Frayme Learning Institute 2022

Jordan White

Len Pierre Consulting

Bio

Jordan is a proud Métis citizen who uses the teachings of the Métis flag as one reference point during keynotes, educational sessions, presentations, and conversations on decolonizing systems and structures. He brings with him cultural humility, wisdom of ‘all my relations’, an appreciation of shared leadership, as well as a focus on equity and justice.

Jordan (MA, RCC) has completed his Masters in counselling, works as a concurrent disorders clinician, is part of the provincial education committee with the British Columbia Association of Clinician Counsellors, and during 2021 has co-presented at places such as: BC Children’s Hospital, Taos Institute, University of British Columbia’s ‘Let’s Talk Overdose’ conference, and the international Grief and Bereavement Conference in Singapore.

Len Pierre

Len Pierre Consulting

Bio

Len Pierre is Coast Salish from Katzie (kate-zee) First Nation. Len is an educator, consultant, TEDx Speaker, social activist, traditional knowledge keeper, and cultural practitioner. He is in the final stages of his Master of Education degree from Simon Fraser University focusing on curriculum and instructional design. His experience includes Indigenous education and program leadership from various health organizations including the First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health Authority, and the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Addiction. As an agent for change, Len leads and advises for systemic transformation in universities across North America. He specializes in the development of educational programs and services with decolonization and reconciliation as its core values. He comes to us with an open heart and open mind and hopes to be received in the same way.

Maggie Inrig

Stepped Care Solutions

Bio

Maggie is a social worker with experience in clinical, leadership and system change in the field of child, youth and adult mental health. She brings expertise in implementation science, and in working collaboratively with staff, organizations and systems to undergo complex change to better serve people. Maggie joined Stepped Care Solutions in July 2021, and supports various aspects of implementation, as well as supporting the daily operations of Wellness Together Canada. Maggie is also a Sessional Instructor with the School of Social Work at McMaster University.

Alexia Jaouich

Stepped Care Solutions

Bio

A strategic and empathic system change leader and psychologist with over 18 years of experience, Alexia offers expertise in implementing large-scale, evidence-based, innovative mental health programs at the organizational and systems level. Alexia served as the strategic lead on the development of SC2.0’s core components and implementation guide and continues to lead the effort to build implementation best practices into the SC2.0 model. With a passion for and an expertise in Implementation Science, Alexia has provided training, coaching and consultation to individuals and organizations at the provincial, national and international level in the field’s best practices to achieve best possible outcomes for those we serve.

Paula Galenzoski

CMHA Alberta

Bio

Paula Galenzoski is the Program Manager for Youth Hubs Alberta, stewarded by CMHA Alberta Division. She and her team provide implementation coaching and support for 11 integrated youth service hubs across the province. Facilitating social innovation, systems transformation, and community building are the big dreams of the Implementation Support Team. In keeping with her passion for community collaboration, community building, and education, she is serving her third term as Trustee with Fort McMurray Catholic School Division. Previously Paula worked with the Government of Alberta in disaster recovery, a role that came to be following her family's evacuation in the 2016 Horse River Wildfire. Through these experiences, she realized her keen interest in social networks and community collaboration. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminology and Psychology from Simon Fraser University, and spent 15 years practicing as a registered massage therapist. Her interests and experience are broad and diverse. She lives in Fort McMurray, Alberta with two teenage boys, husband, and their bulldog Piper.

Ronald Goguen

Government of New Brunswick

Bio

Ron Goguen is a Project Manager with the Health Department of the Government of New Brunswick, focusing primarily on initiatives relating to Youth Integrated services. With more than 15 years of experience, Ron is well-versed in all aspects of project management and the various methodologies, process improvement and organizational change management in both the private and public sectors. Certifications include the Project Management Professional and Prosci Change Management Practitioner. Improving youth outcomes remains his driving force to ensuring youth and community voice are the nucleus of planning and implementation.

Brooke Allemang

University of Calgary

Bio

Brooke Allemang is a Doctoral Candidate in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary whose doctoral work is supported by the CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research. She is a passionate advocate for youth partnership in research and a clinical social worker who is committed to amplifying youth voices in health and mental health service delivery.

Megan Patton

University of Calgary

Bio

I am currently in my last year of my undergraduate degree studying psychology and a research assistant at the University of Calgary and SickKids Hospital. I’m really passionate about youth engagement in research. With experience as a youth partner and research assistant, I bring a unique perspective to this work. I am motivated to create change in the narrative around being a researcher with lived experience and the ways in which youth engaged research is conducted.

Katelyn Greer

University of Calgary

Bio

I am a person who has lived experience with mental health and addictions. I found the obstacles these experiences created to be extremely difficult to overcome in my youth. I now use these experiences as a source of strength and perspective in my role as a Youth Peer Support worker. Authentically connecting with people and reducing stigma is my passion. I love bringing humor, fun, and creativity to my work in councils, research, consulting, knowledge translation, and beyond! I am proud to be a part of communities working so hard to reduce these obstacles for other young people who are going through what I once did. There is still a lot of work to be done. I am hopeful we can make the changes needed if we work together!

Stacie Smith

Youth Advisory Council

Bio

Stacie is a 2020 Dalhousie Kinesiology graduate from Saint John, New Brunswick. She was Co-Chair of the Youth Advisory Council of the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Services Review conducted by the NB Child and Youth Advocate’s office. She is also the Co-Executive Director of the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health, Founder of the Mental Health Student Support Network, and a Youth Partner with Frayme. She was the recipient of the PHE Canada Student Leadership Award in 2018-2019 for her leadership role in the School of Health & Human Performance. She is currently attending the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton in the Bachelor of Education program.

