Excellence in scholarship to improve outcomes for people with mental illness through prevention, earlier detection and person-centred care across the lifespan.

Innovation, equity, partnerships, and inclusion in everything we do.

• Innovation and Excellence
  Innovation is central to everything we do. We believe in thinking differently, challenging the status quo and constantly striving to improve what we do. Ours is a culture of enquiry, mutual support and encouragement. Because we know innovation thrives in an environment that supports creativity and new ideas, we value risk taking, shared learning, and challenging each other in order to bring out our best. We are focused on being national and international leaders in our chosen areas.
  
  
• Partnerships and Collaboration Our work is richer and more productive when we collaborate with partners. That includes those not only within the Department but partners in hospitals, other faculties within the university, the community and other centres who share our interests and can add their perspectives. Partnerships with colleagues in the medical community offer the opportunity to integrate mental health care with overall health care, drawing attention to and reinforcing the link between mind and body. We play an important role in helping other departments, organizations and individuals recognize these problems and provide effective and timely interventions and referrals

• Equity and Diversity
  We believe in equal opportunities for every member of the community and strive to remove the barriers that make it hard for people to receive the support and services they need, when they need them. This means addressing not only the biological and psychological determinants that contribute to the development, onset and course of a mental disorder or problem but social, economic, and environmental impediments as well.
  
  
• Person and Family-Centredness
  Mental health problems affect both individuals and those who care about them. Accordingly, engaging patients and their families in their own care increases the odds of successful outcomes. We place high importance on new approaches to educate the community and address stigma as well as on experienced-based treatment designed for individuals and their families.
  
  
• Collegiality and Inclusiveness
  We are committed to maintaining an environment that offers a place for anyone who is interested in learning from colleagues and participating in the discussion (a place for all). By connecting with those from different programs, divisions, departments, and faculties we build on our strengths while developing common areas of interest that open up new ideas, discussions, and opportunities.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences' strategic plan, Equity, Innovation and Partnerships, is built upon three words: equity, innovation, and partnerships, which have been carefully chosen. Each represents one of our core values and they will be the major drivers of our research and other academic activity as we implement our mission.

• Equity
  Achieving equity means ensuring every member of our community has the opportunity to optimize their recovery and overall well-being, removing barriers to receiving timely care. It also means addressing social, economic and environmental – as well as biological and psychological – determinants that can contribute in multiple ways to the development, onset, course, and outcome of a mental disorder or problem.
  
  
• Innovation
  Innovation is about new ideas, drawing inspiration from multiple sources, with every person in the department having the opportunity to contribute. It means thinking differently, challenging the status quo, testing new ideas, and constantly striving to improve. Innovation thrives in an environment that supports creativity and new ideas and creates a culture of enquiry, mutual support, and encouragement, which fosters a sense of community where risk taking is valued, learning is shared, successes celebrated, and where we challenge each other to achieve our best.
  
  
• Partnerships
  Partnerships are central to our success, both within and beyond the department. Whether establishing a research program, implementing an educational program, or addressing a community priority, our work will be richer and more productive if we can collaborate with partners from the hospitals, Faculty, university, community and with other centres.

Based on these core values, our Strategic Plan has identified 5 priority areas and a number of emerging areas.