Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care has secured $2.3 million in funding from the Ontario government’s Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence to establish a groundbreaking initiative: the Mental Health Anti-Violence Hub for Empowerment, Advocacy, Resilience, and Trauma Support (MHAV-HEARTS).
The new hub seeks to address long-standing gaps in mental health services for individuals affected by gender-based violence (GBV), particularly intimate partner violence, which remains the most prevalent form. Women experiencing GBV face elevated risks of mental illness, while individuals from ethnocultural communities often encounter additional barriers to accessing care.
Mental health challenges among perpetrators also correlate with higher risks of reoffending. Yet, community programs often lack sufficient mental health resources, and hospital-based services rarely integrate GBV support, resulting in fragmented care and missed opportunities for prevention and recovery.
“Mental health hospitals are not well equipped to address the complex needs of people who have experienced gender-based violence,” said Dr. N. Zoe Hilton, Research Chair in Forensic Mental Health. “Some routine practices in inpatient care can be triggering and retraumatizing for survivors, and the effects can be devastating.”
MHAV-HEARTS aims to transform this landscape. The Waypoint team is collaborating with key agencies across Central Ontario and the province to establish Canada’s first GBV-focused mental health hub, including an online platform that bridges the gap between community services and hospital-based care.
Over the next two years, MHAV-HEARTS will implement a series of initiatives informed by practitioners, survivors, and other stakeholders. A Community Advisory Board will guide projects including public education campaigns, community engagement events, development of a comprehensive service referral map, and the creation of a Lived Experience Advocacy Partnership (LEAP) program, alongside training modules for advocates.
“The LEAP program will provide mental health and research training to survivors of intimate partner violence and other forms of GBV,” said Research Scientist Dr. Elnaz Moghimi. “Participants will collaborate with researchers, clinicians, and community partners to develop strategies that more effectively respond to survivors’ mental health needs.”
Other planned initiatives include updates to ODARA 101 risk assessment training, specialized GBV training for Waypoint clinicians, and the integration of GBV-focused content into the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy program.
This project builds on the provincial government’s August announcement of $98 million in funding from 2024-25 to 2026-27 for 85 community-based projects aimed at building safer communities, preventing gender-based violence, and supporting survivors in recovery. The initiatives target four key areas: education and awareness, early intervention and prevention, community planning and service integration, and economic security.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
New Blood Sensor Promises Faster, Accurate PTSD Diagnosis
High-THC Cannabis Linked to Rising Mental Health Risks, Study Warns
AI Improves Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Dutch Screening Program
