TRANSITIONING TO ADULT CARE
Let’s be real, transitions are tough! Especially when staying connected to trusted mental health services is an important part of staying balanced and well.
In Canada, 1 out of 5 people experience a mental illness or addiction problem and 70% of mental health issues begin in childhood or adolescence. Unfortunately, mental health issues don’t just magically disappear when you turn 18, but often the supports and services we know and may be comfortable with do shift and change as we get older. This is where Transitional Age Youth services come in!
We all go through many transitions throughout our lives. Transitional age youth services include a range of resources, programs, and professionals which have the primary goal of supporting emerging adults (ages 16-24) in successfully transitioning from the child mental health system to the adult system which will ideally meet their needs.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TRANSITIONING TO ADULTHOOD
There is a gap in services between the child/youth system and the adult system, both for physical and mental healthcare. Specifically, at the age of 18, youth are often expected to leave behind trusted healthcare teams.
For example, pediatricians have specialized training to treat children and youth. This means that you may have to leave behind a trusted individual who has known you since birth as you transition to adult services.
Similarly, in mental health care, there are professionals and services specifically designed for youth which you may get very comfortable with, but who are no longer available after a certain age.
Learn more about the different challenges and opportunities involved in transitioning to adult care and adult life below:
While it is a part of some health professionals’ roles to help prepare as you age out of their care, the move to adult services can still feel like a big leap rather than a smooth step. This is due to:
- Many differences in the way services are provided between the youth and adult health care systems,
- Disconnection and lack of integration of these systems,
- Wait lists for adult health professionals and programs,
- Differences in eligibility criteria,
- Discomfort with new or adult healthcare providers,
- Lack of client input in designing of services,
- More short-term and crisis services available vs. long-term support,
- Financial issues, lack of resources, and other barriers
All this uncertainty can cause worry or anxiety and the challenges can sometimes make you feel like avoiding reaching out for help or using healthcare services.
REMEMBER: It’s not you – it’s us! Entering the adult system may be delayed, feel awkward and be challenging at first. You are not alone if you feel this way!
Okay, THAT was the bad news… now HERE is the good news!
Understanding these differences and preparing for the challenges BEFORE you need to make this transition CAN make a huge difference!
While some things change in a challenging way, many more things tend to change for the better:
- It can be empowering to feel/be in control of your own health, path, & life
- You get to choose who you want to involve in your care & life overall
- As you get more experienced with how the world works, you become more capable of handling the little everyday ups and downs without the intensity and emotions we often face in adolescence
- When you experience more, you start realizing that there is more than one way to accomplish something or to overcome a challenge. With each hurdle you face, you become more resilient and wiser!
- The knowledge you can practically use increases as you continue learning – Stay open to learning new things!
- Although at first there may be fewer options to access mental health services, there is often a much wider variety of tools, activities, and approaches you can find as an adult to support your overall well-being,
- The more you learn to set SMART goals and strong boundaries for yourself, the more motivated and self-disciplined you will become!
- With time & the right support, you’ll get to know yourself better than anyone. You’ll learn how to love & care for yourself like you would a best friend or a child.
Remember: Your lived experience is valid and important. Even when
your experience is tough, it is still valuable. When you face adversity, that experience will be valuable to you later on and it may even help others when or if you choose to share. Keep going, you got this!
1. Your Care
2. Your Choices
3. Your Actions
4. Your Support
5. Your Time
1. Your Care
Focus of care shifts from the family to the individual.
YOUTH
In the child and youth health care system, you and your family are the main focus. Parents/guardians are often expected to be actively involved in making important decisions and supporting your treatment plan.
ADULT
With adult health services, you are the star of the show – the focus is on you and your well-being as an individual. While this shift can be rewarding and empowering, it can also be an intimidating experience as you may not always feel confident in advocating for the care you need or staying on top of your treatment plan.
REMEMBER: Even though parents/guardians don’t control your care as an adult, this doesn’t mean you have to face it all alone! There are many other supports to explore that can help you be and feel more prepared.
2. Your Choices
Decision making and legal responsibility shifts from parent to youth.
YOUTH
Parents/guardians are legally responsible for the basic health of children/youth in their care, so until you reach a certain age – and that age often depends on the service or act – you likely need parental consent (or at least parental support) for many things.
