- OBI's GEEK program has built community capacity for brain health care over seven years, providing $3 million to 24 organizations since 2018, training 3,600 individuals, and leveraging $6.5 million in additional funding across Ontario
- The 2024 cohort tackles diverse challenges from psychosis to brain injury, supporting evidence-based recovery services, seniors' mental health programs, therapeutic recreation, and justice system education on brain injury impacts
- The Royal's psychosis clinic, for example, demonstrates transformative impact, integrating evaluation into daily operations, launching community sport partnerships, and becoming organizational model for evidence-informed psychiatric care
Over seven years, the Ontario Brain Institute's Growing Expertise in Evaluation and Knowledge Translation (GEEK) program has demonstrated a powerful truth: community is not just where care begins, it's where it thrives.
Established in 2018 in response to feedback from community organizations, GEEK builds evaluation capacity and generates real-world evidence by providing essential funding and expertise to programs dedicated to improving brain health and enhancing the lives of individuals with brain disorders.
Impact by the numbers
GEEK's seven-year impact tells a compelling story:
- $3 million provided to 24 community organizations across Ontario and beyond
- 3,600 individuals trained in evaluation capacity
- 120+ knowledge activities shared, including webinars, presentations, and publications
- $6.5 million in additional funding leveraged by partner organizations
Behind these numbers lies something deeper: spaces of belonging, improved access to care, strengthened skills and agency, and amplified community voices. Each GEEK-funded initiative supports those impacted by brain conditions in ways that create lasting change.
By supporting community-led organizations, GEEK advances OBI's mission to improve brain health for all Ontarians, ensuring that Ontario is not only a leader in brain health innovation but also a place where people thrive, supported and empowered to live their best lives.
2024 GEEKs in action
The 2024 GEEK cohort continues this legacy, tackling a wide range of brain health challenges with tailored, community-led programs and services:
- The Royal – Ozerdinc Grimes Family Regional Psychosis Clinic (Ottawa)
Expanding evidence-based recovery services for individuals with schizophrenia through a collaborative, needs-based model of care.
- Progress Place – Senior's Corner Program (Toronto)
Supporting seniors aging in place with mental health support, social engagement, and community participation to reduce isolation and foster well-being.
- City of Ottawa, Inclusive Recreation Branch – ABI Day Program (Ottawa)
Helping individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI) regain independence and confidence through therapeutic recreation and multidisciplinary support.
- Brain Injury Canada – Correction System Education Program (National)
Educating justice system personnel on the impacts of brain injury, fostering understanding, and enabling more compassionate, informed responses.
In just one year, GEEK has already helped these programs achieve measurable outcomes.
“The OBI GEEK grant helped us enhance the Seniors Corner program, including securing a new location flagged by members. Guided by evaluation insights and partner collaboration, we found a space that better meets everyone’s needs. GEEK support has strengthened our commitment to a more effective, responsive program for our community.” — Jennifer Brodlieb, Progress Place
Participants also shared their experiences: "This program gave me a sense of purpose and engagement," said one St. James Town Seniors Corner member. Another participant added, "Seniors programs are important to me. They save a lot of lives in terms of isolation."
The City of Ottawa team echoed the impact on their ABI Program.
“Working with OBI through the GEEK program has been immensely helpful. It has helped us refine our role in participants’ lives, clarify the outcomes we want to track, and measure progress more effectively. This knowledge will allow us to demonstrate program impact and support participants in achieving meaningful goals, greater independence, and improved quality of life.” — Katie Jacobson-Lang, Coordinator, Therapeutic Recreation and Health Programs at the City of Ottawa.
Spotlight: Transforming psychosis care at The Royal
At the Ozerdinc Grimes Family Regional Psychosis Clinic (OGFRPC), GEEK's support didn't just build capacity; it sparked a cultural shift. The clinic offers Ontario's first community-based, specialized schizophrenia care program, integrating evidence-based interventions, psychoeducation, and peer support, with clients actively shaping their own care journey.
The technical skills mattered: staff learned to design focus groups that asked the right questions and to code responses efficiently. But the real impact comes from listening to what the data reveals — and acting on it.
"Through GEEK, we've built the confidence to ask questions, test ideas, and translate them into data," Boutin-Miller explained. "That has allowed us to develop a strong evidence-based system that supports our program and even strengthened our long-term funding application, moving us toward sustainable government support."
GEEK has had a tremendous impact on our clinic. It strengthened evaluation capacity across all disciplines – nursing, social work, psychiatry, admin, and research – so evaluation is now part of our everyday work. This shift has shaped how we operate as a team and helped us embrace evidence-informed care as essential to improving services.
Krysta Boutin-Miller, Research Coordinator at OGFRPC
When focus groups showed that clients wanted more opportunities to connect through music, nutrition, and sports, the clinic responded. Collaborating with the Ottawa Sport and Social Club, they launched a basketball initiative at no cost to clients, giving participants a chance to build connections, stay active, and feel a stronger sense of belonging.
One client’s journey highlights the clinic’s impact: after participating in a range of supports — from CBT and peer support to mindfulness and nutrition groups — they became a volunteer co-facilitator of the Art Group and now contribute to clinic evaluation.
“It gives me an opportunity to give back. I get a lot of things from the clinic, and it makes me feel good that I can offer something in return to people who care and who want to help.” — Client Participant, at OGRPC
Within just one year of GEEK funding, OGFRPC demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement, patient input, and deeper engagement opportunities. That momentum now extends beyond the clinic itself — OGFRPC has become a model within The Royal, showing how multi-site collaboration, rigorous evaluation, and measurement-based approaches can drive innovation in psychiatric services and transform community mental health delivery.
Learn more about GEEK
