Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Akwatu Khenti PhD, Health and Policy Equity

Research Interests

• Global and Public Mental Health – anti-stigma interventions
• Indigenous and Black Mental Health – Black youth violence
• Strenthening Addiction and Mental Health Capacity in Primary Care – of community health centres (CHCs)
• International health and human rights – the right to health
• Community Interventions to reduce child and youth violence

Education & Training History

PhD, Health York University, 2018

• Health and Equity Policy

Master of Arts University of Toronto, 1988

• Political Science, Specialist in Development Studies

Bachelor of Arts, Honours University of Toronto, 1985

• Specialist in Economics and Political Science

Other Affiliations

2013-2020 Board of Directors, Woodgreen Community Services

2010 – Present Co-Director, Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and other Drug Problems (University of West Indies, the Caribbean)

2006 – Present Program Advisory Group for Addiction Programs, CAMH

Community Advisory Committee, Research, CAMH

1999 – 2009 Member of Planning and Advisory Committee, Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and other Drug Problems (University of West Indies, the Caribbean)

2005 – 2008 Working Group on Community Based Treatment, the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

2006 – 2007 Board of Directors, Scarborough Hospital

2010 – Present Co-Director, Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and other Drug Problems (University of West Indies, the Caribbean)

2006 – Present Program Advisory Group for Addiction Programs, CAMH

Office of Addiction Education Advisory Committee, CAMH

Community Advisory Committee, Research, CAMH

1999 – 2009 Member of Planning and Advisory Committee, Caribbean Institute on Alcoholism and other Drug Problems (University of West Indies, the Caribbean)

2005 – 2008 Working Group on Community Based Treatment, the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

2006 – 2007 Board of Directors, Scarborough Hospital

1999 – 2002 Member of the Program Advisory Committee, Problem Gambling Program (CAMH)

1999 –2002 Member of the Program Advisory Committee, HIV Program (CAMH)

1999 – 2002 Member of the Implementation Committee and the First Board of the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre

1989 – 1998 President of the founding board and various subsequent board positions, the African Relief Committee in Canada (AFRIC)

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

• International Health, Human Rights and Peacebuilding
• Global Perspectives on the Health of Women and Children

Professional Summary & Appointments

Positions held in the last 10 years, starting with the most recent position:

2017 – 2020	Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate
2017 –	Affiliate Scientist and former Director, Transformative Global Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
2006 –	Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
2006 –	Program Coordinator, Drug Research Capacity Building for Latin America and the Caribbean, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Organization of American States and CAMH
2006 – 2009	Coordinator, Community Working Group on Community Based Treatment, TREATNET, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
2002 -2006	Lecturer, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto
1999 – 2002	Director, Education and Training Services, CAMH
1997 -2002	Service Manager, Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY), CAMH

Honours & Awards

• Recipient of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (ES-CICAD) Award for Leadership Excellence (2012)
• Recipient of the Black Business and Professional Association’s (BBPA’s) Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence (2010)
• Recipient of the Department of Public Health Science, University of Toronto’s, ‘Ethno-Racial Education Initiatives Award ‘(2008)
• Recipient of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto’s ‘Educational Excellence for Community Care Award’ (2007)
• Recipient of the City of Toronto’s William P. Hubbard Award (2005) for ‘Pioneering work in community development, human rights and public education regarding the African Canadian Heritage’
• Recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) for the innovative integration of Black heritage and culture, with traditional substance abuse interventions, in the development and delivery of substance abuse programming for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth

Current Research Projects

• 2006-present – Drug Reseach Capacity Building in Latin America (project with the Inter-American Drug Control Commission of the Organization of American States – CICAD)
• 2012-2014 – Preventing Mental Illness and Substance Use Related Stigma & Discrimination and Promoting Recovery Oriented Practices in Primary Health Care in Ontario – (CAMH & Opening Minds)

Representative Publications

Khenti, A., Sapag, J., Trainor, R.,Candia, X., Poblete,F., Valdés,A., Thompson,D., Minoletti,A., Diaz,P., Gysling, K., Vöhringer, C., Chacón, C. (2012) Strengthening Efforts to Integrate Mental Health into Primary Health Care in Chile: Lessons from an International Collaboration. International Journal of Mental Health, Vol.41, No. 2, pp. 85-102.

Khenti, A., Sapag, J., Mohamoud, S., Ravindran, A., (Eds.), Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care: A Practical Manual for Professionals (2012). Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Khenti, A., Sapag, J.C., Garcia-Andrade, C., Poblete, F.,Santiago de Lima, A.R., Herrera, A., Diaz, P., Amare, H., Selick, A., Reid, S. (2011). Building primary health care capacity to address addiction and mental health inequities: lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean”, Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, Vol. 4 Iss: 3, pp.143 – 154.

Khenti, A., McKenzie, and Vidal, C. (2011). Cognitive behaviour therapy for Francophones/ Creolophones of Caribbean Origin: A manual for enhancing the effectiveness of CBT for Francophones and Creolophones of Caribbean Origin in Canada. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Khenti, A. (1994). ‘The History of Racism in Canada’. In Carl James, Ed, Perspectives on Racism and the Human Services Sector. Toronto: the University of Toronto Press.

