Advancing Evidence Based Practice in Addiction & Mental Health Care in Alberta

1. Advancing Evidence Based Practice in Addiction & Mental Health Care in Alberta

2. What are strategic clinical networks (SCN)?

3. Basic mission of the SCN’s To get the most out of our health care system, AHS has developed networks of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about specific areas of health, challenging them to find new and innovative ways of delivering care that will provide better quality, better outcomes and better value for every Albertan.

4. What areas are covered so far? • Addiction and Mental Health • Bone and Joint Health • Cancer • Cardiovascular Health and Stroke • Critical Care • Diabetes, Obesity and Nutrition • Digestive Health • Emergency • Kidney Health • Maternal Newborn Child & Youth • Population, Public and Indigenous Health • Respiratory Health • Seniors Health • Surgery

5. Four main components to an SCN • Operations • Scientific Office • Core Committee • Larger Network

6. Dr. Nick Mitchell Senior Medical Director Marni Bercov Executive Director Dr. Victoria Suen Clinical Network Manager Allison Bichel Senior Provincial Director

7. The Scientific Office Team Dr. Frank MacMaster Scientific Director Dr. Kay Rittenbach Assistant Scientific Director

8. AMH SCN Core Committee • 45 Core members (clinicians, researchers, operational representatives) • 6Representatives from AHS Business Supports • 4Engagement and Patient Experience representative

9. Network

10. Ways you can be involved • Join the AMH SCN Research Community (email Katherine.Rittenbach@ahs.ca) • Bring ideas/problems to the team!

11. Current SCN Projects • Choosing Wisely Canada – Psychiatry • Peer support model • School Mental Health • Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment resistant depression • AMH Child & Youth Emergency Department redesign • Take Home Naloxone Kit Program Evaluation

12. Past Projects • STAT Toxicology testing in Emergency Departments • Adult Depression Study in Family Care Settings • EMPATHY

13. What is the point of the scientific office?

14. Mission of the Scientific Office • First, understand the lay of the land for research in Alberta • Second, bring evidence to bear on priorities • Third, build research capacity

15. Why would you want to be involved? • Our mandate is to improve care for patients • National competitions want to see connections between research and clinical populations, we can facilitate those connections • We can help you navigate the system • We will document our appreciation

16. Current Scientific Office Projects • Take Home Naloxone (THN) Kit Program Evaluation • Health Economics analysis of the Adult Depression study • Interprovincial Indicator Project • Cannabis Research Day • New grant opportunities

17. THNK Program Evaluation • Provincial evaluation – AHS; AH; community partners; community pharmacies; Health Canada; and Indigenous partners • Program rolled out quite quickly in response to the crisis and so some of the work is documenting the program • More like a developmental evaluation than a traditional one – results are disseminated as appropriate to encourage timely improvements

18. Health Economics analysis of the Adult Depression study • The clinical results showed no difference in improvement between interventions • Health utilization records being compared across intervention arms – early results are interesting

19. Clinical Connection Grants • Targeted to researchers • Very impressed by overall quality of applications • Partnerships! • Mathison/HBI ($30,000) • NMHI ($30,000)

20. Chair Reallocation – Repurpose Existing Money from Other Organizations • $537,000 • 2015/2016 Clinical Engagement Grant Applicants that were fundable • School Mental Health New Investigator Award • Emergency Department project

21. Current Grant Opportunities • Publication Grants – to publish innovative work in Addiction & Mental Health in open access journals • Valuing Mental Health Grants (2 opportunities) • Pathways to Innovation & Integration in Addiction & Mental Health – awards announced early August • VMH Research & Innovation Grant – call designed by steering committee

22. Current Grant Opportunities • Publication Grants – to publish innovative work in Addiction & Mental Health in open access journals • Valuing Mental Health Grants (2 opportunities) • Pathways to Innovation & Integration in Addiction & Mental Health – awards announced early August • VMH Research & Innovation Grant – currently open

23. Valuing Mental Health Report • Dr. David Swann report • 6 months of study and analysis, deliberation, and consultation with thousands of Albertans • 32 recommendations • “Alberta’s addiction and mental health system must serve Albertans better by identifying problems earlier, by providing the right care when and where needed, and by supporting people as they move through life”

24. Valuing Mental Health Report • 4 populations requiring immediate attention: • Children, youth & families • People with multiple and complex needs • Individuals requiring addiction services • Indigenous people and communities

25. Valuing Mental Health Next Steps • 6 consultations from April 11, 2016 to October 13, 2016 • ministry partners • Alberta Health Services • community addiction and mental health stakeholders • individuals with lived experience • June 2017 – AH response to the VMH report

26. Valuing Mental Health – Next Steps 18 actions that reflect and the vision to transform the addiction and mental health sector to one that is: • person- centred • promotes mental health • focuses on early intervention • treats mental health issues as a chronic disease • strengthens the role of primary health care • becomes more coordinated and integrated

27. Valuing Mental Health – Next Steps #4 Identify and test evidence-informed practices and programs to improve community-based system integration, and adopt and spread those practices considered to be most effective.

28. Valuing Mental Health – Next Steps #4 Identify and test evidence-informed practices and programs to improve community-based system integration, and adopt and spread those practices considered to be most effective. RESEARCH

29. Valuing Mental Health Innovation and Integration Research Grant Competition Calladministered by PolicyWise

30. Call for Applications – Currently open! • Must address recommendation 4 – focus on integration • Open call – up to $200,000 / project (smaller encouraged) • Proposed project can be up to 2 years • Alberta based PI

31. Call for Applications – Currently open! • Encourage engagement of non-traditional stakeholders • Encourage provincial projects • Applications will be peer reviewed • Steering committee will consider final decisions (to optimize resources)

32. Timeline • Call – September 8th • Registration (required) – Early October • Short form with team identification, 350 words on the project and on the connection to recommendation 4 • Application submitted – December 1st • Notice of awards – February 2018

33. Thank you&Questions?