About Us
The Cleghorn Program
Program History
The Cleghorn Program is a joint program of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at McMaster University. The staff at the Cleghorn Program work with people who are experiencing symptoms of early psychosis. This kind of work is known as "early intervention in psychosis."
Our program is named after Dr. Jock Cleghorn, who was a psychiatrist at Hamilton Health Sciences from the 1970s until his death in 1992. It was his energy and encouragement that inspired and sustained Early Intervention in Psychosis in Hamilton. Dr. Cleghorn saw the importance of involving clients and families into the work that we do, so we named our program in honour of his contributions.
Mission Statement
To provide rapid and specialized assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for people experiencing a first episode of psychosis, based on the principles of recovery, and in partnership with clients and their family, while maintaining a leadership position in the field of early intervention.
Our Values
We believe that if psychosis is detected early, many problems can be prevented. The earlier someone takes action to address the psychosis, the greater the chance of a successful recovery.
We are here to support clients to make choices about their own recovery. There is no one path to recovery - it is a highly personal process.
We take a recovery-oriented approach, which emphasizes six key values:
- Client choice
- Flexibility in services
- Individualized supports
- The importance of families, significant others and communities
- Considering the negative impacts of mental illness such as poverty, stigma, poor housing
- Incorporating wellness promotion, rights advice, and the attainment of basic support such as income
Our Staff
The staff available to support your recovery plan are:
- Family Educator
- Nurse
- Occupational Therapist
- Psychiatrist
- Psychologist
- Recovery Support Workers
- Recreation Therapist
Who We Serve (referral criteria)
The Cleghorn Program is available to anyone living in the city of Hamilton aged 14 to 35 years old who:
- May be experiencing their first episode of psychosis, and
- Has never been treated for psychosis, or has been treated for 6 months or less.
Extended consultations are available to anyone living in the Central South Region of Ontario (Niagara, Grimsby, etc.)
Usually family doctors, mental health professionals, teachers, school counselors, social workers, or family members contact us about someone they are worried about. If you would like an appointment for yourself or for someone you are worried about, or would just like more information please contact us.
