Joan MacKenzie Davies Lecture
Doing Better, Together: Innovation and Collaboration to Improve Mental Health Access and Care
Dr. David Goldbloom
Former Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada,
Former Senior Medical Advisor at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto
There will never be enough psychiatrists to provide needed mental health care in Canada or Ontario – nor should there be. The mental health needs of our communities are ably addressed by a variety of well-trained professionals, including social workers with special skills in understanding the context in which people live. Innovations to improve access and care need to be embraced by all people working in mental health, and advocacy at the individual and systemic level is a core skill. In this keynote address, Dr. David Goldbloom will explore what it will take to advance mental health care together and build a better and brighter future for people and communities in need.
With an unexpected mix of humour and pop culture references, Dr. David Goldbloom offers an insightful look into modern mental health care, and the hope that comes when people can access the support they need. An award-winning educator, David has shared his insights through two bestselling books, How Can I Help? A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist and 2021’s We Can Do Better: Urgent Innovations to Improve Mental Health Access and Care. Dr. Goldbloom has twice been named ‘most outstanding teacher’ by the graduating medical class of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto where he continues his role as a Professor of Psychiatry. He served as Vice Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada from its inception in 2007 and Chair from 2012-2015. Dr. Goldbloom was also the founding Physician-in-Chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and subsequently Senior Medical Advisor there until his retirement from clinical practice in 2022. He has served on the boards of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation and Jack.org, and continues to serve on the boards of The Graham Boeckh Foundation and the Daymark Foundation. Dr. Goldbloom is also an Officer of the Order of Canada.