Sue Duguay

Youth Advisory Council

Bio

Sue Duguay is a 22-year-old student at the Université de Moncton in Law. She has a major in Political Science and two minors in Economics and Management Science. A former president of the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française (FJCF) and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada (FCFA), Sue now sits on the Board of Directors of the Club Richelieu International as Treasurer. She co-chaired the Youth Advisory Council for the review of youth mental health and suicide prevention services (in New Brunswick, 2021) and her provincial involvement began in 2013, on the board of directors of the Fédération des jeunes francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick (FJFNB), the organization she chaired from 2016 to 2018 while being involved with multiple related causes over time. Recipient of the Canadian Leader Award (Atlantic Region), her passions for public speaking, society, politics, and law, regularly serve as a propulsion towards new accomplishments.

Stephanie Lu

Homewood Research Institute

Bio

Stephanie obtained her Master of Science and PhD from the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences. Since graduating in 2017, she has led and managed many collaborative population and public health research and evaluation projects using participatory approaches. At HRI, Stephanie’s role includes planning and executing a variety of research and evaluation projects related to mental health and addiction. She works directly with key stakeholders, including advisory groups, service providers, clinicians, and people with lived and living experience. In addition to Stephanie’s passion for evaluation, she is a photographer (stephanieklu.com) and enjoys running and baking.

Thepikaa Varatharajan

Homewood Research Institute

Bio

In addition to being a Research Assistant at HRI, Thepikaa is a PhD Candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. Thepikaa’s research interests include youth health, substance use, mental health, and program evaluation

Cyndy Moffat Forsyth

The Grove - Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario

Bio

Cyndy Moffat Forsyth is the inaugural Executive Director for The Grove Hubs (formerly called the Integrated Youth Services Network). She is responsible for bringing the vision to fruition by working collaboratively with the communities of Wellington County and Guelph. Prior to this role, Cyndy was the Homewood Research Institute’s first chief development officer. She also served for almost a decade with the Huntington Society of Canada as VP of Development and Marketing. Cyndy has always been an active volunteer in her community and has served in leadership roles with organizations such as the YMCA-YWCA of Guelph and the Asset Development Committee for the Guelph Community Foundation.

Mario Cappelli

Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions

Bio

Dr. Mario Cappelli is a Child Clinical Psychologist who for the past 25 years has specialized in working with children, youth, young adults and their families. He is currently the Senior Clinician Scientist at the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Cappelli’s research focuses on how to best identify needs and how to improve the integration of services between emergency departments or primary care and community-based child and youth mental health services.

Ashley Radomski

BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services

Bio

Dr. Ashley Radomski is a health systems researcher with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services. She is the Lead of a Provincial Network aimed at addressing system-level issues for adults with complex mental health and substance use service needs. Ashley was a former postdoctoral fellow at the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions where she conducted research on the mental health of children and use in response to COVID-19 and the use of clinical care pathways across Ontario

Joanna Henderson

Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario

Bio

Dr. Joanna Henderson (she/they) is Director of the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Executive Director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO). She is also a Senior Scientist at CAMH and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Her work aims to improve access to high quality, integrated services for youth with substance use and/or mental health concerns and their families.

Gina Dimitropoulos

University of Calgary

Bio

Dr. Dimitropoulos is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, cross-appointed with the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. She is also a Full Member of the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and the O'Brien Institute for Public Health. She is an award-winning clinician, researcher, and mentor who has dedicated her career to bridging research and practice on youth mental health.

Tanya Halsall

University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research

Bio

Tanya Halsall is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research affiliated with the University of Ottawa and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University. Her primary research areas are in youth development, participatory evaluation and health promotion. Her specific interests are in ecological approaches and interventions that support behaviour change to enhance youth well-being. She has also been involved in evaluating system transformation initiatives in child and youth services at the regional, provincial, national and international level.

Mardi Daley

LOFT Community Services

Bio

Mardi Daley, B.A. is an advocate, facilitator and Peer Specialist working in youth mental health and homelessness in Toronto. Working from the lens of lived experience, Mardi collaborates on research projects to support by-youth for-youth resources, training and engagement. Her interests include youth employment, peer support and ethical youth engagement.

Rory Higgs

UBC School of Social Work

Bio

Rory Higgs (they/them) is a peer support worker and researcher from Vancouver, BC. They have previously developed peer support projects for Foundry and Vancouver Coastal Health, and are currently studying social and cultural contexts of early psychosis at the UBC School of Social Work. They also coordinate the BC Hearing Voices Network and sit on the BC EPI Alumni Council and Health Justice Lived Experience Experts Group.

Anne Liao

UBC School of Social Work

Bio

Anne Liao (she/they) is a youth peer supporter at Foundry’s virtual clinic, BC’s one-stop-shop youth wellness centre, as well as a group facilitator with the BC Hearing Voices Network and the Kaleidoscope Mental Health Support Society. They also sit on the BC EPI Alumni Council and research the role of culture in early psychosis at the UBC School of Social Work.

Stuart McHenry

Jack.org

Bio

Stuart McHenry (he/him) is the Knowledge Translation Lead at Jack.org, where he works directly with youth to improve mental health systems on campuses across the country. Prior to joining Jack.org, Stuart was involved in the academic labour movement, and completed his Master’s degree in Migration and Ethnic Relations from the University of Western Ontario. His Master’s research and community organizing experience continue to inform the work he does with Jack.org today.

Seyedeh-Samin Barakati

Jack.org

Bio

Samin is a nursing student and the co-president of the Jack.org chapter at Ryerson University. As a recent immigrant, Samin believes that she has had the opportunity to view many of our societal issues such as mental health stigma from a dual perspective. This has led her to constantly compare the two societies she has lived in to better understand the gaps and advances in each one and to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions that are taken to address mental health issues. Samin aim's to bring this perspective to their Jack chapter at Ryerson, where they aim to center their work around understanding the unique mental health needs of their community based on the concerns voiced by the students and to tailor their interventions accordingly. This approach allows them to let the community themselves decide how their team can support them using their platform and the resources Jack.org provides. Samin's goal is to be nimble and innovative in addressing the ever-changing needs of their community, which she believes becomes especially important during these unprecedented times.

