Innovation Initiatives
About the Innovation Initiatives
The Knowledge Institute’s Innovation Initiatives grant provides funding for innovative solutions to pressing problems in the system. The grant is open to lead and core service agencies in Ontario’s child and youth mental health and addictions sector.
To date, we have supported 28 organizations to implement innovative interventions to improve service quality and access. You can find out more about our previous Innovation Initiatives here!
In the past, funded projects have focused on solutions addressing virtual care, care pathways and access. We are now focusing on efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.
The Knowledge Institute is calling for innovative, evidence-based approaches that implement and evaluate culturally responsive child and youth mental health and addictions programs in Ontario.
Grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded for an 18-month term (March 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024).
Eligibility:
Innovation Initiative project proposals must:
- be submitted by a lead or core service agency funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health to provide child and youth mental health and addictions services.
- describe an evidence-based intervention or practice that will be adapted to meet the unique needs of racialized children, young people or families.
- demonstrate partnership within the broader community/service area and describe participation of local community partners in implementing or evaluating the evidence-based program.
- include a plan to engage young people, family members and community partners in meaningful ways; and
- demonstrate potential for scaling up the program to the broader child and youth mental health and addictions system in Ontario.
Projects that focus only on staff training are not eligible for funding. However, staff training can be one of the activities of the project and a strong link to the intervention approach should be demonstrated in the application. See eligible items in the Application guide.
Selection process and criteria:
- A review committee comprised of Knowledge Institute staff, youth advisors, family advisors and external reviewers will evaluate all applications based on the following criteria:
- Is aligned with current call on culturally responsive programs
- Demonstrates need for action
- Has clear, reasonable goals and evidence base for the approach
- Demonstrates innovation and originality
- Has a feasible workplan and budget
- Demonstrates plans for collaborating with key partners and stakeholders
- Demonstrates plans for meaningful and appropriate engagement of youth and/or family members
- Includes reasonable preliminary plans for process and outcome evaluation
- Includes appropriate plans to mobilize knowledge generated through this work
- Demonstrates potential for a transformative, positive impact on improving equitable mental health and addictions services to racialized children, young people and their families
Knowledge Institute support and expectations of recipients
A Knowledge Institute staff member will coordinate tailored supports on engagement, implementation and evaluation planning for project teams based on identified priorities, needs and capacity. Regular updates on project progress will be held on a quarterly basis between the project lead and a staff member.
Key Events
Welcome webinar – April 2023
Project teams will introduce their work, learn about others’ projects and identify opportunities to share knowledge or collaborate.
Kick-off meeting – May 2023
Each Innovation Initiative project team will participate in a kick-off meeting with Knowledge Institute staff to review project plans and discuss potential support needs.
Expectations of applicants
- This grant is intended to provide resources and consultation support to develop, pilot, scale up or evaluate an evidence-based program to be culturally responsive to the needs of racialized children, young people and their families.
- Recipients will work with Knowledge Institute staff to contribute to the development of resources to support the sector in implementing and evaluating culturally responsive programs. For example, project teams will participate in providing examples of cultural adaptations, and reviewing toolkits, evidence briefs or tip sheets on implementing and evaluating culturally responsive programs.
- While the Knowledge Institute will work with project teams during the term of the grant to refine implementation and evaluation plans, proposals should demonstrate clear, preliminary directions for the work.
Timelines
Date | Activity |
November 1, 2022 | Launch call for applications |
December 15, 2022 | Applications due at 4:00 pm |
January 31, 2023 | Feedback and decisions to be communicated |
March 1, 2023 | Award term begins |
Spring 2023 | Project kick-off meetings between the Knowledge Institute and recipients |
August 31, 2024 | Project conclusion |
October 1, 2024 | Final reports due |
For information about the Innovation Initiatives, email initiatives@cymha.ca.
Innovation
Innovation Initiatives
About the Innovation Initiatives
The Knowledge Institute’s Innovation Initiatives grant provides funding for innovative solutions to pressing problems in the system. The grant is open to lead and core service agencies in Ontario’s child and youth mental health and addictions sector.
To date, we have supported 28 organizations to implement innovative interventions to improve service quality and access. You can find out more about our previous Innovation Initiatives here!
In the past, funded projects have focused on solutions addressing virtual care, care pathways and access. We are now focusing on efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.
The Knowledge Institute is calling for innovative, evidence-based approaches that implement and evaluate culturally responsive child and youth mental health and addictions programs in Ontario.
Grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded for an 18-month term (March 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024).
Eligibility:
Innovation Initiative project proposals must:
- be submitted by a lead or core service agency funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health to provide child and youth mental health and addictions services.
- describe an evidence-based intervention or practice that will be adapted to meet the unique needs of racialized children, young people or families.
- demonstrate partnership within the broader community/service area and describe participation of local community partners in implementing or evaluating the evidence-based program.
- include a plan to engage young people, family members and community partners in meaningful ways; and
- demonstrate potential for scaling up the program to the broader child and youth mental health and addictions system in Ontario.
Projects that focus only on staff training are not eligible for funding. However, staff training can be one of the activities of the project and a strong link to the intervention approach should be demonstrated in the application. See eligible items in the Application guide.
Selection process and criteria:
- A review committee comprised of Knowledge Institute staff, youth advisors, family advisors and external reviewers will evaluate all applications based on the following criteria:
- Is aligned with current call on culturally responsive programs
- Demonstrates need for action
- Has clear, reasonable goals and evidence base for the approach
- Demonstrates innovation and originality
- Has a feasible workplan and budget
- Demonstrates plans for collaborating with key partners and stakeholders
- Demonstrates plans for meaningful and appropriate engagement of youth and/or family members
- Includes reasonable preliminary plans for process and outcome evaluation
- Includes appropriate plans to mobilize knowledge generated through this work
- Demonstrates potential for a transformative, positive impact on improving equitable mental health and addictions services to racialized children, young people and their families
Knowledge Institute support and expectations of recipients
A Knowledge Institute staff member will coordinate tailored supports on engagement, implementation and evaluation planning for project teams based on identified priorities, needs and capacity. Regular updates on project progress will be held on a quarterly basis between the project lead and a staff member.
Key Events
Welcome webinar – April 2023
Project teams will introduce their work, learn about others’ projects and identify opportunities to share knowledge or collaborate.
Kick-off meeting – May 2023
Each Innovation Initiative project team will participate in a kick-off meeting with Knowledge Institute staff to review project plans and discuss potential support needs.
Expectations of applicants
- This grant is intended to provide resources and consultation support to develop, pilot, scale up or evaluate an evidence-based program to be culturally responsive to the needs of racialized children, young people and their families.
- Recipients will work with Knowledge Institute staff to contribute to the development of resources to support the sector in implementing and evaluating culturally responsive programs. For example, project teams will participate in providing examples of cultural adaptations, and reviewing toolkits, evidence briefs or tip sheets on implementing and evaluating culturally responsive programs.
- While the Knowledge Institute will work with project teams during the term of the grant to refine implementation and evaluation plans, proposals should demonstrate clear, preliminary directions for the work.
Timelines
Date | Activity |
November 1, 2022 | Launch call for applications |
December 15, 2022 | Applications due at 4:00 pm |
January 31, 2023 | Feedback and decisions to be communicated |
March 1, 2023 | Award term begins |
Spring 2023 | Project kick-off meetings between the Knowledge Institute and recipients |
August 31, 2024 | Project conclusion |
October 1, 2024 | Final reports due |
For information about the Innovation Initiatives, email initiatives@cymha.ca.