Anyone can refer to our services! If you are unsure what services you need, please call us to speak to one of our staff. Our referral forms can be found on our website, can be made over the phone 250-723-1117 or completed in person if you are coming into the office. 

We do our best to contact families as soon as possible once a referral is received. For our ECMH program, you will hear from one of our clinicians within 2 weeks of the referral. For our Early Intervention Program, you will hear from someone within 2 months. This does not necessarily mean that services will be starting immediately but we may contact you to gather more information, to provide resources and support while you are waiting, or to complete an intake and schedule a first appointment. If a referral has been made and you have not heard from us, please don't hesitate to reach out if you are struggling or if you would like a timeline for when you will be seen. 

Families (parents, caregivers, extended family, siblings) are a huge part of a child's life and early development. The parent/legal guardians/primary caregivers will be involved in ALL parts of service. You will provide essential information to our team during intake and throughout your time with us and will be included in goal setting and team meetings. It is important that primary caregivers are part of services to ensure that the strategies and recommendations transfer into the other environments. Family-centred care is a way of providing services where professionals and families work together in respectful partnerships. Families’ knowledge of their child, their values, culture, strengths, and priorities are honoured and used to guide decisions. Services build on family strengths, support family well-being, and empower families to help their child thrive.

Family-centred care is a way of providing services where professionals and families work together in respectful partnerships. Families’ knowledge of their child, their values, culture, strengths, and priorities are honoured and used to guide decisions. Services build on family strengths, support family well-being, and empower families to help their child thrive.

Core Principles of Family-Centred Practice

1. Respect and Dignity – Families’ perspectives, cultural traditions, and values are respected.
2. Information Sharing – Providers communicate openly and share complete, unbiased information in ways that are useful and affirming.
3. Collaboration – Families and professionals work together in decision-making at every level (individual child, program, and system).
4. Strength-Based – Services focus on a child’s and family’s strengths and abilities, not just needs or deficits.
5. Choice and Voice – Families are supported to set priorities and make decisions for their child.

At Outreach Therapy, the health and well-being of children, families, and staff is very important. To help prevent the spread of illness and to ensure your child is feeling their best during therapy, we ask families to keep children home when they are unwell.

Common symptoms that mean your child should stay home include:

• Fever (must be fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication before returning)
• Vomiting or diarrhea (must be symptom-free for at least 24–48 hours before returning)
• Persistent cough, difficulty breathing, or wheezing
• Undiagnosed rash or skin infection
• Red or draining eyes (possible conjunctivitis/pink eye)
• Severe sore throat or difficulty swallowing
• General signs of being unwell (unusual tiredness, irritability, loss of appetite)

Return to therapy guidelines:

• Children should be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to therapy (or 48 hours in the case of vomiting/diarrhea).
• If your child is taking antibiotics, please wait at least 24 hours after starting medication before attending.
• If your child has a contagious illness (such as strep throat, chickenpox, or influenza), please follow the advice of your healthcare provider regarding when it is safe to return.

Cancelling and rescheduling appointments:
We understand that illnesses can arise suddenly. If your child is sick and unable to attend therapy, please notify us as soon as possible so we can adjust schedules and, when possible, offer the appointment time to another family. Providing as much notice as possible helps us serve more families in our community.

Your child’s comfort and safety—and the health of other children and staff—are our top priorities. Thank you for helping us keep Outreach Therapy a safe and healthy place for everyone.

At Outreach Therapy, we uphold the rights and dignity of every individual accessing our services. These rights are guided by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the BC Human Rights Code, and other applicable laws and regulations. 

These rights include:

1. Right to Respect and Dignity

• You have the right to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of your background, beliefs, or circumstances.

2. Right to Informed Consent

• You have the right to receive clear and comprehensive information about our services and to provide informed consent before services are initiated.

3. Right to Privacy and Confidentiality

• Your personal information will be handled confidentially in compliance with legal standards.
• You have the right to access and request corrections to your records.

4. Right to Non-Discrimination

• Services will be provided free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or other protected characteristics.

5. Right to Safety

• You are entitled to a safe and secure environment.
• Concerns about safety will be addressed promptly.

6. Right to Participation

• You have the right to participate actively in planning and evaluating the services you receive.

7. Right to Access Services

• You have the right to timely and responsive services that meet your needs.

8. Right to Voice Concerns

• You can express complaints or concerns without fear of retaliation. These will be addressed fairly and promptly.

9. Right to Cultural Sensitivity

• Services will respect and respond to your cultural beliefs and practices.

10. Right to Refuse Services

• You may refuse services or treatments, with an understanding of the consequences.

