Can a minor go to CAMH or a mental health emergency department for an ADHD referral in Ontario?

A minor can go to a hospital emergency department in Ontario for a mental health crisis, including CAMH emergency care when that is the appropriate local emergency department, but an emergency visit is for urgent safety and acute care, not a reliable shortcut to an ADHD referral or a CAMH ADHD assessment. Access CAMH currently lists ADHD assessment and treatment among services it is unable to offer, so showing up in crisis does not create an official ADHD waitlist. Adult Neurodevelopmental Services is not an ADHD clinic and is not an emergency ADHD intake for children. Ontario consent to treatment under the Health Care Consent Act is capacity-based, with no fixed age of consent; a capable young person may consent to their own treatment, and emergency clinicians still decide what is medically necessary in the moment. Ontario’s OHIP covers medically necessary physician services in Ontario, including emergency and walk-in care when medically necessary; it does not turn an ER visit into a psychoeducational assessment. References: https://www.camh.ca/en/patients-and-families/access-camh https://www.camh.ca/-/media/education-files/community-resource-sheets/adhd-adults-community-resource-sheets.pdf https://www.ontario.ca/page/what-ohip-covers https://www.fastreat.com/en/adhd-faq