Important wayfinding information for patients visiting G-Wing. Read more »

Hospital  >  News & media  >  News

Sunnybrook team awarded funding to implement Family Navigation Project in Northern Ontario

January 22, 2025

A research project led by the Family Navigation Project (FNP) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was recently awarded $2M in funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) innovative Clinical Trials (iCT) initiative. With more than $2M in additional funding from Sunnybrook’s donor community, the team aims to help improve access to and integration of mental health and addictions (MHA) services to youth and families in Northern Ontario.

For this project, FNP is partnering with Compass/Boussole/Akii-Izhinoogan, the lead agency for child and youth mental health services in the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin. Collaborating organizations like the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, Future North, Health Sciences North, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, and Parents for Children’s Mental Health Sudbury will also play a crucial role in supporting hands-on research and implementation of the study.

“Partnering with the Family Navigation Project is an incredible opportunity to expand access to critical mental health and addiction services for youth, while providing essential support for families in Sudbury and Manitoulin,” said Mark Fraser, CEO of Compass/Boussole/Akii-Izhinoogan. “Together, we are building a more seamless and supportive system of care within our communities.”

With support from the CIHR SPOR iCT grant, the Sunnybrook-led Better access to and integration of mental health and addiction services through navigation (BEAM Navigation) Study will provide important insight for the potential of navigation services to transform youth MHA in Ontario and Canada.

Navigation is a model of integrated care that helps patients find their way through complex systems, and can be especially important for youth with mental health and addictions issues, and their families.

“The study will evaluate the implementation of this evidence-based intervention in Sudbury-Manitoulin, following local consultations to adapt the existing model,” explains Dr. Roula Markoulakis, scientist at FNP in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program and nominated principal investigator of the BEAM Navigation Study. “The information we learn from this study will allow us to understand how we can most effectively implement navigation services to best serve more youth and families across the country.”

The first phase of the BEAM Navigation study involves conducting a local needs assessment and co-designing the FNP service for Sudbury-Manitoulin. The second phase of the study will evaluate outcomes experienced by clients through an innovative clinical trial. The team includes a broad range of perspectives, including youth and caregivers with lived experience, researchers, service providers and decision-makers.

FNP began operating at Sunnybrook in 2013, and has played a critical role in supporting over 6,000 youth and families in the Greater Toronto Area access mental health and addiction services.

Through the CIHR SPOR iCT initiative, the BEAM Navigation Study has received $2M in funding from CIHR, with more than $2M in additional matching funds, including philanthropic contributions from Sunnybrook’s generous donor community and, in-kind support from Family Navigation Project and Compass.

Media Contact:

Anna McClellan
Communications Specialist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
anna.mcclellan@sunnybrook.ca

Lauren Page
Communications and Charity Specialist, Compass
lpage@compassne.ca
(705) 562-8320