Dalhousie Special Interest Forum for Global Mental Health and Leadership Development

The Dalhousie Special Interest Forum for Global Mental Health and Leadership Development is focused on training and preparing faculty, medical residents, fellows, and graduate students to become Global Mental Health Practitioners and Leaders, supporting the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs that expand access, improve the quality of mental health care, and address mental health inequities.

Purpose

The purpose of the Dalhousie Special Interest Forum for Global Mental Health and Leadership Development is to:

• Provide a forum for training, knowledge dissemination, exchange, and advocacy for equity-deserving populations.
• Foster continuing professional development.
• Spark conversation, curiosity, and foster collaborations.
• Create opportunities for residents’ and fellows’ participation in international electives in transcultural psychiatry in low- and middle-income countries through institutional partnerships.

Topics

Topics will focus on current research, and topical and contemporary issues related to global mental health and leadership.

Objectives

After participating in the Dalhousie Special Interest Forum for Global Mental Health and Leadership Development sessions and/or an international exchange program, participants will:

• Have a broader understanding of current research and contemporary issues in global mental health and leadership.
• Gain knowledge of the opportunities and challenges associated with initiatives aimed at addressing mental health inequities.
• Have a broader understanding of the historical, political, economic, social, clinical, and technological contexts in which global mental health exists.
• Gain knowledge and skills related to conceptualization, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of mental health policies and programs.

Audience

• Dalhousie University, Department of Psychiatry Faculty
• Dalhousie University, Department of Psychiatry Residents
• Dalhousie University, Department of Psychiatry Graduate Students
• Dalhousie University, Department of Psychiatry Canadian and International Fellows
• Dalhousie University, Department of Family Medicine Residents
• Psychiatry and Family Medicine Residents, and Graduate Students from other Canadian and International Medical Schools

Format

Hybrid events hosted up to four times per year at the Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Board Room.

Download the Dalhousie Special Interest Forum for Global Mental Health and Leadership Development one-pager [PDF - 81 KB]

Accreditation

The Centre for Global Mental Health’s Special Interest Forum is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Schedule 2025/26

Friday, October 10, 2025, from 4-5pm (AST) (World Mental Health Day)
Topic: WHO’s Mental Health Atlas 2024
Presenters: Medard Adu and Bala Harri

Friday, October 31, 2025, from 4-5pm (AST) 
Topic: WHO’s Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans: Module 2 (Part 1 of 2). Key reform areas, directives, strategies, and actions for mental health policy and strategic action plans
Presenters: Samuel Nkrumah and Daniel Basso

Friday, November 21, 2025, from 4-5pm (AST)
Topic: WHO’s Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans: Module 2 (Part 2 of 2). Key reform areas, directives, strategies, and actions for mental health policy and strategic action plans
Presenters: Medard Adu and Bala Harri

Friday, December 12, 2025, from 4-5pm (AST) 
Topic: WHO’s Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans: Module 3 (Part 1 of 2). Process for developing and implementing mental health policy and strategic action plans

Friday, February 27, 2026, from 4-5pm (AST) 
Topic: WHO’s Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans, Module 3 (Part 2 of 2). Process for evaluating mental health policy and strategic action plans

Questions?

If you are interested in being a presenter or have any questions, contact Chelsea Mantin.