Graham Boeckh Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research announce Partnership Lead and Selection Panel
Transformational Research in Adolescent Mental Health (TRAM) -- A Patient-Oriented Initiative
For immediate release
Montreal, Quebec (January 8, 2013) – The Graham Boeckh Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research are pleased to announce the Partnership Lead and Selection Panel of the new mental health research network, which has been named Transformational Research in Adolescent Mental Health (TRAM) – A Patient-Oriented Network.
Mr. Jacques Hendlisz has been chosen to serve in the role of Partnership Lead of the TRAM Initiative. Mr. Hendlisz was CEO of the Douglas University Mental Health Institute for 17 years. He focused much of his work at the Douglas on integrating care research and teaching into all clinical programs. He was a leading advocate in the fight to combat stigma through public education and Web-based programs. Mr. Hendlisz was a board member of the FRSQ (Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec) and is presently Chairman of Research Canada, an alliance for health discovery. He is also Chairman of the Committee consultatif of “Prend soin de toi,” a public/private partnership which distributes research grants to mental health organizations in Quebec that aims to improve care, transfer knowledge, and translate mental health practices in frontline services.
“We are delighted that Jacques Hendlisz has agreed to be the Lead in our partnership with CIHR,” said Tony Boeckh, Chair of the Graham Boeckh Foundation. “He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and broad understanding of the complex issues surrounding mental health. He is well known and highly esteemed among all stakeholders in the field, including policy makers, families and patients and the scientific community.”
The Selection Panel will be tasked with choosing the successful network among the applicant proposals. The Panel comprises a diverse group of individuals who bring complementary perspectives and experiences to the area of adolescent mental health. The Panel Chair is Dr. Dennis Furlong, former New Brunswick Minister of Health. The members of the Panel are: Pam Gillett, Howard Goldman, Austin Mardon, Patrick McGorry, Nina Schooler, Paula Tyler, David Levine, and Kathryn Gill.
"The Canadian Institutes of Health Research are pleased to endorse this outstanding Selection Panel,” said Dr. Jane Aubin, CIHR’s Vice President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer. “This international group includes patient representatives, mental health policy experts, mental health care practitioners, and scientists with experience in patient-oriented mental health research and knowledge translation. Together, they bring expertise, passion, and leadership to this important field of health research.”
The TRAM Initiative will be the first of many such initiatives under the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR). Its goal is to improve health outcomes, within five years, for young people with mental illness. The network will transform Canada’s health care system by applying research evidence to improve the policies, therapies, and practices used to care for young Canadians with mental illness.
Researchers, policy-makers, patients and service providers involved in this field are encouraged to get involved. The application process will begin in early 2013.
