hours, between 8:00am - 5:00pm. Depending on need, groups and other services are occasionally offered in the evening or on the weekend.
Community Mental Health Services and Shared Care are recent developments, within the last six years. These services are growing and developing within the communities they are serving. It's a new way of working with agencies and community members to provide services and support around mental illness.
Hours of Service
8:30am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).
The Emergency Psychiatric Assessment Services (Nova Scotia Hospital (902) 464-3114; QEII Health Sciences Centre (902) 473-2043) can be contacted for emergencies after hours / weekends.
Groups are sometimes offered during evening hours to help facilitate attendance.
How to Access our Services
People are often referred for service by their family doctor. Referral from an agency, family or an individual (self-referral) can also be accepted.
For more information, contact the Community Mental Health Team closest to you! Find a clinic in your area.
Community Mental Health clinics offer treatment and support to anyone living with a mental illness, as well as their family. If you are concerned about your mental health or a loved one's, please talk to your family doctor.
If you do not have a family doctor, you can see a doctor at one of several Family Focus Medical Clinics. They offer drop-in medical services at all of their clinics and appointments with doctors at two locations.
Visit Family Focus Medical Clinics online for more information and locations.
Who we are
The following community/outpatient locations in the Capital District Mental Health Program offer services to the Metropolitan area, Hants and all of Halifax County.
- Mental Health Community Bayer's Road Halifax
- Mental Health Outpatient Department (Abbie J. Lane Building, Halifax)
- Mental Health Services Bedford-Sackville
- Mental Health Services Dartmouth
- Cole Harbour / Eastern HRM Community Mental Health
- Mental Health Services Hants Community
We also provide services directly in General Practitioner’s offices and in community agencies through Shared Care.
We offer general mental health services for adults. Hants Community also provides child and adolescent mental health services.
Community/outpatient and Shared Care Mental Health Services are provided by inter-disciplinary teams including clinicians and learners from nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, social work, psychiatry, and other health care professions.
Staff provide services to people who are experiencing mental illness such as complex depression, anxiety, complicated adjustment disorders, bipolar illness and schizophrenia. We work with others in the community to promote mental health and to reduce the risk and impact of mental illness.
Services We Provide
Services offered vary depending on the issues/illness the person presents with. Some people are seen for assessment only; others may have a set number of individual treatment sessions or group programs, while those with more serious and persistent illness, resulting in disability, are supported by the service over a longer period of time.
People may receive services in an office, in the community, or in their home, depending on their need and the type of treatments being provided. A range of different treatments are available within mental health services:
Mental Health Assessment involves meeting for a discussion to gather information, identify problem areas, explain a diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan. Consultation is available from the different professions to assist family doctors or other primary care providers.
We can help explain a diagnosis, answer questions about medication, disucss recommended treatment, and tell you about resources avaialable to help and support you. This can be done through a direct referral, or where available, through Shared Care.
Group Therapy has been shown to be a very effective treatment for many mental health needs. A variety of group programs are offered at each site. These include:
- Anxiety/Panic Management
- Coping With Depression,
- Self-Esteem/Assertiveness,
- Stress Management
- Relationship
- Healthy Living
Individual Therapy can include counselling, medication therapy, psychotherapy, and other options.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation. We provide a range of services to assist people who have major psychiatric disabilities. The focus is to improve a person’s connections and participation within their community.
Family Education is provided for family and friends of individuals living with a mental illness.
Prevention & Promotion. A growing number of staff are working closely with primary care providers in the community (such as doctors, schools, outreach centres) to increase awareness, and promote wellness.
Community Education. Staff provide information and education to community groups and other health care providers on a variety of mental health topics.
Access to Other Mental Health Services such as day treatment, inpatient care, specialty consultation, and other services can be arranged when needed.
These services are normally offered Monday through Friday during daytime hours, between 8:00am - 5:00pm. Depending on need, groups and other services are occasionally offered in the evening or on the weekend.
Community Mental Health Services and Shared Care are recent developments, within the last six years. These services are growing and developing within the communities they are serving. It's a new way of working with agencies and community members to provide services and support around mental illness.
Hours of Service
8:30am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).
The Emergency Psychiatric Assessment Services (Nova Scotia Hospital (902) 464-3114; QEII Health Sciences Centre (902) 473-2043) can be contacted for emergencies after hours / weekends.
Groups are sometimes offered during evening hours to help facilitate attendance.
How to Access our Services
People are often referred for service by their family doctor. Referral from an agency, family or an individual (self-referral) can also be accepted.
For more information, contact the Community Mental Health Team closest to you! Find a clinic in your area.