About Us

Strategic plan

Close-up shot of leaves.

Organizational Background

The Best Practices Network (BP-Net) is a national mental health community of practice and knowledge exchange network focused on promoting evidence-based post-secondary student mental health initiatives and strengthening the evaluation capacity across Canadian post-secondary institutions.

BP-Net is a collaborative, engaged network of experts committed to improving post-secondary student mental health across the sectors, through the creation, collection, assessment and sharing of evidence-informed resources related to programming, policy, health promotion, and service delivery. This initiative is a formal partnership between the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia.

When featuring programs and initiatives on the website, we highlight the evidence that supports the impact on student mental health and well-being. Our work has included environmental scans, reports, webinars, and a co-hosted bi-annual conference that addresses the integration of research and practice in post-secondary student mental health. In 2022 BP-Net released the Best Practices Guide and launched the Best Practices Library, an initiative that spotlights peer-reviewed, evidence-based programs, initiatives, interventions, and tools that assist campuses to learn, share, adopt, and adapt practices that support student mental health.

Mission & Vision

Mission

BP-Net supports Canadian post-secondary institutions’ efforts to advance positive student mental health and well-being, leading to healthier campus communities. Bridging research and practice, BP-Net provides the collaborative mechanisms and an evidence-informed lens through which capacity-building programs, initiatives, systems, and policies can be assessed, evaluated, shared, promoted, and advanced.

Vision

BP-Net is a valued national platform through which post-secondary institutions access, collaborate, and share evidence-informed student mental health and well-being resources, build relationships, and innovate, making progress toward our collective goal of improving the lives of Canadian post-secondary students.

The Rossy Foundation

Funding for the Best Practices in Canadian Higher Ed: Making a positive impact on student mental health is generously provided by The Rossy Foundation.

Project Team

Steering Committee

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

Sandra Yuen
Director, Professional Practice and Quality Assurance, Health & Wellness

Janine Robb
Executive Director, Health & Wellness

Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario

Jennifer Ross
Manager, Special Projects, Student Affairs

Ellie Sadinsky
Executive Director, Office of the Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec

Dana Carsley
Associate Director, Resilience and Wellness Enhancement, Student Wellness Hub

Vera Romano
Director, Counselling Services

University of British Columbia

Guy Faulkner
CIHR-PHAC Chair in Applied Public Health, Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia


Advisory Committee

Gaya Arasaratnam
Director, Student Wellness, University of British Columbia

Ben Bridgstock
Director, Student Support Services, Algonquin College

Nancy Heath
James McGill Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University

Sandra Koppert
Director, Mental Health Advancement, Mental Health Commission of Canada

Julie Lane
Professor, Université de Sherbrooke

Janine Olthuis
Director, Clinical Training & Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick

Leah State
Director, Student Wellbeing, Humber College

Don Stewart
Executive Director, Student Support, University of Manitoba

Andrew Szeto
Director, Mental Health Strategy, University of Calgary

Verity Turpin
Vice-Provost, Student Services, University of Calgary


Support Team

Kate Hamilton
Special Projects Manager