Child and Youth Mental Health Practice Network
Child and Youth Mental Health Practice Network
Children’s Healthcare Canada has a long history of bringing the child and youth health community together in national collaboration to identify common health system issues and to codesign solutions. Our Practice Networks are a member benefit and open to employees of all Children’s Healthcare Canada member organizations and the families they serve.
Network Overview

Child and Youth Mental Health is a priority for Children's Healthcare Canada and our members. Supporting a network of organizations and individuals from across the country enables us to collectively build capacity for child and youth mental health services within a system designed for the future.
Goals
- Facilitate the sharing of innovations in clinical care, system integration, research, and education related to child and youth mental health in Canada
- Raise awareness of mental health system issues impacting children and youth among the child and youth healthcare community, policy makers, and the public.
Network Leadership



Upcoming Presentation
The Family Check-Up®: Transforming Child Mental Health Through Evidence-Based Prevention and Care
August 13, 2025 | 12:00pm ET
Description:
Coming soon.
Speakers:
- Dr. Paulo Pires, Ph.D., C.Psych. received his Ph.D. in Clinical Child and School Psychology from OISE/University of Toronto. He is Clinical Director and Staff Psychologist in the Child and Youth Mental Health Program at McMaster Children’s Hospital and is an Assistant Professor (Part-time) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Pires is a co-lead, trainer and supervisor in the Family Check-Up ® (FCU) along with his colleague Dr. Teresa Bennett (Child Psychiatrist).
- Teresa (Terry) Bennett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, a child psychiatrist at McMaster Children’s Hospital and core member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies and McMaster Autism Research Team (MacART). She holds the Jack C. Laidlaw Chair in Patient-Centred Care at McMaster University. Dr. Bennett uses longitudinal and randomized controlled trial designs to inform the development, delivery and evaluation of new child- and family-centered prevention and timely intervention programs for young children and Autistic children and youth. She leads the Family Check-Up® Canada program, aimed at evaluating and scaling up this evidence based, family centered program to support highest-needs families
Current members of the network will automatically receive a calendar invite to join this session. If you are not a member of the network and would like to join, please fill out the 'Join the Network' form at the bottom of this page.
Past Presentations & Activities
View previous
presentations here Learn more about the Child and
Youth Mental Health Leadership Summit
Join the Network
To join the Child & Youth Mental Health Network, please fill out this form.