Grant: Catalyst Grant: Partnering for Impact - Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research

Youth are among the most vulnerable groups when it comes to starting substance use and often face challenges with both mental health and substance use problems at the same time. Early support can prevent these problems from becoming worse, but many young people do not have easy access to effective care in hospitals or community programs. This means many youth miss out on the help they need, leading to poorer health and life outcomes. To address this, our project builds on a partnership between the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and local community organizations to create a new program that supports young people with substance use concerns. This program offers screening, brief counseling, and ongoing support both in the hospital and the community, making it easier for youth and their families to get the help they need in a way that works for them. Our research aims to work closely with youth, family members, healthcare providers, and community organizations to improve and evaluate this program. We will form a Youth and Family Advisory Council, made up of young people and family members, who will guide the research to ensure it reflects their needs and experiences. We will also collect information through surveys and interviews to better understand how youth and families experience the program. Together with youth and family members, we will create easy-to-use resources and a guide to help other hospitals and communities adopt this approach. We will also study how well the partnership and involvement of youth and families work, to make sure their voices are truly heard and respected. By focusing on youth and family involvement and making sure care is accessible to all-including French-speaking and other underserved communities-this project aims to improve health outcomes, make care more equitable, and help more young people get the support they need for substance use problems across Canada.