For example, in Ontario, youth under 18 need parental consent to get a tattoo, but do NOT need permission to get birth control. Youth ages 12+ can consent to seeing a therapist (though some organizations such as school boards, prefer parental consent up to age 16).
ADULT
As an adult, you get to make the decisions about your healthcare and your treatment plan, BUT that doesn’t mean that you can no longer involve your family or other supporters in your care decisions. The difference is that you get to choose the who, when, and how much!
Spoiler alert: being an adult doesn’t mean you suddenly know all the right answers, BUT you may have more opportunities to consult a wider variety of sources to inform your health decisions (e.g., doing your own research, asking others about their experience, trying alternatives).
Remember: Decisions about mental health especially are not always straightforward. You have a right to ask your service providers about different treatment plans, including: pros and cons, alternative options, second opinions, possible side effects, and more!
3. Your Actions
Level of independence & responsibility increases as you enter adulthood.
YOUTH
Youth services often address a wider range of your health needs in one appointment and you may be more easily connected to other services that can help with multiple issues. Youth services usually also provide clear next steps and guidance to help you follow your treatment plan.
ADULT
Being treated like an adult and having the autonomy (a.k.a. freedom) that goes with it is great, but in the adult system, this also means that the responsibility is on you to follow through with instructions and recommendations from your healthcare professionals. This may require you to be more resourceful and to find strategies that help you stay on track and manage your treatment plan for yourself.
We suggest starting with small practical steps, like setting reminders on your calendar (e.g., to make follow up appointments or take certain medications consistently) or downloading health and wellness maintenance apps, such as MyChart (to easily access your test results or treatment plan details) or the Be Safe app to take notes and keep your health information in one place).
REMEMBER: Everyone’s situation is different. You can ask your
healthcare professionals for multiple services to address your unique needs. Let them know if you need help finding other resources to support your independence (e.g., finance management, housing support, peer support, etc.,)
4. Your Support
The level of support and people in your support network will change.
YOUTH
Support can look very different between the youth and adult systems. As a child or youth, your biggest support will often come from your family and school community.
This can include parents, teachers, extended family, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, or community supports like Child and Youth Worker or a Youth Counselor. Support can also come from youth-serving organizations (e.g., Youth Services Bureau, YouthNet, BGCO, etc.,) and Community Health/Resource Centres in your neighbourhood.
ADULT
As you move into adulthood, you may lose access to some supports you are used to relying on. It’s important to identify and develop new sources of support on your journey through this transition.
Many young adults still have parents/family actively in their lives, but they may not play the same level of supportive role they once did. Other supports may include friends, peers, coworkers, professors and community or health supports, like a doctor, social worker or peer support groups. The support people in your life can help in various ways. For example, you can ask someone to accompany you to your appointments – it’s your right! They can ask questions, help advocate for you, or remember important information (e.g., care instructions, appointments).
REMEMBER: Your parents or trusted adults don’t have all the answers either. They could also use support to navigate these challenging transitions. PLEO.on.ca is a resource that can provide tools and support to parents/guardians.
5. Your Time
Your planning time may increase as time with healthcare providers decreases.
YOUTH
Often in the youth system, more time is dedicated to meeting with you and your family and supporting you to achieve your health goals. Service providers tend to be more forgiving of being late for groups/appointments or not showing up and are usually more willing to help you with time management or other issues.
ADULT
Health professionals tend to spend less time meeting with you (i.e., shorter appointment times). This can make it tougher to get your needs met as easily, so it always helps to prepare for appointments so that you can clearly articulate things like: your history (e.g., knowing your diagnoses, medications you’ve taken, etc.,) + what is happening now (e.g., current symptoms, issues) + and what you need (e.g., your expectations of care) to your healthcare providers.
REMEMBER: Our healthcare professionals are human too! They may sometimes seem rushed, but the truth is that most do care deeply about you and your well-being, they are likely just seeing many patients and need to be as efficient as possible. Try to be honest with them and don’t be afraid to let them know if you will need more time/support!
Now that you’ve heard about some of the challenges and opportunities to transitioning from youth to adult care, we want to give you some tips and tools to deal with that transition.
