Pre-Conference Workshop

How to Conduct Participatory Research in Forensic Settings

PRESENTERS: Dr. Christopher Canning; Ms. Kristy Allen; Ms. Sevil Deljavan

DATE: June 15, 2026

TIME: 9am - 12:30pm *half day*

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS: 3.5 credits

COST: $250 CAD (includes 1 catered coffee break; lunch NOT included)

DESCRIPTION: 

This half-day workshop entitled “How to conduct participatory research in forensic settings” will interactively explore guidelines and strategies for conducting patient-oriented research and related participatory research approaches in forensic mental health settings. We will start with an introductory discussion with participants exploring what researchers are doing to meaningfully engage forensic patients in research and assess participants’ current levels of understanding in this subject. We will then share a short presentation outlining two resources we have co-created with patient partners and other hospital staff at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in Ontario, Canada: 1) Guidelines for conducting forensic patient-oriented research; and 2) How to do patient-oriented research: A practical handbook. We will provide a brief overview of each dimension of the guidelines and handbook and share a case study example of what these considerations look like in practice. These dimensions are:

Dimension 1: Resourcing, orientation, and training

Dimension 2: Confidentiality, consent and compensation

Dimension 3: Relationships, shared understanding and support

Dimension 4: Levels of engagement

Dimension 5: Evaluation and sustainability

We will then begin a World Café-style discussion, where participants will split into smaller groups to discuss what each dimension looks like/could look like in their work. We will provide note-taking documents for each group to capture what is being discussed across each dimension. We will close our session by sharing what each table discussed with the whole group and an invitation for participants to stay connected and share their work through our international community of practice.

This workshop will be of value for researchers, service providers, service users, and others interested in participatory research methods in forensic mental health settings. This topic aligns with multiple subjects outlined in the call for proposals, including research design and methods; recovery and service user involvement; social justice; and equity, diversity, and inclusion in forensic services. This workshop will also build on previous IAFMHS presentations in 2024 and 2025 highlighting Dr. Christopher Canning’s project, Supporting the uptake of patient-oriented research in forensic mental health settings: A multi-site implementation project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  

1. Increasing understanding of the different dimensions of participatory research in forensic mental health settings, from both practical and theoretical lenses

2. Brainstorming what participatory research can look like in practice across international contexts and learning from other similar approaches

3. Creating an in-person learning opportunity for new and current members of our international community of practice