The concept of Learning Health Systems is becoming ubiquitous in discussions of integrating research and clinical practice to produce better outcomes with children, youth and their families. Given previous divisions between research and clinical practice, the existence of various islands of research expertise that are disconnected from front line clinical staff and service users’ knowledge and expertise often gets in the way of LHS implementation. In this workshop, the presenters will discuss efforts to bring together these islands of research expertise with the knowledge of front-line clinical staff and service users at their respective institutions, highlighting the organizational cultural shifts necessary to enable LHS implementation. Presenters will demonstrate how, through these efforts, staff members and service users can be sustainably engaged to improve mental health outcomes for children, youth and their families.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand foundational constructs of Learning Health Systems (LHS) by engaging in reflective discussion of LHS implementation journeys at two organizations.
2. Understand and reflect upon islands of expertise at their own organizations.
3. Conceptualize what cultural shifts may be necessary at their own organizations to support LHS implementation.