Press Release

Monday, March 26, 2018

Medavie funding ACCESS Open Minds New Brunswick in partnership with New Brunswick Health Research Foundation

ACCESS Open Minds New Brunswick (ACCESS OM NB) is working to ensure New Brunswick youth experiencing mental health challenges have access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Medavie is providing $360,000 over three years in support of ACCESS OM NB operations and activities. These funds are in addition to the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) investment in March 2015 of $1.7 million over seven years. This funding brings Medavie’s support of mental health initiatives in New Brunswick to over $1.5 million to date.

ACCESS OM NB is the only provincial demonstration site of the 14 ACCESS Open Minds sites across Canada. Led by Primary Investigator Dr. Jimmy Bourque of the Université de Moncton, ACCESS OM NB has taken a community approach to youth mental health system transformation, partnering with Centre de Bénévolat de la Péninsule Acadienne, P.E.E.R Saint John, and the Elsipogtog First Nation community. ACCESS Open Minds is a national research and evaluation project co-funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF) that aims to transform the way youth aged 11 to 25 access and use mental health services in Canada.

“I am very happy that this innovative project, piloted by one of our researchers, is receiving this generous financial support from Medavie,” said Jacques Paul Couturier, Acting President and Vice-Chancellor, Université de Moncton. “The mental health of New Brunswick’s children and youth is a priority. This program will considerably transform the mental health care they receive, in addition to improving their well-being. We can be proud of the headway we have made in this project so far.”

“With child and youth mental health being a core health cause of our Foundation, we support evidenced-based solutions in ensuring youth have access to appropriate mental health care in living their best lives. Medavie is pleased to support ACCESS OM NB and to help facilitate future ACCESS sites. As a not-for-profit health solutions partner, this province-wide initiative aligns with our commitment to improve the well-being of Canadians,” said Bernard Lord, CEO, Medavie.

“It is encouraging to see initiatives such as ACCESS OM NB supporting youth who struggle with complex mental health needs,” said the Honourable Benoît Bourque, Minister of Health, Government of New Brunswick. “By working together with the Integrated Service Delivery model and the Network of Excellence, we are building a foundation and continuing to focus on preventive care and support for our youth.”

“The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation is proud to have helped guide the process that led to the significant investment from Medavie into the ACCESS Open Minds project in New Brunswick,” said Dr. Bruno Battistini, President, CEO and Scientific Director, New Brunswick Health Research Foundation. “This funding will help develop safe spaces for adolescents and youth to receive better mental health services, an emerging piece of the Network of Excellence on mental health in New Brunswick. Such partnerships between CIHR, GBF, NBHRF, and, now, Medavie are key to developing better programs and services for our youth.”

“ACCESS OM NB is an innovative project focused on faster access to appropriate services for the community of children and youth living with mental health challenges in New Brunswick,” said Dr. Jimmy Bourque, Primary Investigator, ACCESS OM NB. “Medavie’s important financial contribution will directly improve support services for this community of children and youth. On behalf of ACCESS OM NB, I wish to thank Medavie for their involvement with mental health causes.”

“We are pleased to partner with Medavie and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation through the ACCESS OM NB initiative,” said Ian Boeckh, President, Graham Boeckh Foundation. “This initiative will help ensure young people aged 11-25 have access to safe spaces and the range of services they need at the right time by the right provider. Improving access to mental health and addiction services for young people is an important issue for the Foundation, and we are proud to be supporting this work in New Brunswick.”

This funding was announced at the Université de Moncton this morning, with partner representatives and stakeholders in attendance.



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