Overview
Message from the Division Lead
The Division of Schizophrenia is based at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th Campus, within the Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service, the largest of the mental health and addictions programs. Our division is comprised of a diverse group of faculty members involved in clinical service delivery, teaching/training and research, including psychiatrists, psychologists, basic scientists and other allied health professionals. A variety of clinical and research training opportunities are available, ranging from undergraduate to fellowship level, and our division also provides continuing professional development opportunities for members of the division and the broader community.
Our Impact
The focus of the division is to support people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders to regain and manage their health and live hopeful, meaningful lives. We seek to foster this through compassionate, innovative, specialized mental health and addiction services, training in the provision of evidence based care and research aimed better understanding the nature of the illness and enhancing outcomes.
Faculty Directory
Sophiya Benjamin
MBBS, FRCPC
Associate Clinical Professor
Part-Time
Sophiya Benjamin
MBBS, FRCPC
Associate Clinical Professor
Part-Time
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Joseph Ferencz
M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Faculty
Joseph Ferencz
M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Amanda Ritsma
Director, Undergraduate Education
Psychiatry Clerkship Director
Faculty
Amanda Ritsma
Director, Undergraduate Education
Psychiatry Clerkship Director
Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Jessica Vanderveen
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Jessica Vanderveen
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Albina Veltman
Associate Chair Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Reconciliation
Faculty
Albina Veltman
Associate Chair Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Reconciliation
Faculty
Shuang Xu
Regional Education Lead, Waterloo Regional Campus
Faculty
Shuang Xu
Regional Education Lead, Waterloo Regional Campus
Faculty
Sophiya Benjamin
MBBS, FRCPC
Associate Clinical Professor
Part-Time
Sophiya Benjamin
MBBS, FRCPC
Associate Clinical Professor
Part-Time
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Joseph Ferencz
M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Faculty
Joseph Ferencz
M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Amanda Ritsma
Director, Undergraduate Education
Psychiatry Clerkship Director
Faculty
Amanda Ritsma
Director, Undergraduate Education
Psychiatry Clerkship Director
Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Jessica Vanderveen
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Jessica Vanderveen
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Albina Veltman
Associate Chair Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Reconciliation
Faculty
Albina Veltman
Associate Chair Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Reconciliation
Faculty
Shuang Xu
Regional Education Lead, Waterloo Regional Campus
Faculty
Shuang Xu
Regional Education Lead, Waterloo Regional Campus
Faculty
Education
Many members of the Division of Schizophrenia hold key education leadership positions within training programs affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University or hold leadership or advisory positions with provincial and national professional organizations, such as Ontario Health, the Schizophrenia Society of Canada and the Canadian Psychiatric Association. Members of the division also participate in continuing education initiatives through the department, including giving lectures and presentations at departmental rounds and the annual review course in psychiatry.
Education Initiatives
The highlight of the Division of Schizophrenia continuing education program is the annual Jock Cleghorn Memorial Lecture in Schizophrenia. Each year, a guest speaker is invited to deliver the keynote address as part of departmental rounds, followed by a workshop or other educational event available to faculty and learners.
Clinical
The Division of Schizophrenia members hold clinical positions and supervise trainees in various hospital and community settings. The West 5th Campus is home to three, 24-bed specialized inpatient units, the Cleghorn early intervention clinic, the transitional outpatient support service, the schizophrenia outpatient clinic and the developmental dual diagnosis clinic. Clinical training also takes place at the Hamilton Program for Schizophrenia, a community-based outpatient clinic located in downtown Hamilton, and through four regional assertive community treatment teams.
Clinical Initiatives
The Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service administration and clinical faculty are involved in a Health Quality Ontario schizophrenia standards spread initiative. This is an Ontario-wide collaborative led by Ontario Shores to systematically implement and evaluate measurement-based care focused currently on four of the Health Quality Ontario standards of care for adults with schizophrenia, including two medication interventions (treatment with clozapine and long-acting injectable medication) and two psychosocial interventions (cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis and family intervention therapy).
Clinical Partners
Research
A number of members of the Division of Schizophrenia are actively involved in research, with programs of research ranging from externally funded neuroimaging studies and clinical trials to internally funded investigator initiated clinically applied programs of research. Division members involved in research often collaborate with faculty in other departmental divisions or are members of research centres affiliated with McMaster University, including the newly-formed Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, an innovative partnership between McMaster and the Pasteur Institute in France. Graduate students from McMaster’s Neuroscience Graduate Program and from the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour are also involved in programs of research within the division.
Areas of Research
Areas of research include, but are not limited to, studies aimed at elucidating the cognitive, neurobiological and social cognitive mechanisms underlying schizophrenia or psychotic spectrum disorders and studies aimed at improving functional outcomes and enhancing recovery.
Contact Us
We invite you to learn more about the Division of Schizophrenia and the opportunities that are available at McMaster University. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Information Box Group
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Mike Siekierski
MD, FRCPC
Medical Lead, Schizophrenia and Community Integration Service
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty
Heather McNeely
PhD, CPsych
Director, Interprofessional Faculty Development
Faculty