Youth Inpatient Program

About the Youth Inpatient Program

We are a short-term program, based in an acute-care hospital. Youth aged 14-20 are admitted to our program for one to two weeks for assessment and initial stabilization. They are then discharged to outpatient follow-up, either at Sunnybrook or elsewhere, for further stabilization and treatment. 

Since admissions to our program are relatively brief, we often have to discharge youth who are still fairly ill. We are not able to provide longer-term treatment, as our program is not funded for this purpose.

If a youth is requiring more intensive and longer-term treatment, we will recommend a referral to a program that can provide this type of care. As there can be long waiting lists for these longer-term programs, youth may be discharged from our program before they are admitted to another program.

Program focus

Our primary focus is the assessment and treatment of mood disorders (such as depression and bipolar disorder), psychotic disorders (schizophrenia), and severe anxiety disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder).

We do not have the resources to assess and treat many other problems that youth commonly struggle with. Thus, if the primary problem is an eating disorder, a drug or alcohol problem, ADHD, conduct problems (such as violence, stealing, breaking the law), or a developmental disorder, we would refer the youth and their family to other resources and programs that specialise in these areas.