National Guidance for AI in Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, national guidance for using artificial intelligence (AI) in the mental and substance use health (MHSUH) field is being developed through a partnership between the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
AI is increasingly being used for healthcare triage, service navigation, service delivery, and communication, but service providers, developers and users have no guidelines specific to mental or substance use health to support its effective and safe use. The recently published E-Mental Health Strategy for Canada highlights the need for safety in this field. Â
The new National Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Use in Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care will provide guidance, tools, and resources to help practitioners, organizations, and health leaders in efficiently evaluating and implementing AI-enabled mental health and substance use health care services and solutions. Â
It will also support people with lived or living experience of mental health or substance use health concerns in making informed choices about these technologies, while helping technology companies design and improve such solutions to meet the needs of those who use them. The full guidance will launch in 2026.Â
Our Findings
Through our literature review and environmental scan, we identified 10 key considerations for early guidance, along three main themes: trust and explainability of AI systems, human-centred care, and equity and data governance. We will refine these findings through engagement with expert advisory groups to ensure the final guidance reflects the unique considerations within the MHSUH sectors. Â
By investing early in national guidance, Canada is positioning itself as a global leader in ensuring that technological innovation in healthcare translates into safer, more equitable outcomes.Â
Steering Committee Members
Dr. Allison Crawford, MD, PhD
- Chief Medical Officer, 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
- Professor Departments of Psychiatry and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
- Psychiatrist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Ben Rosen
- Psychiatrist, (Physician Lead, Psychiatry Emergency Services), Sinai Health
- Medical Head, Psychiatry Partnerships with Northern Communities, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Carly Straker
- Manager, System Quality and Integration, Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Division, Government of the Northwest Territories
Dr. Christopher DiCarlo
- Principal/Founder, Critical Thinking Solutions
David Martell
- Physician Lead, Addiction Medicine – Mental Health & Addictions Program, Nova Scotia Health
Gillian Strudwick
- Scientific Director, Registered Nurse, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Jeannie Borg RN, MA Leadership
- Director of Clinical Informatics and Digital Health, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Jonathan Morris
- CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division
Rebecca Jesseman
- Executive Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Health PEI
Russell Greiner
- Professor, Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta
- Canada CIFAR AI Chair and Fellow-in-Residence, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)
Valerie Pisano
- President & CEO, MILA