2024 Agenda

All too often, children of mothers with mental illness are apprehended by a system that sees them as unable parent. Through her research Amanda hopes to inspire more women and society to open up and have conversations about mental illness, mental wellness and recognize how we all need support to parent our children.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• How best to collaborate directly with women living with mental illness including schizophrenia
• What are the main concerns among patients, and how can we provide appropriate care
• What evidence-based methods of support can be applied to expected mothers with mental illness

Join us for an exploration of the digital mental health landscape from a patient’s perspective, and discover opportunities to create a unified patient experience. With approximately 1 in 5 Canadians experiencing mental health issues each year, it’s crucial to address the challenges and gaps in care. Discover how we’re helping clients develop digital tools and services that enable patients to access the care they need, and identify opportunities to further enhance the patient experience. Look to the future with us as we discuss how human-centered design is shaping a Digital Front Door approach, guiding patients at every step of their care journey.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Explore the state of the digital health landscape and gaps in mental health care from a patient’s perspective.
• Learn how we’ve helped clients create digital tools that aim to address these gaps and find opportunities to enhance the patient experience.
• Discuss how human centered design can help shape a Digital Front Door approach that meets patients at each step of their journey.

The number of deaths from opioid-related overdoses continues to rise in Canada, with the prairies experiences the highest percentage increase. In fact, opioid deaths have slowed trends in life expectancy. According to a study published in the Lancet, Canada has seen more than 30,000 people die just from opioids since 2016. But the number of drug deaths – legal and illegal – continues to grow.

Providing outreach and treatment where patients live is an important strategy for tackling substance use disorder. But what treatment, when, where and how, is still up for debate among researchers, community groups, funders, and the general population.

Join in the discussion as we look at various treatment options available, what front-line responders are seeing and doing, and where we go from here.

Key Takeaways and Discussion Topics:

• What are the principles of harm reduction, and how are they applied, and what is the effectiveness relative to other options
• What other strategies are being used in communities across Canada, and in what context
• The importance of non-judgmental, non stigmatizing options and treatment
• How are other jurisdictions doing and what innovative models can be applied to Canada

Launched in December 2023, 9-8-8 is a network of 39 experienced local, provincial and territorial, and national crisis lines and helplines across the country. Everywhere in Canada those seeking help can call or text 9-8-8 to connect with a trained responder who’s ready to listen without judgement. The service is operated 24/7/365 and available in French and English.

After a full year in operations, it’s time to provide an update on its use and impact in suicide prevention and assess the successes and challenges.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• How were the challenges of delivering and staffing a suicide prevention line overcome
• What has been the response from the public and those that have used 9-8-8
• What is the next phase of plans to be rolled out, and how will momentum be maintained
• Responsibility to providing the number?

The mental health and substance use health (MHSUH) impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded by the overdose crisis in Canada have increased the gap between population needs and service system capacity.  Canada’s MHSUH workers are a critical resource to people living in Canada but have often been overlooked in research and policy. Gaps in data, regulation, and funding are undermining equitable access to services and capacity to undertake workforce planning.

To begin addressing some of these gaps, our team has undertaken three recent research projects focused on the impacts of the pandemic on MHSUH workforce capacity, regulatory frameworks that support equitable access to MHSUH workers across Canada, and policy options for a MHSUH workforce strategy to coordinate planning across Canada.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Explore the research findings from these projects and their practical implications for policy and practice
• Gain a better understanding of the MHSUH workforce gaps and the potential policy directions
• Review implications of recent MHSUH workforce evidence on policy and practice across different jurisdictions, provider types, and sectors.
• Discuss key policy opportunities for developing a pan-Canadian MHSUH workforce strategy, including collecting data for planning, supporting the workforce, targeting recruitment, optimizing and diversifying roles, and closing policy gaps.

Engaging with image-based social media like Instagram and TikTok has been found to have a profound impact on body image dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem, which are known risk factors for eating disorders. With social media use so widely popular among youth and young adults, how can we support individuals navigate potentially harmful online spaces and prevent eating disorders?

NEDIC has seen calls to their helpline explode since the pandemic and have taken a leading role in education and support. Their helpline aims to meet individuals where they’re at in their eating disorder journey by providing in-the-moment support, healthcare navigation and resources.

As mental health professionals, recognizing the warning signs and, aiming to increase safety while reducing harm is instrumental in supporting those with eating disorders.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Recognize and learn how eating disorders intersect with social media and how disordered eating messages infiltrate these platforms
• Learn about harm reduction as a philosophy and practice and how harm reduction can be applied to eating disorder care in this context
• Discuss strategies that can enhance media literacy with young people and reduce the harm they experience on social media

It can be easy to forget that mental health, like our physical health, is a spectrum! We can thrive or we can struggle. Everything you experience is interpreted by your mind, so taking care of your mental well-being influences every area of your life, from personal to professional.