Agnes Chen

Starlings Community

Bio

Agnes Chen is a proud mom of 4, a registered nurse, and the founder of Starlings Community, a not for profit whose mission is to ensure the healing of children impacted by the stigma of a parent’s substance use. As a child, Agnes grew up in a home where untreated trauma and addictions existed, which exposed her to the deeply rooted ways stigma exists in our society and within our current systems of care. Today, she uses her personal and professional experiences to inspire a community that can offer impacted families hope while simultaneously enabling a family's healing.

Nida Ansari

University of Guelph

Bio

Nida Ansari is an undergraduate co-op student from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Currently studying at the University of Guelph, she is pursuing a degree in Psychology and French. Nida completed two successful co-op work terms with The Grove -Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario as their Peer Training Coordinator, where she spearheaded the development of the Youth Support Program. Nida’s research interests currently focus on effective pedagogical practices for youth and adolescents, youth mental health, and overall leadership and engagement. Combining her love for education and psychology, Nida sees every opportunity as a meaningful learning experience, and strives to ensure that whatever she accomplishes has an impact on the community around her in some way.

Jemma Llewellyn

University of Guelph

Bio

Jemma Llewellyn is a community-based arts practitioner and Post-Compulsory Education teacher from Wales, UK. She has worked in formal education settings and youth arts organizations, with children and young people from the ages of 6 to 25, including ESL students, and students with additional and complex learning needs, in China, England, Wales, and Canada. Jemma’s PhD research, practice, and scholarship focuses on addressing human rights issues by providing an artistic platform where youth voices are amplified and the practice of adult allyship is modeled through improvisation and collaborative mentoring. It is her belief that to make real social change in the world we need to address the transhistorical hierarchy paradigm between children/youth and adults, through youth-led dialogical participatory practices. Jemma is committed to the process of decolonization, anti-racism, and anti-oppression which are foundational to her personal values, projects, and partnerships.

Fae Johnstone

Wisdom 2 Action

Bio

Fae Johnstone, MSW, is a consultant, writer and activist with over 8 years of local and national involvement in 2SLGBTQ+, feminist and anti-gender-based violence advocacy. As the Executive Director of Wisdom2Action, she leads a diverse team undertaking local, provincial and national initiatives in the areas of 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion, mental health, children’s rights and violence prevention. Fae is a highly regarded public speaker, writer and 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion consultant. Over the past decade she has trained dozens of workplaces and social service organizations across Canada on 2SLGBTQ+ and trans inclusion. Fae is a recurring contributor with Xtra Magazine, and her work has been published in the Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star, Huffington Post and other publications.

Jillian Halladay

Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research

Bio

I am currently a PhD candidate in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University, focusing on examining the co-occurrence of substance use and mental health concerns among youth. I am also a Registered Nurse with experience in youth inpateint psychiarty and a Research Associate at the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research leading program development and evaluation for the YA-SUP. My clinical and research roles are all grounded in identifying, contributing to, and utilizing the best available evidence to improve and optimize the lives of youth.

Lisa Androulidakis

Habitus Collective UK

Bio

Lisa has worked across non-profit and charitable sectors for almost 16 years, both in Canada and the UK. A large focus of her work has been designing, implementing, and evaluating open access community-based mental health services. She is most passionate about putting research and evidence into action, so that services are impactful whilst ensuring they are co-designed, co-led and co-evaluated, with the voice of lived experience at the core. Lisa works as a partner at Habitus Collective in London, UK, helping charities and the NHS design bold innovative services that measurably improve the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. She most recently has helped to design and secure funding for a number of Recovery Cafés in the UK.

Catherine MacAllister

Habitus Collective UK

Bio

Catherine has been working as a peer practitioner for over 6 years. She always says to others, when sharing her own story, peer support is what saved her life and she’s always strived to give back what she was given, which was to feel heard and to be connected. Her journey as a Peer Supporter began as a volunteer at CMHA and eventually she became employed as one of the first peer supporters Alberta and then began delivering Recovery College courses to adults and young people. She then moved to practicing peer support in a hospital setting as part of a harm-reduction and addiction recovery team and later moved to the UK to work as a peer supporter within an NHS eating disorder clinic and leading on co-development projects with Habitus. She is currently a member of the International Peer Leadership Network hoping to grow peer leadership opportunities for peer supporters across the globe.

Callum Ross

Habitus Collective UK

Bio

Working for Habitus Collective UK, Callum works with organizations throughout North America and Europe with a specialization in Recovery and Peer Support initiatives. He currently co-chairs the International Peer Leadership Network whose goal is to increase the leadership capacity and collective power of Peer Supporters globally. Callum worked for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Calgary for 7 years where he created, at its time, the largest cross-organisation workforce of peer supporters in Canada. This change led to significant shifts in how mental health was supported by service providers. He has most recently led the creation of a first-of-its kind ‘innovation accelerator’ for Social Workers, to rapidly scale projects that improve the lives of children and families. Callum has extensive experience of leading service change and describes himself as being obsessed with using community lived experience, data, and innovation to improve outcomes for organizations delivering health and social services.

Roula Markoulakis

Sunnybrook Research Institute, Family Navigation Project

Bio

Roula Markoulakis, PhD is a Scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, with a focus on assisting youth with mental health and addiction concerns and their families in accessing needed services and care. With the Family Navigation Project (FNP), she has begun a research program that explores the Navigation model as applied to youth with mental health and/or addictions issues and their families. She believes strongly in youth- and family-oriented research, so that findings can be driven by and mobilized back into the community.

Liisa Kuuter

Sunnybrook Research Institute, Family Navigation Project

Bio

Liisa Kuuter, MSc, MFT, RP, is the Program Manager at the FNP. Liisa has been in mental health leadership roles for over 20 years and has considerable experience leading mental health teams in community-based organizations. She has experience working with cross-sectional leaders including hospital, community support services, and mental health and addiction services for program planning, development, and strategy. Liisa has worked as a Clinical Manager/ Director of Service and System Coordinator at various community-based mental health services, and as a Clinical Manager of Mental Health Services with the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre, supporting military families. She hopes to integrate these many perspectives in her work in order to become a knowledge broker regarding the service integration needs of youth with mental health and addictions issues and their families.

