The researchers working on the “Services, policy and population health” theme come from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds: psychiatry, epidemiology, law, anthropology, economy, psychology, social work, administration.

Their goal is to inspire and influence developments in mental health policy so that people living with a mental illness can obtain the care and services to which they are entitled. To accomplish this, the researchers:

• Study the organization of mental health services, as well as the social, cultural and economic factors that contribute to mental and substance use disorders
• Sit on decision-making committees, alongside healthcare professionals and decision-makers, to assist in formulating concrete policies that integrate new scientific knowledge. For instance:
• Marie-Josée Fleury PhD, sits on the Quebec Primary Care Committee and is a consultant for the Health and Welfare Commissioner
• Anne Crocker PhD, is a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and of the Table de concertation psychiatrie-justice de Montréal (Montreal table for psychiatry and justice)
• Eric Latimer PhD, is a member of the Provincial Advisory Committee on the Allocation of Mental Health Resources and also sits on the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Key research accomplishments in Services, policy and population health:

• A better understanding of primary care organization in Quebec: general practitioners play a central role in treating mental disorders (Marie-Josée Fleury, PhD)
• Providing better access to information on evidence-based practices, such as Assertive Community Treatment, support in the workplace, and residential services (Eric Latimer, PhD)
• Producing the Atlas-ID directory, which lists services in WHO Member States for people with intellectual disabilities (Gaston Harnois, MD)
• Developing intervention programs in countries for victims of war and natural disasters (Duncan Pedersen, MD)
• Analyzing the most effective strategies to integrate mental health services in Quebec's various regions (Marie-Josée Fleury, PhD)
• Scrutinizing the interface between the mental health network and criminal justice syste (Anne Crocker, PhD)
• Investigating the perception that individuals suffering from mental illness have of mental health services (Marie-Josée Fleury, Ph.D.)
• Developing recovery-oriented tools and resources (Myra Piat, PhD)
• Drawing up a training program to help clinical teams better support immigrants and refugees from different cultural backgrounds (Marc Laporta, PhD)
• Training healthcare professionals to assess and manage high-risk behaviours (Anne Crocker, PhD)
• Shedding light on the connections between social support, mental health and quality of life, particularly among Montreal’s poorer communities (Jean Caron, PhD)
• Conducting a study on the correlation between mental health, use of mental health services and social stigma in southwest Montreal (Jean Caron, PhD)
• Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health and substance abuse programs and services (Jacques Tremblay, MD)
• Knowledge transfer through cross-training and partnering with community organizations, care providers and police forces. (Michel Perreault, PhD)
• Implementing culturally and socially appropriate mental health services (Ellen Corin, PhD)