Past Award Recipients
Every year, the CCSMH, in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP) present recognition awards to Canadians whose work and leadership has led to advancement in the older adult's mental health field in two categories: Outstanding Care & Integrative Practice Award and Vision Award.
Learn more about the award categories and how to make a submission by clicking the button below.
Discover past recipients and learn about their advocacy work in supporting and advancing older adults' mental health:
2024 CAGP-CCSMH Award Recipients
Congratulations to the 2024 award recipients for being recognized for their leadership and impactful work in mental health. Learn more about these incredible individuals creating positive change in the realm of older adults' mental health in Canada.
left to right: Aysha Basharat and Dana Zummach, RIA, Award recipients; Dr. Dallas Seitz, Co-chair, CCSMH; Claire Checkland, Executive Director, CCSMH
Vision Award
2024 Recipient: Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging
The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), based in Waterloo, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life and care for older adults. The nomination highlighted the Forward with Dementia national initiative. This initiative plays a crucial role in combating the negative perceptions about dementia by raising awareness about living well with the condition. It offers individuals and their families a different experience following their diagnosis, giving them hope and the support they want and need to continue to live life fully. The team has taken great care in partnering with eight cultural communities to better understand their specific needs and to work together to adapt and disseminate resources. The passion and dedication of the Forward with Dementia team to work together with older adults and those from diverse cultural communities are breaking down barriers and creating more supportive communities for Canadians living with the condition.
The Research Institute for Aging is this year’s Vision Award recipient because of their demonstrated commitment to combatting ageism and stigma, addressing diversity and inclusion, and meeting a priority need in the community.
left to right: Dr. Dallas Seitz, Co-chair, CCSMH; Claire Checkland, Executive Director, CCSMH; Debra Walko, Award recipient
Seniors’ Mental Health Outstanding Care and Integrative Practice Award
2024 Recipient: Debra Walko
Debra Walko is a long-standing employee with LOFT Community Services based in Toronto whose recent work has involved serving seniors with mental health and addiction challenges who face poverty, homelessness, and isolation. Together with Trillium Health Partners, Debra created a LOFT supportive housing site that was designed to help transition seniors with mental health challenges out of hospital. Debra has done this with a dozen hospitals and believes all innovation should happen across sectors and in teams—she has been a trailblazer. Debra also created the ‘Back to Home’ and ‘The Path Home’ models to help transition homeless seniors in hospitals to a supportive home in the community.
Debra’ colleague said:
“Debra is a highly respected leader in the field of Seniors and Mental health. Along with LOFT colleagues, Debra has trailblazed new paths to quality care for people of all ages—especially those the health care system leaves behind. While forging these paths, she has brought on new partners, brought new skills and abilities to our team and inspired those around her to never lose sight of the individual and their dignity.”
Vision Award
Sage Seniors Association (Alberta)
Sage Seniors Association is a community-based seniors serving organization based in Alberta dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for seniors and their families. Through the collective efforts of staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and partner organizations, Sage works collaboratively to integrate older adults within society, combat ageism on local and provincial levels, and ensure equitable treatment for a diverse range of seniors. Initiatives like the Seniors Equity Collective and the Community Animation program has Sage working collaboratively with older adults and community partners to break down barriers to care and support for some of the most vulnerable in their community.
One of the members of the Award review committee stated that:
“Sage provides a model for putting advocacy into action, a model that I hope will be replicated in other parts of the country.”
Seniors’ Mental Health Outstanding Care and Integrative Practice Award
DIRECT-sc team for guided mental health self-care (Quebec)
DIRECT-sc (Direct Intervention via Referral, Education, and Collaborative Treatment – Self Care) is a team of interdisciplinary professionals based at St. Mary’s Research Centre in Montreal. This team has conducted a comprehensive program of studies aiming to improve the management of depression for older adults especially understanding the complex needs of older adults with chronic physical conditions and depression. Notably, the DIRECT-sc team developed a patient-centred modifiable depression self-care toolkit specifically for community-based patients with chronic physical conditions. A companion coaching manual was also created. This model of guided mental health self-care employs low-cost self-care tools and trained lay guides. Their research shows that this guidance model results in better depression outcomes than self-directed use of self-care tools or usual care. The Awards review committee was especially impressed with the innovation and intercollaboration of this initiative.
Dr. Jane McCusker
Dr. Mark Yaffe
Dr. Sylvie Lambert
Vision Award
Dr. Parvathy Kanthasamy
Whether it is participating in research projects or co-founding Vasantham—A Tamil Wellness Centre in Toronto, Dr. Kanthasamy has devoted her career to supporting the mental health of older immigrants in Canada, especially within the Tamil community. Over 25 years with Vasantham, Dr. Kanthasamy has successfully identified the needs among the older immigrant clients of the Centre and found solutions by building partnerships and seeking grants. Through her leadership and example, she has inspired and mentored others. Her dedication and commitment has shone a light on many issues faced by immigrant seniors, especially the impact of elder abuse and isolation and loneliness.
