WHERE WE ARE…
The CORE is located on Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, BC and is under the direction of Dr. Lesley Lutes. The CORE was funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, B.C. Knowledge Development Fund, and the Frank C. Diener Foundation.
2025 Advocacy Speaker Series: Returning This Fall!
2024 Researcher of the Year (Health)
WHAT WE DO…
The CORE is focused on developing evidence-based mental/behavioural interventions to improve health outcomes, and translating this knowledge to inform policy change.
Integrated Primary Care
Our research focuses on improving access to evidence-based psychological care by tailoring mental and behavioural health interventions for delivery in primary care settings. We explore key factors such as mental and physical health outcomes, patient and provider satisfaction, clinician training, and program effectiveness to support integrated, high-quality care. By bridging the gap between mental health and primary care, our work aims to create more equitable and sustainable systems of support for diverse communities.
Advocacy
The CORE lab is passionate about advocating to the government for accessible, equitable, and comprehensive psychological care for those living within and outside of British Columbia. Specifically, we advocate for psychologists to be integrated into the provincial primary care system in order for people to receive timely, accessible, evidence-based care delivered by mental health specialists who can assess, diagnose, treat, and evaluate patient outcomes.
Emergency Department Program Evaluation
In partnership with Interior Health (IH) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the CORE Lab is conducting a program evaluation of suicide and mental health screening protocols across 9 emergency departments (EDs) in the IH region. This project focuses on evaluating the screening process, discharge procedures, and follow-up care for patients who present to the ED in acute mental health crisis.
Behavioural Interventions
Small Changes is a behavioural weight management intervention designed to promote healthy, sustainable weight loss in individuals with overweight or obesity, and has been adapted to be effective in chronic health populations such as those with atrial fibrillation and psoriatic arthritis. The ENHANCE program is a behavioural intervention that uses positive psychology to improve subjective well-being, and has also been adapted to work in the context of COVID-19.
ENHANCE Program
The ENHANCE Program (Enduring happiness and continued self-development) is designed to teach social skills, ways of thinking, and understanding one’s own values and strengths as a means of increasing life satisfaction, meaning, and enjoyment of life, as well as reducing stress and depression.
Recently, the program was adapted for improving individuals health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.