Since the Shared Care Committee’s Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Collaborative wrapped up in December 2017, a group of physicians has continued to meet, with Shared Care’s support, to advocate and strategize for improved services for child and youth mental health and substance use in the province. The CYMHSU Community of Practice now includes over 180 physicians and, over the course of three in-person gatherings, surveys, and an online communication tool called SLACK, they have established key priorities and a strategic plan for the next 3 years. Read the plan online at http://sharedcarebc.ca/sites/default/files/CoP%20Strategic%20Plan%20Image.pdf [9].

After the CYMHSU Collaborative’s first Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Summit in 2017, which focused on raising awareness of ACEs and their impact on the developing brain and future health outcomes, there was a desire to follow up with a second ACEs event. The focus of the second summit was to invite physicians and other partners to share their experiences and learnings from new approaches and trauma-informed interventions introduced in their practices and communities. On 9 May the second ACEs Summit took place in Richmond with over 500 attendees. Learn more about the day and the work taking place at www.doctorsofbc.ca/news/bc-physicians-mobilizing-action-aces [10].