Complaints Procedure

If you have concerns about the services you receive, we encourage you to follow this procedure:

1. Step 1: Discuss with Staff
   • Share your concern directly with the staff member involved, if comfortable. Most issues can be resolved at this level.
2. Step 2: Escalate to Management
   • If unresolved, contact the Executive Director. You can submit your concern verbally or in writing. Complaints forms are available for you to complete, or they will be completed when you discuss your complaint with the ED.
3. Step 3: Formal Complaint
   • If you are not satisfied with the response, submit a formal written complaint to the Board of Directors. Include:
     • Your name and contact details.
     • A description of the concern.
     • Steps already taken to resolve the issue.
   • Formal complaints will be acknowledged within 3 days and investigated within 10 business days.
4. Step 4: External Resolution
   • If the issue remains unresolved, you may contact an external agency, such as the BC Ombudsperson or the Human Rights Tribunal, for assistance.

All complaints will be handled confidentially, and no individual will face retaliation for voicing concerns.

Client Responsibilities

Failure to meet the following responsibilities may result in termination of services. While we are committed to protecting your rights, we also ask that you fulfill the following responsibilities:

1. Respect for Others
   • Treat staff, volunteers, and other participants with courtesy and respect.
2. Provide Accurate Information
   • Share truthful and complete information about your circumstances to ensure effective service delivery.
3. Participation in Services
   • Engage actively in the planning and implementation of your services.
4. Follow Agreed Plans
   • Make every effort to follow the mutually agreed service or treatment plans.
5. Communication
   • Notify the organization promptly if you are unable to attend scheduled appointments or need to change your plans.
   • Inform us (through the complaint process) if you feel that any staff member has treated you unfairly, or if you have any concerns relating to our code of ethics or confidentiality.
6. Respect for Property
   • Use organizational resources and property responsibly and respectfully.
7. Adherence to Policies
   • Abide by the policies and procedures of Outreach Therapy, including health and safety guidelines.

All of our services are voluntary, meaning that it is 100% up to the parent/legal guardian if they access our services. Before services begin two documents will be reviewed with the parent/legal guardian. 

1. Consent for services: This form will review what service you are consenting to, what is involved in an assessment, goal setting and intervention plan, who will have access to the child's file, admission and discharge criteria and information about remaining on site for all therapy sessions. We also ask that any changes in family contact information, emergency contacts, and any changes in guardianship/custody are disclosed to us as soon as possible, as this may impact consent.
2. Consent to obtain and release information: The parent/legal guardian determines where information about a child can be obtained from, as well as who information can be shared with. This helps us to understand your team and ensure that we are collaborating effectively with other team members. 

At Outreach Therapy, protecting your privacy is very important to us. We follow all laws and professional standards in British Columbia to keep your information safe.

• Secure Records: All client files are stored in a secure electronic system and/or locked filing cabinets.
• Limited Access: Only the staff directly involved in your child’s care can access their information.
• Consent First: We will not share information outside of Outreach Therapy without your written consent, unless required by law (for example, if a child’s safety is at risk).
• Professional Standards: Our clinicians follow the confidentiality guidelines of their regulatory colleges, such as the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC. All staff sign and abide by a confidentiality agreement. 

You can feel confident that your family’s information is respected, protected, and only used to support your child’s care.

In small communities this can happen! We do our best to ensure that our staff and our families are comfortable working together. All staff abide by our confidentiality agreement and if there is a conflict of interest or personal connection between our staff and a family, we work together to be transparent and ensure that the family and service provider are comfortable with working together. In many cases, we can make alternative arrangements for a different clinician to step in, if requested. For some of our services we may only have one person offering the service so that won't be an option. We can work with the family to explore other supports or service providers and have a conversation about what would make them more comfortable. Please don't hesitate to disclose if you know one of our staff and it is appropriate to request a change in service provider. We will do our best to work with you!

Consent for services must come from a child’s legal guardian. In situations where custody or guardianship is shared, Outreach Therapy will:

• Confirm legal guardianship before starting services by reviewing court documents or written agreements if needed.
• Require consent from all guardians who share decision-making authority for health and therapy services.
• Communicate openly with guardians to make sure everyone understands the therapy plan.
• Follow the law first – if there is a court order or Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) involvement, we must follow those directions.

Our goal is always to work respectfully with families while ensuring that services are provided in a way that honours each child’s legal rights and family circumstances.

This is a very important question. Information can be found in our Family Handbook. Outreach Therapy also has a detailed Emergency Procedures Manual. All staff receive regular training on what to do in the event of an emergency. Please follow their directions. In the event that there is an incident during one of your sessions, staff will guide you in the completion of an incident report form. This ensure that we have the opportunity to support you and your child (if needed), learn from the experience and prevent a future incident from occurring. Any incidents involving your child will be discussed with you. If you would like more information about our emergency plans or our incident reporting procedure, please don't hesitate to ask any of our staff.