Transforming Youth Mental Health in Canada

When organisations unite to tackle pressing challenges, meaningful progress can be achieved. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF), along with other partners, have worked together to transform youth mental health care in Canada. This decade-long effort has culminated in the pan-Canadian movement called Integrated Youth Services (IYS), supported by a recent $74 million investment to ensure every youth in Canada has access to mental health services. Guided by community needs and evidence-based principles, IYS provides rapid, community-based access to comprehensive care for young people aged 12-25. The IYS landscape now includes nine provincial initiatives and around 150 community sites, offering integrated support that includes mental health, addiction, physical health, vocational, and social services—all in one accessible location.

This innovative model is being advanced through the Integrated Youth Services Network of Networks (IYS-Net) Initiative, created through a unique public-philanthropic partnership between CIHR and GBF. IYS-Netconnects and supports provincial and territorial networks across Canada, including a dedicated Indigenous-led network. This initiative applies a learning health system approach, leveraging research and real-time data, and cross-network collaboration to drive innovation and health equity. 

Beyond increasing accessibility, IYS addresses other critical mental health care gaps. It has facilitated the creation of a transdiagnostic system that supports young people through the transition to adulthood, as well as the delivery of culturally relevant and equity-focused services. Its holistic approach also prioritises continuous quality improvement, ensuring services evolve to meet the needs of young people effectively.

This work underscores how research-to-practice initiatives can rapidly transform mental health systems, setting a benchmark for innovation and collaboration in youth mental health care globally.

This is one of our Members’ success stories from 2024. Learn more about the campaign and other members’ achievements here.