Mental health care has traditionally been provided within the framework of a verticle mental health services system. Additionally, mental health care is often provided through a variety of agencies or organizations that have a number of different mandates, responsibilties, authorities and accountabilities. These are not well linked with or to each other.

Furthermore, mental health services for children and youth are often not well integrated into adult mental health services. This profusion of confusion regarding mental health care for young people can be much better defined and operationally developed if a model of care based on population mental health care needs and provider mental health care competencies can be applied. This presentation will present the conceptual framework for such a model that allows for mental health care to be intergrated into all levels of health and other systems that provide interventions for young people suffering from a variety of mental health problems.