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Department of Psychiatry
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Rules and expectations

You are required to follow the rules and expectations of the Youth Inpatient Program. Rules and expectations are as follows:

» Safety

Violence, threats, intimidation, and other forms of physical/verbal abuse are not acceptable
  • Members of our team, hospital security and police, if necessary, will work together to control you if you are being violent or abusive. You may be criminally charged for violent or abusive behaviour
  • We may give you medications to help calm you down
  • We may have to use restraints and/or place you in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to decrease the chances of further unsafe behaviour
  • These measures are not intended as "punishment" for unsafe behaviour
Some patients on our ward are at risk for suicide or hurting themselves
  • Anything that can be used to harm yourself (pills, razors, knives, sharp objects) will have to be handed over to staff for safekeeping
  • All belongings may be searched for unsafe items when you are admitted and when you are returning from passes
  • Staff may search your belongings and your room at any time if they suspect that someone has unsafe items in their possession
  • If we feel that you are at increased risk for suicide or hurting yourself, we may have to use medications, restraints, and/or admission to PICU to decrease the chances of unsafe behaviour, as described above

» Drugs and alcohol

  • Drugs and alcohol worsen mental health problems and are not permitted in the hospital
  • Staff may search your belongings and your room at any time if they suspect the use of drugs or alcohol

» Medications

  • All medications in the hospital, including vitamins, herbal remedies, lotions, creams, and over-the-counter medications must be authorised by the treatment team
  • Medications must be stored in the nursing station for safekeeping and your nurse will provide them to you when you are supposed to take them

» Smoking

  • Smoking is not permitted in any hospital building or on hospital grounds (up to Bayview Ave.)
  • Cigarettes and any other smoking materials are not allowed on the inpatient unit
  • If you arrive with smoking materials, your family can take them home or you have option of storing the materials with the security department for safekeeping until you are discharged
  • Nicotine gum and nicotine patches can be ordered by your psychiatrist to help you cope with the non-smoking policy on the unit

» Privileges and passes

  • During the first 24 hours of your admission, you cannot leave the ward
  • If the treatment team feels that you have been acting safely and responsibly, you can negotiate privileges to go off the ward during free time periods
  • These privileges will be for specific lengths of time and may be limited to only certain areas of the hospital or the hospital grounds
  • You must sign out at the nursing station and let your nurse know that you are going off the ward
  • You must sign in again at the nursing station when you return and let your nurse know that you are back on the ward
  • These privileges will be cancelled if you are not acting safely or responsibly at any time afterward
  • As you are improving and if you are acting safely and responsibly, you may be permitted to leave the hospital with a pass
  • Initially, you will have to be accompanied by a family member -- If this goes well, you may be permitted to have passes unaccompanied
  • Passes can be for a few hours, for the day, overnight, or for a whole weekend -- This will be negotiated with your treatment team
  • You must sign a Leave of Absence form when you leave on pass and this must be witnessed by a staff member

» Clothing

  • When you are intially admitted, you may be required to remain in hospital clothes
  • You will be allowed to wear your own clothes when we have assessed that you are safe
  • You are advised to wear clothes that are appropriately modest. Other patients, due to their mental health problems, may be easily provoked by clothing that is more revealing, resulting in unwanted attention or inappropriate behaviour towards you

» Interactions with other patients

  • Talking with other youth patients can occur in common areas, such as the lounge and dining room
  • You are not allowed in each other's rooms, unless you are assigned roommates
  • It is understandable that you may connect well with other youth who may be going through similar problems and experiences. However, you should not be discussing personal aspects of your mental health problems and life situation with other patients, except in supervised group activities (and then only if you feel comfortable doing so). Many of the people here are at a very vulnerable point and may become more stressed and upset by the things that you tell them
  • Romantic and intimate relationships are not permitted between patients. These kinds of relationships bring up very intense emotions, which may be very difficult to handle if you are already going through mental health problems
  • Youth are not allowed to socialise with the adult patients, as some of the adult patients are experiencing mental health problems that result in them not being able to socialise with youth appropriately

» Tolerance and respect of others

  • Patients and staff in our hospital come from different cultural and religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, and economic circumstances
  • Patients may be physically or developmentally challenged and may be experiencing mental health problems significantly different than your own
  • You are expected to show tolerance and respect for any of these differences in both patients and staff, just as they should show you the same tolerance and respect

» Confidentiality

  • Everything that you discuss with members of the treatment team will be kept private and confidential. We will share information within our team, but not with anyone else unless you give us specific permission to do so
  • There are some situations where we can't keep things private, for example:
    • If you are at risk of hurting yourself or harming someone else
    • If someone under age 16 is possibly being physically or sexually abused
  • Please respect the confidentiality of other patients here on the inpatient ward. This means that you do not talk about other patients to your friends, family, or other people

» Visitors

  • Only immediate family members can visit you. Exceptions must be negotiated with the treatment team
  • Visiting hours are:
    • Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
    • Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

» Books, videos, games, music, and other personal possessions

  • All items that you bring into hospital with you must be inspected and approved by the treatment team
  • As such, anything that might be upsetting or disturbing to yourself or to other patients will not be permitted
  • Valuables such as CD players, jewellery, and wallets should be left at home, as they might be stolen on the inpatient ward
  • If you wish, your valuables can be locked away for safekeeping until you are discharged

» Telephones

  • Telephones can be used during free time up until bedtime. There is one telephone in the lounge (416-480-6100 ext. 65171). Please do not use the phone for longer than 10 minutes at a time
  • No cellphones or pagers are allowed in the hospital

» Other daily expectations

  • Your hospital name band must be worn at all times
  • You are expected to keep yourself, your room, and the common areas clean
    • The shower rooms are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
    • The laundry room is available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Please pick up your menus every day from the nursing station, fill out your choices, and return them to the nursing station
  • You may use the television and the stereo system during free time. You may be asked to turn down the volume if it is too loud
  • You must be in your bedroom with the lights out at 11 p.m. If you are having difficulty falling or staying asleep, please speak to your nurse

» After discharge

  • You are not allowed to visit the inpatient unit after discharge
  • If you want to speak to a member of the treatment team, you may phone the ward at 416-480-6100 ext. 67532
  • You are not allowed to phone any patient while they are still here on the ward