Sugy Kodeeswaran

Sunnybrook Research Institute, Family Navigation Project

Bio

Sugy Kodeeswaran, MHSc, is the Executive Director of the FNP. With a Master of Health Science degree in Health Administration and 13 years of management experience, she has held a variety of leadership roles in the health research and innovation sector. Her previous experience includes management roles at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Ontario Genomics, where she was responsible for creating collaborative relationships with industry, government, and academic researchers, which enables her to stimulate partnerships with community mental health agencies for ongoing knowledge exchange and to utilize results from research and clinical feedback to support transformation of the mental health and addiction system.

Seren Friskie

Foundry BC & UBC

Bio

Seren Friskie is Provincial Youth Engagement & Indigenous Wellness Coordinator at Foundry. Seren has brought her passion for youth health and wellness to various organizations and research projects, including CMHA-BC & National, SARAVYC (Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Center), iMPACTS: Collaborations to address sexual violence on campuses, The McCreary Center Society, We Matter, Frayme and now Foundry. Seren is working to bring more equitable, youth friendly, accessible and innovative services to support youth and families in communities across Canada. She credits her own lived experience with mental illness, as well as her family’s experience, in fuelling her passion for building the capacity, resilience, and literacy of people who have loved ones experiencing difficulties with their mental health. When she’s not studying or working Seren is organizing in her community, exploring all that the Coast Salish land has to gift us, or spending time with her family and friends.

Gurvaan Mann

Foundry BC

Chantalle Clarkin

CAMH

Bio

Dr. Chantalle Clarkin is a Registered Nurse and qualitative researcher with a passion for participatory arts-based approaches and cinematic storytelling for health. She has a Doctorate in Education, and a specialization in non-fiction media and documentary filmmaking. She is Project Scientist in Virtual Mental Health and Outreach at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and the Associate Director of HeART Lab (healthequityart.com), a health humanities research lab that brings together patients, caregivers, community members, healthcare providers, and artists through collaborative co-design. Her research interests include community-based intergenerational storytelling, adolescent mental health, resilience, and arts-based research for community engagement and social activism.

Cathy Murphy

Adoption Council of Canada

Bio

Cathy has over 30 years of experience working in social services and child welfare. Cathy has worked at the Ottawa Children's Aid Society, Head Start Association of Ottawa-Carleton, Children's Integration Support Services, Algonquin College Early Childhood Education Department, The Children's Bridge Adoption Agency and currently as Executive Director at the Child and Youth Permanency Council of Canada. Cathy and her husband are the proud parents of Justin and Cam Lin who both joined their family through adoption and are now young adults. Cathy is a strong advocate for children and youth living in and from the child welfare system, first families, permanency for kinship caregivers, customary caregivers, legal guardians and adoptive families.

Jessica Van der Vee

Youth Advocate

Bio

Jessica was adopted at six years old. She spoke in the House of Commons for the first time at age 12 and has not slowed down since. She has won numerous community awards for advocacy and volunteerism, and has created safe spaces across Canada for youth in care to support each other. She is working towards a future where no child has to feel alone in the child welfare system.

Allison Crawford

CAMH

Bio

Dr. Allison Crawford is a Psychiatrist, Clinician Scientist, Director of Virtual Mental Health and Outreach, and co-chair of ECHO Ontario and ECHO Ontario Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She is also the Chief Medical Officer of the Canadian Suicide Prevention Strategy. Allison is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Allison is specialized in the areas of suicide prevention, developmental trauma, Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy, and arts-based participatory research methods. As the founding director of HeART Lab (Health equity Art, Research, and Technology Lab), Allison is passionate about the inclusion of lived experience in health research and motivated by the power of storytelling to create engagement, community, and change. She has worked with the Adoption Council of Canada, co-leading grants that support the engagement of youth in digital storytelling and advocacy.

Princess Land

Youth Advocate

Bio

Princess has worked as an advocate since first taking part in a youth panel about the importance of permanency. By speaking out and connecting with other youth in and from care, she has learned about the widespread issues and challenges within the system at large. She now writes a blog to share her experiences and insights, with the hope that readers will feel less alone. This motivates Princess to keep writing and shining light on the child welfare system.

Kaygan Drew Beardy

Youth Advocate

Bio

Kaygan has been advocating for years. He has a simple idea to improve the child welfare system: make communication more efficient. He wants to make sure that no youth has to wait for someone to answer an email for help. He hopes that no child will feel neglected by the system meant to protect them.

R. Metatawabin

Youth Advocate

Bio

R became a youth collaborator with the Children’s Aid Society at the age of 15, consulting and volunteering to share youth voice. She has continued to advocate for children and youth throughout her life and is currently a youth support worker. She works to improve the system, with the hope of breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and trauma.

Brigitte Fernandez

Youth Advocate

Bio

Brigitte aged out of the child welfare system without permanence. She communicates her experiences through poetry and prose, putting words to the more difficult events of her youth. She wants every youth to remember they have a voice. And, perhaps most of all, to remember that they are capable of transcending even the most difficult of circumstances.

Susan Russell-Csanyi

Youth Advocate

Bio

No one should age out of care into homelessness or the other many adverse outcomes that accompany unsupported youth transitions. Sustained post-majority support is an issue Susan is advocating for in British Columbia. Once she found her calling as an advocate, she could never go back. She continues to mobilize and engage youth in decision-making, with the hope that no one will have to endure the system she endured. She is now a campaign organizer for a group called Fostering Change.

