On June 13, 2014, CIHR and Graham Boeckh Foundation jointly announced ACCESS-Canada
as the recipient of the $25 M TRAM grant. This five year project will implement and evaluate transformation in youth (11-25) mental health services across Canada. Adolescent/young adult Connections to Community-driven Early Strength-based and Stigma-free services (ACCESS) is a multidisciplinary network of stakeholder groups across six provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta) and one territory (Northwest Territories) in Canada. The 12 sites selected for ACCESS transformation include CASA Services and the University of Edmonton (AB), the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (SK), Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (ON), Cree Nation of Mistissini (QC), CSSS Dorval-Lachine-Lasalle (Montreal, QC), CLSC Park Extension (Montreal, QC), Dans la Rue-CHUM-Montreal Homeless Youth Network (Montreal, QC), Youth Protection (Montreal, QC), Eskasoni First Nation (Cape Breton, NS), Inuvialuit Settlement Region (NT), the province of New Brunswick and Nunavik (QC). This network represents a spectrum of needs and service availability, allowing ACCESS to address mental health needs of Canadian youth from various geographic, linguistic/ethnic, socio-economic, cultural and situational backgrounds. With youth at the centre, ACCESS stakeholders include youth, families/carers, community organizations, service providers, researchers, and policy/decision makers.
 
ACCESS is founded on the understanding that mental health reform must be based on service and sector integration driven by a youth-oriented culture that transforms the language and perceptions around mental illness as well as the actual delivery of service.

ACCESS service objectives include the deployment of early case identification strategies, a reduction in wait times in order to ensure timely access to help, provision of high quality care and improvement in continuity of care by eliminating the transition at 18 years old. This transformation will be achieved by implementing evidence-based interventions using innovation in service delivery, including features such as single-point contact, multiple portals of entry via online technology, well-publicized youth spaces staffed by trained professionals, peer support groups/activities and knowledge transfer.
 
Progress to date includes in-depth site analyses, in collaboration with sites, and several site visits. ACCESS governance structure consists of an executive committee (8 members) with youth, family, indigenous and site as well as stakeholder representations, and a supervisory Governing Council (12 members), representing a wealth of experience, expertise and commitment to mental health from across the country. The ACCESS Youth and Family Councils, with active members from across Canada, have been established and have begun active participation in the transformation process within ACCESS. The ACCESS-Canada core team meets weekly to facilitate the development of the service transformation as well as research components of the project. The hiring of central staff for ACCESS is well on its way with several coordinators and administrative staff already hired. The research plan is being finalized. Last, but not least, ACCESS is co-leading the 3rd International Youth Mental Association Congress to be held in Montréal in October 2015.

Dr. Ashok Malla is the principal investigator at ACCESS Canada. He is also a Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, where he holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Early Psychosis, and the Director of the Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP-Montreal) at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.