$1.45M to boost Indigenous youth mental health services – McGill Reporter

August 29, 2024

A national initiative to bolster Indigenous youth mental health services across Canada has secured $1.45 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

McGill psychiatry professor Srividya Iyer and Lakehead psychology professor Christopher Mushquash are leading this five-year project, the ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network. The initiative will focus on enhancing the capacity of integrated youth services networks and Indigenous communities to deliver culturally affirming, high-quality mental health services for Indigenous youth.

The project unites youth, Elders, family members, researchers, communities and leading Indigenous organizations, such as the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, the First Peoples Wellness Circle and Dilico Anishinabek Family Care.