Zo Amelia

Youth Advocate

Bio

Zo was 15 when she gave her first public speech. She spoke at her foster mother’s retirement party, sharing how adoption changed her life for the better. She started to share her experiences and make change long before the inclusion youth voice was commonplace. For the last decade, Zo has been building community and advocating for change. While governmental and policy changes are slow-moving, she refuses to give up. She is currently a social worker and program coordinator.

Lily Le

Alberta Health Services

Bio

Lily Le (she/her) is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with a PhD in Counselling Psychology who has worked with youth and young adults from a client-centered, anti-oppressive, and feminist lens. In addition to helping clients grow and change at an individual level, Lily is driven to transform mental health care at a systems level. Her passion for research, innovation, and youth engagement has led her to her current position as a Practice Lead for the e-Mental Health for Youth and Young Adults in Alberta Project.

Emilie Bassi

University of Calgary

Bio

Emilie Bassi (she/her) is the Senior Qualitative Analyst for the e-Mental Health for Youth and Young Adults in Alberta project at the University of Calgary. She holds a Master of Science in Rural Sociology from the University of Alberta. Emilie is passionate about qualitative research methods, making research approachable for youth, and sharing the human story behind research findings.

Leanne Stamp

University of Calgary

Bio

Leanne Stamp (she/her) is a Practice Lead and Qualitative Research Coordinator for the e-Mental Health (eMH) for Youth and Young Adults in Alberta project. Leanne is passionate about facilitating the connection, trust, and growth required to create new possibilities within the complex world of health and social care. She is fascinated by the potential for digital technologies and data to support the transformation of our health care systems and sees the eMH project as an opportunity to harness the power of relationships united by purpose to innovate and move the dial on youth mental illness and death by suicide. Leanne believes that together we can transform our mental health care system into one that is highly effective and supports young people to achieve their full potential in life, both now and for generations to come.

Hayley Moody

YouthLine

Bio

Hayley (she/her) is a queer, two spirit mixed race person currently living in Gitche Namewikwedong (Owen Sound) on Saugeen territory. She carries roots from Bootaagani-mnis as a Wiisaakodewikwe/Penetang HB, while also carrying ancestry from England and Germany. She spends a lot of her time being critical of the Canadian colonial state, and supporting land reclamation whenever she can. She can also be found watching ridiculous TV shows, drinking maple syrup, and learning how to reconnect with the land.

Yolanda-Nicole Delmonte

RBC Pathways to Peers Program

Bio

Yolanda Delmonte (she/her) is a Peer Support Worker in the RBC Pathway to Peers Program. She has an undergraduate degree in Sociology & Criminology, as well as a Social Service Worker Diploma. Working from her own lived experience, she provides support to young people and promotes safety, empowerment, and connection.

Jordyn Ethier

RBC Pathways to Peers Program

Bio

Jordyn Ethier (she/they) is a part-time Peer Support Worker in the RBC Pathway to Peers Program. Jordyn is in her second year of the Community Worker program at George Brown College. Her biggest passions include mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, and anti-oppression.

Bella Shulman

RBC Pathways to Peers Program

Bio

Bella Shulman (she/her) is a part-time Peer Support Worker in the RBC Pathway to Peers Program. Bella is studying Sexual Diversity at the University of Toronto and is in her final year.  She is passionate about equity, inclusivity, and anti-oppression frameworks. 

Christine Bradshaw

YouthLine

Bio

Christine Bradshaw (she/her) is a Social Worker at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Emergency Department and Manager of the RBC Pathway to Peers Program. Christine has been involved in the creation and implementation of the Pathway to Peers program and is motivated to make a difference in the lives of young adult patients.

Tyanna

YouthSpeak Performance Charity

Bio

If I could use one word to describe myself it would be resilient. Growing up I was always an anxious child who struggled with living for herself and not for others. I spent the majority of my life being a perfectionist, and due to that, I was not able to handle the stress that came with the high expectations I made for myself. My feelings of incompetence led me to develop an eating disorder and resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms. It took a lot for me to see that I was the biggest obstacle in my path to recovery.

It was not until I’ve reached my lowest point for me to actively work towards recovery and choose to live for myself. Through my path to recovery, I discovered that I had a passion for helping others who faced similar adversities as me and providing support for children and youth which led me to become a Youth Facilitator today. I hope to continue to draw upon my own experiences to help others feel less alone in their journey.

Garrett

RBC Pathways to Peers Program

Bio

Ask for help in the areas in which you need to change. Once you get the help you need, put your hand out and try to help others. For a very long time, everything in my life was difficult. Dealing with depression and anxiety had me turning to any possible external source to try to cure my feelings of not being good enough. No matter if it was food, social media/entertainment, or other negative coping skills. I was an over-consumer because it helped me forget about how I felt; that was until I decided to finally get help for my underlying issues of low self-esteem.

Today, I reach out for help in communities of people that do their best to help, along with therapy. Beyond that, I do my best to try and help people in whichever way that I can; this alone has made me feel a part of a world I felt like I never fit in.

Jerrica Little

Jack.org

Bio

Jerrica Little (she/her) received her PhD in Public Health & Health Systems at the University of Waterloo in 2021, where she specialized in analysis of mental health systems for emerging adults. She also acted as the lead researcher on UW's Committee on Student Mental Health, which implemented 36 institutional recommendations between 2018-2021. Jerrica is now a post-doctoral fellow under CIHR’s Health System Impact Fellowship program, working jointly with Jack.org and UWaterloo to support youth-led public mental health initiatives. Nothing is more inspiring to her than seeing the hard work and dedication of young people in building healthy and happy communities!

Devon Walpole

Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario

Bio

Devon (she/they) is a Settler/Mohawk living in Niagara. She is a compassionate, approachable, resilient, and empowering diplomat. A great advocate for youth who struggle with mental health and addiction like she did. She has been sober now for 7 months. She uses her voice to help those voices that aren’t being heard, one way by being part of the Provincial Indigenous Youth and Family Advisory Circle. She is creative and enjoys all types of arts, but has a passion for beading. She just started a business on Instagram selling beaded earrings back in November.

