The CPA submitted a Brief in response to the federal government’s call for a national conversation that will lead to Canada’s first men and boys health strategy.

With access to MAiD when a mental disorder is the sole underlying medical condition (MD-SUMC) postponed to March 17, 2027, the CPA sent a letter to the co-Chairs of the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on MAiD that focused on the expert assessment role of psychologists.

With the federal budget now being tabled in the Fall (as opposed to the Spring of each year), the CPA has submitted its Brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance outlining its four priorities/asks of the federal government for Budget 2026/27.

The CPA has created new “Psychology Works” Fact Sheets on Developmental Trauma.

• Developmental Trauma- PDF | HTML 04/2026

You can find all of our “Psychology Works” Fact Sheets here

As Canadians continue to struggle with high rates of mental illness and shortages of specialists such as psychologists, the CPA released a report Increasing Access, Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes: maximizing psychologists’ contributions to Canada’s publicly funded health care systems. The report outlines five key strategies to help close critical gaps in access and ensure that those in need receive timely, cost-effective, evidence-based psychological care. See our news release, executive summary and the full report.

Known widely as a trailblazer in the field of ethnic minority psychology, Stanley Sue was a Distinguished Professor at UC Davis and Palo Alto University. His article in American Psychologist, “Science, Ethnicity and Bias: Where Have We Gone Wrong” is one of the most widely-cited publications in psychology. The article highlighted the importance of lived experience among People of Colour, and challenged much of the Western-centric science that had gone before.

Sue was a big proponent of cultural competence, the idea that psychologists and other mental health professionals must account for the cultural background of their client in order to provide effective services. In research conducted with his colleague Herman McKinney, Sue tracked more than 14,000 people accessing mental health services in Washington state. His 2001 publication, In Defense of Cultural Competency in Psychotherapy and Treatment, he pointed out many gaps in psychology when it came to the treatment of ethnic minorities, and declared cultural competence to be both a scientific and an ethical responsibility.

He co-founded the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), along with his brother and fellow psychology professor Derald Wing Sue, in 1972. This was one of the first official organizations dedicated to exploring the mental health of Asian-Americans, and it is still enhancing cultural understanding and psychological science today.

In 2020, the CPA’s podcast Mind Full spoke to Dr. Ben C.H. Kuo at the University of Windsor about the dual pandemic being faced by communities at the time – COVID and racism. Much of what he had to say remains relevant today, as we observe Asian Heritage Month here in Canada.

The CPA’s Board of Directors has approved a new policy statement on AI in psychology. For more information: https://cpa.ca/aboutcpa/policystatements/#AI

The Asian Psychology Section is the winner of the 2026 CPA Section Newsletter Award for their December 2025 Newsletter.

The CPA recognizes the efforts that the Sections put into creating and maintaining their newsletters. Section newsletters serve as an important communication tool to help keep members informed and involved in the Section and in CPA.

This grant, valued at $500 per award, supports training, practice, and/or leadership-focused development in all areas of psychology.

Examples of activities that would qualify for this grant include:

• Course/workshop (in-person or virtual) through an existing Leadership Institute or recognized program
• Attending a conference with a specific focus on leadership development
• Course/workshop (in-person or virtual) on leadership development

For more information on the leadership grant including application requirements, eligibility criteria, and how to apply, click here.

The deadline to apply is Sunday, July 5, 2026

In a letter to the Hon. Lena Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC), the CPA voiced their concern about the IRCC’s plan to introduce a copayment model for services provided under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).  The IFHP provides health services (including psychological services) to refugees and asylum-seekers in Canada, and the CPA argued that the introduction of a copayment model would equate to denying services to this vulnerable population.  You can read the letter here.

Mood disorders are complex, which means that both the diagnosis and the treatment can be complex. Such is the case with bipolar disorder, a mood disorder characterized by manic highs and depressive lows. Getting accurate, evidence-based information about the condition is essential, which is what led The Royal mental health centre in Ottawa to create a virtual health information tool for people living with the condition. Dr. Kelsey Collimore, the psychologist who led this initiative, joins the CPA podcast Mind Full to talk about it.

Podcasts and Profiles

The CPA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 CPA Student Research Grants. These grants recognize exceptional student research in all areas of psychology. This year, grants were provided by the CPA, jointly by the CPA and CSBBCS, and by BMS Canada.

Congratulations to all!

The CPA has created a“Psychology Works” Fact Sheet on Coping with Emergencies, Disasters and Violent Events – PDF | HTML | VIDEO

You can find all of our “Psychology Works” Fact Sheets here