Online ADHD Assessment & Treatment for Residents of Toronto, Ontario

Usually, yes for hospital psychiatry routes. Ontario says mental health access often starts with a family doctor or nurse practitioner, and CAMH says most of its mental health services require a referral form completed by a physician or nurse practitioner. CAMH also provides central intake through Access CAMH, which can explain eligibility and referral steps. That does not mean every support in Toronto needs a referral, because some programmes and community services allow self-referral, but if you are trying to enter hospital-based psychiatric assessment, it is sensible to expect that a primary care referral may be part of the process.

A real Toronto entry point is Access CAMH. It is CAMH’s central information, intake and scheduling service for many CAMH programmes, and it tells patients, families and clinicians how to make referrals and what eligibility requirements apply. Access CAMH answers calls on weekdays and can also direct people to crisis resources for Toronto when someone needs urgent help outside routine intake. For residents, this matters because it is one practical place to confirm whether a hospital-based service is appropriate before you spend time chasing the wrong referral.

That depends on why it is not suitable. If the issue is urgency, crisis, or safety, CAMH directs people to crisis resources, 911, 988, or a local emergency department rather than routine assessment channels. If the issue is that you need publicly funded specialist assessment, your family doctor or nurse practitioner can refer into hospital psychiatry or other specialist services, and Access CAMH can explain CAMH pathways. If you are a student, your university or college accessibility office may also help you organise documentation and academic supports while you pursue medical assessment through community or hospital care.

You need to check the rules of your school’s accessibility office, because each institution sets its own documentation process. The verified pages consistently show that major Toronto schools have formal accessibility or accommodation offices, such as U of T Accessibility Services, TMU Academic Accommodation Support, York Student Accessibility Services, George Brown Accessible Learning Services, Humber Accessible Learning Services, Seneca Accessible Learning Services, and Centennial CALCS. Some schools discuss registration, documentation requirements, consultations, and support planning rather than promising a specific diagnosis-based outcome. If you are enrolled, contact your office early and ask what interim or existing documentation they will review.

Bring a clear symptom history and any records that make the referral more useful. CAMH tells referring providers to indicate the reason for referral and attach relevant materials, which suggests that background information matters. For students, school accessibility offices also describe documentation and registration processes, so psychoeducational reports, prior accommodation letters, report cards, or earlier assessments may help show longstanding functional impact. If you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, Ontario’s Health Care Connect can help you try to find one, which is often the practical first step before a hospital referral is made.

No — Finding Focus is a fully virtual ADHD service for Toronto residents. Our only physical offices are our headquarters in Oakville, ON, and a second office in Vancouver, BC. Wherever you live in Toronto, your assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care all happen entirely online by phone or video — no travel required.

We currently provide our virtual services to residents of Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, P.E.I, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan — including everyone living in Toronto, ON. Check back soon for support in other provinces.