The Canadian College of Health Leaders is proud to announce that the ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) program at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) has been named recipient of the Award of Excellence in Mental Health and Addictions Quality Improvement for its outstanding contributions to advancing mental health care across Ontario.
This innovative initiative, based at CHEO but reaching far beyond its walls, connects Primary Care Providers (PCPs) with mental health specialists through teleconferencing technologies, equipping PCPs with specialized knowledge and resources to better support children and youth facing mental health challenges in their communities.
The program’s success lies in its commitment to continuous quality improvement, demonstrated through rigorous evaluation processes, a performance measurement framework, and a logic model that guides its activities and assessments. Through its unique approach of ECHO Clinics, where interdisciplinary teams of specialists facilitate experiential learning and knowledge-sharing sessions with PCPs, the program not only builds local expertise but also fosters a multiplier effect, exponentially expanding the impact of specialist interventions and improving the lives of countless children and youth across Ontario.
The Award of Excellence in Mental Health and Addictions Quality Improvement honours a hospital, health authority, community based mental health and addictions program/service, or a leader in the field that demonstrates evidence-informed and sustained quality improvements (QI) in the area of mental health and addictions.
The award is sponsored by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is an organisation that leads the development and dissemination of innovative programs and tools to support the mental health and wellness of Canadians. Through its unique mandate from the Government of Canada, the MHCC supports federal, provincial, and territorial governments as well as organizations in the implementation of sound public policy.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is a non-governmental organization that provides national leadership on substance use and advances solutions to address alcohol- and other drug-related harms. CCSA provides guidance to decision makers through harnessing the power of research, collecting and organizing knowledge, and bringing together diverse perspectives.
This award is part of our CCHL National Awards Program and will be presented at the Honouring Health Leadership event on June 2, 2024.
For further information and/or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Christian Coulombe
Vice-President, Marketing & Membership
Canadian College of Health Leaders
613-235-7219, ext. 213
ccoulombe@cchl-ccls.ca
