Donate
Sign In
Collaborate with us

The Digital, Inclusive, Virtual, and Equitable Research Training in Mental Health Platform (DIVERT Mental Health)

Share this initiative

Key Details

Organisation Name

DIVERT Mental Health

Location

2006A, 281 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Sherman Health Science Research Centre, York University, North York, Ontario
Canada

Website

Social

eMHIC Member Status

Community Member

At a Glance

Description

DIVERT Mental Health is a transdisciplinary mental health research training platform dedicated to changing the course of mental health research and practice in Canada with children, youth, and their families.

Implementation Status

Scaling implementation

DIVERT community now has more than 1,000 members across Canada

Target Population

Mental health professionals

Researchers

Knowledge users

Interconnected Magazine

Now accepting submissions of interest for the upcoming issue.

Interconnected is the world’s only digital mental health magazine.

Want to be featured?

Email [email protected]

Read the 2025 edition here

Initiative Overview

The Current Gap

Change is needed to move from an unacceptably low bar of ‘cultural safety’ in mental health care to mental health care that rises to the challenge of integrating the diverse lived experiences of children, youth, and their families. The primary goal of DIVERT is to equip emerging health scientists with the skills and knowledge to improve the inclusivity and accessibility of the mental health system.

We aim to improve mental health care for children, youth, and families by integrating diverse knowledge, technology, and digital interventions into Canadian academic programs and research.

Our Solution

DIVERT Mental Health is a transdisciplinary mental health research training platform dedicated to changing the course of mental health research and practice in Canada with children, youth, and their families. As of May 1st, 2026, we have 1098 members across Canada and from international.

Through online learning experiences, an annual hybrid meeting, mentorship opportunities, and other educational activities, DIVERT brings together a diverse range of multi-sectoral educators to share knowledge and expertise, fostering collective learning and collaboration.

Key Features

1

Inclusivity

We promote inclusive mental health care by integrating diverse cultural knowledge, sociohistorical contexts, and holistic practice frameworks.

2

Accessibility through technology

We promote accessibility by sharing practical mental health technologies and fostering research collaborations with industry and community experts.

3

Research Training & Mentorship

We build digital mental health research capacity through mentorship, professional development, and hands-on training alongside leading researchers and practitioners.

Collaboration in Action

Main Collaborators

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
IBM Canada & the Americas
Strong Minds, Strong Kids, Psychology Canada
The Strongest Families Institute
360° Kids
Indigenous Friends Association
The Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions

Join Our Global Community

Three ways to get involved:

Choose the level that fits.

become a member

Key Learnings

As a newly launched transdisciplinary training platform, our main challenges included coordinating a growing, multi-institutional membership across Canada and internationally, aligning academic, clinical, and community stakeholders around a shared curriculum, and building the digital infrastructure needed to deliver online learning at scale.

Securing sustained funding and coordinating logistics across partner institutions and time zones required ongoing problem-solving, as did ensuring the platform remained accessible to trainees with varying levels of digital literacy and institutional support.
Building strong, trust-based partnerships early is essential, since a transdisciplinary platform depends on buy-in from academic, clinical, and community stakeholders. Iterative, feedback-driven program design allowed us to adapt content and delivery formats to trainees’ real needs. We also learned the value of investing in accessible digital infrastructure from the outset, and of centering the lived experience of children, youth, and families throughout program design.

Flexibility and consistent communication across a multi-sectoral network were key to sustaining engagement.
International collaboration allowed DIVERT to draw on a wider range of cultural, sociohistorical, and clinical perspectives than any single country’s mental health system could offer, strengthening the relevance of our training for diverse children, youth, and families.

Partnering across borders also let us share knowledge, tools, and best practices with peer initiatives, avoid duplicating effort, and connect Canadian trainees with a broader international network of mentors and collaborators working toward more inclusive, accessible mental health care.

Looking Ahead

DIVERT plans to continue growing its membership across Canada and internationally, expand its online learning offerings, and deepen mentorship opportunities for emerging health scientists. We aim to strengthen partnerships with academic and community organizations, build on our annual meeting, and continue developing digital tools and resources that support inclusive, accessible mental health research and practice for children, youth, and families.
We welcome opportunities to collaborate with organizations and researchers working to advance inclusive, accessible mental health care for children, youth, and families, including partnerships around training content, mentorship, research, and knowledge exchange.

Interested collaborators can reach us at [email protected].
Our vision is for DIVERT to become a leading transdisciplinary network shaping the next generation of mental health researchers and practitioners, equipping them to build a more inclusive, accessible mental health system for children, youth, and families across Canada and internationally.
eMHIC Directory_Key Contacts (1)

Key Contact

Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell
Nominated Principal Investigator
DIVERT Mental Health, York University

Email

[email protected]

Website

PROMOTION

Directory Banner Placements (9)