Centralized Access to Residential Services (C.A.R.S.)

Overview Information

** Referrals can be made through a Service Providers such as/ Case Manager/ Family Service Agency/ Children’s mental health/ school or hospital social worker, Youth Justice and Child Welfare or system navigators **

Lumenus operates the CARS program on behalf of the Toronto office of the Ministry of Health. CARS provides a single point of entry for live-in treatment and some intensive in home programs, eliminating the need for case managers to call multiple programs to find vacancies. Our database contains up-to-date data for the fully funded mental health live in treatment programs in Toronto, making it easier to match a child’s needs with the appropriate facility.

CARS provides a variety of important services:

• Managing referrals to mental health live in treatment and some intensive in home programs for children and youth in Toronto
• Matching individual requests for live in and intensive in home treatment with the most appropriate providers
• Monitoring response times and confirming admissions
• Tracking clients in placement
• Recording discharges
• Monitoring available resources
• Providing accurate overall system-based information for Live- In Treatment and some Intensive In- Home Treatment programs.
• Highlighting System gaps and trends

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Intake Criteria:

• Child must be under the age of 18 years
• CARS consent to share information must be signed
  • Consent must be signed by children 12 years of age and older unless in the care of a child welfare agency
  • When a youth is under 16 years of age both the youth and legal guardian must sign the consent
• Family resides within the City of Toronto
  (some exceptions for Out Of Catchment for live in options)

CARS CONTACT INFORMATION:

Tel: 416.482.7884    Fax: 416.482.5055