Patient stories

Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Clarissa’s story

“I felt like throwing myself off the bridge on the way to school.”

It was a daughter’s cry for help. Roanne and her husband had been trying for months to get help for their daughter, Clarissa, age 14. Clarissa’s mental health issues included restricting her food intake, isolating herself from friends, and often feeling sad. With thoughts of suicide entering the picture, her mother Roanne was beside herself with worry.

A referral to an eating disorders clinic gave Roanne little comfort: The wait time was about 12 months. In desperation, Roanne started frantically calling services she’d heard about from friends or found on the Internet, only to be told Clarissa wasn’t a good match: she was too young; she was out of the catchment area, or her illness was too complex.

Not knowing where to turn, Roanne called the Family Navigation Project (FNP).

Naomi Algate, one of the Project’s navigators, remembers Roanne’s call about Clarissa. (While these aren’t real names, the case is real.) “She was absolutely overwhelmed. She said, ‘I feel like the door keeps shutting. I’m worried we’re going to lose her’.”

It is not extraordinary, says Algate, to get calls from parents concerned for their child’s life. One recent call came from a parent whose teen had attempted suicide the night before. Once the call comes, the navigator listens carefully to the story, to understand the specific and unique needs of the teenager and the family. Navigators ask about relationships with friends and family, school attendance, diagnoses and treatments that have been tried. Then they’ll ask the parents, ‘How do you feel?’ “That’s when we usually get lots of tears,” says Algate. “They don’t realize the burden they have been carrying until they start to tell us. They say, ‘I can’t believe you’re spending all this time listening to me. I haven’t felt this kind of support anywhere else’.”

Navigators have a background in addictions and mental health and a wide breadth of knowledge about what resources exist in the community, having visited many of the services personally. “The fact that we have been to see these clinics and specialists is very comforting for people,” says Algate. “It alleviates their fear when we tell them what to expect.”

For Clarissa, Algate found an eating disorders clinic with a much shorter wait time – six weeks – and a social worker for her to see weekly. Clarissa was able to stay in school and continue living at home.

Algate also arranged for Roanne and her husband to attend a special parent support group, while their daughter went through the treatment program. Clarissa’s situation improved. “She’s doing better; she’s in a program that’s just right for her, that is safe and that she didn’t have to wait a year for,” says Algate. “The family is very grateful for the guidance and support they received.”

Aisha’s story

Aisha Davies had never had an easy time in school, and years of bullying had led to friendships with some of the most marginalized and troubled teens. By the time she was 22 years old, she was battling major depression, bulimia and addiction, and presenting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Aisha’s parents, Doug and Liane, had managed to get her into an inpatient treatment program for her depression and had arranged specialized programming for her eating disorder and substance use. But it seemed like nothing they did was helping Aisha get her life back on track. Unable to work or participate in school, Aisha seemed trapped in a frightening downward spiral. Her parents knew that they were in a race against the clock.

Through a friend who had benefitted from the program, they found out about the Family Navigation Project (FNP). Doug and Liane were able to get connected with a navigator, who helped them find a residential (live-in) program ideally suited for people in Aisha’s situation. The navigator identified a case manager, dietitian, rehabilitation worker and substance abuse counsellor to support Aisha. While she did relapse, the team was able to support her through her second time in treatment.

She has now returned to school and is living independently while training to be a chef. FNP found a psychiatrist for her, and stays in touch with her as she transitions back into her daily life while remaining sober.

Travis’s story

At the age of 15 years, Travis began to experience severe anxiety attacks that made it impossible for him to attend school. It wasn’t a passing phase. By the time he reached the age of 18, his condition had continued to escalate – he had been out of school for two years and had confined himself to his room for the past 12 months. Jackson and Elena, Travis’s parents, had repeatedly tried to get their son into a treatment program, to no avail. Travis’s anxiety had paralyzed him to the point where he simply refused to participate.

Without the help he needed, Travis began having suicidal thoughts. Jackson found out about the Family Navigation Project (FNP) at an information event at Travis’s old school, and he decided to call. Soon, a navigator began working with the family. The navigator provided recommendations to encourage Travis to provide consent that would allow the team to review his previous records and assessments – these records were essential to allow appropriate matching of Travis’s needs with the best resource. Two months later, Travis finally consented.

Today, Travis’s treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder is underway, with guidance and coordination from FNP. He is now able to travel on the subway and eat in restaurants, and he has a girlfriend. Travis’ mom says it’s like a ton of bricks has been lifted from the family.