Matthew Prebeg

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Bio

I’m really passionate about bridging the gap between youth mental health research and youth engagement. One of the big milestones I hope to achieve in my career is to normalize lived experience within research teams. Currently, that has brought me to my position as a research assistant at CAMH in association with SickKids that involves lived expertise as an asset, and I hope to maintain this perspective as I pursue my master’s education in clinical psychology next year.

Karolin Krause

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Bio

I am a postdoctoral fellow with the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. My research focuses on strengthening the quality, consistency, and youth-centeredness of outcome measurement for youth anxiety and depression, in clinical trials and measurement based care. I obtained my PhD in Psychology from University College London, and hold an MSc in Sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. I have been involved in the development of several core outcome sets, including as research fellow with the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) and as a co-investigator of the IN-ROADS initiative at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Nancy Butcher

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Bio

I’m a mental health researcher and methodologist who leads the TORCH (Toronto Outcomes Research in Child Health) Initiative, which is a patient-centred programme of research at the Hospital for Sick Children dedicated to advancing the science of outcome selection, measurement, and reporting in clinical research. I’m also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a Cundill Scholar with the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Samantha Jack

Bio

Samantha Jack is an Indigenous woman from the Johnson family on her patrilineal side from Nuu-Chah-Nulth and the Jack family on her matrilineal side from Yale First Nations. Samantha is a fourth-year Political Science student and outspoken activist. She is a rising youth leader with commitments in facilitation, community engagement, Indigenous youth empowerment, and Indigenous advocacy. Speaking of decolonization efforts, reconciliation, and resilience, Samantha encourages the creation of safe and brave places to shift from a place of unknowing to comprehensive compassion and connection.

EmmaLiese Thomsen

University of Calgary

Bio

EmmaLiese Thomsen is a Youth Advocate currently working with the University of Calgary to implement an e-mental health digital platform, aiming to streamline and enhance the quality of care for young people seeking mental health services in Canada. With the perspective of lived experience, past and present, EmmaLiese is able to provide input and feedback on project decisions to better suit the needs of youth. Her interests include youth advocacy, community, and family!

Heather Martens

University of Calgary

Bio

Hello! I'm a recent Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) program grad, with a focus on e-mental health tools and youth engagement with them. I have experience on 3 different health advisory councils across the country and as a patient, I havea passion for mental health and ease of access to treatment.

Julien Quickstad

University of Calgary

Bio

Julien transitioned to the mental health field two years ago, having formerly worked in Alberta’s oilfield since he was 16. Experiencing his own mental health challenges and navigating the complex system to access resources led him to recognize that he wanted to focus his energy on supporting others and promoting mental wellness Julien understands the frustrations of searching for resources and being met with dead-ends, misdiagnosis, or unsuccessful treatments. Due to this, Julien is very intentional in his work - using his story and experiences to connect with others and improve communication and accessibility in accessing resources. He is part of an Alberta Health Services supported Addictions and Mental Health Youth Advisory Council, where he collaborates with mental health organizations. As a member and volunteer at Imagine Citizen’s network (an organization devoted to enhancing health services for Albertan’s) he is working on creating an online forum for individuals to connect and discuss mental health. He also works as a research assistant at the University of Calgary in an e-mental health project, and on a mental health promotion committee. Julien is studying at York University, pursuing the cognitive neuropsychology stream. Encouraged by his warm reception into this community, Julien is motivated to complete a PhD in clinical psychology in the future.

Sophie Maric

Aire Ouverte

Bio

I joined the youth council to be a part of something big and give my opinion on how to better help this generation's youth and shape our society for the betterment of all youth. Aire Ouverte represents a desire to change the fate of so many youths that are working/are in health services, to help them be at ease with themselves and know that they have a support system there. The next generation will deal with the system of our predecessors. Values and views of our health system change with each passing day therefore it is best to understand what is flawed and find ways for improvement than to suffer.

Peter Cornish

Stepped Care Solutions

Bio

Dr. Peter Cornish is the founder of Stepped Care 2.0 methodology and current president of Stepped Care Solutions (SCS). He has provided mental health system consultation and on-site implementation training to over 250 organizations across North and South America. In addition to his role at SCS, Peter is an Honorary Research Professor at Memorial University, and the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a principal investigator for a CIHR transitions-in-care 4-year research grant aimed at digitizing and evaluating SC2.0 in three Canadian provinces.

Maddi Mathon

Mutual Minds Peer Support

Bio

Maddi Mathon (she/her) is a queer and disabled peer supporter and mad activist who is the founder-director of Mutual Minds Peer Support, a peer support initiative planning to launch in the winter/spring of 2022. Her work centres the civil rights and community-based origins of peer support and mad pride, and she considers access to liberating, non-coercive, and people-centred supports to be a crucial social justice issue. Maddi has special interest in trauma-informed care and crisis/suicide support, as well as a passion for body positivity and autonomy and justice in health care. She is grateful to be supported by an amazing community of friends, family, and pets.

Dennis Steubing

Wisdom 2 Action

Bio

Dennis earned a Doctorate in Global Studies from the University of Saint Joseph (Macao), a Master of Arts in International Development from Saint Mary’s University (Halifax) and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an Option in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Waterloo (Waterloo). His doctoral research focussed on children’s rights during emergencies, namely the right to protection and the right to participation. He explored the ways children actively participate in their own protection during emergencies in Pacific Island countries with field research in Fiji and Tonga. In his Master’s thesis he used a children’s rights framework to analyze the reintegration of child soldiers in Mozambique, Sierra Leone and northern Uganda.

Dennis is a seasoned project manager and policy analyst. He has worked in civil society and government organizations in Canada, and abroad. His professional experience includes work in experiential education, youth engagement, programming for children and youth with learning disabilities and youth in conflict with the law, consulting on project design and evaluation, training and capacity building, academic instruction, and team management.

