Adolescent Health Referral
The Adolescent Health Clinic is a specialized pediatric clinic that serves youth with complex health issues within the context of major medical, psychological, and social events during the transition to adulthood.
The youth that we care for have mental health, developmental, and/or social challenges in addition to chronic medical conditions or disabilities. The Adolescent Health Clinic is unable to accept urgent or emergency referrals for crisis management.
Referral overview
General pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, pediatric subspecialty nurse practitioners, and psychiatrists can refer adolescents for full consultations.
If you are a primary care provider, please consider referring your patient to a general pediatrician first.
Eligibility
The Adolescent Health Clinic accepts referrals for assessment, consultation and/or short-term treatment for youth from 12 to 16 years of age (or up to 18 years of age if referred from another specialist at BC Children's Hospital) for the following issues:
- Complex comorbid chronic medical condition and mental health symptoms
- Complex comorbid chronic medical condition and substance use
- Concerns around coping, mental health, treatment adherence, adolescent risk behaviours, substance use, family conflicts, identity and/or school functioning in the context of a chronic health condition
- Education around readiness for transition to adult health care
- Complex sexual health concerns in the context of another chronic health condition
- Chronic complex pain, chronic fatigue, or somatic symptoms
We will evaluate referrals on a case-by-case basis for adolescents who are struggling with severe and complex health and functioning challenges, and where multiple care providers have been involved.
As appropriate, we may offer telephone and/or telehealth consultations with providers instead of face-to-face consultations with youth and families or caregivers.
Our clinic is unable to accept the following referrals:
- Mental health symptoms or substance use diagnoses alone, without a chronic medical condition. Please contact your local Child & Youth Mental Health (CYMH) office or Foundry for assistance accessing mental health resources
- Sexual health issues alone, without complicating medical or mental health conditions. For assistance accessing confidential sexual health services, please contact your primary care provider, your local sexual health clinic, Foundry, or Options for Sexual Health
- Primary eating disorders concerns. Instead, visit our Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program page
- Referrals from family physicians and nurse practitioners
- Self-referrals from youth and/or families or caregivers
- Referrals for primary care, general pediatric concerns, case management, or psychotherapy (other than MARS-A Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents, or consultation on transition to adult health care for chronic health conditions – see above for details)
- Urgent or emergency referrals for crisis management
We encourage providers to consult BC Children's Hospital's Compass Mental Health for child and youth consultation support.
Referral steps
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Step 1: Complete the referral form
Please complete the Adolescent Health Clinic Referral Form (PDF). Include or attach any relevant medical reports, such as diagnostic tests or assessments.
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Step 2: Fax the referral form
Fax the completed referral form and any supporting documentation to 604-875-3958.
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Step 3: Referral triage
The Adolescent Health Clinic team triages each referral to determine whether we can meet the youth’s needs or whether other services may be more suitable.
Referring providers are welcome to contact us to schedule a meeting to discuss referrals.
The Adolescent Health Clinic will notify the referring provider within two to three weeks, indicating the triage outcome.
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Step 4: Appointment with a provider
Our program secretary will contact the patient or their family/caregiver when an appointment becomes available. We will inform them of the appointment date and time and of any necessary steps they must take before their appointment.
If you decide that you no longer want our team to see your patient at the Adolescent Health Clinic, please notify us via fax or email.
Referral forms
Adolescent Health Referral Form
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Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents
We also accept referrals for MARS-A (Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents) mindfulness groups from any medical or mental health provider. See the Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) information for providers (PDF) and information for patients and families (PDF).
We will contact patients when the team is organizing the next group cohort or their family/caregiver directly for an intake, to see if this program is a good fit for them.
Contact us
The Adolescent Health Clinic is open from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: 604-875-3472
Toll-free: 1-888-300-3088, extension 3472
Fax: 604-875-3958
Email: youthhealthprogram@cw.bc.ca