Jennifer Russel

Dr. Jennifer Russel is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Psychiatry.  Currently, she is serving as the Psychiatrist in Chief of Mental Health and Psychiatry at Michael Garron Hospital.  She is the psychiatrist for the Transitional Youth program and works in the Emergency Department.  She is also an Adjunct Professor with the UBC Department of Psychiatry.

Previous to joining the Psychiatry Department at The University of Toronto, Dr. Russel was the Associate Head of Psychiatry at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) for Child, Youth and Women’s Hospital Program and the Director for Postgraduate Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Subspecialty for UBC.  Dr. Russel previously served as Interim Psychiatrist in Chief for BCCH and Women’s Hospital, as the Medical Director for the BCCH Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit, and as the Clinical Director for the Compass Program. In 2020, Dr. Russel was named a Physician Changemaker by the Canadian Medical Association.

Dr. Russel’s clinical focus is leveraging technology and clinical innovation to build capacity and improve access to care for patients with complex mental health presentations.  She is particularly passionate about Trauma Informed Care. She was a cofounder of the Psychological PPE program (TEND Academy), with expertise in Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Vicarious Trauma. She is also a certified organizational coach.

Recent Publications

Stephanie A. Bryson, Emma Gauvin, Ally Jamieson, Melanie Rathgeber, Lorelei Faulkner‑Gibson, Sarah Bell, Jana Davidson, Jennifer Russel, and Sharlynne Burke. What are effective strategies for implementing trauma-informed care in youth inpatient psychiatric and residential treatment settings? A realist systematic review. International Journal of Mental Health Systems. (2017) 11:36.

Honours and Awards

Physician Changemaker, Canadian Medical Association, 2020