The NorthBEAT goes on: development of a strategic systems collaborative to move research into action
Poster C96, Wednesday, October%2010, 11:30%20am%20-%201:00%20pm, Essex%20Ballroom
Chiachen Cheng1,2,3, Carole Lem1, Shevaun Nadin1,3; 1Centre for Applied Health Research, St Joseph's Care Group, 2Northern Ontario School of Medicine, 3Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, Lakehead University
Context: Northern Ontario, Canada, is a region with a vast geography, scarce population, many rural and remote communities, and for many, limited access to specialized services. The NorthBEAT (Barriers to Early Assessment and Treatment) Research Project identified barriers that Northern Ontario young people face in receiving appropriate early psychosis intervention (EPI). Barriers included an isolating and disconnected system of care and a lack of knowledge about psychosis and appropriate intervention across that system of care. These findings are being put into action through a 4-year strategic initiative to address the barriers identified in the NorthBEAT research project. Objective: This presentation introduces the NorthBEAT Collaborative, a 4-year research-to-action strategic collaborative initiative funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation – Youth Opportunities Fund. Process and Results: To date, the Collaborative has over 20 signed members across 16 organizations who are committed to help young people with psychosis in Northwestern Ontario get the help they need when they need it. The cross-sector membership includes families, youth, and providers across the education, community and social services, mental health, and health sectors. This presentation will describe the Collaborative’s development and engagement process, and its activities and intended outcomes. For example, to date, we have held a knowledge exchange workshop, and established a working group to expand existing training (Psychosis 101) so that service providers across the system of care can access E-Learning EPI training materials that are relevant to their context. Emphasis will be about small successes to-date and lessons learned through our experiences as a Collaborative.
Topic Area: Service System Development and Reform