Pictured above: Dr. Caitlin Davey, Clinical Psychologist at St. Joe's Youth Wellness Centre and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University
More Ontarians than ever are experiencing anxiety and depression. These increasing rates have led to long wait lists for treatment and a need for a provincial plan to get people the help they need.
Ontario Health's Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence is working toward a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions system to address these issues. To do that, Ontario Health has named five Provincial Clinical Leads to provide expert advice and visionary leadership. Two of those five leads are St. Joe's own mental health experts.
Dr. Caitlin Davey, Clinical Psychologist at St. Joe's Youth Wellness Centre and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University will manage the Indigenous, Depression & Anxiety-Related Disorders portfolio. Dr. Randi McCabe, Clinical Director of St. Joe's Anxiety Treatment and Research department and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University will lead the Depression and Anxiety Related Disorders portfolio.
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton is the largest mental health care provider in the Hamilton region, and second largest mental health provider in the province, and is a leader in innovation, patient care and research. These two psychologists are bringing their passion and expertise to the provincial arena to create a more accessible mental health system.
Learn more about their new roles:
Dr. Caitlin Davey (she/her) - Provincial Clinical Lead, Indigenous, Depression & Anxiety-Related Disorders
Dr. Davey currently works at the Youth Wellness Centre, where she provides clinical services and evaluates programming. She works with youth who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of colour through the YouThrive program.
Can you share a bit about your background?
I'm Haudenosaunee (Cayuga nation), Polish and Scottish. My father is from Six Nations Grand River, ON and my mother is from Caledonia, ON. I grew up off reserve, so I am an urban Indigenous woman. I completed my training in mainstream organizations, while also working with Indigenous communities. I am still reconnecting to my Indigenous culture and identity and have come a long way in understanding who I am. I've always been in “two worlds" and I've seen them come together. I believe that, while these two worlds can feel divided, they can join in a meaningful and respectful way.
Why is this role critical for Indigenous Peoples?
I applied for this role because I wanted to be a part of system-level changes, as it relates to depression and anxiety disorders for Indigenous Peoples in the province. The fact that there is a position like this shows that the Ontario government is working on prioritizing Indigenous Peoples and voices. There is a lot of potential here to make provincial and system-level changes, so Indigenous Peoples can access relevant, safe and high-quality care, no matter where they go, creating more resources for Indigenous Peoples in the province. This position and the work that will be done in this role means we are getting somewhere – but there is lots of work to do.
What are your goals as a provincial leader?
- I hope to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together, so we can all learn from each other and respect each other. I see this as an important part of reconciliation.
- I aim to work to create safe and equitable spaces for Indigenous Peoples no matter where they access mental health care.
- I want to send the message that traditional Indigenous ways of healing should be respected, honoured and more easily accessible for Indigenous people who want/need this as part of their healing journey.
What are you excited about in this role?
I am most excited about helping to implement system-level and provincial changes to better support Indigenous Peoples in the province – I want change. The mainstream system, specifically, is not designed for Indigenous people and more resources are needed. We can learn from our Indigenous community organizations that are doing amazing work and they need support too.
I want to do work that will positively impact Indigenous people, and I am hopeful because I am already part of a team at Ontario Health who are focused on and already prioritizing Indigenous health equity and am working with this team to surround this position with a community of brilliant Indigenous clinical experts, who will also guide this work.
Dr. Randi McCabe (she/her) – Provincial Clinical Lead, Depression & Anxiety Related Disorders
Dr. McCabe has been at St. Joe's for more than 20 years where she has been active as a healthcare leader, educator, researcher and clinician. She is currently working with the Mental Health Centre of Excellence to develop and implement the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) West Program.
Pictured left: Dr. Randi McCabe, Clinical Director of St. Joe’s Anxiety Treatment and Research department and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University
Why is this role critical for Ontarians?
More than 25% of Ontarians have experienced depression and anxiety related disorders at some point in their life. This role provides clinical expertise and system-level experience to assist in designing and implementing evidence-based treatments for people with depression and anxiety related disorders across the province.
What are your goals as a provincial leader?
Increase access to high-quality services for people with depression and anxiety related disorders across the province.
Enhance system-level integration and continuity of care across the continuum (primary care, community care, specialized care)
Reduce mental health stigma and increase awareness of the availability of effective treatments for these highly prevalent conditions.
What does it mean that Ontario Health is prioritizing depression and anxiety related disorders?
Ontario Health is recognizing that depression and anxiety related disorders affect a significant portion of the population and wants to ensure that all Ontarians have access to effective care. This is all about the future of providing better care to everyone – no matter where you are.
Experiencing anxiety or depression sometime in your life is normal. It's a condition of being human. But there is a range of effective treatments available. People don't have to suffer on their own, but they do need the tools and information to know where to get help.
There is a need for coordinated care across the province – meaning people can get treatment from anywhere. And the need is immediate. There is a lot of work to be done but anything is achievable when broken down into small steps.
What does it say to you that two St. Joe's experts are at the provincial table, making decisions for all Ontarians?
St. Joe's has long been a leader in providing high-quality, evidenced-based care for depression and anxiety disorders. Our selection to these roles recognizes the expertise that we have right here in Hamilton. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to be involved in the design of new systems of mental health care that will meet the needs of individuals in our province suffering from depression and anxiety disorders so that we can support healthier individuals, families, and communities.