David Chernin

Wisdom 2 Action

Bio

David Chernin is the finance and administration officer at Wisdom2Action and works out of K’Jipuktuk (Halifax). He has studied Business Administration at Nova Scotia Community College and has experience working in the retail and tourism industry in downtown Halifax.

Josel Angelica Gerardo

The SAFER Project

Bio

Josel Angelica Gerardo is a MA Candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto with research interests in intersectionality of gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity in politics, an alumni of the Politics program at X (Ryerson) University and a current staff member at the Faculty of Arts Dean’s Office. As a young scholar, she was involved in multiple research projects including the Dimensions Pilot Program and the Young Workers Rights Hub. Josel is a queer Filipina immigrant, and recipient of the University-wide Dennis Mock Student Leadership Award, Marion Creery Award, and Women Champions of Diversity Award after 3+ years in student government and leadership.

Andrea Prajerova

The SAFER Project

Bio

Dr. Andrea Prajerova (she/her) is a white queer immigrant feminist, and the Evaluations and Grants Supervisor in the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Dr. Prajerova received her PhD from the Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies at the University of Ottawa (2018) and her MA in Humanities at Charles University in Prague (2012). Her expertise comprises multidisciplinary interests, including applied intersectional research methodologies, gender-based violence, and critical health and reproductive justice issues. With a passion for an evidence-based approach to governance, she is also the Director of the Board with a couple of other non-profits. Dr. Prajerova is a humble guest to the Algonquin territory where she continues to learn how best to care for each other in (un)easy times.

Rachel Sparling

The SAFER Project

Bio

Hi everyone! I’m Rachel Sparling (They/Them). I’m currently completing my Master’s in Social Justice and Community Engagement and have a Bachelor’s in Community Development. Over the years I’ve been lucky to have worked in a variety of areas in community work, though most often in mental health, 2SLGBTQ+ youth programming, and environmental work. Facilitation is my passion and I’ve been fortunate enough to have been facilitating community conversations, consultations, and programs, for the past six years. When I’m not studying and working you can find me camping or hiking in the woods, cycling around town, at a protest, inside knitting, or debating Marvel movie theories a little too intensely!

Jen Turner

BGC Canada

Bio

Jen Turner is the Manager of Research and Public Policy for BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada). BGC Canada provides safe, supportive places where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships, and develop confidence and skills for life. Jen leads BGC Canada's mental health and child poverty policy engagement strategies, which aim to make positive federal and provincial/territorial policy changes and investment in these two critical areas.

Jen has six years of non-profit experience in public policy, research, government relations, evaluation, and community engagement. Jen is about creating system level change in support of marginalized communities.

Jackie Libon

University of Alberta

Bio

Hello! My name is Jackie and I am in my final year of the nursing honors program at the University of Alberta. I am passionate about public health, child health and research. I have learned immensely from being supervised under Dr. Hilario as part of my honors program and her research in mental health has been influential in guiding my future career. In my free time, I like to read, learn about cultures through travel and stay active.

Jarlo Alganion

University of Alberta

Bio

Hello, my name is Jarlo, and I am in my final year of the after-degree nursing honors program at the University of Alberta. I have a previous degree in biological sciences with a minor in psychology. I chose to go into my current program because I am interested in the healthcare field, public health, and research. Collaborating on our research project has allowed me to learn new skills, develop my professional skills, and will help guide my future career. In my free time, I like to try new foods, workout, and play sports.

Jen Crowe

Choices For Youth

Bio

As Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Choices for Youth, Jen works with communities in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) in the areas of community development, impact measurement, public policy, and systems change. For the past two years, Jen has been leading work to develop an Integrated Youth Services (IYS) network across NL, building from the existing IYS site in St. John’s, NL, and working with 65+ community partners to build a model that meets the provincial and regional needs of youth in our province. Jen leads a team that is responsible for impact measurement, research, and public policy for Choices for Youth and the IYS network.Jen’s background is in the areas of youth engagement, public policy, and community development. Prior to coming to Choices for Youth, Jen led student leadership development efforts at Memorial University, including conferences, fellowship programs, and courses. Jen is on the Board of Directors of the YWCA NL and is Past Chair of Happy City St. John’s. Jen holds a Masters in Public Administration from Western University.

Carla Hilario

University of Alberta

Bio

Dr. Carla Hilario is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. Her program of research focuses on health equity and mental health promotion with diverse youth.

Charles-Albert Morin

Air ouverte

Bio

Charles-Albert a étudié en science politique à l’Université de Montréal. En ayant réussi à faire publier de nombreux textes dans les grands médias québécois, il contribue à sensibiliser à la maladie mentale et travaille activement à réduire la stigmatisation. Il a siégé sur le comité scientifique du Plan d'action en santé mentale 2020-2025 et a témoigné en commission parlementaire sur l'aide médicale à mourir. Il est actuellement pair-aidant et patient-partenaire au sein du CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal et au CHUM.

Elizabeth Guevara

Air ouverte

Bio

Elizabeth Guevara est ergothérapeute et occupe des fonctions de coordination clinique dans le cadre de l'implantation d'Aire ouverte (réseau de services intégrés jeunesse) au CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

Una Wright

Empowered4WellBeing

Bio

Una Wright brings a wealth of experience related to mental health within her family. She is the Founder / Executive Director of YouthSpeak Performance Charity (www.youthspeak.ca) that was inspired by her lived experience. Built on a B.A. in Social Development Studies, a certificate in Social Work, Una is trained in a number of modalities related to mental health, neurobiology, trauma and equity. She includes researched-backed coping tools and learning components in all of her work to supports positive mental health and overall well-being.

Jennifer Wilkie

BoardWalk Group

Bio

Jennifer Wilkie is a leader in health system transformation. She has more than a decade of experience and is passionate about building relationships to support integration and improvement within and across organizations. Jennifer is an empathetic and energetic leader. She loves working with people to challenge and investigate new and innovative ways to approach complex problems. She is a connector of ideas and people, constantly thinking about how to collaborate and improve the systems around her. Prior to co-founding BoardWalk Group, Jennifer was the Director of Continuous Improvement at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). In that role, she was responsible for the implementation of Integrated Care Pathways, Measurement-Based Care, and leading strategies to support CAMH in becoming a Learning Health System.

