Hacking Mental Health in the Workplace @eHealth TO Conference 2017
Calling all hackers, designers, developers, and engineers! Join Hacking Health’s biggest hackathon EVER with up to $675k in grants allocated to transform your hackathon prototypes into fully baked and potentially commercially viable solutions.
Hacking Health is back at the National eHealth 2017 conference and collaborating with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) to tackle one of Canada’s most pressing challenges: workplace mental health and wellbeing. Work stress and mental health are pressing challenges for much of the Canadian workforce. Nearly 40% of long-term disability claims in Canada are related to psychological health. The changing demographics of the Canadian workforce mean that we require new and innovative ways to foster and support a healthy and productive workforce now and in the future. The goal of this hackathon is to develop innovative, evidence-informed, gender-responsive and culturally-appropriate digital mental health solutions that foster the labour force participation of women, men and gender-diverse people at risk of or struggling with workplace stress or mental health injuries.
Hackers are invited to work with teams of CIHR researchers and power users to build prototypes over the three-day hackathon. Each project idea will be funded post-hackathon with up to $75,000 to fully develop the prototype into a validated mental health solution. The nine project ideas are:
-
Mental support application for precarious and unemployed workers
-
Supporting the mental health of long-term care workers
-
Fostering well-being, stress reduction and sense of belonging during critical transitions to full-time work
-
Taking control of digital stress in health-care settings
-
E-health interventions for Indigenous mental health in the workplace
-
Addressing the burden of addictions on the workforce with e-tool solutions
-
Building accessible mental health literacy training and supports for under-resourced health-care workplaces
-
Developing an e-mental health program for prevention of major depression in workplaces
-
Role strain support for caregiver employees through digital solutions
For more information on the projects, please click HERE.
There are 70 spots open for the hackathon. To participate, please follow the following steps:
Step 1
Choose from the 9 projects described above that interest you the most.
Step 2
Click on “Register” to apply to participate. To ensure that each project has the proper resources available to successfully deliver a prototype, our team is conducting a selection process to ensure teams have a solid foundation to succeed.
Step 3
All successful applicants will be provided with an access code to buy a ticket within a week of applying. Tickets are $25. Once you've purchased your ticket, get ready to HACK from June 4th-6th 2017! Your ticket gives you full access to the hackathon, plus access to the eHealth Conference trade show floor. If you want full access to the eHealth Conference, you must register and purchase a ticket on the eHealth Conference website.
Early Bird
The sooner you apply the better chances that you will get to work on your selected project. PLUS, if you apply by April 19th, you will be entered into a draw to win one of five all-inclusive passes to the National eHealth Conference ($1,550 value). The draw will take place during our next café (date TBD, late-April).
Discounts
We want to enable as many people as we can to participate in our hackathon. So if you cannot pay for a ticket, email us and we’ll figure out a way to get you involved.
Hackathon Schedule
Our hackathons are fun, intense, hands-on events where small teams tackle tough problems in a supportive community of peers and mentors. Here’s the draft agenda for the hackathon:
Sunday, June 4th, 5:30pm - 10:00pm: reception, pitches, and hacking!
Monday, June 5th, 8:00am - 6:00pm: hacking and more hacking! (hackathon floor open until 10pm)
Tuesday, June 6th, 8:00am - 5:00pm: hacking until 3:30pm, then final demo hour and awards granted!
Awards
By participating in the hackathon, you are donating your time to make an impact. And your efforts shall be rewarded! Did we mention that the CIHR researcher in your team has been granted up to $75,000 to continue working on their prototype post-hackathon? This ensures that your efforts will enable the CIHR researcher to continue developing the prototype. It will be up to each team to decide on post-hackathon activities and decide on roles and responsibilities post-hackathon.
But there’s more! Here’s a full list of awards available to support your projects (please check back as we continue to populate this list):
- Nine grants of up to $75,000 to be managed by the CIHR researcher of each project
- $5000 cash award from Interac (to be divided equally amongst the team), as well as access to their technology platforms and expert mentors
- Up to $75k in matching credits working with Cossette Health’s designers, developers, and marketing experts
- Support from Desjardins Insurance: workshops, mentorship, and potential pilot
- Support from Gevity Consulting: management consulting workshops and mentorship from thought leaders
- Support from Orion Health: tbd
- More to come!
FAQs
Does each team really get funded?
Yup! CIHR has run a competition across Canada and has already awarded up to $75,000 to each selected project listed above for post-hackathon development and validation. The goal is to use the grant to transform the prototype into a validated solution.
Can I choose to take the cash instead?
No. The funds represent a research grant designed to support post-hackathon activities and will be managed by the CIHR researcher on the team. Having said that, you may make an arrangement in which you are hired to continue working on the project and get paid for your contribution using grant money.
Who owns the IP?
Great question! Hacking Health does not make any claims to IP that emerges from the event. By participating in the hackathon, you are agreeing to donate your time to the project, but if you choose to continue post-hackathon, then your team should discuss IP ownership as soon as possible before moving forward (in most cases, it is more beneficial to just get paid for any work to be completed post-hackathon instead of negotiating IP ownership). Please remember that the CIHR researcher leading the projects all come from academic institutions from across Canada, and each of those institutions will have a different IP policy that must be taken into account. If you have questions about IP, please reach out to us and we can discuss it with your team.
Do I have to attend the full hackathon to join a team? It falls on weekdays, and I have a job!
YES! Before you apply and register, ensure that your employer allows you to attend conferences and you are expected to be supporting your team full time during the hackathon. It’s only fair to your peers.
What's the refund policy?
Paid tickets can be refunded up until 15 days before the eHealth Conference.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No, you can simply show us a digital copy if you wish.
Can I update my registration information?
Yes, if you make a mistake simply update the information and let us know at toronto@hackinghealth.ca.
Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?
No, because there is a selection process, tickets are only valid for the person's name on the ticket.
Who is Hacking Health?
Hacking Health is a global movement designed to improve healthcare by inviting technology creators and healthcare professionals to collaborate on realistic, human-centric solutions to front-line problems. See our previous Hacking Health Hackathon success stories. Learn more about Hacking Health HERE.
Hacking Health Toronto is powered by an incredible group of volunteers and sponsors. We'd love to have YOU join us! For volunteer or sponsorship opportunities, please email toronto@hackinghealth.ca.
