• Many boats, one light

    The Royal's Annual Report 2021-2022

  • "... I’ve always been impressed with our organization’s sincere desire to strive to be the best as we evolve and grow."

    ~ Anne Graham, outgoing board chair

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    we are stronger, together

     

    As I near the end of my time as board chair, I find myself looking back on a transformative journey that first began in 2010 and had many memorable moments along the way. One of those moments took place in October 2019.

                           

    It was a board development day, and it was the first time all three boards were in the same room at the same time. That was the beginning of our three entities working together to develop one strategic plan for The Royal.

     

    One light, many boats: It’s an apt metaphor for the work we did then and what continues to this day.

     

    If there’s a phrase or theme that comes to mind when I describe my time at The Royal, it’s continuous improvement. Continuous improvement requires continuous change and transformation. It isn’t always easy, but I’ve always been impressed with our organization’s sincere desire to strive to be the best as we evolve and grow.

     

    Despite the challenges that were thrown our way during the pandemic, not only did we continue to give excellent care but at the same time we found ways to expand our reach and improve care.

     

    As a board, we have continually developed board membership to ensure we're getting the right combination of people and skills. This means bringing in new board members, such as Anita Manley, who was elected last year and carries with her a wealth of experience that further hones our direction as an organization. New committees, such as our innovation committee, introduce fresh perspectives and opportunities as we work together towards a common goal.

     

    As many of you already know, this is my last year as board chair. I would like to thank my board colleagues. I would also like to thank those who led the way to our new strategy – namely Joanne Bezzubetz and her senior management team ­– as well those who are also implementing and living it. I am equally grateful to my fellow board chairs, Steve West and Jane Duchscher for their commitment and relentless dedication to serving and supporting our staff, clients and families. And, finally, all those who have been such staunch supporters in the Client and Family Advisory Councils.

     

    I’m incredibly excited to welcome and support our incoming board chair, Sharon Squire. Sharon is a wonderful collaborator, contributor and driver of change. Our light will continue to shine bright under her leadership.

     

    We have a strategy we can be proud of and, of course, there is still work to be done. Close collaboration with our clients and families, our staff, our physicians, and our partners and donors will remain a significant part of our future. Together we will further integrate care and research, increase our capability and capacity to boost the flow of clients, and reduce wait times.

     

    Although I am stepping away from the board room table, my dedication and passion for the twin causes of mental health and substance use health remains as strong as ever. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.

     

    Anne Graham
    Outgoing board chair

     

  • Our power is our people, our community, our partnerships

    Joanne Bezzubetz  President and Chief Executive Officer

    I am honoured to present The Royal’s 2021-2022 annual report. Our theme this year is 'many boats, one light' as a tribute to the teamwork and collaboration that takes place across our organization.

     

    It’s a metaphor I’ve returned to many times over these past two years. To me, it articulates a strong sense of autonomy, but recognizes that at the same time, we're all going in the same direction with one common destination. In broad strokes, it crystallizes what we went through collectively during the pandemic, but also represents how even in the most challenging of moments, our clinicians, scientists, staff, physicians, volunteers, clients, caregivers, and community partners, came together as a one Team Royal to care and support one another.

     

    Whether it’s a collaboration between members of interdisciplinary teams, clinicians and researchers, between sites or service providers, as an organization our ability to deliver services to our clients and families is paramount and it can’t happen without teamwork and collaboration, both large and small.

     

    Some of our best collaborators and partners are outside of our organization. AccessMHA, for example, couldn’t have happened without many people and organizations across our region. I am so proud of the partnerships we’ve fostered – working together to improve the health care system is better for everyone.

    While our job descriptions, our experience, and even our city of residence, may be different we steadfastly sail together towards that one light. Together, we are bringing access, hope, and new possibilities to individuals with complex mental health issues and substance use disorders and helping them live their best possible lives. It is our superpower.

