The Atlantic Mentorship Network is a non-industry-funded, multi-faceted organization dedicated to strengthening the capacity of community-based primary care providers and allied health professionals to deliver evidence-informed, compassionate care to individuals living with chronic pain, substance use and/or mental health through adaptive mentorship.
Through adaptive mentorship, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the AMN supports healthcare professionals across Atlantic Canada in building confidence, enhancing clinical knowledge, and improving patient care.
What is adaptive mentorship?
Adaptive mentorship is a flexible, collaborative approach to learning that evolves based on the needs of participants. Mentors and mentees work together in safe, respectful, and non-judgmental environments that encourage clinical discussion, professional growth, and shared learning.
Three fundamental principles guide adaptive mentorship:
- Mentorship is tailored to meet participants’ evolving needs.
- Learning is bi-directional and benefits both mentors and mentees.
- Safe and compassionate spaces foster trust, resilience, and professional connection.
Adaptive mentorship supports capacity-building by:
- Addressing clinical and system-level to care.
- Strengthening connections between specialized services and community-based care.
- Supporting ongoing professional development aligned with complex patient needs.
How mentorship works
Mentorship can occur in a variety of formats, including:
- One-to-one mentorship
- Small group discussions
- Large group learning sessions
- Virtual or in-person interactions
Mentorship relationships may involve a single clinical discussion or continue over months or years as professional learning needs evolve.
Mentorship can take many forms, including:
- Environments: in-person, email, phone, video conferencing
- Forms of mentoring: one-to-one, group, peer
- Purposes/durations: discussing single cases vs. longitudinal spanning years
What Mentorship Is
Mentorship provides:
- Educational guidance and support
- Professional development opportunities
- Clinical knowledge sharing and discussion
- Confidence-building in practice
- Guidance in identifying and accessing appropriate resources, supports, and consultation pathways
What Mentorship Is Not
Mentorship is not:
- A formal consultation service
- A substitute for specialist referrals
- A mechanism to expedite access to care
- An alternative referral pathway
- Direct patient care or case management
Patient-specific concerns requiring specialist assessment or treatment should continue to follow established referral and consultation processes.
Who are the members of the AMN?
Members of the Atlantic Mentorship Network represent a diverse range of health care disciplines including physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, students, and many more.
What is the Impact of the AMN?
Members consistently report positive impacts on their clinical practice and professional development.
In a evaluation of the AMN-NS, members reported:
- 94% improvement in the confidence to manage more complex clinical conditions
- 92% improvement in their knowledge, clinical skills, and confidence
- 80% increase in compassion and empathy toward patients experiencing pain or addiction.
Members of the AMN-MS also identified the Network as a center of excellence for pain and addiction.
What is the time commitment?
- Participation is flexible and designed to fit professional schedules.
- Small-group mentorship participants can expect approximately three meetings per year, either virtually or in person.
- Participants engaged in one-to-one mentorship work directly with their mentor to determine a schedule that meets their learning goals.
- To support continuous quality improvement, members are also asked to complete brief surveys upon joining and periodically throughout their participation.
What is the cost to join?
There is no cost to join the AMN. Modest registration fees may apply for select workshops, conferences, or educational events.
How are the Networks funded?
The Atlantic Mentorship Network-Nova Scotia is funded by Nova Scotia Health.
The Atlantic Mentorship Network–New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island received funding through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) from 2021–2025 under an agreement with the Centre for Effective Practice, Pain BC, and the Atlantic Mentorship Network–Nova Scotia. Although this funding has concluded, the Networks remain active and continue to provide mentorship, education, and peer-support opportunities to healthcare professionals across Atlantic Canada.
Are the mentorship Network activities accredited?
Physicians and pharmacists participating in AMN-NS activities are eligible to earn Mainpro+® credits and Continuing Education Units (CEUs), respectively.
Partners & Collaborators
