Evaluating the Coping Power Program for children with behavioural disorders

In Progress

Access to Health Care

Child and Youth Health

The Coping Power Program is part of the Model Schools Pediatric Health Initiative (MSPHI), an innovative program to bring developmental and mental-health care to over 50 inner-city schools in Toronto.

Seventy-five per cent of the children receiving care through MSPHI are living with serious developmental and behavioural problems such as ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and other complex mental-health issues.

The Coping Power Program provides cognitive behavioural therapy for these kids, in the school setting. The goals are to remove barriers to mental-health care and to increase children’s social competence, self-regulation, and positive parental involvement.

The initial results are very positive: 75% of students believe the program is improving their anger management skills; 83% report that the skills they’ve learned are helping them at school; and 90% of parents think the program is teaching them skills to manage their child’s behaviour more effectively.

We will continue to evaluate and expand the program over the coming year.

Access to Health Care

Child and Youth Health

Dr. Sloane Freeman

A pediatrician in St. Michael's Hospital’s Inner City Health Program, Dr. Sloane Freeman has dedicated her career to groundbreaking work and research bringing school-based health care to under-served communities.

Investigators

  • Dr. Brendan Andrade (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)

Staff

  • Tamlyn Freedman (St. Michael's Hospital)
  • Shane MacDonald (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)

Funders

  • St. Michaels Hospital Foundation
  • St. Michael's Hospital AFP Innovation Fund

Collaborators

  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Contact Info

Dr. Sloane Freeman

Principal Investigator