Barriers and Facilitators in Access to Child/Youth Mental Health Services

ACCESS-MH – Annual Update 2016

Barriers and Facilitators in Access to Child/Youth Mental Health Services

About Us

Atlantic Canada Children’sEffective Service & Strategies in Mental Health (ACCESS-MH) is a consortium of five universities—Memorial University, Saint Mary’s University, Université De Moncton, University of New Brunswick, and the University of Prince Edward Island. The aim of the consortium is to build a research program which will bring together a cross-sectorial and interdisciplinary team of researchers, health care providers, and decision makers from across Atlantic Canada to take a diverse and innovative approach to studying how services are provided to children and youth identified with any of the following five disorders: Anxiety, Depression, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Conduct Disorder and Eating disorder. This is a five-year project.

Updates

Dr. Marshall Godwin, Memorial University, has replaced Dr. Rick Audas as the Nominated Principal Investigator on the project. Dr. Audas will stay on the project as a Co-Principal Investigator. Other team members include: Dr. Kate Tilleczek, Co-Principal Investigator, University of Prince Edward Island; Dr. Scott Ronis, Co-Principal Investigator, University of New Brunswick;Dr. Michael Zhang, Co-Principal Investigator, Saint Mary’s University;Dr. Jacques Richard,Co-Principal Investigator,Université de Moncton;Dr. Brandi Bell, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Prince Edward Island;Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of New Brunswick, Dr. Shamsuzzaman (Zaman), Postdoctoral Fellow, Saint Mary’s University; and Project Manager, Cathy Peyton located at Memorial University.

Faculty/Team Outputs to date

The research team, consisting of faculty and students, has been very busy over the past year and half. They have produced publications, conferences presentations/posters, and workshops. Please review the following list

Publications

Tilleczek, K.C., Bell, B.L., & Lezeu, K. (under revision). Youth voices and journeys in mental health: Invoking unique patient perspectives. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.

Bell, B.L. & Campbell, V. (2014). Dyadic interviews in qualitative research (Research Shorts Series #1). Charlottetown, PE: Young Lives Research Lab, University of Prince Edward Island.

Tilleczek, K.,Lezeu, K. (2014). Journeys in youth mental health.Education Canada.Special Issue: Youth Mental Health,54(2),12-18.

Wershler, J., & Ronis, S. T. (2015). Psychosocial characteristics and service needs of Canadian suburban male youth at risk for homelessness. Children and Youth Services Review, 55, 29-36. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.05.009

Ronis, S.T., Slaunwhite, A., Hepburn, K. Comparing Methods for Providing Child and Youth Mental Health Care Services in Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands. (Submitted for publication)

Slaunwhite, A. K., Ronis, S. T., Sun, Y., & Peters, P. (in press). The emotional health and well-being of Canadians who care for persons with mental health or addictions problems.Journal of Health and Social Care in the Community. doi:10.1111/hsc.12366

Presentations & Posters

Bell, B.L., & Deyell, T. (2016). Patient Journeys in Youth Mental Health: Arts-BasedMethods for Exploring Youth, Parent, and Service Provider Perspectives. Paper presented at the 3rd ISA Forum of Sociology. Vienna, Austria, Jul 10-14.

Tilleczek, K., Bell, B.L., & Deyell, T. (2015). Youth Voices and Journeys in Mental Health: Arts-based Methods for Invoking Unique Patient Perspectives. Paper presented at the Qualitative Health Research Conference 2015. Toronto, ON, Oct 19-21.

Clair, L. &Audas, R. (2015, May). Prevalence of Five Mental Health Conditions: A Comparison of Methods. Poster presented at The Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mississauga, ON.

Clair, L. &Audas, R. (2015, August). Using large data sets across sectors for collective impact. Presented at the Atlantic Summer Institute on Health and Safe Communities, Charlottetown, PE.

Slaunwhite, A., Ronis, S.T., Miller, D., Peters, P. (2015, August).Leveraging Big Data to Understand Access and Use of Mental Health Services in Atlantic Canada. Presented at the Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy and Safe Communities, Charlottetown, PE.

Miller, D., Slaunwhite, A., & Ronis, S. T. (2015, June). Predicting adolescent readmission to acute psychiatric care services in Atlantic Canada. Poster session presented at the meeting of Primary Healthcare Research Forum, St. John’s, NL.

Bell, B., Audas, R., Ronis, S. T., Tilleczek, K., Zhang, M., Richard, J., & Peyton, C. (2015, June). Atlantic Canada Children’s Effective Service Strategies (ACCESS-MH). Poster session presented at the meeting of Primary Healthcare Research Forum, St. John’s, NL.

Ronis, S. T., Miller, D., Slaunwhite, A., & McDonald, T. (2015, June).Environmental scan of big data in addressing mental health care in Atlantic Canada. Poster session presented at the meeting of Primary Healthcare Research Forum, St. John’s, NL.

Slaunwhite, A., Ronis, S. T., Peters, P., & Miller, D. (2015, June).Mental health-related hospitalizations by youth in New Brunswick. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Primary Healthcare Research Forum, St. John’s, NL.

