Grant: Team Grant: Community-Based Primary Healthcare - LOI

Children and youth with mental health and oppositional behavioural problems and their caregivers are among the most vulnerable members of Canadian society. Their conditions are complex and require an interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral approach to provide treatment and care. In this program of research, we will focus on three highly prevalent conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Conduct Disorder and Eating Disorders. We take a social sciences approach to each of these conditions, using Patient Journeys/Process Mapping, Operations Research and Statistical analysis of large and complex databases to develop a comprehensive overview of how children and youth access treatment and services across both the health and education (and potentially other) systems. Our project team includes, Primary Health Care (PHC) Physicians, Policy Makers and Researchers from across Atlantic Canada with the aim to compare the experiences and outcomes of individuals across four different jurisdictions. We intend to develop a list of best practice guidelines and a series of tools for PHC physicians to facilitate better management and outcomes of this vulnerable population.