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
Emergency
Bone and Joint Health
Kidney Health
Cancer
Maternal Newborn Child & Youth
Cardiovascular Health and Stroke
Population, Public and Indigenous Health
Critical Care
Respiratory Health
Diabetes, Obesity and Nutrition
Seniors Health
Digestive Health
Surgery

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

6. Marni Bercov Executive Director
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)
6 Representatives from AHS Business Supports
4 Engagement and Patient Experience representative

9. Network

10. Ways you can be involved
Join the AMH SCN Research Community (
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 Call administered 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?