Bridging the Gap: Leveraging community-academic partnerships to improve evidence-based psychological interventions for diverse communities

The Ontario Structured Psychotherapy program (OSP) provides centralized access to mental health services and was developed as a stepped-care model, which allows clients to be matched to the appropriate level of service for them. However, resources are limited for in-depth analysis and the experiences of clients and clinicians remain relatively unknown in these early stages. The purpose of this project is to: a) examine whether systemic and structural barriers to uptake and engagement vary by sociodemographic and intersectional characteristics; and b) explore factors that influence barriers to engagement from a client and clinician perspective, particularly for diverse populations in the Brampton, Halton, and Mississauga (BHM) regions. As part of this one-year foundational study, 20 clinician and 14 client participants will be recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Additionally, data will be analysed from over 1700 clients enrolled in the OSP-BHM program. Results of this project can inform ways in which the OSP-BHM program can be adapted to better serve diverse communities and reduce the disparities in mental health care. Benefits include increased research collaboration, capacity building, and enhanced student training. Social benefits resulting from this project focus on expanding access to mental health, particularly for diverse and historically marginalized populations.

Faculty Supervisor:

Fiona Thomas

Student:

Partner:

Carepoint Health

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: