Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Community of Practice
Our Mission
To equip doctors with the tools, skills, and relationships to advance child and youth mental health care, and substance use prevention and care across BC.
CYMHSU CoP In-Person Gathering
We are excited to announce registration is now open for the 10th Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Community of Practice Gathering, taking place on April 17, 2026.
The CoP gathering will bring substance use and mental health professionals from throughout BC for a day of connection and reflection. At the gathering, you will discuss key factors for successfully introducing new youth mental health services in a region. You will also learn to identify and apply compassionate leadership principles and have a chance to connect with peers to collaborate on local or regional needs.
Join us in celebrating 10 years of coming together to improve care for youth in BC and stay tuned for speaker information and agenda details!
If you’re interested in joining the Community of Practice, please contact Sonia Virk.
Missed the last in-person gathering? Read through the event's key learnings.
Adverse Childhood Experiences working group brings trauma-informed practices to law enforcement
In May, medicine and law enforcement came together in Surrey. Physicians led a day-long workshop with Surrey Police Service officers and staff on trauma-informed practices, funded by the Shared Care Committee. They focused on how the newly established police agency can offer even more compassionate support to vulnerable community members, fostering understanding and patience in interactions. Read the full article.
Key learnings and takeaways were captured in a post-event report, along with key quotes from presenters.
WORKING GROUPS FOCUSing ON PRIORITY AREAS
1) Substance Use
2) Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
3) Rotating short-term “Hot Topic” issue as identified by CoP membership
resources
UBC CPD Webinars: Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use
A number of educational webinars have been recorded for ongoing access since 2020. You can access all of the recordings from the past three years through UBC CPD's webinars page.
Archived recordings (older than three years) may be found on Doctors of BC's YouTube page, in the CYMHSU CoP Webinars playlist.
ACES resources
For a comprehensive selection of ACEs resources and articles, take a look at our ACEs folder in the Collaborative Toolbox.
ACEs and Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Youth
A virtual education session on ACES & Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Youth by family physicians, Drs. Linda Emiko Uyeda, Shirley Sze, and developmental pediatrician Dr. Christine Loock. This session is for healthcare teams across BC who work with children, youth and families.
To view the webinar, please use the passcode: e+b+h$1J.
Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Early Years
EASEY is a self-paced, online course and collection of resources that provides BC early years professionals with practical and evidence-informed anxiety information and strategies to strengthen their capacity to support families with young children ages 0-6 experiencing everyday (mild to moderate) anxiety. For more information, view the EASEY Infographic.
Child and Youth Substance Use Clinical Care Pathway
The Shared Care-funded UBC CPD-led CYSU Clinical Pathway project recently accomplished a milestone in this project with the completion of the Child and Youth Substance Use Clinical Care Pathway. For point of care access to this resource, visit Pathways BC.
GET INVOLVED
If you’re passionate about child and youth mental health and would like to get involved, please email Sonia Virk.