     

    I would like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation and gratitude to Anne Graham, our board chair, as she steps down after her relentless dedication to The Royal for the last 12 years. While I have many great memories of our time together, one that stands out for me also happens to include Glenda O’Hara and Michèle Langlois, who represented our Client and Family Advisory Councils when we launched our organizational strategy. Together we signed a manifesto recognizing clients and families as partners in co-designing care, research, and education at The Royal. It was incredibly meaningful that Anne was part of that moment, as it truly underscored an important milestone in The Royal’s history and marked our growing collaboration with clients and families. Thank you for being there, Anne.

     

    As we look to our future, I want to welcome Sharon Squire as our incoming board chair to the board of trustees. I would like to acknowledge all of our trustees and board members. It is extraordinary how much time, energy, and dedication they give to our organization, and for that I am truly thankful.

     

    We journey together and see what’s dawning on the horizon. The pandemic led us to innovate new ways to deliver care and the path it forged is a new one, one that is still being shaped. This path is a digital transformation that will change the face of healthcare for everyone, and although it will continue in ways that may not even be on our radar today, I am certain that we can anticipate a bright and exciting future, together.

     

    Joanne Bezzubetz

    President and Chief Executive Officer

     

    ** The cover of this year’s annual report is by Illusive, a talented Ottawa-based artist. Illusive uses art as a creative outlet for their own mental illness, all while advocating for mental health. Thank you, Illusive!

  • "The pandemic serves to inspire us to be bold in our aspirations and impatient on behalf of our clients in translating the findings of research into novel and integrated approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment."

    ~ Florence Dzierszinski
    President of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research and Vice President of Research

    research is care

     

    One of the lasting memories of the pandemic for me will be how the world was able to tackle a big and urgent problem that presented more questions than answers and yet deliver health recommendations and approved vaccines in arms in previously unimaginable speed. Bringing together multi-disciplinary teams of scientists, clinicians, elected and government officials, business leaders and citizens who were all willing to be a part of the solution and share data openly was critical to success. We also know that countries where research is more connected to care were particularly efficient in generating key knowledge.

     

    That fresh example serves to remind us here at The Royal of what we can accomplish together for our clients as we bring together research and care. Working together – researchers, clinicians, clients and families, and healthcare professionals – in our learning organization, we are creating multidisciplinary teams to untangle the complex biology of the brain, to design novel approaches, and to provide access to care through cutting-edge research.

     

    The pandemic serves to inspire us to be bold in our aspirations and impatient on behalf of our clients in translating the findings of research into novel and integrated approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

     

    Equally, we collaborate outside The Royal, with leading institutions across our country that are in turn creating multidisciplinary teams. For example, through our partnership with CAMH’s Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, the Heart Institute, and the Brain & Mind Research Institute, we are studying the connections between mental and physical health, which are intrinsically linked.

     

    We are also working with the University of Ottawa’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health, which brings together researchers with diverse expertise in medicine, nursing, nutrition, psychology, sociology, economics, law, public health, and epidemiology to study the determinants of health in Black communities in Canada, and to provide culturally sensitive care.

     

    These are just two examples of how the IMHR has put cross-collaboration into practice in the past year. But perhaps the most rewarding is how we work with our clients and families. Putting our clients at the centre of their care improves outcomes and informs how we are able to provide access to care through research. Our Clinical Brain Research Centre, which builds on the successes of the Brain Imaging Centre and will integrate our research platforms into the clinical workflows, is a great example of this – bringing together the pillars of research, care, lived expertise and learning – and we are excited to see what it brings.

     

    All of this is made possible by our generous donors, without whom this world-leading technology would be out of reach. We do not take their trust in science and in our research for granted. Their generosity serves to amplify the urgency of our undertaking to deliver impact to our clients.

     

    Of course, all of this couldn’t happen without very talented researchers and trainees who are driven by curiosity and commitment to our purpose, as well as a keen understanding that mental health research saves lives today, and tomorrow. Our brilliant researchers are rewriting the future of mental health care. Their work creates hope today.

