ACCESS Open Minds’ Scientific-Clinical Director, Srividya Iyer was recently interviewed for the McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences newsletter.

What drew you to youth mental health as a specialty?

Too few young people in need are getting good quality and timely mental health care. Intervening early can be an effective way for young people to have better mental health outcomes.

What’s your vision for better mental health services in Canada, and how does ACCESS Open Minds fit into that vision?

My vision is for a Canadian mental health care system that reaches everyone who needs support and responds to their needs in a timely manner with high-quality services. This means a system that actively finds and reaches out to people in need.

What’s next for ACCESS Open Minds?

It is a priority for us to ensure the sustenance and expansion of our model. We want all jurisdictions to make high-quality youth mental health care accessible. We are also seeking to widen and formalize our network so that it continues catalyzing best practices, research, data-driven decision making, capacity building, knowledge sharing and transformation.

Click here to read the full interview.