This episode of The “So, Why?” Podcast features a conversation with Michael Cooper, Vice President of Data & Partnerships at Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC), on how to mobilize evidence to transform mental health systems. In conversation with Shauna Cronin, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at Stepped Care Solutions, they discuss how to shift approaches from simply publishing research in journals to a model where the findings are a central, dynamic part of the system design process itself.

More information at the Mental Health Research Canada website: ⁠⁠https://www.mhrc.ca/⁠⁠  

Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada (2006): https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/resource/out-of-the-shadows-at-last-transforming-mental-health-mental-illness-and-addiction-services-in-canada/

Want to hear more about how the innovative Stepped Care 2.0 model supports communities to reframe, rethink, and redesign the delivery of mental health and substance use health services through flexible, open access, recovery-focused approaches? Check out previous episodes of The “So, Why?” Podcast on our website, YouTube channel, Spotify and your favourite podcast apps.

This episode’s guest:

Michael Cooper is an experienced charity executive with over 16 years of experience in fund development, project management and government relations. Michael advocates for improving our understanding in detecting, treating and managing mental health issues. He has a strong focus on the utilization of data to inform policy and advance mental health care in Canada and currently oversees MHRC's large scale data project tracking the ongoing mental health of Canadians.

About Mental Health Research Canada:

MHRC is a non-governmental, registered national charity committed to making mental health research truly count for Canadians. With one in four Canadians impacted by mental health challenges, the gap between what people need and what’s accessible continues to grow. MHRC bridges this gap through: Population Data Collection, Analysis, and Rapid Reporting; Studentships and Fellowships; Supporting and Leading Innovative Solutions, partnering with likeminded organizations to address real-world, current mental health needs. 

Connecting with people who genuinely understand your mental health and wellness journey  can be a powerful step in recovery and care.

Peer support programs are a vital resource in mental health and substance use health care pathways. Whether through one-on-one conversations or in group settings, talking with people who have shared similar experiences can create a recovery-oriented community through a sense of validation and non-judgmental support. Peer support can also serve as a stepping stone to help individuals prepare for the next stages in their recovery and wellbeing.

This episode of The “So, Why?” Podcast features a conversation with Shaleen Jones, executive director of Eating Disorders Nova Scotia and founder of Body Peace Canada, on the transformative power of connection and the importance of accessible wellness services that meet care seekers where they are. 

More information:

Body Peace Canada

Eating Disorders Nova Scotia

Stepped Care Solutions is now operating and delivering PeerOnCall – a mobile health platform designed for workforce peer support, built with input from public safety communities. Find out more at our website.

This episode’s guest:

Shaleen Jones has been an advocate, organizer, supporter, and all-round rabble rouser in the field of eating disorders for over twenty five years, holding leadership positions with community organizations across Canada. She is currently the executive director of Eating Disorders Nova Scotia, and founder of Body Peace Canada.

Having overcome an eating disorder, she is passionate about recovery, the transformative power of peer support, and creating sustainable, systematic changes across the sector. Shaleen was one of the first people trained to provide peer support for those with eating disorders in Canada, and earned her Peer Support Certification from Peer Support Canada in 2015.

Shaleen has been recognized for her work with multiple community and mental health awards, and she currently serves as a member of the Government of Canada’s Ministerial Advisory Council on Mental Health, the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Hallway Group, Quality Mental Health Care Network, and the E-Mental Health Collaborative.

Moments in time can each hold incredible opportunities to make a difference for someone’s mental health and wellbeing. People experience interactions every day with the system that when optimized and prepared for can be moments of support and positive change.

Single-session therapy (SST), sometimes called One-at-a-Time Therapy (OAAT), has been around for some time. It has been steadily gaining attention among providers and service delivery systems. SST can have tremendous impacts in different contexts with proven waitlist reductions and positive outcomes for many people. It is based on the assumption that something helpful can happen in one interaction. 

SST is an important approach because many people can only attend, or want to attend one session. In fact, research shows the most common number of therapy sessions attended is one session. If a person will only engage once and may never come back for another session, it becomes really important that the one session they have is helpful. One-at-a-Time Therapy provides an effective option for people seeking support to address their concerns in the moment. Borrowing from this approach, One-at-a-Time Thinking has been identified as a core component of SC2.0; this thinking considers that every encounter across the mental health system is an opportunity for a person to have a helpful experience and address their immediate concerns. 

This episode features Dr. Heather Hair who practiced for many years as an Approved Supervisor of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Hair’s interest in learning led to a tenured faculty appointment and administrative positions with a Canadian university. Dr. Hair’s multi-decade work with children, youth, adults, and families began as a child care worker in open and secure treatment facilities for adolescents. Subsequently, she worked as a registered family

therapist at an Ontario inner city children’s mental health centre where she co-created and coordinated the Brief Therapy Services and developed and supervised the Brief Therapy Community Externship.

