Government of Canada invests in research to inform better youth mental health and wellness services across the country
- ymhcollective
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 11
On September 2, 2025, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced an additional $30 million investment in the Network of Networks – Integrated Youth Services (IYS-Net). The announcement took place at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montréal, Québec.
We are proud to highlight that the Youth Mental Health Collective's Srividya Iyer, Ph.D., is among the researchers leading projects funded under this initiative.
This funding will support research, capacity-building, and efforts to share and learn from data, knowledge and wise practices to improve access to timely, evidence-informed, culturally and contextually relevant mental health and substance use services and other supports for youth, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth.
This investment will:
Strengthen the learning health system in Québec through a $1.75M grant for Aire ouverte, co-led by Srividya Iyer (McGill University, Douglas Research Centre) and Martin Goyette (ÉNAP).
Support the mental health and well-being of Indigenous youth in Canada with a $10.8M grant to the national ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network, co-led by Srividya Iyer and Christopher Mushquash (Lakehead University).
This investment was made possible through the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and Indigenous Services Canada, and their partners including the Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF) and Bell-GBF partnership. We are grateful for their support and dedication to building a mental health system that is accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant for young people and their families across the country.
We also recognize the contribution of Alyssa Rock, a Research Assistant from our team, who emphasized the importance of mental health research in Indigenous communities.
