Grant: Dissemination Events

The Community Support and Research Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Canadian Council on Social Development, in partnership with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, are completing a multi-faceted environmental scan of housing and related supports across Canada to inform the Commission of the current housing and community support needs for individuals living with mental illness and addictions in Canada. Funding is being sought to support knowledge transfer and exchange (KT/E) in relation to the findings of the scan. More specifically, using a constellation of interconnected activities, the proposed initiative intends to: build system awareness of the environmental scan's findings; aid local systems in garnering appropriate resources that augment local capacity in housing and related supports; and support local systems in lobbying for changes to public policy that currently hinder the development and delivery of housing for people with mental illness. Our approach to KT/E has been heavily influenced by our stakeholders so that we can maximize our reach and impact. Stakeholders were engaged in discussions to ensure that the KT/E activities meet the needs of constituents. For this reason, KT/E activities will embrace a variety of mediums to communicate findings including brief plain language summaries, short articles for newsletters, podcasts, PowerPoint slide decks, and conference appearances.