     

    Florence Dzierszinski
    President of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research and Vice President of Research

     

    ***

     

    While many of the factors of mental health are biological, the world around us clearly has a meaningful impact. The last few years have been particularly difficult for all of us: a pandemic which threatened not only our physical well-being but also our mental health due to isolation and a curtailment of exercise, social media that influences our societal values both individually and in the community at large. As a community, we have been through a lot, and many people have had their mental health and well being challenged in the last two years.

     

    At the same time, we have worked hard as a country to destigmatize mental illness, to educate people that mental health is critical in our overall wellness, and that the connection between physical and mental health is undeniable. It is important that more people seek help. It is heartening that we are making progress on this front, but at the same time, the increase in people willing to seek help, and the increased demand in the last few years has created greater pressure on the system to expand access to care. We have to ensure that every dollar spent on mental health creates tangible and measurable impact.

     

    I am immensely proud of the work that the IMHR is doing to respond to the challenge, creating access to care through cutting-edge research, and in the process providing hope to people who often come to the research team with illnesses that are resistant to other treatments. One of the most innovative areas of our research is repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or rTMS. This is a type of neuromodulation that directly stimulates specific brain circuits that may be dysfunctional in people with major depression. rTMS produces a brief and painless magnetic field that is delivered by placing a coil directly against the scalp. Recent large trials have shown response rates similar to antidepressant medications – about half see a significant reduction in their symptoms, and many achieve complete remission. In Ontario, rTMS treatment is not publicly funded at this time - so for many, the IMHR is their only access to this efficacious and non-pharmacological treatment.

     

    This is just one example of the impact of what is possible when donors, clinicians, researchers, clients and families come together to create new treatments, and above all, hope. To the team at IMHR, to the donors and funding partners who help make this research possible, and to the clients and families that put their trust in us, we thank you.

     

    Steve West

    Chair of the Institute of Mental Health Research Board

  • "Whether working closely with donors on major projects or providing grants for equipment, research, or program enhancements, it is the Foundation’s privilege to help donors make a difference in the lives of those impacted by mental illness.""

    Investing in the future:
    Donors shape mental health research and care

    On behalf of Jane and myself, we are both incredibly proud to be sharing only some of the achievements made by The Royal over the last year. It’s hard to believe this is my first six months as the president of the Foundation and Jane’s first term as chair. Together, supported by our resilient teams and dedicated board, we are so grateful to have the opportunity to inspire support for world-renowned mental health care and research.
     
    The Royal continues to lead the way in enhancing the quality of life and providing the best care for people living with severe mental illness and substance use disorders while remaining committed to continued innovation and discovery.
     
    Thanks to our generous donors, The Royal was able to purchase new equipment, develop new programs, and discover innovative treatments to enhance the lives of people who live with a mental illness or substance use disorder. Investments in The Royal’s mental health care and research expertise allow us to attract the best and brightest scientists to the Institute of Mental Health Research where a commitment to innovation and discovery helps us transform care.
     
    Whether working closely with donors on major projects or providing grants for equipment, research, or program enhancements, it is the Foundation’s privilege to help donors make a difference in the lives of those impacted by mental illness.


    The headlines make clear that there is still much work to be done. We know that mental health care does not receive the same financial support from the public as other diseases that affect fewer people. But thanks to the time, care, and gifts from people like you, we are able to make changes in our community.
     
    In fact, and in response to the pandemic, philanthropy helped The Royal bring evidence-based knowledge and programming to the community by moving online. Conversations at The Royal presented by TD, and philanthropy groups like Women for Mental Health the Young Professionals Network brought together thousands of people in our community to help provide hope and resources for mental health.

     

    Our community of supporters continued to not only attend signature events like the Leaders for Mental Health Breakfast virtually but also create new community events to raise money and awareness for mental health care and research. Another example is the LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart™ event where thousands of participants came together virtually to support women’s mental health initiatives at The Royal and in our community. We are so grateful for the dedication and passion shared in support of women’s mental health and our partner Shoppers Drug Mart.

     

    Increased investments in mental health research help transform how we deliver mental health care.
     

