Grant: Operating Grant: Voluntary Sector Knowledge Mobilization Support Grant

The Canadian Aging Action, Research, and Education (CAARE) for Mental Health Group is a collective of experts-by-experience in the context of providing, receiving, supporting, or administering mental health support, care and/or treatment to/ as aging Canadians. The rationale for the work of the CAARE Group hinges on the need to raise awareness that the mental health of aging Canadians lies along a dual continuum1; meaning it is possible to have a diagnosed mental health illness and experience mental well-being, and it is also possible to experience poor mental well-being without having a diagnosed mental illness. There are major gaps in understanding how the experience of aging across the lifespan intersects/ interacts with the dual continuum model of mental health to influence care, treatment, and support needs and experiences of older adults. As a first step towards addressing these gaps, SE Health (also known as Saint Elizabeth Health Care), one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit social enterprises, and the Canadian Mental Health Association National Office collaborated on a project in 2019/ 2020 to identify the top 10 unanswered research questions on aging and mental health in Canada.2The CAARE Group (n= ~20) includes members of the original project steering committee and additional experts-by-experience who are committed to ongoing knowledge mobilization and action; particularly with the rising concern for the mental health of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The target audience for the CAARE Group includes aging Canadians, health researchers, and decision-makers (e.g., policymakers, funders). The CAARE Group is currently seeking funds to expand knowledge mobilization with 3 objectives: 1) build and sustain authentic partnerships to advance mental health care, support and treatment aligned with the dual continuum across the lifespan; 2) support the co-design and completion of research and action-oriented projects to address priority questions identified by Canadians; and 3)advocate and/or apply for additional funding to support the priorities and activities of the Group.