GBF, in partnership with the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) and the Québec Fund for Health Research (FRQS), launched a program to form a first network of integrated youth services for the province of Québec (RSIJ). The program aims to foster a continuum of care and services for youth aged 12 to 25. It underscores the need for a cross-sectoral approach and brings different actors and stakeholders together. The deep involvement of youth and families at every stage of the process is at the heart of the initiative. Responding to an important need throughout Québec’s population, in both rural and urban settings, RSIJ has become a flagship program for the Québec government. The program is intended to harmonize existing services and to broaden services to better respond to the range of needs of young Quebecers.

The Government of Ontario held a press conference on May 3^rd to announce the six new community sites that will be created in Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO), the Ontario integrated youth services project. The six new sites are located in: Eastern Champlain (Cornwall area), Haliburton, Kenora, Malton (in Mississauga), North Simcoe and the Niagara Region. In addition, four existing sites will be joining the network–three in the Greater Toronto Area, created in the YouthCan Impact project, and a fourth in Chatham-Kent that is part of the pan-Canadian project ACCESS Open Minds. The Graham Boeckh Foundation helped to catalyze the YWHO project and is jointly funding it with the Ontario government and other philanthropic organizations. For more background on Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, please see the previous GBF newsletter and the project website (https://youthhubs.ca/).
 

Annual Meeting of the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders
 

 

GBF provides leadership to the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders (IAMHRF). At this year’s annual IAMHRF meeting, held in mid-February in Vienna, Austria, representatives from over 20 research funding organizations and global mental health leaders from academia, the not-for-profit sector, government and the academic publishing sector, discussed topics of global significance to the mental health research sector. With 60 participants, it was the largest gathering of the IAMHRF to date.  One of several core themes at this meeting was global adolescent mental health.  Global mental health experts took a multisectoral approach, including youth interaction in the social, peer and emotional environments. Attention was drawn to digital platforms, quality education, nutrition and mental health, all considered critically necessary for youth mental health.
 
In addition, the Alliance website has been revamped and includes updated information on the mission and impact of the Alliance (http://iamhrf.org//).

 

Québec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) recently announced the investment of $50M annually to increase access to psychotherapy services in Québec. The Coalition for Access to Psychotherapy (CAP), coordinated by GBF, welcomes the investment as a significant commitment by the government to making psychotherapy services available to all those who require them. The recurrent funding includes $15M allocated for youth and $35M for the implementation of a public program to improve on broad, equitable access.
 

2018 Dr. Samarthji Lal Award for Mental Health Research: Dr. Ben Goldstein
 

• to identify biomarkers which enhance clinical decision-making for adolescents with bipolar disorder;
• to advance the understanding of shared biological factors underlying the links between bipolar disorder and cardiovascular disease;
• to examine the impact of novel pharmacological and behavioral treatments on psychiatric and cardiovascular outcomes among youth with bipolar disorder.