    Ongoing research using existing imaging techniques could provide a deeper understanding than ever before of neurological diseases such as Lewy Body dementia and their impact on the brain. It could also pave the way for more effective treatment, including for the many patients in The Royal’s Geriatric Psychiatry program.

     

    This past year, we continued to share how our renowned Brain Imaging Centre has been an incredible magnet, not just literally but also figuratively. In addition to helping us see the living brain, it has helped attract the world’s leading mental health researchers to The Royal.

     

    These brilliant minds continue to showcase how their ground-breaking research has not only been made possible using this cutting-edge technology but how brain imaging has helped them unlock some of the mysteries of the human brain. Their discoveries are leading to new and better ways to diagnose and treat people with mental illness and substance use disorders.
     
    On behalf of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health Board of Directors, we are so proud to represent an organization that remains focused on caring for some of the most vulnerable people in our community and is relentless in the pursuit of a better understanding of the brain. All of which would not be possible without the incredibly generous and ongoing support of our donors. Thank you!
     
    Chris Ide
    President of the Royal Ottawa Foundation

     

    Jane Duchscher
    Chair of the Royal Ottawa Foundation Board of Directors

  • message from the Client Advisory Council

    A few years ago, while we were in strategy hives working together to develop a new strategic plan, a statement made by a community partner stuck in our heads: “A vote is greater than a voice.” The Client Advisory Council (CAC) has a commitment to be bold – so as Milton Merle said: “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.” Last year we approached a fellow client and former CAC member to apply to become a member of the board of trustees. We are pleased to say that Anita Manley became a member of the board in June 2021. She was one of the first people who is open about their lived expertise to do so.

     

    This past year has been an active one for the CAC.

     

    Lived Experience Rounds launched in May 2021 and has been very well attended and appreciated, and has led to requests for website content and speaking engagements.

     

    With increased demands for client and family participation, new advisor recruitment has been high on our agenda. CAC was pleased to welcome eight new members this past year despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Our members took part in over 50 committees and initiatives. We had members co-chairing the Client & Family Oriented Research Committee and co-leading the Strategic Plan Initiative 3.2 Resource Hub with Peer Support.

     

    The idea of a resource hub surfaced a few years ago when a few CAC members were looking for more peer support at The Royal. It morphed into what became a strategic plan initiative. Thousands of volunteer hours were logged by both clients and families and this past year financial commitments allowed for the hiring of an external consultant, project manager, the first peer supporters, as well as renovation costs.

     

    During this past year the CAC & Family Advisory Council (FAC) co-hosted two Client & Family Forums and the Engaging for Impact Conference.

     

    The CAC and FAC work alongside one another to bring about positive changes at The Royal, including their united advocacy in advocating for an Essential Care Partner Policy.

     

    The CAC members are dedicated and excited about the future as we see so much evidence of our voices incorporated into new changes at The Royal.

     

    Glenda O’Hara
    Chair of the Client Advisory Council

     

    Peter Winfield
    Vice-Chair of the Client Advisory Council

     

    message from the Family advisory Council

    The creation of the Essential Care Partner (ECP) policy at The Royal is the perfect example of how families are engaged across the organization.

     

    At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to ensure safety, families were asked to avoid coming to The Royal. Families were very understanding of the need for this safety but were also concerned that the lack of family presence was having a devastating effect on them as well as and their loved ones. In February of 2021, the Senior Management Team (SMT) at The Royal asked Client and Family Relations (CFR) to develop a policy that would assist in bringing family presence back and recognizing the essential role of families as caregivers.

     

    The CFR office brought together staff (who were asking for the return of families because they also recognized the decline in wellness of both clients and families), and family representatives to start work on the policy. CFR shared research on ECPs and gathered resources developed by The Ottawa Hospital, which was very willing to lend their resources to The Royal. The Corporate Policy Coordinator joined in and helped shape the policy.

