Youth Mental Health Summit: Local and Global Connections and Perspectives
Join us at the Youth Mental Health Summit to explore local and global perspectives on youth well-being and innovative mental health solution
Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Location: Sears Atrium, 245 Church St, 3rd Floor, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Registration Link: https://shorturl.at/JtALW. Seating is limited. Register early. (RSVP latest by Friday September 27)
Summit Details:
The Youth Mental Health Summit is an interdisciplinary conference aimed at examining critical mental health issues affecting youth, with an emphasis on both local and global contexts. Hosted at Toronto Metropolitan University, this summit will convene experts, scholars, and practitioners to exchange knowledge, discuss research findings, and foster collaborative approaches to enhancing mental health and resilience among diverse youth populations.
Summit Schedule:
8:30 AM – Light Breakfast & Networking
9:15 AM – 10:45 AM | Morning Plenary: Mental Health Issues Impacting Students & Youth
This plenary session will address significant mental health challenges faced by various youth demographics, featuring insights from leading experts:
- Child and Youth Mental Health – Dr. Andrea Levinson, University of Toronto
- Indigenous Youth and Communities – Dr. Jeremy Riva-Cambrin, Unity Health Toronto
- International Students – Sucre Li, Asian Community AIDS Services
- Black Youth and Communities – Tiyondah Fante-Coleman, Black Health Alliance
11:00 AM – 12:13 PM | Morning Symposium: Promoting Mental Health and Community Resilience – Local and Global Innovations
This symposium will showcase innovative strategies in mental health promotion and resilience building, both locally and globally:
- Mental Health Promotion of University Students in China: by Dr. Josephine P. Wong, TMU
- Digital Mental Health Promotion: Evidence from PACER: by Dr. Kenneth P. Fung, University Health Network
- Community Mobilization in Virtual Spaces: Project PROTECH: by Dr. Alan T. Li, Community Alliance for Accessible Treatment
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM | Lunch & Networking
An opportunity for networking over lunch, allowing participants to engage with peers and experts in the field.
1:15 PM – 3:15 PM | Afternoon Knowledge Exchange
This session will feature targeted discussions and collaborative round tables focused on setting youth mental health priorities:
- Culturally Inclusive Mental Health Interventions for Asian Immigrant Youth – Dr. Rui Hou, TMU
- Round Tables: Collaborative discussions on youth mental health priorities and partnership formation (All Participants)
Guests/Participants:
Decision makers, administrative leaders, and clinicians providing mental health services to youth of diverse and systematically marginalized communities, public health policymakers, youth leaders, university students, researchers, and health equity advocates.
Registration:
Due to limited seating, advance registration is required (RSVP latest by Friday September 27). Please secure your place early to participate in this significant academic discourse on youth mental health.
Accessibility:
Please indicate any accommodation needs or dietary restrictions during registration.
We look forward to your participation in this important academic event!
If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact project coordinator Isabella Huang: isabella.huang@torontomu.ca
Keynote Speakers:
Andrea J. Levinson, MD MSc FRCPC (she/her)–Director, Psychiatric Care, Health & Wellness Student Life Programs and Services, University of Toronto, Student Mental Health Liaison, Staff Psychiatrist, CAMH
Dr. Andrea Levinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, the University of Toronto. She is the Director, Psychiatric Care, Health & Wellness, at the University of Toronto, and is a Staff Psychiatrist and Student Mental Health Liaison at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Dr. Levinson is responsible for the provision and management of psychiatric services on campus and acts as a resource for the university community on mental health issues across the campus. Dr. Levinson served as the Clinical Lead for the University of Toronto Student Mental Health Redesign Project and supported the adoption of the Stepped Care 2.0 model at the University of Toronto. Dr. Levinson’s research interests include postsecondary student mental health, early intervention in the context of the emerging adult cohort, health professional wellness and mood disorders.
Dr. Jeremy Riva-Cambrin (He/Him) – Indigenous Psychiatrist, Unity Health Toronto; Lecturer, University of Toronto
Dr. Riva-Cambrin specializes in Indigenous mental health, intergenerational trauma, and psychedelic research. He is dedicated to advancing equity in mental health services, particularly for underserved Indigenous communities.
Tiyondah Fante-Coleman (She/Her) – Researcher, Black Health Alliance; PhD Candidate, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Tiyondah Fante-Coleman’s research focuses on improving mental healthcare access for marginalized communities, particularly Black youth in Ontario. Her work is grounded in participatory methods and action-oriented research.
Sucre Li (He/Him) – Men’s Program Coordinator, Asian Community AIDS Service
Sucre Li’s work focuses on mental health and well-being, particularly within the international student community. Drawing from his personal experience as a student living with HIV, he is committed to creating supportive environments and accessible resources.
Josephine Pui-Hing Wong (she /they)- Professor and Research Chair in Urban Health, Affiliation(s): Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing
Professor Wong has extensive research and practice experience in advancing health equity. She specializes in community-centred action research and capacity building initiatives. She is currently leading multiple intervention and implementation research on stigma reduction and collective empowerment with Asian, Black, and Latinx communities in Canada, and university students in China.
Kenneth P, Fung, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Dr. Kenneth Fung is Staff Psychiatrist and Clinical Director of the Asian Initiative in Mental Health Program at the Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network. He is Professor and Director of Global Mental Health with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. His research, teaching, and clinical interest include both cultural psychiatry and psychotherapy, especially Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), CBT, and mindfulness, with projects and collaborations in China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
Alan Tai-Wai Li (He/Him) M.D. Co-chair, Community Alliance For Accessible Treatment
Alan Li is a primary care physician with over 35 years experiences of community service and activism as a physician, researcher, community organizer, advocate and capacity builder. Alan has worked with many diverse marginalized communities including immigrants, refugees, people facing challenges with poverty, mental health and addiction, LGBTQ and people with HIV/AIDS. Alan’s research and community organizing work has led to the development of many community services and programs including being the co-founder of Asian Community AIDS Services, the Community Alliance for Accessible AIDS Treatment and the Blue Door Clinic for precariously insured people living with HIV.
Rui Hou (He/him) Postdoc Fellow, Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Rui Hou is a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Community Services at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). His research spans digital politics, digital health, and community-based interdisciplinary collaboration, with a focus on addressing the challenges digital innovation poses to marginalized and racialized groups. His current CIHR-funded project develops culturally inclusive digital mental health interventions for immigrant youth in Canada’s Asian diasporic communities.