Adaptive Mentoring to Build Primary Care Capacity: Caring for Canadians Living with Mental Illness, Chronic Pain and Addictions Implementation Toolkit

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About the resource

It is recognized that access to care in the clinical areas of mental health, chronic pain, and substance use disorder has been challenging.1,2 A key solution involves building primary care providers’ clinical expertise and confidence to deliver high-quality, compassionate care for these patients that is accessible within their medical neighbourhoods.1,2,3

This implementation toolkit was built as a part of the project outputs and includes resources for network implementation as well as network knowledge products and learning opportunities developed over the course of the four years. The intended audience for this toolkit is two-fold: 

  1. Potential medical directors, clinical leads, program managers, organizations (government or non-), or professional associations who are interested in developing and implementing adaptive mentorship networks in locations that do not currently have this support network. 
  1. Healthcare practitioners with an expertise in supporting the care of persons living with the three identified conditions, chronic pain, mental health, and/or substance use disorder. These practitioners may represent a spectrum of professions (e.g., psychiatrists, anesthesiologists, family physicians, pharmacists, nurses) who are interested in becoming a mentor of a regional adaptive mentorship network. 

Aims of the implementation toolkit

This Implementation toolkit was developed as part of a project funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program*.  The Adaptive Mentoring to Build Primary Care Capacity: Caring for Canadians Living with Mental Illness, Chronic Pain and Addictions toolkit aims to:

  1. Provide information on establishing regional networks
  2. Share resources on adaptive mentorship network implementation, focusing on:
    • Setting up leadership
    • Setting up institutions
    • Establishing mentorship activities and operations
  3. Establishing mentorship activities and operations
  4. Provide an overview of planning program and performance evaluation
  5. Discuss key themes and best practices for sustainability

* The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada

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Mentorship network implementation New

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This collection of knowledge products was developed through the four-year national SUAP initiative to build capacity among primary care providers caring for patients with chronic pain, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The resources – including HR documents, training materials, and community of practice frameworks – are shared to support the ongoing spread and scale of Adaptive Mentorship Networks across diverse healthcare settings. By accessing these materials, new and existing networks can adopt evidence-informed, trauma-sensitive, and culturally safe mentorship models that foster resilience, enhance provider confidence, to ultimately improve care for people living with chronic pain, mental health, and substance use disorder.

Setting up leadership

A critical lesson from the four-year Adaptive Mentorship Network initiative is that successful network operations depend not only on the mentorship model itself but also on having the right leadership and operational infrastructure in place. To support this, the program developed a suite of HR knowledge products, including role descriptions for key leadership and coordination positions. These tools are designed to help organizations identify, recruit, and retain the individuals who will drive the program’s success. Sustained staffing, appropriate FTE allocations, and leadership continuity have proven essential to maintaining program quality, fostering local engagement, and supporting long-term sustainability.

Setting up institutions

AMN-Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland & Labrador 

The established Adaptive Mentorship Network (AMN) model proved highly effective in Nova Scotia, where it supported the development of a strong, engaged network and facilitated the formation of key institutional partnerships. Through sustained collaboration and committed local leadership, the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) successfully secured Ministry of Health (MOH) funding to continue and expand their network—formerly AMN-Pain & Addiction and now known as AMN-Nova Scotia. This early success underscored the model’s adaptability and impact, and catalyzed interest in extending the AMN approach to other Atlantic provinces. Both the AMN-P&A leadership and NSHA expressed clear enthusiasm for this broader regional development, laying the groundwork for future interprovincial collaboration. Importantly, these local goals to scale and spread the AMN model across Atlantic Canada aligned closely with our broader national vision, supported through our SUAP-funded project, to expand the AMN model across the country. 

AMN-British Columbia

In BC, we identified strong alignment between the goals of the AMN model and the province’s ongoing efforts to build primary care capacity in pain management through continuing professional development (CPD) programs. Pain BC had already demonstrated success in developing and hosting CPD initiatives and showed clear leadership in advancing system-wide approaches to chronic pain. Notably, the provincial Action Plan for Pain highlighted a readiness to adopt innovative models like AMN, and there was early and enthusiastic interest from Pain BC leadership in exploring how the model could support their objectives. This alignment made Pain BC a natural and strategic partner in the provincial launch of AMN. 