Although originating thousands of years ago, mindfulness is now mainstream and scientific data links it to reduced anxiety, depression and greater mental health.

This session is designed for anyone who knows that paying attention to their mental health will positively impact every area of their lives; from their relationships, to their work, to their leisure time as well as give them a mindset to encounter challenges with more ease.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Embody mindfulness: Go beyond the buzzword to infuse it into your life in small, impactful ways and understand how it can enhance our mental wellbeing.
• Reduce anxious thoughts: Learn how to reduce anxiety-provoking thoughts and cultivate a sense of inner calm.
• Minimize the negative impact of stress: Learn how to down-regulate your nervous system, reducing overall stress and instances of burnout.
• Increase your ability to flourish: Mental health is not just about reducing anxiety, depression and stress, but about increasing optimism. Learn evidence-based strategies to enhance a hopeful mindset, moving us towards a state of mental ‘flourishing’ to experience greater wellbeing.
• Practice several quick, simple mindfulness techniques to add to your mental wellbeing toolbox.
• Be inspired to take small daily actions to enhance your ability to mentally flourish

Substance use disorders impact individuals and their families profoundly, and navigating these challenges can be especially complex in cases of involuntary mental health admissions. In Vancouver, the system has seen significant stress due to the high demand for supportive care related to drug use.

Join us for an insightful discussion as two nurse leaders from Vancouver Coast Health share their empathetic approach to relational practice in inpatient mental health through a harm reduction lens. Learn about their commitment to integrating compassionate care with involuntary treatment and how this philosophy fosters positive health outcomes.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Understanding the principles of harm reduction and the role of clinicians in supporting individuals who use drugs.
• Exploring the complexities and opportunities in addressing involuntary treatment within the context of mental health care systems.
• Discovering effective strategies for integrating harm reduction with inpatient mental health care and substance use support.
• Discussing future directions and the expansion of this supportive approach to enhance patient care.

Community Treatment Orders are used in various jurisdictions, including internationally, though the legal structure varies. They are somewhat controversial among academics, but less so among healthcare providers. However, understanding when and how to use them, is an area rich with opportunities for improvement.

Join us as we look at new research looking into the use of CTOs, and how changes in policy, practice and legislation can improve its use and effectiveness.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• How was the research conducted and compiled, and what were the main findings
• Where are the most impactful areas for improvement from the patient perspective
• What concerns are there with respect to side effects
• How can hospitals and communities work together to improve the patient experience and outcome
• What are the next steps in determining new best practices

The Mental Health Commission of Canada and Stepped Care Solutions are driving system transformation with the use of Stepped Care 2.0© (SC2.0) as an evidence-informed model for providing mental health and substance use health care. SC2.0 is currently rolled out throughout North America, including in several jurisdictions in Canada. It is delivering timely and flexible care for all, reducing wait lists, and improving people’s lives.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Understand how Stepped Care 2.0 is a transformative model for delivering evidence-informed mental health and substance use health (MHSUH) services
• Describe how SC2.0 supports system transformation across Canada and internationally
• Assess the successes and challenges for addressing key MHSUH system transformation challenges
• Understand how the learnings and outcomes from SC2.0 can help address key system transformation priorities including equitable access and workforce capacity

BC Children’s Hospital – Missing Middle Program is a provincial demonstration initiative focused on identifying system level “pain points” that impact young people’s (ages 16 – 24) access to and experience of mental health and substance use (MHSU) services. 

From Australia’s Orygen – people in the “missing middle” are often too unwell for community-based primary mental health care, but not unwell enough for acute inpatient or tertiary services. They frequently present to hospital emergency departments (ED) with moderate mental health concerns and they often leave the ED without appropriate or assertive follow-up. Some young people are then admitted to adult psychiatric units, which are not typically designed to provide developmentally appropriate care and can sometimes be a traumatic experience for both the young person and their family. The “missing middle” is also considered to be transition-aged youth that are often lost between the child & youth and adult MHSU service systems. This innovative program is focused on working with health care providers (HCP) to build knowledge and capacity to provide the best possible support to young people and their families. 

While this initiative is based in British Columbia, these system level “pain points” are not unique to our province and exist across the country.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Overview of “pain-points” identified in the system, and projects and collaborations undertaken to address these challenges
• Approaches to build awareness and capacity amongst clinicians to support this population
• Lessons learned from the early stages, and future goals and plans for the program