Expert Gatherings

Our gatherings serve as a platform for global leaders in child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) to engage in focused, solution-oriented discussions.

These gatherings unite experts from various disciplines to advance CAMH care globally, spotlighting country-specific initiatives or key topics within the broader CAMH agenda. To date, we have welcomed over 100 attendees from seventeen countries, spanning over four continents, and we anticipate hosting more gatherings in the years ahead.

Our expert gatherings are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the meeting objectives and priorities of participants. They can take the form of in-person, virtual, or hybrid meetings.

These gatherings may focus on a specific country or region or highlight a specific topic. The agendas and focus areas are tailored to meet the needs of our partners and align with the broader child and adolescent mental health agenda.

The SNF Global Center hosted an in-person gathering in South Africa, which brought together youth representatives, mental health professionals, and policy experts from South Africa and surrounding regions. The discussion centered on effective strategies to enhance commitment to improving mental health outcomes for youth in South Africa and beyond.

Under the theme ‘The Digital Dilemma: Bridging Science and Storytelling for Youth Mental Health’, the SNF Global Center’s Global Summit on Youth Mental Health brought together international partners, experts and young leaders exploring new ideas and solutions on reimagining mental health in the digital age. The event took place during the 80th UN General Assembly’s High-Level week, with panels, presentations and roundtable discussions spotlighting youth-led innovations, experiences and culturally grounded collaborations.

In collaboration with the Child Mind Institute’s Science team, the SNF Global Center hosted its first hybrid Expert Gathering. This session focused on the use of biometric data in evaluating mental health disorders, resulting in a white paper co-authored by participants outlining key findings and recommendations.

In partnership with the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) and Instituto de Estudos para Políticas de Saúde (IEPS), the gathering convened youth representatives, mental health professionals, and policy experts to explore effective strategies to improve mental health outcomes for children and adolescents in Brazil, and further afield. Participants included representatives from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health of Mozambique (MISAU), and the World Health Organization.

The SNF Global Center’s inaugural Expert Gathering in New York positioned the SNF Global Center as a key stakeholder in the mental health space, fostering connections among global mental health leaders, advocates, academics, and individuals with lived experience.