About CRISM

Addiction research in Canada suffers from geographic isolation of research groups as well as limited communication between service providers and academic research teams.  This has hindered intervention research and translation and incorporation of evidence into prevention and treatment programs.  To address these gaps, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), through its Institute for Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Addiction (INMHA), has developed the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM)

CRISM is a 5-year initiative and was modeled, in part on the US National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Clinical Trials Network.

CRISM was designed to facilitate communication and collaboration among addiction service providers, researchers, and policy-makers.  In September 2015, four regional CRISM Nodes, one each located in BC, the Prairies, Ontario, and the Quebec/Martime regions, began operations.

In order to address our objectives, we have formed a Prairie CRISM Node to link together individuals in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba who are interested in working toward accomplishing these goals.

 

CRISM Infographics

CRISM – Infographic 1

National Objectives
  1. Identify and/or develop the most appropriate clinical and community-based interventions for substance misuse/addiction, including at the level of:
    1. prevention
    2. harm reduction
    3. specialty-based addiction treatment
  2. Provide evidence to support the enhancement of prevention and treatment services regarding substance misuse/addiction to decision makers and service providers;
  3. Support improvement in the quality of care and quality of life for Canadians living with substance misuse/addiction.

About the CRISM British Columbia Node

The CRISM BC Node is a network of over 100 individuals representing patient, family, and recovery advocacy groups as well as policy makers, health care and service providers, and research scientists affiliated with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, the BC Centre on Substance Use, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University among others.

The BC Node seeks to collaborate with provincial health authorities, the Provincial Health Services Authority, the First Nations Health Authority, and the BC Ministry of Health in translating scientific evidence to inform provincial health policy. To ensure that research priorities align with lived experience of those affected by substance use disorders, we have well-established partnerships with community and advocacy groups, including the BC Association of People on Methadone (BCAPOM), the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), the Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society (WAHRS), From Grief to Action (FGTA), and Moms United and Mandated to Save the Lives of Drug Users (mumsDU). Our efforts to establish and promote linkage to treatment providers, health system administrators, and government policy makers, as well as our training infrastructure and our national and international collaborations ideally position us to undertake collaborative research and implementation of evidence-based therapeutic approaches as part of CRISM.

The BC Node Team

  • David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen Dell
    David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen DellNode Steering Committee
    • Denise Adams
      Denise AdamsResearch Manager

      BC Node Leadership

      Evan Wood, MD
      (Nominated Principal Investigator)
      British Columbia Centre on Substance Abuse
      evanw@cfenet.ubc.ca

      British Columbia Node Office

      4-061 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy

      11405 – 87 Avenue
      Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
      T6G 1C9

      Prairie Node Manager

      Nirupa Goel,
      Tel: 780-492-0135
      Fax: 780-492-0364
      denise.adams@ualberta.ca

       

      About the CRISM Prairie Node

      Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have excellent researchers investigating substance misuse/addiction interventions (including prevention, harm reduction and specialty-based addiction treatment) delivered in the clinic, the community, and in academic research settings.  Each Province funds treatment and prevention of substance misuse/addiction and has developed strategic plans through their respective Ministries of Health and Regional Health Authorities.  But to date, these assets have operated either in isolation, or as part of small provincial teams.  

      The CRISM Prairie Node already has over 160 members, including investigators, system and program managers, policy makers, and consumer advocates, each of whom recognizes the need for enhanced regional collaboration to address substance misuse/addiction, and who have committed to participate in a Prairie regional CRISM Node.

      The Prairie Node Team

      • David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen Dell
        David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen DellNode Steering Committee
        • Denise Adams
          Denise AdamsResearch Manager

          Prairie Node Leadership

          Cameron Wild, PhD
          (Nominated Principal Investigator)
          University of Alberta
          cam.wild@ualberta.ca

          David Hodgins, PhD, R. Psych
          (Principal Investigator)
          University of Calgary
          dhodgins@ucalgary.ca

          Colleen Dell, PhD
          (Principal Investigator)
          University of Saskatchewan
          colleen.dell@usask.ca

          Prairie Node Office

          4-061 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
          11405 – 87 Avenue
          Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
          T6G 1C9

          Prairie Node Manager

          Denise Adams, PhD
          Tel: 780-492-0135
          Fax: 780-492-0364
          denise.adams@ualberta.ca

           

          About the CRISM Ontario Node

          The Ontario Node Team

          • David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen Dell
            David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen DellNode Steering Committee
            • Denise Adams
              Denise AdamsResearch Manager

              Ontario Node Leadership

              Benedikt Fischer, PhD
              (Nominated Principal Investigator)
              University of Alberta
              cam.wild@ualberta.ca

              David Hodgins, PhD, R. Psych
              (Principal Investigator)
              University of Calgary
              dhodgins@ucalgary.ca

              Colleen Dell, PhD
              (Principal Investigator)
              University of Saskatchewan
              colleen.dell@usask.ca

              Prairie Node Office

              4-061 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
              11405 – 87 Avenue
              Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
              T6G 1C9

              Ontario Node Manager

              Sarah Miles,
              Tel: 780-492-0135
              Fax: 780-492-0364
              denise.adams@ualberta.ca

               

              About the CRISM Quebec-Maritime Node

              The CRISM’s Quebec-Maritimes Node (QMN) combines the expertise of researchers, clinicians, and knowledge users from Quebec and the Maritime provinces. We aim at identifying the specific needs and priorities of these provinces, and generating evidence-based knowledge according to real needs through research and collaborative projects.

              We also contribute to the development of interventional research-based practices and policies with a Canada-wide perspective in mind, to ultimately improve quality of care and quality of life for all Canadians living with substance misuse.

              The QMN members are working on multiple projects aimed at accelerating the transfer of scientific knowledge into better addiction treatment approaches, including both pharmaceutical and psychological interventions.

              The QMN Team

              • David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen Dell
                David Hodgins, Karen Turner, Sheri Fandry, Cam Wild, Colleen DellNode Steering Committee
                • Denise Adams
                  Denise AdamsResearch Manager

                  QMN Leadership

                  Julie Bruneau, MD
                  (Nominated Principal Investigator)
                  University of Alberta
                  cam.wild@ualberta.ca

                  David Hodgins, PhD, R. Psych
                  (Principal Investigator)
                  University of Calgary
                  dhodgins@ucalgary.ca

                  Colleen Dell, PhD
                  (Principal Investigator)
                  University of Saskatchewan
                  colleen.dell@usask.ca

                  Quebec/Maritime Node Office

                  4-061 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
                  11405 – 87 Avenue
                  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
                  T6G 1C9

                  Prairie Node Manager

                  Aissata Sako
                  Tel: 780-492-0135
                  Fax: 780-492-0364
                  denise.adams@ualberta.ca