Since 2021, there’s been a significant rise in requests for child psychiatry services in the Lanaudière region. The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on teenagers’ ability to connect with others, which has negatively impacted their mental health. In patient interviews and when reviewing some of the cases we’ve been seeing at the child psychiatry clinic, we noticed that many teens were struggling socially or suffering from social anxiety.

In light of this, our team at CISSS de Lanaudière came up with ways to encourage teens between the ages of 12 and 17 to get involved in their community and build ties with their peers. To reach as many kids as possible—and increase the program’s success—we decided to offer services as a type of group workshop.

That’s how the innovative Groupe Connexion program came about. We’re now in our seventh cohort! The workshops last 90 minutes, are spread out over 12 weeks and tackle 5 topics: self-awareness, functional barriers, emotional regulation strategies, behaviour planning and organizational behaviour, and behavioural activation.

The program includes a meeting with parents to present the contents of the workshops to help them support their children. A team of professionals in occupational therapy and psychoeducation created and lead the workshops so that teenagers can benefit from the expertise of both professions.

Project submitted by:

Marc-André Clément, occupational therapist

Contributors:

Marie-Ève Langlais, psychoeducator and clinical activity specialist
Émilie St-François, psychoeducator
Carolanne Morin, psychoeducator