How to access Marie-Vincent’s services?

Marie‑Vincent is not an emergency service. Children and adolescents, as well as their parents or caregiver, must be referred by a professional in order to receive services at Marie‑Vincent.

This means that an appointment cannot be made directly by a parent or loved one unless the family has already received services from Marie-Vincent in the past.

Who can issue a referral?

Referrals must come from an external professional, such as:

  • a professional from the Director of Youth Protection (DPJ), a CISSS or a CIUSSS (CLSC, CSSS)
  • a professional from the school system
  • a professional from a community or private organization
  • a member of the medical staff (physician, nurse, etc.)
  • a police officer who has conducted a police investigative interview with a child or adolescent victim (or who has collaborated in a multisectoral agreement

What information is required at the time of referral?

The following elements are not required to initiate a referral, but must be provided later in order to confirm the child’s or adolescent’s placement on the waiting list:

  • written consent from the holders of parental authority (for children under 14) or from the adolescent (14 and over)
  • authorization to share relevant information for the file
  • any relevant reports (DPJ assessments, medical reports, etc.)
  • a court order, if it recommends treatment at Marie-Vincent
  • proof of withdrawal of parental authority, if applicable
  • an application to IVAC (Crime Victims Compensation) for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence
  • all information required for the call with the access-to-services agent, described below

What information must be provided to the access-to-services agent?

  • Complete contact information for the child or adolescent and parents
  • Context of the sexual violence or sexual behaviour problems
  • Context of the disclosure
  • Interventions already attempted (particularly for children under 12 with sexual behaviour problems)
  • Overall functioning of the youth (symptoms, risk behaviours, any history of aggression or violence)
  • Family context
  • Professionals involved (names, contact information, roles and previous or current interventions)
  • Information on the socio-judicial trajectory (police investigation, DPJ, legal and medical steps, etc.)
  • Steps taken with IVAC

Who is eligible for our clinical services?

Marie-Vincent offers specialized services to different groups of people directly or indirectly affected by sexual violence. Each type of service meets specific needs and, in most cases, requires a referral from a professional (school, CLSC, DPJ, physician, etc.).

For a child under 14 to receive services, certain criteria must be met:

  • A report to the DPJ must have been made, and the sexual violence report must have been recognized as founded by the DPJ or by police services.
  • Parents or holders of parental authority, even if one of them is the perpetrator, must consent to the process.
  • Parents or a significant adult must be involved and available to accompany the child, generally once a week.
  • An IVAC (Crime Victims Compensation) application must be completed before services begin.
See the page “Child Victims of Sexual Violence”

A brief assessment of the behaviours is first conducted to confirm that they are problematic and that optimal interventions have already been attempted.

Referral criteria include:

  • the child’s age at the time of referral (10 years and 364 days maximum; services may nevertheless continue up to age 12)
  • consent from the holders of parental authority to receive services
  • the involvement of an accompanying adult (parent or loved one) ready to actively participate in the process
  • persistence of sexual behaviour problems despite previous interventions
See the page “Children With Problematic Sexual Behaviours”

Adolescents may be referred to Marie-Vincent if:

  • a report to the DPJ has been filed (recognition of the situation as “founded” is not mandatory)
  • the adolescent consents to receiving services and commits to the process
  • they are involved and available to attend meetings, usually once a week
  • an IVAC application is completed before services begin
See the page “Teens Who Have Experienced Sexual Violence”

Young people in Montréal aged 12 to 24 who are being sexually exploited may receive services through the Sphères program.

This concerted program offers voluntary and confidential support tailored to the needs and pace of the young person. It aims to promote safety, harm reduction and personal recovery in collaboration with multiple community, police and institutional partners.

Discover the Sphères program See the page “Teens Experiencing Sexual Exploitation”

Parents and/or significant adults play a central role in the recovery of the child or adolescent.

Marie-Vincent offers them psychosocial support, parental guidance and concrete tools to better understand the situation, manage their emotions, and support their child throughout the process.

To receive immediate intervention services, the child or adolescent must be on the waiting list.

Parental support services and guidance are available when the child or adolescent is already receiving clinical services at Marie-Vincent, or, in some cases, as prevention or in response to a disclosure.

See the page “Services for families and parents”

Professionals from the school, community, medical, police or social services sectors may receive occasional clinical support to better intervene with youth.

Two types of services are offered:

  • Advisory services: information and guidance on best intervention practices
  • Professional consultation: clinical discussions with a psychotherapist to further explore a complex situation
See the page “Services for professionals”