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Smaller TextAbout Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University is a multidisciplinary department consisting of 62 full-time and over 225 part-time faculty members. Clinical care and research are conducted within the university community and a unique regional network of psychiatric services that integrates two hospital corporations, a network of community services, a 24-hour psychiatric emergency service, an innovative primary care mental health program, and outreach services for children, adults and the elderly.
The stewardship of the department is guided by Dr. Nick Kates, Interim Chair, and assisted by two Vice-Chairs (Education and Research), Director of Administration, Sid Stacey, and Administrative Coordinato, Wendy Mattingly.
Department History
The Department of Psychiatry was established in 1967 by Dr. Nathan Epstein, who was recruited from Montreal to assist Dr. John Evans in the founding of the new medical school at McMaster University. Individuals from around the world were recruited to form a new department of psychiatry to provide educational offerings and clinical consultation and services in local hospital inpatient and outpatient settings. In 1969, a pilot project entitled, "The Field Unit" was created to prepare the community for the arrival of the McMaster Medical Centre and Faculty of Health Sciences in the early 70s. Extensive and important linkages were formed with local organizations and agencies, and innovative clinical and educational programs were developed by a staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, who provided counseling, program consultation and in-house training. With the building of the Master Medical Centre in 1972, the Unit was disbanded with many of the staff redeployed to various hospital and clinic services.
Following Dr. Epstein’s tenure, the stewardship of Dr. Jock Cleghorn led to the refinement of a network of clinical services, including novel delivery systems which were recognized as a model for others. Significant curriculum and administrative enhancements were made to our postgraduate and postprofessional educational programs, and 1989 saw the creation of an annual research day to showcase the breadth of research taking place across the department. Other significant developments during these years were the creation of the Clinical Investigator Training Program, and the establishment of the Child Psychiatry Research Centre (now the Offord Centre for Child Studies).
Vision
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University is committed to improving mental health across the life span through the advancement and integration of innovative clinical care, education, and research.
Mission
- To promote psychiatry as an integral part of medicine in which there is a dynamic relationship between mind, brain, and body
- To respond with compassion, dignity and respect to the needs of our diverse community, with particular attention to vulnerable, underserved populations
- To develop and evaluate innovative treatments that focus both on early intervention and recovery
- To contribute to a better understanding of the causes of mental illness through the generation and integration of knowledge across disciplines
- To ensure that evidence-based knowledge translation and dissemination informs practitioners and policy makers
- To create a culture that is inspiring, collaborative, and supportive for faculty, staff and trainees
- To provide a vibrant educational environment in which to train future generations of mental health experts and scientists
