About
Fardous Hosseiny
Fardous is an accomplished senior executive in the mental health and substance use/addiction space. His extensive experience and dedication to improving the lives of individuals struggling with mental health and addiction-related challenges have made him a respected figure in the industry.
Fardous - whose name means "heaven" in Arabic - arrived in Canada as a child refugee from the war in Afghanistan. He proudly considers his family—his wife Ariana, parents Zia and Malalai, and brothers Samsour and Mazhar—his greatest accomplishment.
With deep compassion and a steadfast commitment to evidence-based practices, Fardous is dedicated to transforming lives and making a meaningful, lasting impact on those touched by his work.
Fardous currently serves as the President and CEO of the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (previously known as the Centre of Excellence on PTSD), situated at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre in Ottawa.
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Before coming to Atlas, Fardous was most recently the interim National Chief Executive Officer and the National Director of Research and Public Policy at the Canadian Mental Health Association.
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His research work focuses on strategic policy issues related to mental health system transformation, parity legislation, Veterans and their Families' mental health, substance use and addiction and mental health for newcomers and underrepresented groups. Fardous is also a frequent commentator on these issues for Global News, CBC, CTV News, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, among others.
He was part of the Canadian delegation to the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly and contributed to the development of the United Nations' first event dedicated to mental health.​
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Fardous also serves on many national and international committees, including as a member of the Five Eyes Mental Health Research and Innovation Collaboration, an executive advisor on the Global Alliance for Mental Health Advocates (GAMHA), co-chair of the Research Reference Group at Atlas Institute and past co-chair for the Canadian Alliance for Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) and Canadians for Equitable Access to Depression Medication (CEADM).
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Fardous is a clinical investigator at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research.
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Fardous holds a Master of Science with a focus on the neuroscience of addiction and a BSc Honours, both from the University of Toronto. He also holds the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders. In addition, Fardous serves on the Board of Directors for both the Canadian Juries Commission and Renascent Addiction Treatment Centre.