Goldberg, D., Eilbert, K., Khenti, A., and Thornicroft, G. (2011). Wider determinants of health and mental health in primary care (pp.5–47). In G. Ivbijaro (Ed.), Companion to Primary Care Mental Health, London & New York: Radcliffe Publishing.

McKenzie, K, Khenti, A., and Vidal, C.(2011). Cognitive behaviour therapy for English speaking people of Caribbean Origin: A manual for enhancing the effectiveness of CBT for English-speaking People of Caribbean Origin in Canada. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Vidal, C, McKenzie, K, and Khenti, A.(2011). A.Cognitive behaviour therapy for Spanish speaking people of Latin American and Caribbean Origin: A manual for enhancing the effectiveness of CBT for Spanish-speaking People of Latin American and Caribbean Origin in Canada. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Sapag, J., Mohamoud, S., Khenti, A. (2012). Stigma and discrimination toward people with mental illness and substance use problems. In Khenti, A., Sapag, J., Mohamoud, S., Ravindran, A., (Eds.), Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care: A Practical Manual for Professionals (2012). Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Wright G, Gliksman L, Khenti A, Furegato AR. (2009). Research on the drugs phenomenon from the perspective of multicenter studies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. Nov-Dec;17 Spec No:751-61.

Nóbrega, M., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Simultaneous polydrugs use among undergraduate students of health sciences of one university: gender, social and legal implications, Santo André – Brazil. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 25-33.

Hernández, G.R., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Girsbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Characteristics of simultaneous polydrug use among undergraduate students of health sciences programs of one university, Santiago – Chile. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 34-40.

Gómez, M.V., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Social enviroment and simultaneous use of alcohol and tobaco among undergraduate students in health sciences programs from one university, Cundinamarca – Colombia.
Text and Context Nursing. 21: 41-48.

Silva, R.P., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A.(2012). Diversity and complexity in the phenomenon of drugs: simultaneous polydrug use in university students in one university, Cundinamarca – Colombia. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 49-55.

Pérez, F.B., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Simultaneous polydrug use among undergraduate students of health sciencies from one university, San Salvador – El Salvador. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 56-62.

Harrison, J., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Profile of simultaneous poly-substance users of undergraduate students at one university, Kingston – Jamaica. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 63-67.

Mitchell, C., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Exploration of simultaneous polydrug use: risk and protective factors in undergraduate students in one university, Kingston – Jamaica. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 68-73.

Whitehorne-Smith, P., Simich, L., Strike, C., Brands, B.,Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Gender differences in simultaneous polydrug use among undergraduate students of one university, Kingston – Jamaica. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 74-78.

Rodriguez, A.H., Simich, L., Strike, C.,Brands, B., Giesbrecht, N., Khenti, A. (2012). Simultaneous polydrug use among undergraduate from the health sciences area in one university, León – Nicaragua. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 87-95.

Leal, E.M., Delgado, P., Mann, R., Strike, C.,Brands, B., Khenti, A. (2012). Comorbidity study: psychological distress and drug abuse among people in treatment centres, Macaé – Brasil Text and Context Nursing. 21: 96-104.

Merchán-Hamann, E., Brands, B., Strike, C., Mann, R., Khenti, A. (2012).Comorbidity of drug abuse/dependence and psychological distress, Brasilia – Brazil. Text and Context Nursing. 21:105-113.

Musso, L.B., Mann, R., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A.(2012). The psychological distress and drug abuse among patients in treatment centres, in area of Valparaiso – Chile: implications for policy and programs. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 114-123.

Estrada, M.G., Mann, R., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A. (2012). Comorbidity of psychological distress and abuse/dependence of drugs, Guatemala city – Guatemala. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 124-132.

Reid, P., Mann, R., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A. (2012). Comorbidity between psychological distress and drug use among patients in treatment centres in Jamaica: implications for policies and programme design. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 133-140.

Kulakova, O.V., Mann, R., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A., Comorbidity between psychological distress and drug abuse treatment center patients: implications for policies and programs, Managua – Nicaragua. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 141-149.

Vásquez, E.V., Rodriguez, A.H., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A. (2012). Comorbidity between psychological distress and abuse of drugs in patients in treatment centers in the city of Leon – Nicaragua: implications for policies and programs. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 150-158.

Willis, O., Mann, R., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A. (2012). Study of comorbidity between psychological distress and drug abuse of patients in treatment centers, Panama city – Panama. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 159-167.

Prieto, R., Brands, B., Strike, C., Mann, R., Khenti, A. (2012). Study of comorbidity among the psychological distress and drug abuse in patient in two centers of treatment, Asuncion – Paraguay. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 168-173.

Domenech, D., Mann, R., Strike, C., Brands, B., Khenti, A. (2012).Comorbidity prevalence study between psychological distress and drug abuse in Portal Amarillo users, Montevideo – Uruguay. Text and Context Nursing. 21: 174 – 184.