Overview
Message from the Division Lead
Welcome to the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Children with mental illness and developmental disabilities deserve expert, evidence-based care that is informed by an understanding of the biological and environmental factors that shape their well-being and healthy development. Our academic division has strong educational and research initiatives, allowing collaborations between researchers, educators, clinicians, community-based service providers and knowledge leaders.
Our clinical program, the child and youth mental health program and the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at McMaster Children’s Hospital provide services for children and youth up to age 18, and their families, who are dealing with mental health concerns.
We provide a variety of services that span the continuum of care, including a community education and the family resource centre, child and youth emergency mental health services (mental health assessment unit), ambulatory services, day hospital, general psychiatry services and inpatient services. We are located at two sites, including McMaster Children’s Hospital and Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre. Care is provided by multidisciplinary teams including child psychiatry, psychology, nursing, social work, child and youth workers, occupational therapy and pharmacy.
Our Impact
We know that one in five Canadian children and youth have mental health struggles. Our academic division is committed to working to understand and assist these children, youth and families through evidence-based, family-centered clinical services, strong educational and training initiatives and research projects, with attention to partnerships with other care providers, schools, communities and government.
Division Leadership
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Faculty Directory
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Khrista Boylan
PhD, MD, BSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Khrista Boylan
PhD, MD, BSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Priyanka Comfort
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Priyanka Comfort
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Jennifer Couturier
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Jennifer Couturier
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Alex Drossos
MD, MBA, MEd, BESc, BSc
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Alex Drossos
MD, MBA, MEd, BESc, BSc
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Kathy Georgiades
BA, MSc, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Kathy Georgiades
BA, MSc, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Stelios Georgiades
BA, MA, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Stelios Georgiades
BA, MA, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Magdalena Janus
PhD
Professor
Faculty
Magdalena Janus
PhD
Professor
Faculty
Jennifer McTaggart
PhD
Assistant Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Jennifer McTaggart
PhD
Assistant Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Tatjana Muhamedagic
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Clinical Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Tatjana Muhamedagic
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Clinical Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Khrista Boylan
PhD, MD, BSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Khrista Boylan
PhD, MD, BSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Priyanka Comfort
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Priyanka Comfort
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Christopher Conley
BA, BSW, MSW, GDipCBS, RSW
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Jennifer Couturier
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Jennifer Couturier
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Alex Drossos
MD, MBA, MEd, BESc, BSc
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Alex Drossos
MD, MBA, MEd, BESc, BSc
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Kathy Georgiades
BA, MSc, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Kathy Georgiades
BA, MSc, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Stelios Georgiades
BA, MA, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Stelios Georgiades
BA, MA, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Magdalena Janus
PhD
Professor
Faculty
Magdalena Janus
PhD
Professor
Faculty
Jennifer McTaggart
PhD
Assistant Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Jennifer McTaggart
PhD
Assistant Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Natasja Menezes
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Tatjana Muhamedagic
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Clinical Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Tatjana Muhamedagic
MD, FRCPC
Assistant Clinical Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Roberto Sassi
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Evan Weizenberg
MD, BSc, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Education
Educational opportunities are available to medical students, psychiatry residents (including PGY-3) and learners at many levels from other programs, for core or elective experiences within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. We also have a child subspecialty residency program, which accepts one to two subspecialty residents each year. Educational experiences include clinical experiences (i.e., assessment and treatment at individual, family and group levels), problem-based learning formats and critical appraisal.
Education Initiatives
The problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum, featured in the final year of the child subspecialty residency, is an interdisciplinary program involving both child psychiatry residents and child psychology learners who are in their senior years of training. This curriculum is facilitated by interdisciplinary faculty and has enabled residents to learn about each other’s roles, create learning objectives ranging from treatment to ethics considerations and has mirrored the important teamwork we do in clinical life in supporting youth and their families.
Education Partners
Clinical
The clinical program most closely associated with the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is the child and youth mental health program. We provide a variety of services that span the continuum of care and are always evolving to meet changing needs of children, youth and families. We serve local and regional families at two sites: McMaster Children’s Hospital and Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre, including both on-site and virtual care.
Clinical Initiatives
The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is adopting a measurement-based care approach using clinic, hospital and other data. We have leveraged technology enabled virtual care for outpatient services, emergency psychiatry services, day treatment services and evidence-based family psycho-educational workshops.
Clinical Partners
Research
Many of the faculty members and clinicians within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are involved in research that aims to improve the mental health and developmental path of children and youth. Many of us are also a part of and/or collaborate with the Offord Centre for Child Studies and the McMaster Autism Research Team (MacART). We continue to strengthen the link between the clinical program and academic/research initiatives of the individual researchers within the child and youth mental health program, as well as related initiatives, with the objective of increasing these clinical/research/academic links.
Research Initiatives
Learn more about our research initiatives on our partner websites.
Research Partners
Contact Us
We invite you to learn more about the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the opportunities that are available at McMaster University. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Information Box Group
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty
Terry (Teresa) Bennett
BASc (HON), MD, FRCPC, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty