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71st Annual SPA Conference and Annual General Meeting
Join Us for the Saskatchewan Psychiatric Association’s 71st Annual AGM and Conference!
Mark your calendars for an exciting and enriching event as the Saskatchewan Psychiatric Association (SPA) hosts its 71st Annual General Meeting and Conference!
This premier gathering brings together psychiatric professionals from across the province for a day of learning, collaboration, and inspiration.
The conference will feature expert-led sessions on emerging trends and best practices, resident poster presentations showcasing innovative research, and valuable networking opportunities with colleagues and industry leaders. Plus, take advantage of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities provided by the CPA CPD Institute.
Whether you're looking to expand your knowledge, connect with fellow practitioners, or explore the latest psychiatric advancements, this conference is designed to inspire and support your professional growth.
Location: Sandman Signature South
2815 Lorne Ave, Saskatoon SK | S7J 0S5
April 17, 2026 | Annual General Meeting | pm *psychiatrists and residents only - meal included
April 18, 2026| 71st Annual Conference 8:30am - 2:45pm
Registration Fees + Taxes
$200.00 - Psychiatrist Members
$300.00 - Psychiatrist Non-Members (Includes Membership)
$200.00 - Other Physicians/Allied Health - Saturday Only
Free - Psychiatry Residents
Agenda
Friday, April 17, 2026
4:30pm - 5:30pm Resident Meetings
5:30pm - 6:00pm Registration and Cocktails
6:00pm - Dinner and AGM (members only)
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Canadian Psychiatric Association | Saskatchewan Psychiatric Association Annual Conference
SANDMAN SIGNATURE SOUTH
2815 Lorne Ave, Saskatoon, SK | S7J 0S5
8:30am – 8:55am | Registration and Breakfast
8:55am – 9:00am | Welcome & Treaty Acknowledgment | Dr. Hinz
9:00am - 10:0am | Plenary Session 1
Canadian Guidance for the “Grievous and Irremediable” Criterion and Suicide Risk in Persons with Mental Disorders who Request MAID
Presenters:
Lilian U. Thorpe, MD, PhD, FRCPC | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and
Mona Gupta, MD, FRCPC | Montreal, Quebec
By the end of this session, learners will be able to:
1. Appreciate the legal definition of “grievous and irremediable” and apply the guidance for cases where a mental disorder contributes significantly to or is the sole basis for a MAID request.
2. Outline the role of the psychiatrist acting as the “person with expertise” for cases where a mental disorder is the sole reason for or contributes significantly to the request.
3. Describe best practices to assess and manage suicide risk in patients requesting MAID.
10:05am - 10:20am | Faculty Presentation
10:20am – 11:30am | Resident Poster Session
11:35am – 12:35pm | Plenary Session 2
Top Ten Journal Articles in Psychiatry
Presenter: David Gratzer, MD, FRCPC | Toronto Ontario
By the end of this session, learners will be able to:
1. Better understand and appreciate the evolving psychiatric literature by considering 10 great papers.
2. List the strengths and weaknesses of these papers.
3. Apply the latest literature to inform their clinical decisions.
12:35pm - 1:20pm | Lunch
1:20pm -2:20pm | Plenary Session 3
Shaping Tomorrow: Policy, Innovation and the Future of Addiction Psychiatry
Presenter: Vijay Seethapathy, MBBS, MRCPsych, FRCPC, ABAM | Vancouver, British Columbia
By the end of this session, learners will be able to:
1. Describe emerging roles for addiction psychiatry.
2. Identify system challenges and opportunities.
3. Describe innovations from British Columbia.
4. Discuss national policy direction and workforce transformation.
2:25pm - 2:45pm | Resident Poster Awards | Closing Remarks
*Please note the above schedule is subject to change.
PRESENTERS
Mona Gupta, MD CM, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Mona Gupta is a full professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Addictions at the Université de Montréal with an active practice in consultation-liaison psychiatry. Her academic focus is in ethics and philosophy of psychiatry. She has been actively involved in the debate about medical assistance in dying (MAID) for persons with mental disorders, acting as chair of the federal government's Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness and Health Canada's Task Group on MAID Practice Standards.
Lilian U. Thorpe, MSc, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Thorpe is a geriatric psychiatrist at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and is a professor of community health and epidemiology as well as of psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Thorpe is actively involved in research, teaching and supervision related to medical assistance in dying (MAID) and has been involved with MAID assessment and provision throughout Saskatchewan since 2016.
She was a member of the Health Canada MAID Practice Standards Task Group, which prepared the model practice standard for MAID as well as the guidance document, Advice to the Profession. In addition to her membership on the Saskatoon Health Region committee that developed regional MAID policy, she has contributed to the development of guidelines by the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers as well as the Canadian MAID Curriculum.
In 2022, Dr. Thorpe appeared before the Canadian parliamentary Special Joint Committee on MAID as an invited witness on advanced consent to MAID during its statutory review of the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to MAID and their application.
David Gratzer, MD, FRCPC
Dr. David Gratzer is a Toronto-based psychiatrist and physician. He works at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where he is an attending psychiatrist, and serves as the co-chief of the General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division, overseeing the clinical and academic work of 100+ psychiatrists. He is also the CPPD site coordinator. Previously, he worked at the Scarborough and Rouge Hospital, where he was the physician-in-charge of mental health inpatient services and was the physician co-lead for consultation-liaison services.
He is active in education and recently won the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine’s Ivan Silver Innovation Award. He has been nominated 10 times for University of Toronto teaching awards. He is a founding member of the national editorial board of CAMH’s Portico and served on the OMA’s Section on Psychiatry Executive. He peer reviews for several journals, including CMAJ, and he sits on the editorial board of JMIR Mental Health and The British Journal of Psychiatry; he is an associate editor of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
Dr. Gratzer writes widely. His articles have been published in The Globe and Mail and Maclean’s. He is the author of two books and the editor of a third. His first book was awarded the Donner Prize in 2000.
His research interests include psychiatry and technology; he does CIHR-funded work on e-therapies.
Vijay Seethapathy, MBBS, MRCPsych, FRCPC, ABAM
Dr. Vijay Seethapathy is the Chief Medical Officer at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, where he provides strategic and operational oversight for specialized programs, including the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, Red Fish Healing Centre and Correctional Health Services. His passion for improving access to mental health care and treating patients with complex disorders has driven his career across multiple countries.
Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Seethapathy is passionate about leadership and education. He holds an executive MBA and has spearheaded initiatives to address system gaps in mental health care, such as Vancouver’s 24/7 access and assessment centre, which breaks down barriers to timely psychiatric care. Dr. Seethapathy has been instrumental in implementing a triage model designed to streamline access to mental health services, ensuring that individuals in crisis receive the appropriate level of care swiftly. This model integrates various health professionals, enabling quick assessment and referrals to the right services based on patient needs. His leadership style is grounded in collaboration, whether it’s building new models of care or supporting colleagues through renewed governance structures.
Explore by Year
Click on the titles in the dropdown menu to be redirected to the articles.
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Saskatchewan’s first mental health court reduces recidivism, USask evaluation finds. (December 2020)
USask awarded $5 million to lead new CIHR Indigenous health research networks to address health disparities. (April 2020)
ZYUS and University of Saskatchewan Partner to Conduct Cannabinoid-Based Research on Possible Treatment of Brain Disorders. (January 2020)
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Bridges: Sara Dungavell breaks down barriers to inclusive care. (September 2019)
Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford officially opens. (March 2019)