Join the PRIME Community
Mental health matters for families and we want to hear from you! Complete our 3-minute community survey to become a knowledge partner with PRIME, with upcoming opportunities to participate in focus groups, advisory councils, small grant opportunities and more. Learn more about PRIME by visiting primetheme.ca.
What is PRIME?
PRIME is dedicated to developing innovative mental health programs for children, youth, and families in Manitoba and beyond. eHealth technologies offer tremendous potential to advance the reach and efficacy of therapeutics to an increasingly digitally connected population, while additionally enhancing in-person services. Our theme brings together diverse voices from families, community providers, practitioners, and policy makers to cultivate knowledge on the advancement of mental health equity in a sustainable way.
In the short-term, we are connecting with our communities to engage in priority-identification research and building an online Living Lab for ongoing engagement. We will also be delivering app-based services to prevent and address family mental health problems, in partnership with in-person connections to community organizations. Over the next few years, we will be promoting community and trainee-led research initiatives from a lens of self-determination. The long-term goal of PRIME is to prevent and improve the impact of mental illness for the next generation.
Who We Are
Lead Investigators
Dr. Mandy Archibald is a nurse-researcher, artist, Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, and a Senior Research Fellow with Flinders University in South Australia. Dr. Archibald earned her PhD in nursing from the University of Alberta before completing a 3-year CIHR-funded postdoctoral fellowship in South Australia. As an applied research methodologist, she develops and applies technological and arts-based innovations to promote family involvement in child health research and care using mixed methods approaches. She is also a CIHR Sickkids New Investigator, Research Manitoba New Investigator, and Research Scientist with Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.
Dr. Leslie E. Roos is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, with appointments in Psychology and Pediatrics. Her program of research aims to prevent the intergenerational transmission of stress-linked health inequities by developing scalable programs to promote family mental health and supportive relationships. Dr. Roos completed her clinical residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto and received her PhD from the University of Oregon. She is also a DIVERT Mental Health Fellow, a CIHR-IHDCYH & Research Manitoba New Investigator, and a Research Scientist with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.
PRIME Coordinator
Kayley Leurquin has completed her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology in 2023 and will be continuing her studies as a master’s student in Clinical Psychology starting in the Fall 2025 term. Kayley began working with the Hearts and Minds Lab in 2021, and has primarily been involved as a coordinator for PRIME and the BRIDGE Project. Her research interests include executive function, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, child and family wellbeing, and improving mental health service accessibility. In her spare time, Kayley enjoys camping, hiking, and crafting with her friends.
Trainee Leads
Sydney Levasseur-Puhach was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She completed her Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Psychology and is currently a master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Manitoba. Her research interests centre around Indigenous child and family well-being.
Nicole Tongol is a second-generation immigrant born in Canada and raised by two proud Filipino parents. She is currently a Clinical Psychology master’s student in the Hearts & Minds Lab at the University of Manitoba. Her research interests primarily surround family mental health from a system perspective, barriers to well-being and service access for newcomer and immigrant, parents, and family/parenting interventions.
Parent Partner
Ashley Pharazyn is a Parent Partner and Family Engagement Lead. She has a general interest in health and well-being as well as a deep interest in developing mental health support programs for parents. After being a participant in a Hearts and Mind’s program four years ago, she saw the life-changing value in this style of resource and has been in a number of participant-supporting roles over the last three years. Ashley helps cultivate an accessible, inclusive, and supportive community for parents both during and post-programs.
Study Coordinators
Viviana Burgos Camacho has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a postgraduate degree in Medical and Health Psychology. She is passionate about empowering individuals to live fulfilling lives despite health challenges. Viviana has experience in psychological assessments and supporting children & adults managing chronic illnesses. Her future plans include pursuing a master’s and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to further elevate the role of psychology in improving healthcare and patient outcomes.
Maryem Zahra is the Lead Coordinator for the BEAM research project at the University of Manitoba and the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. She holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology and has expertise in social psychology frameworks, with a focus on interpersonal and group dynamics as well as social statistics. Her research interests center on exploring complex social determinants of health affecting children, women, and racialized populations in Canada.
PRIME Research Projects
Community Survey
The PRIME research project aims to conduct priority identification and establish long-term knowledge exchange and engagement with groups and individuals who are interested in improving child, youth, and family mental health through eHealth initiatives in Manitoba. The PRIME community survey will allow us to find and engage with relevant key parties (e.g., industry community organizations, government policy makers, academics, and community members) who have experience with mental health systems and an interest in enhancing mental health using eHealth technology. Participants can be involved with: (a) a long-term advisory board which will inform various mental health-related projects, (b) one-time, in-person focus groups to assist in priority setting related to eHealth services, and (c) a general interest group with interest in ongoing knowledge sharing activities.
Knowledge User Arts-Based Focus Groups
This study is seeking to understanding families’ perspectives on mental health priorities including the use of online (eHealth) programs to support mental health. We are assembling focus groups to bring together voices from diverse backgrounds to weigh in on these matters. Focus groups will take place in four sessions that include youth, parents and guardians, Indigenous community members, and newcomers to Canada. We will be asking questions about client needs from mental health programs as well as perspectives on the use of technology to support mental health needs and program delivery. To aid discussion, we are also using an arts-based method to produce a visual representation of important elements related to mental health.
Special thanks to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba and Sobey’s for making this work possible.
Contact us
PRIME@umanitoba.ca Mandy.archibald@umanitoba.ca Leslie.roos@umanitoba.ca