For over 25 years, Dr. Hair has been developing and providing skills training workshops on one-at-a-time counselling conversations/single session therapy and practice focused supervision as well as program consultation to providers of mental health, social, and community services as well as faith communities. Her academic and professional interests include effective practice with children, youth, and families; supervision and staff training; the intersection of practice and social justice; the social construction of knowledge and meaning; and the qualities of helping conversations that encourage hope, change, and growth.

Single-session therapy (SST), sometimes called One-at-a-Time Therapy (OAAT), has been around for some time. It has been steadily gaining attention among providers and service delivery systems. SST can have tremendous impacts in different contexts with proven waitlist reductions and positive outcomes for many people. It is based on the assumption that something helpful can happen in one interaction. 

SST is an important approach because many people can only attend, or want to attend one session. In fact, research shows the most common number of therapy sessions attended is one session. If a person will only engage once and may never come back for another session, it becomes really important that the one session they have is helpful. One-at-a-Time Therapy provides an effective option for people seeking support to address their concerns in the moment. Borrowing from this approach, One-at-a-Time Thinking has been identified as a core component of SC2.0; this thinking considers that every encounter across the mental health system is an opportunity for a person to have a helpful experience and address their immediate concerns. 

This episode features Dr. Windy Dryden, Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and has authored or edited over 275 books. His current interests are in single-session and very brief interventions within a therapy and coaching context. Relevant publications include: Single-Session Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques’ (Routledge, 2019) which outlines the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of the single-session mindset and The Single-Session Counselling Primer: Principles and Practice (PCCS Books, 2020) which is a comprehensive introduction to SST for counsellors.

His book, Very Brief Therapeutic Conversations (Routledge, 2018) is focused on work he has done conducting live demonstrations of therapy/coaching in front of an audience that last 30 minutes or less. He has done more than 800 such demonstrations all over the world. 

His goal is to disseminate SST, or what he refers to as ONEplus Therapy, with the hope that it might help provide help at the point of need within the NHS. His latest book is Dryden, W. (2024). ONEplus Therapy and Common Emotional Problems (Onlinevents, 2024). 

For more information on the work of Dr. Windy Dryden and for links to his books please visit: https://www.windydryden.com/ 

Student mental health in a postsecondary context is an important topic. There has been a lot of work done to explore how to support diverse students to be well including the Post Secondary Standard and the Okanagan Charter. It can be a challenging time for people with a variety of stressors affecting them in different ways across diverse student populations.

Check out Algonquin College's student mental health and wellness webpage.

Learn more about our work and the SC2.0 model: steppedcaresolutions.com

The OAAT Series:

Single-session therapy (SST), sometimes called one-at-a-Time therapy, has been around for a while. It has been steadily gaining attention among providers and service delivery systems. SST can have tremendous impacts in different contexts, with proven waitlist reductions and positive outcomes for many people. It is based on the assumption that something helpful can happen in one interaction. 

The thing is, SST is an important approach because many people can only attend or want to attend one session. In fact, research shows the most common number of therapy sessions attended is one session. If a person will only engage once and may never come back for another session, it becomes really important that the one session they have is helpful. One-at-a-Time Therapy provides an effective option for people seeking support to address their concerns in the moment. Borrowing from this approach, One-at-a-Time Thinking has been identified as a core component of SC2.0; this thinking considers that every encounter across the mental health system is an opportunity for a person to have a helpful experience and address their immediate concerns. 

As a part of our “So, Why” Podcast, we will embark on a mini-series to explore different perspectives on implementing One-at-a-Time Therapy. We will learn from various practitioners how this method can be used in different contexts. OAAT may not fit every situation, but it is a fantastic option that can be helpful in many ways. 

About this episode:

Going beyond a methodology, Single Session Therapy is a mindset that counsellors can learn and embrace. This mindset puts a focus on supporting people in the moment and recognizing and building on their strengths. In Italy, the Italian Center for Single Session Therapy is working toward shifting the mindsets of counsellors across the country to be able to offer a person-centric approach that recognizes professionals do not have all the wisdom, but people often know what is best for them. 

Today, we are joined by Dr. Flavio Cannistrà, a psychologist based in Rome, Italy. He is the founder and co-director of the Italian Center for Single Session Therapy and the ICNOS Institute, an international postgraduate training institute specializing in strategic and systemic brief psychotherapies. His publications include Single Session Therapy: Principles and Practices and Brief Therapy Conversations. 

