Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grants - Institute/Initiative Community Support

Youth and families in Canada are facing a mental health and addictions (MHA) crisis - and often face long wait times, confusing care pathways, and difficulty finding the right services. The Family Navigation Project (FNP) was created in 2013 to respond to these challenges, helping youth aged 11-29 and their families find and connect to appropriate MHA care through personalized support from trained navigators. As interest in, and evidence supporting the positive impacts of, navigation programs continues to grow, there is a need to better understand not just what these services do, but how they work - and how they can be successfully implemented into new contexts and communities. This project responds to that need by developing two key tools. First, a co-designed manual will clearly document the foundational values, structures, and daily practices of FNP in an accessible and flexible format. Second, a companion manualization process guide will describe how the manual was created, using a collaborative, equity-informed approach involving youth, caregivers, service providers, and FNP staff. Together, these tools will support the effective implementation, adaptation, and scaling of navigation programs across diverse contexts. While focused on FNP, this initiative is about more than one program - it aims to strengthen both the integrity of youth MHA navigation programs, and broader implementation efforts through collaborative manualization processes. Using co-designed and integrated knowledge translation, the project will embed lived experience and frontline expertise throughout. The resulting tools will also directly support an ongoing adaptation of FNP in Norther Ontario, helping ensure that navigation services are responsive to local needs, sustainable, and grounded in evidence.