Most Recent Publications on AI
Guidance for the Use of AI to Support Mental Health and Substance Use Health in Canada
Summarizes updated findings from our National Guidance for Artificial Intelligence in Mental...
AI in Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care: Early Results and Emerging Guidance
Summarizes early findings from our National Guidance for Artificial Intelligence in Mental...
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.
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.
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 2027.
National polling conducted by the Commission and Mental Health Research Canada (n = 3,519) in February 2026 highlights a significant gap between AI innovation and public confidence.
These findings reinforce the importance of human oversight, transparency, accountability and meaningful consent in building public trust in AI-enabled MHSUH care.
This multi-year initiative responds to a clear and urgent need for practical, ethical, and system-informed direction to support the safe, effective, and equitable use of AI in care delivery. A multi-phase mixed methods approach is being used to synthesize existing evidence and gather new data by consulting with a diverse range of experts in multiple sectors.
The current phase of work represents a critical shift from conceptual considerations to the development of actionable guidance, implementation-oriented criteria and practical resources to support adoption across the MHSUH ecosystem.
What We Learned
Findings from an environmental scan, literature review, and consultations with clinicians, researchers, policy makers, digital and AI tool developers, and people with lived and living experience reinforced three core themes related to the use of AI to support MHSUH.
CCSA and the Commission developed a short resource highlighting the work to date, key insights, and next steps.
From transparency to usable clarity
It is important to ensure that AI tools can be understood, evaluated, and used responsibly in practice. The focus must shift toward practical clarity to help users make relevant decisions. Practitioners require sufficient AI literacy to understand when and how tools should be used responsibly and to have confidence in the reliability of the tools’ outputs.
Preserving the therapeutic relationship
AI should enhance care without disrupting the therapeutic relationship. Human-centred care must remain foundational, with AI supporting rather than replacing human connection, empathy, and clinical judgment.
Addressing structural risk
Fairness, inclusion, privacy, and responsible data use must be promoted while recognizing and preparing for inevitable risks.
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.
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Steering Committee
A national Steering Committee provides strategic oversight and expert advice. The Committee includes individuals with expertise in clinical practice, policy, AI, ethics, data governance and lived and living experience, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives. It guides project priorities and ensures diverse perspectives are integrated, and members of the committee champion uptake through their networks.
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Jeannie Borg RN, MA Leadership
Director of Clinical Informatics and Digital Health, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
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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
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Chris Cull
Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health, Neurological and Substance Use Conditions
World Health Organization
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Jennifer Dahak
Assistant to the General Director of the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal,
Co-director of the CETI-SMDI
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Dr. Christopher DiCarlo
Principal/Founder, Critical Thinking Solutions
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Anthony Esposti
CEO, CAPSA
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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)
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Rebecca Jesseman
Executive Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Health PEI
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Kim Kulbacki
Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc.
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Dr. David Martell
Physician Lead, Addiction Medicine – Mental Health & Addictions Program, Nova Scotia Health
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Jonathan Morris
CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division
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Jason Miller
Person with Lived Experience and Technical Experience
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Dr. Aislin R. Mushquash
Associate Professor, Lakehead University Research Chair in Youth Mental Health
Clinical Psychologist, Lakehead University
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Dr. Christopher Mushquash
Canada Research Chair, Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction
Professor, Department of Psychology at Lakehead University
Clinical Psychologist, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
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Norm Odjick
Director General, Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council
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Valerie Pisano
President & CEO, MILA
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Al Raimundo
Person with Lived Experience and Technical Experience
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Dr. Leslie E. Roos
Associate Professor, Departments of Psychology & Pediatrics; Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Clinical Scientist at Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba;
CIHR Implementation Science Chair in Human Development, Child, and Youth Health The University of Manitoba
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Ashley Silversides
Treatment Manager
Mamisarvik Healing Centre
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Carly Straker
Manager, System Quality and Integration, Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Division, Government of the Northwest Territories
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Stephanie Thevarajah
Senior Policy Advisor of Health, Métis National Council
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Dr. David Wiljer, PhD
Associate Dean, CPD, Temerty Faculty of Medicine;
Professor (status only), Department of Psychiatry and IHPME, University of Toronto;
Scientist, The Wilson Centre;
Executive Director, Education Technology Innovation, University Health Network.
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James Hall
General Counsel and Privacy Officer
Niagara Health
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Health Care Professional Advisory Group
The Steering Committee is complemented by a multidisciplinary Health Care Professional Advisory Group representing a broad range of front-line disciplines (e.g., physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, peer support workers and community practitioners). Acting in a consultative capacity, the Group provides practice-informed input to ensure the guidance is relevant, feasible and grounded in real-world care and implementation contexts.
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Karina Albert
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
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Mayce Al-Sukhni
Canadian Society of Healthcare Systems Pharmacy Representative
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Dr. Norm Buckley
McMaster University/Institute for Pain Research and Care
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Dr. Hance Clarke
Canadian Pain Society
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Florence Budden
Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses
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Lisa Diamond-Burchuk
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
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Dr. Devin Fowlie
Canadian Psychological Association
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Dr. Erin Knight
Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine
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Dr. Leyna Lowe
Canadian Mental Health Association
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Tifaine Magnusson
Canadian Society of Healthcare Systems Pharmacy Representative
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Dr. Sarah Pennisi
Canadian Association of Social Workers
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Tracie Risling
Canadian Nurses Association
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Dr. Vijay Seethapathy
Canadian Psychiatric Association
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Dr. Conrad Sichler
Medical Psychotherapy Association of Canada
