About Us
Strategic plan

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