Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM)
McGill Québec/Atlantic Regional CRISM Network - Treatment of Mental Illness and Addiction
(In Progress, Initiated March 2014)
CRISM was developed by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in collaboration with the Canada Drug Strategy. The purpose of CRISM is to fund provincial networks of clinicians, clinician/scientists, health administrators, patients and family/caregivers to develop and implement efficacious interventions for substance misuse that are cost effective, patient-centred, and feasible to implement within community-based clinical settings.
The McGill-based network will design and implement treatment programs that improve care for patients with concurrent disorders such as psychosis, mood, anxiety and personality disorders. The onset of mental illnesses and substance dependence - termed comorbidity, concurrent disorders or dual diagnosis - often begins in adolescence or early adulthood, preventing individuals from completing their education, maintaining employment, and forming positive, enduring relationships with family and friends. In patients with comorbidity, the course and outcome of both disorders are more severe, and they are at elevated risk for poor medication compliance, psychological distress, poor quality of life, family stress, early mortality, and poor outcomes. The McGill network will focus on early interventions, methods to improve access to care, building treatment capacity, peer counseling as well as family support and treatment. Patients and family/caregivers will be given an opportunity to participate in many aspects of the network development.
The McGill network is comprised of mental health practitioners from the Addictions Unit, McGill University Health Centre, frontline primary care clinics (CSSS de la Montagne, CSSS Cavendish) as well as secondary/tertiary care clinics (Allan Memorial Institute, Douglas Hospital). In addition, there are members from McGill University, University Laval, and Dalhousie University.