Winners of the MHRC- Knowledge Institute Ontario Youth Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions Grant

Read about the two recipients of our $100,000 Ontario Youth Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions Grant, funded in partnership with the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions.

 

Project 1: Community capacity-building for trauma informed and addiction approaches for youth in Northern Ontario

Lead Investigators:

  • Dr. Tina Benevides, Data Analysis and Research Evaluator at Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca

  • Trish Mintz, MSW, RSW, Director of Child and Youth Mental Health at Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca

  • Dr. Andrew Weeks, Chair of the Psychology Department at Nipissing University

Adolescents residing in Ontario have demonstrated elevated rates of illicit drug use, compared to other provinces (Russel et al, 2019). Parents and caregivers in Northern Ontario communities frequently find themselves unable to access the services they need in a timely manner. Lacking an explicit care pathway for complex mental health needs, the system’s response typically involves consecutive and disconnected assessments and interventions. This is partly due to the differential ability of front-line responders to identify early signs of mental health problems, as well as a lack of consistently established referral pathways that facilitate transition between various sectors.

The research team aims to improve outcomes for youth by developing and implementing a capacity-building plan to enhance core service providers' ability help youth in our communities that suffer with concurrent mental health, substance use, and addiction issues. This plan will allow staff to build their skills, work more effectively together at all levels, and improve their ability to speak a common language, including understanding the latest research on the neuroscience of youth addiction. The main goal of this project is to facilitate improved outcomes for youth (ages 15-24) and their families in our service areas.

Project 2: Examining integrated youth services: an evaluation of the reach and delivery of services provided by The Grove Wellington Guelph

Lead Investigators:

  • Dr. Jean Costello, Director of Research and Evaluation at Homewood Research Institute and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo

  • Cyndy Dearden, Executive Director of The Grove Wellington Guelph and a Senior Director at CMHA Waterloo Wellington

Many barriers exist for youth needing to access mental health and addiction services. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this need, further straining already limited services and resources.

Integrated Youth Services (IYS) are an emerging and promising practice designed to provide a “one-stop-shop” to mental health and addiction services and reduce barriers to access. Modelled initially after Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, The Grove Wellington Guelph is a unique example of an IYS model in that it is an integrated network of multiple sites (a “hub and spoke” model) across both rural and urban communities, including one on a university campus. Other youth wellness hubs tend to operate in relative isolation from one another and may benefit from more integration across multiple sites. Therefore, The Grove provides a unique opportunity to learn about how the model is working and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

This project aims to evaluate the reach and delivery of services provided by The Grove, as well as progress being made toward achieving its intended outcomes.

Findings will be used to inform improvements to service delivery across The Grove sites and advance models of IYS more broadly.