Nanaimo

The Developmental Disability Mental Health Team (DDMHT) is an Island Health program that provides assessment and consultation services within Mental Health Substance Use (MHSU). The main office is in Victoria, satellite offices are located in Nanaimo and Courtenay and from these locations they serve all of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

The service is available to adults and youth 14 years and older (a one-time only consultative service is available for kids 5-18 years with special needs through DDMHT), who have a demonstrated developmental disability/ intellectual disability and co-existing mental health issue, challenging behaviour and/ or substance misuse. Services may include psychiatry, psychology and nursing support. The team objective is to support clients in community settings and to reduce and eliminate hospital and emergency encounters. Through timely assessment and consultation, DDMHT supports informal & formal caregivers and families to increase and build capacity to manage and support individuals safely in the community.

For adults:
Physician referral or Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) referral. Patients must meet the eligibility requirements for developmental disability (DD) as described in the diagnostic criteria DSM IV for mental retardation (MR) and/ or DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Intellectual Disability.

Children and youth to 18 years:
Physician referral or the Ministry of Children and Families (MCFD), Children and Youth with Special Needs division (CYSN) referral. As with adult eligibility criteria, youth need to be diagnosed as having a developmental disability, or there are clear indicators that they will meet the criteria for DD prior to transitioning to adult services.