Setting the standards for youth and family engagement

Pursuing excellence demands that we define it. In 2018 we began developing provincial quality standards for youth and family engagement in partnership with youth, families, clinicians and researchers from all over Ontario. Now that we have draft standards, we’re developing coaching and implementation resources to support organizations who want to put the standards into action.

What is a quality standard?

A quality standard consists of several quality statements (or principles) that describe what the evidence says “high quality” looks like. These quality standards include best practices and have an accompanying measurement tool with indicators to show progress and the impact of implementing those practices. Quality standards are a complement to accreditation standards and clinical practice guidelines from professional bodies.

Why do we need quality standards on youth and family engagement?

Over the past few years, more and more agencies have been working on youth and family engagement, but there isn’t a shared understanding or a consistent set of practices to reflect what this looks like, especially at the system level. A quality standard is essential to a system that is accountable and constantly improving. It’s also crucial to ensuring that Ontario children, youth and families receive high-quality mental health services wherever they are within the province.

Share your thoughts with us

Before officially mobilizing the quality standards in 2020, we are looking to make any further refinements to the standards themselves, as well as to the accompanying tools and resources we’re developing to support implementation.