How bad is camh?

[Darkflame]

I live in Ontario, and from what I've heard ohip will cover hrt, but I have to go through camh, which I've heard many horror stories about. Is there anywhere else I can get covered hrt? Is it really that bad at camh? I did hear it's better since Dr.Macintosh took over. Just looking for thoughts/experiences

[Cindy]

 
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[aleon515]

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[eli77]

I live in Ontario, and from what I've heard ohip will cover hrt, but I have to go through camh, which I've heard many horror stories about. Is there anywhere else I can get covered hrt? Is it really that bad at camh? I did hear it's better since Dr.Macintosh took over. Just looking for thoughts/experiences

CAMH is generally not recommended as the starting point for HRT. They still require 3 months of full time before putting you on hormone therapy. Going to a private gender therapist or to the Sherbourne clinic is preferable, as they don't follow those restrictions. And the drugs for HRT are never covered anyway, because Ontario does not have a drug plan. If you don't have much money, the Sherbourne clinic is the best option as you won't have to pay a private therapist - though the waiting lists can be brutal. Or find a doctor who is willing to prescribe directly via informed consent.

For publically-funded SRS, CAMH is the only option at present. It's generally considered advisable to go there after you've begun your HRT elsewhere. And, yes, most people say it's far, far better than it used to be. The waiting lists are still pretty bad, but otherwise it's pretty much okay unless you are non-binary.

I personally chose to avoid going to CAMH, but I've met enough people who've been through their new system and felt it was fairly okay.

[Darkflame]

Okay, good to know. If it's not covered I'll go through Sherbourne. I've heard nothing but good things about them   

[SoShy]

Actually.. CAMH has VASTLY improved recently, I do recommend starting your hormones elsewhere (endo,etc) if possible..  simply to avoid the amount of red tape and run around..

But I have dealt with CAMH and I was in their system for a total of 6 to 8 months (after about 2 years of hesitating dealing with them)  and that's from intake to approval for surgery and getting the letters,etc to pay for it

Dr Brown and Dr Macintosh are wonderful people, very positive and have reworked the entire system since they got there.. as for the 3 months real life before HRT.. that's changed..

anything else.. feel free to PM me and ask..


SoShy

[Seana]

As others have said, you dont need CAMH for HRT. There are a number of endocrinologists in the province that will help you with HRT without going through CAMH. Sherbourne, also some in Ottawa . SRS yes you need CAMH but as others have said, they seem to be getting better. It was pretty bad for a while.

Seana

[Jamiep]

@Darkflame,

I have to friends that dropped out of CAMH due to bad treatment. As some posting here & in other threads I understand things have changed for the better. If you like me don't plan to have srs, & are only doing hrt then you don't need to go to CAMH. I live in the GTA in a suburb west of Toronto, had been in touch with Sherbourne Health Center but didn't qualify because I don't live within their boundaries within Toronto. I do have some friends that do go to SHC. SHC did put me in touch with a place in my area that just started up last year with medical & services for lgbtqia. SHC & CAMH have approximately 2 year wait lists. The place I am going is the East Mississauga Community Health Center. I thought I would have a one year wait and had given up, but got a call in January for an appointment. If it hadn't been for this place I was out of luck. The only thing would be to search out a gender friendly GP Doctor which might be like trying to find a needle in a haystack if you don't live in Toronto. If you don't live near Mississauga, the EMCHC may have a way of working a person in, but don't hold me to that, I can't say for sure & don't want to falsely get your hopes up. Where do you live? If you are working perhaps your company health plan may cover hrt. I think on the SHC  web site, their protocols indicate only if you are 65 & over OHIP covers hormones.

Good luck.

Jamie

[Darkflame]

Actually, I don't live in Mississauga at the moment, but I'm going to be moving back there by the end of the year. Right now I`m back in my hometown for a while, Kitchener. We have some pretty good resources for the LGBT community as a whole, especially the young adult population (WOOT free counselling  ) but not so much trans resources for things like hrt. So I guess I have some options then

I do want to get top surgery for sure, is that when I'll have to go through CAMH? Even if I do I feel better knowing things are better now

[Darkflame]

Another doctor took over. I wonder if they still run their child/adolescent clinic with conversion therapy now that he's gone. Hearing about them endorsing that just makes my blood boil 

[viviennebelle]

CAMH has improved from what I've heard. A friend of mine got his hormones through CAMH and got his Top surgery through CAMH and he said they treated him amazingly. Sherbourne, however is amazing. I'm a patient there and It's insanely trans positive. but I believe that you have to have a Toronto address to become a patient at Sherbourne, not entirely sure if they've changed their policy. anywho Camh isn't a bad choice. Good luck!! ^.^

[A]

I wish we had real gender clinics over here, like you do. We have only one, and it's exclusively for minors. The rest of us go through a questionable path of psychiatrists with strong opinions and weird endos. Good point is that hormones are covered, I guess.

[A]

Ew. Dunno, when I watched JE's report about Alyss, a 17-year-old trans girl, I was reaaaally envious of the care she seemed to be receiving, by a full team of professionals. But I guess that other clinic is not the same at all. Professionals are one thing, but they've gotta be good professionals, I guess.