ACCESS Open Minds

12/19/2025

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ICYMI | Missed one of this year’s guest speakers? No problem – you can view them anytime on the ACCESS Open Minds YouTube channel.

As we look back on 2025, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our partners and members for generously sharing their expertise and work in the area of Indigenous youth mental health and wellness, and to everyone who attended the Network Gatherings. We are sincerely grateful for your contributions and what you each bring to these discussions.

Discover the presentations here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrQy6ydPEdks-3ysj-IVEg
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ICYMI | Vous avez manqué·e l’un des conférencier·ière·s invité·e·s de cette année ? Aucun problème : vous pouvez les visionner à tout moment sur la chaîne YouTube ACCESS Esprits ouverts.

Alors que nous faisons le bilan de l’année 2025, nous souhaitons exprimer nos sincères remerciements à l’ensemble de nos partenaires et membres pour avoir généreusement partagé·e leur expertise et leur travail dans le domaine de la santé mentale et du bien-être des jeunes autochtones, ainsi qu’à toutes le monde qui ont participé·e aux rassemblements du Réseau. Nous vous sommes profondément reconnaissant·e·s de vos contributions et de ce que chacun et chacune d’entre vous apporte à ces échanges.

Découvrez les présentations ici : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrQy6ydPEdks-3ysj-IVEg

06/20/2025

Do June is National Indigenous History Month, and National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated every year on June 21. It is a day to celebrate the unique cultures, traditions, knowledge and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada.

For a list of events happening near you, check out: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/list-events.html

We want to know – How are you celebrating? Tag for a chance to be featured in our story.

Are you interested in learning more about how the Network seeks to enhance Indigenous youth mental health and wellness across Canada? Visit: https://accessopenminds.ca/aom-indigenous-network-who-we-are/

Are you ready to join the Network and stay up-to-date on our work? Email: access@douglas.mcgill.ca. Everyone is welcome!

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Juin est le Mois national de l'histoire autochtone, et la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones est célébrée chaque année le 21 juin. C’est une journée pour célébrer les cultures, traditions, savoirs et contributions uniques des Premières Nations, des Inuits et des Métis au Canada.


Pour une liste d’événements près de chez vous, consultez : https://www.canada.ca/fr/patrimoine-canadien/campagnes/liste-activites.html

Nous voulons savoir – Comment célébrez-vous? Identifiez pour avoir la chance d’être présenté dans notre story.

Vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur la façon dont le Réseau cherche à améliorer la santé mentale et le bien-être des jeunes Autochtones partout au Canada? Visitez : https://accessopenminds.ca/fr/aeo-reseau-autochtone-qui-nous-sommes/

Êtes-vous prêt(e) à rejoindre le Réseau et à rester informé(e) de notre travail? Écrivez-nous à : access@douglas.mcgill.ca. Tout le monde est le bienvenu !

03/13/2024

: Following up from our first part of the arts-based approaches in mental health research webinar series, we are happy to announce our second part of the series, which will take a closer look at digital storytelling and cellphilming. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g3PHBE47

The webinar will introduce digital storytelling and cellphilming, how it can be implemented in research, followed by film screenings and an opportunity for attendees to engage with film makers and express their emotions and thoughts.

The webinar will feature Dr. Manuela Ferrari (Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and a Researcher at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre) and Salomé Xavier (PhD candidate at McGill University) who both have extensive experience in arts-based approaches, particularly in digital storytelling and cellphilming. They will also be joined by three digital storytellers who will screen their films during the webinar: Lili Zeng (Novelist and Biophysicist), Becky Donohue (BSc Nursing / Lived experience) and Owoade Oluwatomisin (Entrepreneur at Abeni Prints).

01/16/2024

: Join us for an innovative on approaches in research on January 23 at 3pm ET.

We are so excited to learn from Katherine Boydell Black Dog Institute, Yvonne Pelling, and Marilena Liguori.

Register here➡️ https://bit.ly/3vH0VOA

11/08/2023

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Srividya Iyer of McGill University and the Douglas Research Centre is the 2023 recipient of The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research. 🎉

Dr. Iyer’s research focuses on adolescence and young adulthood, because they represent a period of promise and potential. Unfortunately, over 60% of mental health and/or substance use health challenges develop between the ages of 12 and 25.

"Through international, interdisciplinary partnerships, Dr. Iyer is helping advance the landscape of youth mental health care and research globally, while considering all geographies, cultures, contexts and diversities. Her critical work serves as a base for widespread, scalable system transformation, and this is only the beginning. We are honoured to award Dr. Iyer with the 2023 Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research, enabling further growth and transformation in this area.” - Dr. Florence Dzierszinski, president of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal and vice-president of research at The Royal

Annually, this prestigious prize – sponsored jointly by the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal and the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada – is awarded to an outstanding mental health researcher enabling future exploration and discovery.

ℹ️ Learn more about Dr. Iyer’s research and the Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research: https://bit.ly/40uaiwo

10/10/2023

: We're very proud of our NPI, Dr. Srividya Iyer and her leadership in improving care in Quebec through Aire ouverte.

Read more here➡️

It is meant to be an exciting time of life. From finishing school, to finding love, starting a family and pursuing passions – the teenage to adulthood years are centred around life's big moments. But for many, those moments are shrouded with pain.

09/30/2023

Today, we recognize the experiences of survivors of residential schools and reflect on Truth and Reconciliation. But, the work to be done goes beyond today. We need to be intentional with our actions & centre Indigenous voices and leadership.




Don't know where to start? Take a free course on the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples:

https://ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html

Need some reading material? Look no further:

https://nctr.ca/about/history-of-the-trc/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-of-canada/

https://www.reconciliationeducation.ca/what-are-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-94-calls-to-action

09/26/2023

As we begin our Digital Storytelling Training this week, we are hopeful that we can provide a platform for self-employed women to express themselves creatively. Digital storytelling is a powerful way for people to share their unique life experiences. At ARISE&WIN, we passionately believe that everyone, especially self-employed women in Nigeria, has a meaningful story to tell. Our mission is to empower self-employed women by teaching them how to use digital tools to craft and share their stories. In the days ahead, we will guide them in crafting, refining, and enhancing their stories with multimedia elements as they prepare to share their narratives with the world.

09/19/2023

: 📢Call for youth artwork submissions! What does inclusive participation of in look like to you?

Submit your artwork for a chance to win cash prizes and be featured on Frayme and Réseau de recherche en santé des populations du Québec platforms ➡️http://bit.ly/youthart2023

09/18/2023

: Check out the summary of the environmental scan of mental health services for Indigenous youth in Canada. This was led by two previous Global Health Scholars: Isabella Kakish and Sofia Hempelmann Perez.

Explore the interactive tool and find different mental health services across the country: https://accessopenminds.ca/enviroscan/

07/11/2023

: 📢📰Check out this piece about the importance of and support for by Gesthika Kaltsidis, a Research Assistant for the Lift/Futur en tête project.

Read it here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3pKOxua

06/15/2023

It’s challenging to capture all the rich conversations from the gathering we had to begin building an IYS network.

We hope that were able to honour at least some of the valuable messages through this shareback➡️ https://bit.ly/3CtWN4z