Carolyn Lemsky

Dr. Carolyn Lemsky is a board certified neuropsychologist with 25 years of experience working in rehabilitation settings in the U.S. and Canada. For the past 15 years she has been the Clinical Director at Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS) of Toronto—a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funded agency designed to promote community re-integration of persons living with the effects of acquired brain injury. At CHIRS she maintains an active clinical practice along with her administrative, research and training activities.

For the past nine years she has been the director of the Substance Use and Brain Injury Bridging Project, a research and knowledge transfer initiative funded by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. Along with her partners at the Center for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) she has trained over 2000 mental health, addictions and ABI providers in basic skills needed to promote the development of more accessible addictions programming for people living with Substance Abuse and ABI. The SUBI program is responsible for initiating screening for brain injury at CAMH, and the first Canadian pilot treatment program for co-morbid ABI and addiction. Products of the SUBI project include a provider’s training manual, and client workbook. 

In addition to frequent conference presentations, Dr. Lemsky has contributed book chapters and articles to the neuropsychology and brain injury literature. She receives frequent invitations to provide training and conference and conference presentations on the SUBI project across Canada and the US.

Research Synopsis

Traumatic brain injury and co-occurring substance use disorders and serious mental health
Cognitive impairment