Webinar: Advancing Housing First in Canada: Policy, Practice and Research Recommendations

Join this webinar to hear a presentation about the learnings and insights from the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) recent in-person workshop, Housing First—What’s Next? This workshop featured expert panels and interactive discussions and focused on advancing Housing First in Canada. The aim of the event was to generate policy, practice, and research recommendations.

Building on this webinar presentation, a panel of experts will discuss Housing First successes, challenges and opportunities in the Canadian context.

This webinar will be offered in both official languages (English and French). View the French description on the EENet event page.

Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern Time

Register here: https://camh.webex.com/weblink/register/r1a4bfb64995ea34f77f77a99291657fb

About the Presenters/Panelists

Kathryn Gibb (she/her) has worked in the field of housing and homelessness for over 20 years, within shelter, outreach, and supportive housing settings. As Program Manager for Supportive Housing with SHIP (Services and Housing in the Province), she leads multidisciplinary Housing First teams within the Mississauga, Ontario, area. Kathryn has co-facilitated two peer Housing First fidelity exchanges as a member of the Canadian Housing First Network Steering Committee.

Geoff Nelson (he/him) is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University and Co-chair of the Canadian Housing First Network. He was a member of the research team for At Home / Chez Soi, a five-city trial that examined the cost-effectiveness for people with serious mental illness experiencing homelessness. Geoff’s research and consultation has focused on community mental health, housing, and primary prevention in mental health for young children. He recently published a chapter on Housing First and Public Policy for the Research Handbook on Homelessness.

Jessica Soto is Executive Director of Diogène and has worked for nearly 20 years with people living with severe mental health concerns associated with chronic homelessness, substance use addiction and/or justice involvement. She is a trained counsellor and specializes in personality disorders. Jessica participated in the pan-Canadian At Home / Chez Soi research project. She helped implement a Housing First program within the organization and has been the program’s director since 2014. Firmly convinced of the potential and strengths of the people supported by her team, Jessica is an ambassador for Housing First and the recovery approach.

Vicky Stergiopoulos (she/her) is a senior scientist at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Her clinical and research work focuses on the development and evaluation of interventions to improve housing stability, service coordination and recovery for adults experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges.

Karla Thorpe (she/her) joined the Mental Health Commission of Canada in 2014, bringing a wealth of health care leadership experience and a unique mix of expertise in research, marketing, communications and building key stakeholder relationships in the private, non-profit and government sectors. As Vice President of Programs, Karla is responsible for strategic and operational leadership of the Programs and Priorities of the MHCC. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she works collaboratively to ensure the alignment of business plans with the Commission’s strategic objectives and priorities.

The Organizers

Canadian Housing First Network - Community of Interest

The Canadian Housing First Network – Community of Interest (CHFN-COI) assists communities across Canada to develop, evaluate, and improve Housing First (HF) programs based on the Pathways model tested, adapted, and shown to be effective in the At Home  / Chez Soi Demonstration Project.

The CHFN-CoI (formerly the Ontario Housing First Regional Network Community of Interest (OHFRN-CoI)), consist of HF champions, HF programs across Canada, policymakers planners, managers, service providers, researchers, and persons with lived experience, including representatives from the housing, health, and justice sectors and Indigenous housing and support providers. The CHFN is hosted by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) and the Provincial System Support Program at the CAMH.

Evidence Exchange Network

The Evidence Exchange Network (EENet) is part of the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH. EENet moves evidence to action to improve programming and inform policy change. The EENet team works closely with researchers, clinicians, policymakers, system planners, service providers, and people with lived experiences to mobilize knowledge and help people connect with each other.