How to Arrange Services
We accept referrals from any source, including self-referrals, psychiatrist/psychologist/other healthcare-provider referrals and physician referrals.
If you are interested in services, contact Mrs. Maureen Stafford, UW Centre for Mental Health Research Coordinator, directly at (519) 888-4567 x33842.
If you wish to have a referral or other information sent to us, it may be forwarded to our confidential fax at (519) 888-0760, or by regular mail to Mrs. Maureen Stafford, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1.
What Happens When You Contact Us
When you contact us, our Centre Coordinator, Mrs. Maureen Stafford, will ask for your contact details, the name and phone number of your family physician (and that of any other healthcare-providers who are involved in helping you with your problem), the name and contact details of someone we can contact in case of an emergency and a brief description of the nature of the problem. If the person needing services is a child, we will also ask for information about the child's school and about custody arrangements (if applicable). Please note that if you are an adult seeking services (i.e., are 18 years of age or older), we must speak with you directly; we will not take information from your spouse/partner, parent, or anyone else.
Within a week of this initial contact, you will be contacted by Bianca Bucarelli or Dubravka Gavric (senior Ph.D. candidates, Centre Assistants), or by Dr. Walter Mittelstaedt (licensed psychologist and Centre Director) who will conduct a brief phone screen. In this phone screen you will be asked questions about different problem areas. The purpose of this phone screen is to determine if our services appear to be appropriate for your needs (please see our Services and Fees page for information on what kinds of issues we cannot provide services for).
If we determine from the phone screen that our services seem appropriate for you, your name will be put on the Centre waitlist. You will be advised of this either at the end of the phone screen or within a day or so after the phone screen. If we do not feel our services are appropriate, we will provide you with the names and contact details of other services that we feel would be more suited to your needs.
Once you have been put on the waitlist, you will be contacted again when a therapist becomes available to see you. The therapist will then schedule a diagnostic assessment (usually 2-3 hours which can be broken up over two separate appointments). If the person needing services is a child, the therapist will forward a package of questionnaires to the child's caregivers to complete and bring in for the first assessment session.
At the end of the assessment, the therapist will consult with his/her supervisor and then will make treatment recommendations (typically this happens while you wait). If we do recommend treatment in our Centre, treatment may begin the following week, usually with the therapist who conducted the assessment. Therapy sessions are held for 50-60 minutes once a week and are scheduled for a mutually agreeable time. Please note that appointments are only available 8:30 a.m. -7:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
If, after the assessment, we feel that our services are not appropriate for you, we will provide you with the names and contact details of services we feel may be suitable.
A report of the assessment can be forwarded to your family physician/psychiatrist or other healthcare-provider, or your child's school at your request. We do need your written permission to release this. Standard release forms designed specifically for this purpose are available.
How Long is the Wait?
The length of the wait for services varies quite a bit. Ms. Bucarelli or Ms. Gavric can provide you with estimates when they conduct your phone screen. Once you are on the waitlist, you may contact Mrs. Maureen Stafford, our Centre Coordinator, at any time to get a closer approximation of the wait. We encourage you to investigate other services as well, in the event you may be able to get help sooner elsewhere.