For more information about the upcoming conference: https://www.singlesessiontherapies.com/single-session-therapy-symposium/

For more information about Stepped Care Solutions: steppecaresolutions.com 

For access to virtual mental health resources: wellnesstogether.ca

As a part of a CIHR grant, the province of New Brunswick embarked on the implementation of SC2.0 in 2019. The provincial implementation began with implementing OAAT across the province. The impacts were evident. With decreased waitlists and both positive client and provider feedback, the province of New Brunswick is well on their way to creating a person-centric open-access mental health, addictions and substance use health system.

Today we are joined by Bernie Goguen, the Director of Adult Services at New Brunswick’s Department of Health where he is working on various projects focused on improving the continuum of care in Addiction and Mental Health Services.  Bernie is a psychologist with over 30 years of experience helping individuals with substance use and mental health issues. He is a graduate of Saint Thomas and Carleton Universities and worked for several years in Provincial and Federal correctional services. He has held various management positions with Horizon Health Network’s Addiction and Mental Health Services, including a Detoxification Treatment Unit, an Opioid Replacement Treatment Program and Community Mental Health Services. 

Like many other provinces and territories, the Northwest Territories had one pathway for people seeking support for their mental health.  Recognizing that people have diverse needs and their journeys are not always linear, the territory explored a new way of doing things to help more people get the support they need when needed. Drawn to its intuitive approach, in 2020, NWT made the decision to start implementing Stepped Care 2.0. The transformation began, and the system started to shift. There are now multiple ways of accessing different types of care with minimal barriers, allowing for quick access. 

The newly released report Partnering Together for Person- and Family-Centric Care in partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Stepped Care Solutions, highlights the impact of these changes. The outcomes match the excitement of those who have been a part of it, including a 79% reduction in wait times for mental wellness counselling.

Today we are joined by Carly Straker, Manager of Systems Quality and Integration in Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery with the Government of the NWT. Carly was born and raised on the traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene in Yellowknife,

NWT. She is a mama to a little one who is total sunlight.  Carly has a master’s degree in clinical social work and has spent two decades working, advocating, learning, and leading in various front-line, operational, and system-level capacities within mental wellness and substance use health, trauma, crisis and emergency response, and more - with children, youth, adults and families in both urban and rural settings across Canada. With a passion for whole health, she also coaches weightlifting, children’s sports and spends as much time as she can in nature with her daughter, friends, and family, recognizing the invaluable impacts of these connections. While working in her current role with the Government of the NWT, Carly has led system change through the championing of recovery-oriented, person- and family-centric care and the recent implementation of the Stepped Care 2.0 model, which includes various eMental health initiatives, key training and orientation programs, an Advisory Group of individuals from across the territory with lived and living expertise, communications, continuous monitoring, and more.

For more information about Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery in Northwest Territories, visit their site: https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/mental-wellness-and-addictions-recovery

Peer Support is an integral part of effective, person-centric, recovery-oriented mental health, substance use and addictions systems. With a unique ability to empathize with people seeking support for their mental health, substance use health or addictions concerns, peer support offers incredible value across the system to enhance the well-being of people and communities. Peer supporters play a major role in proactive approaches, meaningful workshops and groups, and can support navigation throughout the system as well as provide crucial support to people accessing acute services and programs.

Learn more about Stepped Care Solutions: steppedcaresolutions.com

Learn more about Lifewise NL (formerly CHANNAL): https://lifewisenl.ca/

Want to talk to a peer supporter?  

Lifewise Warmline (available 10:00am - 12:00am (NST) daily): (EN) 1-855-753-2560 (FR) 1-833-753-5460

Wellness Together Canada Warmline (available 3:00pm - 7:00pm (EST) 7 days a week): 1-888-768-2488

Achieving a vision of wellbeing everywhere may seem lofty, but there are so many amazing people and organizations that work throughout systems that are making it happen.  The complexities of life often create situations, feelings and responses that are difficult for us to truly understand.  Substance use has traditionally held a lot of stigma within systems and also on individual and personal levels.  Putting people first is an important part of moving toward wellness, and acknowledging and including substance use health in supporting people’s wellbeing through access to diverse options to care includes treating people in a respectful and helpful manner.

Today we are joined by  Gord Garner, the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships of the Community Addictions Peer Support Association (CAPSA). He is a national public speaker and educator on Systems Stigma and trainer on Person First Language. At the time of this Podcast, he is living well with his own substance use disorder. He is dedicated to removing stigma barriers and enabling policy writers, academics, researchers and people with personal experience with Substance Use Health issues to make systems-level changes to improve the health outcomes of people living in Canada who use(d) substances. He advocates that all policies and regulations need to be reviewed through the lens of increased life security and Substance Use Health outcomes by using an All People, All Pathways TM model. All of his work is informed by his 38 years of active addiction and by those who helped him. He believes compassion is a practice and he is practicing.

You can access All People, All Pathways Programming through Wellness Together Canada

For more information on Stepped Care 2.0 please visit us at https://steppedcaresolutions.com