APHD Colloquium: From RCT to Pan-Canadian System Transformation: Lessons from a Decade of Youth Mental Health Research and Implementation
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
252 Bloor Street West
Room 9-105
Toronto ON M5S 1V6
Canada
Across Canada, many young people struggle to access timely mental health and substance use services. Long wait times, fragmented systems, and barriers to care can prevent youth from getting support when they need it most.
Over the past decade, researchers, clinicians, community partners, and youth themselves have worked together to develop a different approach. Integrated Youth Services (IYS) brings mental health, substance use, primary care, and social supports together in one youth-friendly setting, making it easier for young people to access coordinated care.
In this APHD Colloquium, Dr. Jo Henderson will share lessons from a decade of research, implementation, and system transformation that helped shape Integrated Youth Services in Ontario and across Canada.
The presentation will explore the evolution of YouthCan IMPACT, a youth co-designed randomized controlled trial launched in 2015, and the subsequent development of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO). What began as a research initiative has since grown into a province-wide network of 32 Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario networks serving more than 10,000 youth.
Dr. Henderson will discuss the role of youth engagement, equity-focused approaches, implementation science, and learning health systems in scaling Integrated Youth Services and transforming access to care.
Event Agenda
- 1:00 - 2:00 PM: Presentation
- 2:00 - 2:30 PM: Audience Q&A
About the Speaker
Dr. Jo Henderson
Dr. Jo Henderson is a graduate of OISE’s School and Child Clinical Psychology program and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Henderson is also Chief Scientific Officer for Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario & Integrated Youth Services, and the Graham Boeckh Foundation Chair in Youth Mental Health Research and Services.
Dr. Henderson has successfully secured and implemented more than $60M in research and program funding and most recently, is guiding the collaborative development and implementation of two infrastructure initiatives to support Integrated Youth Services across Canada: a federated data platform and an IYS Collaboration Centre.
In 2025, Dr. Henderson’s efforts were recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
