Over 190 primary care providers from across Canada including family and specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and social workers attended the event in-person and virtually. In her welcome remarks, Jagoda Pike, CEO of Homewood Health Centre and President and CEO, Homewood Health Inc., emphasized the essential role of primary care providers in shaping mental health outcomes: "With the increased prevalence of mental health disorders nationally, enhancing mental health education in primary care practice is ever more critical. As frontline health care providers, they are uniquely positioned to identify early signs of illness and facilitate intervention. We want to empower them to make informed decisions while challenging and changing perceptions about accessing care."
Driving Progress in Women's Mental Health
The extensive knowledge and diverse perspectives shared by an all-female identifying panel aligned with Homewood Health Centre's initiatives to advance women's mental health outcomes. These include a collaboration with Dr. Benicio Frey, the inaugural Homewood Research Chair in Women's Mental Health and Depression, to translate research into clinical practice, and the launch of the Women's Trauma and Concurrent Program at Homewood Health Centre - one of the first of its kind in Canada, dedicated to treating complex trauma in women.
"We aim to create more avenues to highlight women's invaluable contributions in this field—their insights will inspire change in health care," said CEO Pike.
The panel of distinguished clinical experts delivered peer-reviewed research on several topics:
- Underexplored aspects of post-traumatic stress disorder - Dr. Margaret McKinnon
- Harnessing the mind-body connection in the treatment of chronic pain - Dr. Jaclyn Kukat & Dr. Rhonda Taylor
- Beyond the label: Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder to help facilitate management in Primary Care - Dr. Naomi Mudachi
- Cycles of Care: Navigating Mental Health Through Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Beyond - Dr. Lisa Gagnon
- Mindful Moments: Cultivating Inner Peace in Mental Health - Dr. Tara Riddell
- Bipolar Disorder in Primary Care: What to Do When Specialty Care Isn't Available - Dr. Zainab Mohamed
Spotlight on Mental Health Struggles in Women's Elite Sports
Women's rugby athlete and mental health advocate Brianna Martey also delivered an insightful presentation titled "Mental Health Struggles in the High-Performance Athlete." Drawing from lived experience, she courageously shared the complexities of balancing her mental well-being with the rigorous demands of elite sports.
Event moderator Dr. Carlos Lalonde, President and Chief of Staff of Homewood Health Centre, reaffirmed Homewood's commitment to transforming lives and expanding its impact through research, partnerships, and education. "Empowering change in our health care system relies on education and enhanced collaborations. Through our shared focus, we can create an unparalleled healing force for patients, families and communities across Canada."
The Mental Health Symposium was a free, fully accredited event and certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter.
About Homewood Health
With over 140 years of experience, Homewood Health is at the forefront of mental health and well-being, providing Canadians with an unparalleled continuum of care. We achieve outstanding outcomes every day through our national network of over 4,500 employees and clinical experts working in partnership with leading employers, organizations and researchers. Our unique and comprehensive stepped care continuum provides the most complete range of mental health services available nationally – from organizational support & training programs to employee assistance & mental health programs, as well as specialized expertise in assessments, return to work, recovery management and family support – all supported by our medical and mental health expertise in our nationally recognized treatment facilities: Homewood Health Centre, Homewood Ravensview and The Residence at Homewood.
SOURCE Homewood Health Centre
Media Contact: Amrita Maharaj-Dube, Manager, Corporate Communications, Contact: 226-962-3288, [email protected]
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