CMHA Ontario would like to thank the Evidence Exchange Network for its renewed support for three CMHA-led Communities of Interest (CoIs) in Ontario. The COIs for Racialized Populations and Mental Health and Addictions, Peer Support in Mental Health and Addictions, and the Intersection of Criminal Justice, Mental Health, Addictions and Human Services have all received renewed funding to continue the work they began last year. 
A CoI is a forum for knowledge exchange and collaborative knowledge creation – in this case, on a topic related to mental health and addictions. In a CoI, diverse stakeholders who share a common interest aim to exchange information, obtain answers to problems, and/or improve their understanding of a subject. This collaborative work takes place through different knowledge exchange activities and forums.
“We’re delighted that EENet continues to support these forums of knowledge exchange,” said Camille Quenneville, CEO of CMHA Ontario. “Working with our CoI partners allows us to use emerging evidence to improve policy, planning and practice for mental health and addictions in Ontario.”
“This is a great opportunity,” said Heather Bullock, Director of Knowledge Exchange at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “We’re looking forward to building on the great work we began last year.”
Successes from CMHA-led CoIs last year include a think tank on mental health- and addiction-related emergency department issues related to racialized populations, a webinar on implementing effective police-emergency department protocols in Ontario, and a symposium on peer support in addictions and mental health. The renewed support means that the COIs can continue to expand on the knowledge garnered last year.
EENet’s continued support includes seed funds, knowledge broker support, access to technological resources and other network resources. Seed funding by the Evidence Exchange Network is made possible by the Drug Treatment Funding Program.
Read the official announcement on the EENet website.