In the evolving landscape of mental health and substance use health care, the integration of digital solutions presents a pivotal opportunity to enhance service delivery and improve timely access to care. This presentation explores how we can effectively cultivate an ecosystem where digital solutions thrive, particularly in resource-scarce environments. We will focus on the critical “how” of implementing best practices from conceptualization through to sustainability, emphasizing the developmental process of creating enabling contexts.
Key examples will include:
    •    Frayme’s Virtual Innovations in Care grant, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This example illustrates how we can rapidly partner to evaluate and mobilize evidence related to digital and hybrid services (implemented in response to the pandemic). 
    •    Stepped Care Solutions’ SC 2.0 design model as a Canadian-made, system design approach that can amplify what is working in communities and service systems. This model encourages co-design and implementation efforts that better map and enhance existing services along a continuum, grounded in the needs of individuals. By leveraging SC 2.0, we can ensure that service systems have the ability to meet all the mental health needs of individuals at any intensity from health promotion through to crisis. This approach is about co-designing new ways of working across and between services to build accessible, cohesive and collaborative mental health and substance use health systems. By embedding measurement-based care into our models, we can effectively align services with user needs and outcomes. and ensure adaptation and continuous improvement 

We will delve into the necessity of co-designing solutions, emphasizing the importance of partnership requirements for successful e-mental health and substance use health initiatives. This involves prioritizing implementation, evaluation and knowledge mobilization from the outset, ensuring that stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding and ownership of what is being developed. By embedding measurement-based care into our models, we can effectively align services with user needs and outcomes.
Additionally, we will examine how integrating lived expertise, diverse evidence, and community context serves as protective factors that enhance the effectiveness of digital solutions. This focus is especially critical in resource-scarce settings, where the demand for mental health and substance use health care is high. 

Overall, this presentation seeks to outline applied frameworks for building enabling contexts that empower digital solutions. It aims to share practical insights to illustrate how we can optimize user experiences and ensure equitable access to care in mental health and substance use health services. By fostering an environment conducive to collaboration and impact, we can enhance the overall effectiveness of our health care systems