September 2, 2025 – Montréal, QC
Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Federal Minister of Health, announced an additional $30 million investment in the Integrated Youth Services Network of Networks (IYS-Net) initiative to continue to strengthen and expand this innovative model of care across Canada.
The announcement took place at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montréal. We are pleased to share that Srividya Iyer, PhD, is among the researchers leading IYS-Net funded projects.
National impact
The investment by the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Indigenous Services Canada, and its partners, the Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF) and Bell-GBF Partnership, aims to improve access to youth-centered, evidence-informed, and culturally affirming mental health services for young people across the country.
Expanding the IYS Learning Health System in Québec
A grant of $1.75 million over four years (2025-2029) has also been awarded to strengthen the Québec provincial IYS Network’s learning health system and data capacities, Aire ouverte. With Srividya Iyer, PhD as Nominated Principal Applicant, this funding will support:
- Enhanced capacity for data collection, research, and service improvement.
- Continued development of a learning health system, co-designed with youth, family and carers, Indigenous community leaders, clinicians, researchers, and policy- and decision-makers, including the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) and Santé Québec.
Martin Goyette, PhD, (École nationale d’administration publique) co-leads this project. The interdisciplinary Aire ouverte IYS Network includes Tovah Cowan, PhD, Manuela Ferrari, PhD, Massimiliano Orri, PhD, Marie-Claude Geoffroy, PhD, and Eran Tal, PhD, from McGill University and Kathleen MacDonald, PhD, from the Douglas Research Centre.
“Young people in Québec and across the country deserve mental health and wellness services that are accessible, inclusive and built around their needs. This investment will help create stronger, smarter supports for youth and their families, so they can get the help they need, when they need it.”
– Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Supporting Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness across Canada
A key component of this investment is a $10.8 million grant for the ACCESS Open Minds (AOM) Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network, a national IYS-Net initiative dedicated to enhancing the mental health and wellness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth across Canada.
Leading this four-year project (2025-2029) is Lakehead University’s Christopher Mushquash, PhD (Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction) and the Douglas Research Centre’s (affiliated with McGill University) Srividya Iyer, PhD, (Canada Research Chair in Youth, Mental Health and Learning Health Systems).
This project aims to:
- Strengthen capacity to deliver high quality, culturally and contextually relevant, and responsive mental health services with and for Indigenous youth.
- Identify and support priorities of Indigenous youth and communities.
- Integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into learning health systems.
- Build a robust digital repository of mental health tools, measures and resources.
- Continue to build capacity of current and future leaders in Indigenous youth mental health and wellness.
The AOM Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network is comprised of over 175 members, including Indigenous youth, family and carers, Elders and Knowledge Holders, communities, leading Indigenous organizations, including the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation under the leadership of Dr. Carol Hopkins and the First Peoples Wellness Circle under the leadership of Dr. Brenda Restoule, and Indigenous and allied service providers and researchers. Dilico Anishinabek Family Care in Fort William First Nation is also a partner on the project. Morgan Kahentonni Phillips, PhD, Tovah Cowan, PhD, Manuela Ferrari, PhD, Marie-Claude Geoffroy, PhD, Claudia Mitchell, PhD, Jai Shah, MD, and Dennis Wendt, PhD, from McGill University are also members of this Network.
“Indigenous youth deserve services that reflect who they are, where they come from and the strength of their cultures. This investment supports Indigenous communities in building their own solutions, guided by Elders, knowledge keepers and youth themselves. Together, we are supporting a future where Indigenous youth have hope, belonging, meaning and purpose.”
– The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services
Advancing Digital Mental Health Supports
Manuela Ferrari, PhD (McGill University), and Aislin Mushquash, PhD (Lakehead University), are co-leading the digital mental health arm of the Network, focused on creating an interactive digital library of mobile and web-based apps, games, assessment tools and educational materials that support Indigenous youth mental health. Once developed, they will also support interested communities, service centres, and organizations with effectively implementing these digital tools.
In Summary
These investments reflect the Government of Canada’s ongoing commitment to transforming youth mental healthcare and ensuring that all young people, including Indigenous youth, have access to timely, appropriate, and culturally and contextually relevant support.
Through this Canada-wide approach, key stakeholders including youth, family and carers, service providers, and communities, will continue to work together to build a responsive and inclusive mental health system.
We are delighted that Dr. Iyer was awarded two grants through this initiative.
- (Re)envisioning and reinforcing data and learning health system capacities to advance services, research and policy for youth in Quebec and beyond
($1.75 over 4 years, 2025-2029)
Nominated Principal Applicant: Srividya Iyer, PhD (McGill University, Douglas Research Centre) and Co-lead: Martin Goyette, PhD, (École nationale d’administration publique). - Together towards bright futures: Strengthening network(s) to support Indigenous youth and communities through advancing, sharing and learning from wise practices, data and stories
($10.8M over 4 years, 2024-2029)
Nominated Principal Applicant and Lead: Christopher Mushquash, PhD (Lakehead University) and Co-lead: Srividya Iyer, PhD (McGill University, Douglas Research Centre)
For further information about the research network that supports Quebec’s IYS Network, Aire ouverte or to arrange an interview, contact : Kathleen MacDonald