ACD Research Group

CAAP’s 3rd Annual Conference is coming to Vancouver on September 11–12, 2026! Join leaders across disciplines to explore the future of integrated mental health and substance use care. #canada #psychiatry #medicine #research #conference #mentalhealth #healthcare #addiction

Abstract submissions have been extended for CAAP 2026! We invite submissions exploring innovative and integrated approaches to mental health and substance use care for CAAP’s 3rd Annual Conference in Vancouver, September 11–12, 2026. 🔗 caapaddictionpsychiatry.org/call-for-abstr… #research

Coming up: Our final panel featuring Abigail Schultz, Angie Hamilton, Cornelia Wieman, & Kennedy Stewart, moderated by Kathryn Embacher, with closing remarks by Kacey Dalzell emphasize lived experiences to examine how policy, systems, & stigma shape access to care #BCCD2026

Joining from Australia, Prof Ian Hickie highlights the need to place adolescents at the centre of mental health systems. Bottom line: The focus must shift to early intervention, personalized care, and moving beyond “averages” to individualized approaches #BCCD2026 #youthhealth

Dr. Werb discussed the discourse around Canada’s current polycrisis, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive system of care. He highlighted that “the health crisis is a political and policy crisis,” underscoring the importance of dialogue among experts & policymakers #BCCD2026

Thank you Dr. Erin Knight and Dr. Jennifer Hensel for an insightful presentation on how virtual care models in Manitoba are improving access to mental health and addiction services, including crisis support and rapid access to addiction medicine. #BCCD2026

Dr. Ashok Krishnamoorthy highlights how limited psychiatric bed capacity keeps systems reactive rather than proactive.He emphasizes the need to optimize Section 28 use, expand community-based treatments, and scale integrated mental health solutions across social systems #BCCD2026

Howard Tran, retired VPD Superintendent, highlights the need for a seamless continuum across systems. A key takeaway: bail and custody conditions lead to a revolving cycle of crisis → arrest → release without care. This system remains preventable, and high-risk. #BCCD2026

Conor King, Officer in Charge at the Victoria Police Department, delivers an engaging talk on the evolving toxic drug supply. He highlights the rise of non-opioid sedatives and increasingly complex mixtures, causing growing clinical unpredictability and overdose risk. #BCCD2026

Chris Cull provides a grounded framework on finding your path by asking key questions: what you can do for hours without noticing time, what comes naturally to you, where passion and ability intersect, and how you can sustain yourself doing it #BCCD2026 #mentalhealth #psychiatry

Chris Cull delivers an inspiring keynote on the power of storytelling to strengthen therapeutic alliance and deepen emotional connection in mental health & addiction care. Through lived experience, he highlights strengths-based approaches, meaning-making and perspective #BCCD2026

Paula Nunes highlights how childhood trauma is prevalent yet often underreported, and significantly associated with increased non-fatal overdose risk over time. Her longitudinal analysis points to key pathways including barriers to care, and binge drug use. #BCCD2026 #traumacare

Thank you Karina Thiessen for your work on a biopsychosocial approach to early alcohol initiation. Highlighting the importance of education, and the role of familial, peer, and systemic factors, this work underscores prevention as a multi-level, upstream priority. #BCCD2026

Andrea Wong Koo provided a conceptual overview of an ongoing project as part of a retrospective observational study of population data. The project will examine acute care engagements and opioid mortality trends among youth under 25, a population with unmet needs. #BCCD2026

Thank you Agam Sanghera for your work on a psycho-social machine learning framework for overdose risk assessment. Integrating four linked datasets, this approach builds a pooled database to model risk using tree-based methods, advancing data-driven responses to overdose #BCCD2026

Ashlew Lew, a master’s student in the UBC Experimental Medicine program, shares her work on international perspectives in treating high-risk youth, highlighting the role of global collaboration, and Delphi methods in strengthening equitable care pathways. #BCCD2026 #BCCD2026

Lightning talks happening live ⚡️ From youth opioid use in BC to trauma, sleep, and AI-driven overdose risk, these sessions bring together cutting-edge work on concurrent disorders and early intervention across the lifespan. #psychiatry #concurrentdisorders #BCCD2026

Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite highlights the need for healthcare & transitional support to incarcerated people post release, addressing social determinants such as homelessness, racism, and poverty. “Better population health starts with the health of incarcerated people.” #Recidivism

Thank you Drs. Amanda Butler, Tonia Nicholls & Lauren Krowicki for sharing work on the Guthrie Therapeutic Community program, and its role in rehabilitation in correctional settings and outcomes including reduced substance use, recidivism, QoL, and treatment engagement. #BCCD2026

A very insightful session where Shirley Chen, Valerie Evans, and Margo Dent shared first hand experiences of the role of family support in concurrent disorders. They discussed topics such as challenges of being a caregiver and meaningful family involvement . #psychiatry #BCCD2026