Setting up mentorship activities

At the heart of the Adaptive Mentorship Network is the role of the mentor, not just as a clinical expert, but as a facilitator of trust, learning, and growth. To support this, a suite of knowledge products was developed to guide mentor training, support creation of structured activity workplans, and prepare mentors for their pivotal role in network delivery. These resources emphasize the importance of both subject matter expertise in addition to strong program management to develop the operational skills needed to plan, organize, and deliver consistent, high-quality offerings. Equally essential is the mentor’s and program managers’/coordinators’ ability to create safe, non-judgmental spaces where participants can share clinical cases, reflect on challenges, and engage in vulnerable, open dialogue without fear of stigma or judgment. Adaptive mentorship is a bi-directional process, mentors and mentees learn from one another, adapting to diverse learning styles and practice contexts. This dynamic approach fosters meaningful professional relationships and ensures that mentorship activities remain relevant, compassionate, and responsive to real-world complexities. 

Implementation supports

Program evaluation & performance measurement New

A foundational element of the Adaptive Mentorship Network’s success has been the systematic evaluation of its reach, impact, and ongoing refinement. To achieve this, a comprehensive set of evaluation tools was developed, including self-report surveys designed to measure changes in knowledge, clinical confidence, skills, and behaviours among program participants. These tools also captured participant feedback on program satisfaction, usability, and the relevance of mentorship activities to their clinical practice. Developed collaboratively by the National Evaluation Committee and the National Advisory Committee, the evaluation framework ensured that data collection was both rigorous and meaningful, capturing the real-world experiences of frontline providers across diverse settings. The resulting insights have been instrumental in demonstrating program effectiveness, informing continuous improvement, and supporting sustainability efforts through transparent, data-driven reporting. 

Establishing financial sustainability New

Key insights for organizations aiming to achieve sustainable funding include: 

Diversify Funding Sources (Web of Funding): 
  • Create a resilient financial strategy by diversifying funding streams, avoiding sole reliance on any single source. 
  • Potential funding sources identified through past conversations include: 
    • Government and Health Authority Funding: 
      • Traditional primary funders, historically significant but can be uncertain and precarious. 
    • Philanthropic Contributions: 
      • Leverage donations from foundations and charitable organizations. 
    • Corporate Sponsorships: 
      • Secure partnerships with ethical corporate entities whose values and vision align closely with the initiative to maintain integrity and trust. 
    • User-Pay Models (Fee-for-service): 
      • Explore subscription-based or pay-per-use funding mechanisms, inspired by successful Canadian case-based learning initiatives that sustain operations through clinician subscriptions. 
Ethical Alignment
  • Prioritize alignment of funding sources, especially corporate sponsorships, with organizational ethics and values to avoid conflicts and maintain stakeholder trust. 
Operational and Human Resource Considerations
  • Recognize the importance of operational sustainability, including the delegation and distribution of responsibilities. This approach can allow stakeholders, especially from smaller provinces or those with resource constraints, to better focus on core operational tasks. 

Implementing these strategies will enable initiatives to achieve durable financial and operational stability, ensuring long-term viability and effectiveness. 

Key themes and best practices New

Key Findings and Learnings from the Adaptive Mentorship Network

The evaluation of the Adaptive Mentorship Network surfaced several key themes that highlight its impact and guide future implementation:

1. Improved Clinical Capacity

Over 90% of participants reported increased knowledge, confidence, and skills in managing chronic pain, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders. These improvements translated into real-world changes in clinical behaviour, including more trauma-informed, culturally safe, and collaborative care approaches.

2. Emotional and Professional Resilience

The program reduced burnout and increased professional satisfaction for both mentors and mentees. By fostering safe, non-judgmental spaces for open discussion, clinicians were able to share challenges, learn from peers, and support one another in navigating complex care.

3. The Power of Consistency and Planning

Prioritizing regular, well-structured mentorship activities was a key ingredient to success. The predictability of offerings, combined with thoughtful leadership and operational planning, proved essential for engagement and long-term sustainability.

4. Bi-Directional Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Adaptive mentorship’s unique, bi-directional model empowered both mentors and mentees to learn from each other. This created a ripple effect, extending learning beyond individual participants through peer support, resource sharing, and system-level influence.

Collectively, these findings reinforce adaptive mentorship as a scalable, compassionate model for building primary care capacity while supporting provider well-being and improving patient care.

References New