Garcés Davila, M. I., & Ronis, S. T. (2015, June). Accountability in mental health services: The role of mandates, outcomes, and partnerships in non-profit organizations. Poster session presented at the meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, ON.

Tilleczek, K., & Bell, B.L. (2015). Voices & Journeys in Child/Youth Mental Health: Hearing from Children/Youth, Parents, and Service Providers. Paper presented at the Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy and Safe Communities: Investing in Child and Youth Mental Health – Mobilizing Atlantic Canadians for a Positive Future. Charlottetown, PE, August 19.

Bell, B.L. (2015). ACCESS-MH Trainees: Supporting a New Generation of Child/Youth Mental Health Researchers. Paper presented at the Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy and Safe Communities: Investing in Child and Youth Mental Health – Mobilizing Atlantic Canadians for a Positive Future. Charlottetown, PE, August 19.

Bell, B.L. & Peyton, C. (2015). Atlantic Canada Children’s Effective Service Strategies. Poster presented at the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) Conference. Montreal, QC, May 28.

Bell, B.L. (2014). Atlantic Canada Children’s Effective Service Strategies. Poster and talk presented at the Family Medicine Forum, Research Day. Quebec City, QC, November 12.

Miller, D., Slaunwhite, A., & Ronis, S. T. (2015, April). Predicting adolescent readmission to acute psychiatric care services in Atlantic Canada. Paper presented at the meeting of the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network, Moncton, NB.

Tilleczek, K., & Bell, B.L. (2014). Taking Mental Health to School: Being, Belonging and Becoming. Presented at the PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Grade 10 Physical Education Teacher In-Service. Summerside, PE, September 26.

Tilleczek, K., Bell, B.L., Loebach, J., and Campbell, V. (2014). Young Lives in Global & Local Contexts. Presented at Health PEI Children’s Special Needs Initiative meeting. Charlottetown, PE, September 24.

Thériault, M., & Richard, J.F. (2015, mars). Les obstacles et les facilitateursdansl'accès aux services de santé mentale pour les enfants et les adolescents. Communication oraleprésentée à la Journée de recherche interdisciplinaire en santé (JRIS), Faculté des sciences de la santé et des services communautaires (FSSSC), Université de Moncton, NB, Canada.

Tilleczek, K.,(2016). Youth Mental Health: Intersections and Directions. Presented at Vienna, Switzerland, July 2016.

Workshops

Bell, B.L. Witnessing & Respecting Youth Voice in Research on Young Lives. Symposium: Emergent trends in research with vulnerable young people, to be held Nov 20-21, 2015 at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS.

Bell, B.L. & Bartellas, M. Journey Mapping for Research and Parent/Community Engagement. Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy and Safe Communities: Investing in Child and Youth Mental Health – Mobilizing Atlantic Canadians for a Positive Future, held August 19, 2015 in Charlottetown, PE.

Bell, B.L., & Loebach, J. Research with, for, and by youth: Digital media and mental health in young lives. UPEI Faculty of Education Seminar Series, held November 27, 2014 in Charlottetown, PE.

Technical Reports

Garcés Davila, M. I., & Ronis, S. T.(2015). Accountability in non-profit organizations: Organizational mandates and outcomes assessment in mental health services, A report to: DOTS NB. Fredericton, NB: University of New Brunswick.

Audas, R.,Ryan, D., Harris-Walsh, K., Wells, S., Murphy, P. (2015, Oct).Needs Assessment Survey Autism Community, Newfoundland Labrador. St. John’s, NL: Memorial University

Conrad, P. (2014, April). Annotated Inventory of Provincial Documents about Provision of Child and Youth Mental Health Services in the Four Atlantic Provinces for the Five Conditions under consideration: Autism, Eating Disorders, Depression, Anxiety and Conduct Disorders

Student News

To date there have been three cohorts of graduate students in the Masters in Applied Health Services Research Program (MAHSR) in the Atlantic Regional Training Centre funded by the ACCESS project. These graduate students have identified projects that will further the ACCESS project research agenda.

Additional Highlights

• The Patient Journeys team continues to conduct interviews across the Atlantic Provinces. To date we have approximately 190 of the 240 interviews completed. These have included interviews with children, youth , guidance councillors, parents and guardians, policy makers and clinicians
• Ethics approvals in place for four provinces, five universities, and numerous regional health authorities
• Data agreements in place in NB and NL- continue to work on agreements in NS and PE
• Scan of children and adolescent mental health services in Atlantic Canada completed – paper in progress
• A midterm report has been completed and submitted to and accepted by our funder Canadian Institutes for Health Research(CIHR)
• Changes to advisory board membership: Tracy Kitch, President and CEO of IWK Health Centre replaces Ann McGuire and Dr. Kim Critchley, Deputy Minister of Health PE replaces Sandy MacDonald
• The website continues to see lots of activity. Data analysis and results will be posted on the website as they become available. Please visit the website at:

Contact Information

For additional information on any item you see in the newsletter please contact Cathy at the below coordinates:

Cathy Peyton

ACCESS-MH Project Manager

1-709-864-6616

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