     

    The process of creating the ECP policy required collaboration with the Infection Prevention and Control team, the operations group responsible for COVID protocol, staff, and most importantly, families. The Royal’s Family Advisory Council requested a senior manager attend a general meeting to hear feedback from families about the meaning of the ECP role. This invitation and willingness to hear the family perspective was a key part of the process and should be an early activity in the creation of all policies, especially ones that speak so directly to the impact on families and their essential role in the organization.

     

    The Client Advisory Council was kept abreast of developments of the policy and wrote a supportive letter to the SMT, confirming their perspective on the importance of ECPs in client wellness and recovery.

     

    The development of the ECP policy at The Royal is a shining example of collaboration between clients and families, but also the leadership of families, clients, staff and the senior management team. The policy has been in place since October 2021 with revisions made in March 2022.

     

    Jackie Desrochers
    Manager of Client and Family Relations

     

    Kevin MacNeil

    Chair of the Family Advisory Council

  • our vision

    Mental health care transformed through partnerships, innovation, and discovery.

    Our Mission

    Delivering excellence in specialized mental health care, advocacy, research, and education.

    Our Values

    We are guided by innovation and a passionate commitment to collaboration, honesty, integrity and respect.

  •  

    Stories About the power of teamwork

    We are many boats, guided by one light

  • Spotlight on community mental health

    We asked seven of our community health nurses to capture a typical day in their world. The result? An eye-opening video series that shows the hard work, dedication, and caring that happens in our community every day. Click on the image above for the trailer, or here for the full video series.

    ***

    Nothing embodies The Royal’s vision of a “hospital without walls” more than the Community Mental Health Program (CMHP). The spirit of collaboration is just as strong.

     

    “What's integral to our work is our community partnerships, our partnerships among our teams, our partnerships with the Royal Ottawa Mental Centre, Brockville Mental Health Centre, two satellite offices, all the inpatient units,” describes Kate Baker, director of patient care services at CMHP. “It's all of us working together to help our clients live meaningful lives in the community.”

     

    CMHP serves the geographic region of Ontario Health East. Each of the 11 teams has a different model of service and purpose to provide optimal client care and they provided care to over 4500 clients last year.

     

    Community partnerships are key to this work. For example, the psychiatric outreach team supports the needs of those who are unhoused, marginally housed or people at risk of experiencing homelessness. As such, they work very closely with dozens of organizations including Ottawa Inner City Health, the Salvation Army, and The Mission.

     

    Baker says one of the biggest successes last year was the shift to virtual care. It expanded the reach of the CMHP and helped teams provide timely access to more efficient care.

     

    “We really made it work for our clients,” says Baker. “Some clients are still seen face-to-face but others are very comfortable to be supported through virtual care.”

     

    “There are times when the virtual appointment is needed, and it's helping our partners too. If there’s a group home calling us in crisis we can have that appointment right in the moment and provide immediate intervention,” says Baker.

     

    “We are meeting clients where they are. It’s definitely the ‘hospital without walls’ in action.”

     

    The Community Mental Health Program was recognized for their impact with a special award from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine. Read more here.

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  • Take a look inside the royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

    We are looking forward to seeing you in person soon!
    Click on the video below for a special tour of The Royal with board of trustee member, Anita Manley.

  • Our year in numbers

    $6,512,056

    raised by donors and corporate sponsors on behalf of The Royal. Of that number, more than $1 million was specifically invested to power mental health research.

    25%

    increase in total number of donations

    6,000+

    Volunteer hours, by over 100 volunteers

    1,554

    Full and part time employees

    12,488

    Job applications received

    268

    Jobs available to outside candidates

    58,252

    Outpatient appointments via virtual platforms

    811,672

    Total outpatient appointments

    $6.8M

    in research grants

    978

    Unique inpatients admitted

    108

    researchers
    (15 scientists and 93 clinical investigators)

    5,761

    participants enrolled in research studies between April 1, 2021 and March 30, 2022*

    * This number represents total participants and includes clients, non-clients, community members, etc.

    223

    research articles published

    46%

    of active research studies enrolled at least one client of The Royal

    90

    research trainees

    152

    active research studies (48 per cent of which were led by clinical investigators)