Outstanding Care and Integrative Practice Award
LOFT Community Services -- Integrated Psychogeriatric Outreach Program (IPOP)
LOFT Community Services is located in York Region and the South Simcoe area of Ontario. According to their nomination letter, LOFT’s Integrated Psychogeriatric Outreach Program is “an innovative, community-based program that supports seniors, and their care partners, who are experiencing a new and/or functional decline related to mental health, substance use or dementia-related challenges.” Through an interprofessional and interdisciplinary team, IPOP serves about 300 individuals each year with the goal of helping “them live in their own homes and communities with respect and dignity, foster[ing] independence and improv[ing] quality of life.” IPOP credits its success in part to the use of technology via the Ontario Telemedicine Network, key partnerships with CMHA and a community of practice. IPOP would also like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Vanessa Thoo and Dr. Selmi Asmer, the Geriatric Psychiatrists who support the IPOP team and their clients.
Second image: At awards night, Sophia Ho, Dr. Dallas Seitz (CCSMH Co-chair), Claire Checkland (CCSMH Executive Director), Andrea Thomas, Sarah Ehsan
Vision Award
Margaret Gillis
Margaret was awarded for her commitment and dedication to improving the mental and physical health care, well-being and rights of older people. The many letters of support that Margaret received are a true testament to the local, national and international impact she has made combating ageism and advocating for the human rights of older persons. Margaret excels at interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration, resulting in real change. As one supporter stated “Ms. Gillis’ ardent commitment to championing the rights of older persons and promoting the strengths associated with ageing has had a tangible impact on the lives of older adults in Canada and internationally.”
Outstanding Care & Integrative Practice Award
Dementia Isolation Toolkit Team
The CAGP/CCSMH applauds the Dementia Isolation Toolkit Team for responding to a dire need for clinical guidance at the onset of COVID-19 when implementing infection control measures such as isolation and quarantine of people living with dementia in long-term care. The team's initiative and quick response helped to ensure that people living with dementia were treated in a compassionate, safe and effective manner thereby also helping to prevent and reduce clinical indecision and moral distress. The toolkit and the additional resources developed by the Dementia Isolation Toolkit team have had an impact locally, and nationally and will continue to do so in the years to come.
The access the Dementia Isolation Toolkit click Home - Dementia Isolation Toolkit to see a complete listing of the team click here Our team | Dementia Isolation Toolkit
Outstanding Care & Integrative Practice Award
Dr. Carol Ward
Carol is described by her colleagues as “an exemplary geriatric psychiatrist, thoughtful educator and leader who possesses exceptional patient centered expertise. The projects and initiatives that she has undertaken are transforming older adult mental health care in the areas of increasing capacity, understanding, and improving quality of care and knowledge transfer for staff who care for our elders with complex mental health needs. “
Vision Award
The Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism Ageism and Media Project Team from Regina, Saskatchewan
As part of a three-year collective impact project designed to reduce social isolation of older adults, the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM) developed an innovative program specifically created to identify ageism, raise awareness about the negative effects of ageism and pro-actively work to promote change.
Project goals were:
- To examine the attitudes and beliefs present within news reporting in Saskatchewan and to uncover how readers of current news stories interpret them when using an age-sensitive lens.
- Engage with volunteer older adult monitors in the community to obtain an important glimpse into community reporting and into how readers perceive the stories and their subjects as presented by journalists.
Outstanding Care & Integrative Practice Award
The Behavior and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia Interdisciplinary team from Montreal, Quebec
The goal of the outpatient BPSD team is not only to reduce the frequency and intensity of Behavioural Symptoms of Dementia, but also to help referral teams, whether at home, in long term care or in medical clinics, to understand the meaning of these behaviors and to find strategies to improve the well-being and quality of life of the elderly person and of those around them.
The mandate of this team is also to contribute to the transfer of knowledge as well as mentoring and coaching activities to front-line teams.
Vision Award
Marjorie Willison
Marjorie has been a dedicated champion for promoting age friendly communities, workplaces, teams, and individuals. She has worked across sectors and disciplines to challenge ageist attitudes and has helped to build environments that support an aging population. Marjorie currently hosts the website Aging Well with Marjorie. The site is a resource for individuals, communities, and organizations to support an aging population. Marjorie’s efforts exemplify the importance and value of peer support in this field!
Outstanding Care & Integrative Practice Award
Marilyn White-Campbell
Marilyn was awarded for her outstanding community leadership and education within the field of Specialized Geriatric Services - Geriatric Mental Health and Addictions. Marilyn has successfully developed inter-professional and interdisciplinary collaborative partnerships across the not-for-profit continuum of care inclusive of; primary care; community support services; mental health and addictions services; acute care; and long-term care. Her relentless advocating has helped to bring issues surrounding substance use among older adults into the light.