Mental Health, Addictions and Chronic Pain Community of Practice

About this Community of Practice

The Mental Health, Addictions and Chronic Pain Community of Practice (CoP) was built by family physicians for family physicians. Join monthly virtual sessions to connect in real time with and learn from others who are working with patients to address their mental health, substance use disorders, and chronic pain, while also focusing on your own wellness.

View Our Upcoming Sessions

View Our Past Sessions

Meet the Leadership Team

Dr. Stephanie Zhou Community of Practice SPC Chair

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Practice Model: Family Health Group (FHG)

OH Region: East Region (CE/SE/CH)

Connect with Dr. Stephanie Zhou

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Bio

Dr. Stephanie Zhou practices Addiction Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Family Medicine at the Don Mills Family Health Team.

She graduated from a MD/MSc program jointly with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and Rotman School of Management. Dr. Zhou completed family medicine residency at the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Dr. Zhou has an interest in medical education and equity, diversity and inclusion. She co-developed the Diversity Mentorship Program, the first of its kind among Canadian medical schools. She is also a Lecturer for the Financial Literacy Curriculum for the undergraduate and post-graduate medical programs.

Outside of medicine, she serves on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity GTA, impacting health outcomes through affordable housing.

Past Sessions

• Helping our patients deal with the mental health impacts of the pandemic – April 28, 2021 Practising Well CoP
• Even short appointments can help with substance use disorders – September 28, 2022 Practising Well CoP

OCFP Programs

Mental Health and Addictions (Practising Well) Community of Practice

Clinical Interest

Addiction Medicine,Equity Diversity and Inclusion including vulnerable populations,Physician Wellness

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Dr. Nikki Bozinoff Community of Practice SPC Member

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Practice Model: GP Focused Practice

OH Region: Toronto Region (TC)

Connect with Dr. Nikki Bozinoff:

Twitter

Bio

Dr. Nikki Bozinoff is physician in the Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service at CAMH. She is also the Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Program Director for the Enhanced Skills in Addiction Medicine program, University of Toronto. Her clinical work is in the management of substance use disorders and concurrent mental illness. She received her MD from McMaster University, completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto and her fellowship in Addiction Medicine at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use.

Areas of Research

Dr. Bozinoff is interested in action-oriented, mixed methods approaches to exploring topics of importance to urban, underserved communities. Her current work seeks broadly to answer clinical questions in the management of substance use disorders. Ongoing projects include a comparative ethnography to understand the implementation of buprenorphine induction pathways in two urban emergency departments. She is also currently using administrative health from ICES to inform clinical practice related to opioid agonist therapy and benzodiazepine deprescribing in Ontario.

Communities Served

Dr. Bozinoff cares for diverse people with substance use disorders and concurrent mental illness in Toronto, Ontario.

OCFP Programs

Mental Health and Addictions (Practising Well) Community of Practice

Clinical Interest

Addiction Medicine

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Dr. Carrie Bernard (she/her) Community of Practice SPC Member

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Practice Model: Family Health Team – Family Health Organization (FHT – FHO)

Practising Since: 1999

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Biography

Carrie Bernard received her medical degree from McMaster University in 1997 and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Toronto. She has practised comprehensive family medicine since 1999 with the Queen Square FHT in Brampton. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at U of T and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster. Passionate about community and global health, Dr. Bernard received her MPH in 2012. She worked with Médecins Sans Frontières in northern Uganda in 2005, and Public Health Ontario from 2012 to 2019. She has held various leadership roles at McMaster and U of T, with her driving passion being empowering community based family physicians to expand their scopes in both clinical and academic setting. She is the CPD and Partnerships Lead for the Division of Mental Health and Addictions at the DFCM

Communities Served

Brampton is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada with over half of the population having been born outside of the country. Brampton ranks 5th in the country in terms of the number of immigrants, with most coming from Asia (mainly India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Philippines).

In My Own Words

Currently experiencing what it means to work with a disability as I work through the consequences of having Long Covid.

OCFP Programs

Mental Health and Addictions (Practising Well) Community of Practice

Clinical Interest

Psychiatry Mental Health, Addiction Medicine, Equity Diversity and Inclusion including vulnerable populations, Palliative Care includes End of Life care

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Dr. Chase McMurren Interim Community of Practice SPC Member

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Practice Model: GP Focused Practice

OH Region: Toronto Region (TC)

Connect with Dr. Chase McMurren:

Twitter

Bio

Dr. Chase McMurren is a Michif (Métis) family physician leader, recently transitioning from his role as Theme Lead for Indigenous Health in the MD program at the University of Toronto (UofT). In his role at UofT, he had curricular oversight for Indigenous health content for the entire medical program, supported current Indigenous medical learners and chaired the Indigenous Student Application Program (ISAP).

It was during a geriatric medicine rotation during residency that Dr. McMurran first heard the saying, ‘nothing about us without us.’ At its core, this means recognizing that individuals have the deepest understanding of their own needs and those of their communities. Their lived experience and insights should inform the design of community services, rather than being overshadowed by decisions made without their involvement.

Dr. McMurran emphasizes that this same commitment must be made to Indigenous people, who are directly affected by the health-care programs and services being created, and the curriculums being taught. When Indigenous voices are heard and their perspectives are valued, it leads to more relevant and effective solutions and ensures they can actively participate in shaping the supports designed for their communities.

For Dr. McMurren, a powerful way to support Indigenous patients in primary care is to add Indigenous Patient Navigators to team-based care models and hospitals. Integrating Indigenous Navigators into care teams strengthens cultural safety and improves care for Indigenous patients. Their knowledge of both the health-care system and Indigenous traditions such as talking circles, and other important practices, allows them to guide, advocate, and shape services that truly reflect the needs of the communities they serve.

It is through this lens that Dr. McMurren mentors, teaches, and creates curriculum for the next generation of family physicians who are deeply attuned to the needs of the communities they serve.

Communities Served

Dr. McMurren cares for long-living people with advanced illness, and is an integrative psychotherapist for professional artists & physicians.

OCFP Programs

• Peer Connect
• Mood Disorders: Comprehensive and Realistic Strategies for Primary Care

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Our Partners

The Ontario College of Family Physicians has partnered with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction at the Department of Family and Community Medicine to deliver this community of practice.

This Community of Practice has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for Mainpro+Ⓡcredits.

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Events

ADHD in Practice: Treatment and Management for Family Physicians

Starts on Wed, Aug 26, 2026 @ 8:00 am EDT

Family physicians may face uncertainty when initiating and managing treatment for ADHD, particularly in the presence of co‑morbid psychiatric conditions and limited access to specialist care.