From HYPE to FRAYME
Launched on June 6th, 2017, Frayme (formerly HYPE for Healthy Young People Everywhere) is a Canadian-based international network that aims to improve youth mental health and substance use (YMHSU) services and systems by connecting people to people, people to evidence, and by supporting implementation and innovation. The focus of our system transformation efforts is on Integrated Youth Services, and Stepped Care Models embedded within them.
While the name HYPE was popular, we discovered that it was already in use by a mental health program within one of our partner organizations. Therefore, we consulted with partners at the inaugural convening to come up with a new name: Frayme. We selected the name ‘Frayme’ to highlight our work in the creation of new types of structures and frameworks that re-frame conversations related to youth mental health, from a focus on ‘issues’ to one of evidence-informed effective systems. The addition of the “Y” in Frayme symbolizes our commitment to youth and lived experience at the centre of everything we do. In French, we are ‘Cadre’ (with emphasis on “A” for adolescents).
What Did We Do?
The inaugural convening provided a forum for provincial and territorial policy-makers to connect with philanthropic community members, family advocates, youth, and leaders in the field of YMHSU. We gathered to discuss best practices, key issues, and opportunities for reform in the YMHSU sector.
Convening participants were actively engaged in exploring pressing issues, and collectively identifying opportunities and innovations required to guide Frayme as it embarks on the next stage of development.
We engaged in...
Priority Setting & Identification Of Challenges & Objectives
...with a diverse group of stakeholders
- Researchers
- Service providers
- Policy-makers
- Youth
- Philanthropists
- Family advocates
Where Will Frayme Be...
Stakeholder groups discussed priorities and timelines envisioned for Frayme based on how to measure success within six months, two years, and four years. This is a summary of the major identified priorities:
...In 6 Months
- Clearly communicate Frayme’s mission, focus, and value propositions
- Identify short, medium, and long-term performance objectives
- Create inclusive youth engagement and family engagement approaches
- Initiate projects and supports
...In 2 Years
- Enhance network reach and the number, quality, and effectiveness of partnerships
- Capture, synthesize, and share current global knowledge
- Demonstrate frayme’s value as a go-to Canadian led resource
- Demonstrate impacts on policy and services
...In 4 Years
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships to sustain network impact
- Encourage and facilitate active involvement of Canadian provinces and territories, as well as international jurisdictions
- Ensure network responsiveness to meet complex, long-term needs of a dynamic system
Challenges And Objectives
Convening attendees participated in an exploratory exercise designed to generate innovative solutions by engaging in divergent thinking. Through this exercise, we explored major systemic challenges, and subsequently identified important objectives.
Systemic challenges:
- Lack of buy-in for youth and family engagement hierarchies of influence among stakeholders traditional scientific reward systems bureaucratic obstacles
- Culture of competition
- Lack of collaboration
- Change aversion
- Stigma
Objectives:
- Build relationships within and across sectors, stakeholder groups, and geography
- Develop organizational readiness for change
- Raise awareness regarding the importance and effectiveness of youth and family engagement
- Create incentives, tools, and mechanisms for knowledge sharing and implementation
- Maximize the role of technology within YMHSU services
Next Steps...
- Established leadership team Held inaugural convening Assembled advisory committees
- Developed branding
- Develop an evaluation framework Initialize priority projects
- Launch full website
- Develop a knowledge mobilization & implementation strategy
Join Us
With a focus on integrated stepped care, together we can transform youth mental health and substance use systems and services such that youth across Canada and around the world receive the right care, at the right time, from the right provider. Frayme is the platform for us to share and amplify research, practical knowledge, lived experience, and effective policies.
Joining the network will allow you to:
- Increase your professional networks and learn from the work of colleagues in YMHSU around the globe
- Access relevant evidence about integrated stepped care models from research, practice and lived experience
- Profile your work on the global stage
- Enhance your organization’s knowledge mobilization and implementation capacity
- Access supports to facilitate the implementation of integrated stepped care models
- Contribute to system transformation locally, nationally, and around the globe
- Avoid duplication of effort and make the best use of valuable but limited resources
- Align your work with common language, practices, and metrics
Please contact Paula Robeson, Director of Operations, at paula.robeson@theroyal.ca to learn how how you can join the network.