Sara Lacarte

University of Toronto | U of T · Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Background: The peer support worker (PSW) belongs to the fastest growing occupation in the mental health sector, yet it is often under-valued and poorly understood. Despite an emerging evidence base, and strong support from mental health service users, the PSW remains on the periphery of mainstream services in northeastern Ontario. Aims: To exam...

Background The aim of the current study was to assess the construct validity and internal consistency of a measure used by an occupation‐based, mental health program. The measure was formulated according to the 3B theory of being, belonging and becoming and system impacts. Methods The scale was administered to a sample of 122 current members of No...

Introduction: Being, belonging and becoming are important theoretical constructs for occupational scientists and therapists, and for members of Northern Initiative for Social Action (NISA), located in northern Ontario, Canada. Collaborative research with service users guided the development of NISA and its evaluation tool: the 3B~S Scale. The aim o...

Mental health peer support was one of the key recommendations of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Workforce Advisory Committee (Cyr et al., 2016 [2012]) and highlighted as one way to transform the mental health system in Canada. This mixed methods study explored the work experiences of mental health peer support workers across Canada and th...

Background Disasters and emergencies from infectious diseases, extreme weather and anthropogenic events are increasingly common. While risks vary for different communities, disaster and emergency preparedness is recognized as essential for all nation-states. Evidence to inform measurement of preparedness is lacking. The objective of this study was...

Introduction The Fort McMurray Alberta wildfire was one of Canada’s largest natural disasters in history, burning 589,995 hectares of land until being controlled on July 5, 2016. In responding to the fire, Alberta Health Services (AHS) prompted a province-wide coordinated response. Through a combination of pre-emptive strategies and responsive acti...

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if interprofessional skills, attitudes, and behaviours could be learned during an austere medicine educational activity where interprofessionalism remained within the informal and hidden curriculum. Methods and Findings: We used a mixed-methods approach to examine the potential acquisition of...

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if interprofessional skills, attitudes, and behaviours could be learned during an austere medicine educational activity where interprofessionalism remained within the informal and hidden curriculum. Methods and Findings: We used a mixed-methods approach to examine the potential acquisition of...

To test predictors of practice location of fully qualified Monash University Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) graduates. Cohort survey, 2011. Australia. Rural (n = 67/129) and urban (n = 86/191) background doctors starting at Monash University 1992-1999. Approximately 60% female, 77% married/partnered, 79% Australian-born, mean age...

This project assessed and summarized Canadian and international literature examining the integration of mental health and addictions services in interprofessional primary healthcare delivery models. Four primary healthcare models were identified that addressed the access-related challenges to healthcare delivery experienced by northern, rural or re...

This report used a focused literature search and review, coupled with key informant interviews to explore how the delivery of primary healthcare could be reorganized in order to better meet the needs of northern, rural or remote populations in Canada, including Aboriginal populations. The context in which primary healthcare is delivered is describe...

Peer-run services have formally existed in the province of Ontario since 1991 when the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care allocated $3.2 million to 40 consumer initiatives/alternative businesses. Despite being underfunded and provided with little policy direction for their growth and development, Consumer Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) have nonethe...

The purpose of this study was to inform COUPN’s PHCNP program evaluation by examining the graduates’ perception of how well the program prepared them for advanced professional practice. The evaluation considered the graduates’ perception of the educational experience in the PHCNP program; level of preparedness for practice upon completion of the pr...

As the number of NPs increases steadily in Ontario, the Nursing Secretariat of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) commissioned the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research (CRaNHR) to conduct annual tracking surveys of NPs to maintain current employment and practice information, and to obtain information to assist in po...