Jennifer has spent a considerable part of her career leading ground up transformation within the community health sector. She worked as a freelance consultant leading the implementation of a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics and evaluating the need for First Response Mental Health Crisis services in Peel. She has also held the roles such as Director of Technology and Shared Services at Reconnect Community Health Services and Community Care Implementation Lead as part of the Ministry of Health, along with many others.

In 2019, she completed her masters in Health Administration from the University of Toronto Institute for Health Policy and Management and her Certified Health Executive (CHE) from the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL).

Julia Eagles

John Howard Society Belleville

Bio

A 2020 graduate of the Community Justice Service Worker program at Loyalist College, Julia currently works at the John Howard Society of Belleville as a Youth Peer Mentor. Julia uses her lived experiences in combination with community support training to connect with and understand youth. Julia wants to assist youth to eliminate delays and barriers as they find the pathways to their goals, and help them feel empowered and confident in themselves and their skills.

Liam Smith

John Howard Society Belleville

Bio

A former Crown ward, Liam is a Youth Peer Mentor with the John Howard Society of Belleville who began his journey as a youth advocate wanting to make improvements to the systems he grew up in. Liam had a troubled high school experience, and found it mentally challenging to keep himself in school. He also has many peers who have struggled through their employment journeys. Liam’s goal is to help youth who, like himself, had many negative experiences in the child welfare system. Together along with the rest of the Youth Peer Mentor Team, he hopes to make a difference. Liam is currently attending Georgian College’s 1 year electrical pre-apprenticeship program, and is looking to take a firefighting program in the fall of 2022.

Liz Bosma-Donovan

John Howard Society Belleville

Bio

Liz is the Community Connector at the John Howard Society's Youth Wellness Hub assisting barriered youth 16 - 29 year old to take steps on their employment pathway. Liz specializes in working with Cross-Over Youth (those dually involved with a CAS and the youth criminal justice system). Having worked for a decade in child welfare, Liz facilitates collaboration across legal & social service sectors to remove roadblocks and develop new employment routes for youth with Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Debbie Woods

John Howard Society Belleville

Bio

As the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Belleville and District for the last 17 years, Debbie brings over 40 years of social services experience to our staff team. A tireless advocate for justice-involved youth in our community, Debbie has worked to create meaningful connections with community partners and helped establish the Belleville Youth Centre in 2017 to ensure youth have a place to thrive and feel supported. Debbie continues to lead our team in seeking new ways to engage youth with Adverse Childhood Experiences and ensure they have the tools they need in order to succeed in the workplace.

Jennifer Abrams

John Howard Society Belleville

Bio

Jennifer has been with the John Howard Society since 2016 working in both adult and youth services. Prior to JHS, she worked in developmental services, child welfare, addictions and mental health. Jennifer is working in the Employment Pathways program as a Job Coach for EP youth as well as exploring and developing Entreprenurial options for training and employment within JHS.

Nirupa Varatharasan

Centre for Addictions and Mental Health

Bio

Nirupa Varatharasan provides evaluation support for the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario initiative in the Provincial System Support Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Deb Chiodo

Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario

Bio

Deb Chiodo is the Director of Data Management and Evaluation for Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Assistant Professor at Western University. Her research focuses on understanding the implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of evidence-based mental health and addiction interventions in real-world settings.

Kelli Dilworth

Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions

Bio

Kelli Dilworth is the Interim Manager of Engagement and Standards at the Knowledge Institute. Kelli oversees the youth and family engagement program including the Knowledge Institute’s youth and family advisory councils. Additionally, Kelli oversees the coaching of quality standards for the child and youth mental health sector.

Patricia Roy Silva

Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions

Bio

Patricia is a youth advisor at the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions. Patricia coordinates the Knowledge Institute’s youth advisory council while supporting Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario and participating in the quality standard for youth engagement. Outside of the Knowledge Institute, Patricia has experience engaging with youth in a variety of recreational and professional environments.

Olivia Cullen

University of Calgary

Bio

Olivia is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary and the research coordinator on this current project. Her research is focused on using collaborative and participatory methods to engage youth in research. Some of her work explores how youth understand risk and safety in online relationships. Other research focuses include participatory research to explore Indigenous youths’ sexual health and wellbeing needs to support programming in this area, and service providers knowledge and capacity to work in the area of child sexual abuse imagery and exploitation online. Olivia has worked primarily with children and youth in frontline and clinical positions in mental health and social services and completed her MSW at the University of Calgary.

Laura Shiels

University of Calgary

Bio

Laura Shiels graduated with a BA in Communication Studies and Women’s Studies from the University of Calgary in 2012. Since then, Laura has been working within the field of sexuality and public health. She has spent several years delivering relationships and sexual health education to youth in grades 5-12. Laura identifies as queer and has worked with LGBTQ2S+ youth and their families during the coming out process to increase family acceptance and support LGBTQ2S+ mental health. This work inspired Laura to return to the University of Calgary in 2020 to pursue her Masters in Social Work.

Angelique Jenney

University of Calgary

Bio

Dr. Angelique Jenney, is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, and the Wood’s Homes Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health at the University of Calgary. Wood’s Homes is a multi- service, non-profit children’s mental health centre based in Calgary. The Wood’s Homes Research Chair was established in order to build a knowledge base that will improve mental health in children and youth and to bridge community-based practice with academia. Dr. Jenney has over 25 years of experience in intervention and prevention services within the children’s mental health, child protection and violence against women sectors. Dr. Jenney’s research and program development has been devoted to understanding and responding to the impact of exposure to violence/trauma on children; including family-based interventions for childhood trauma; child protection responses to intimate partner violence cases; the experience of mothering in the context of violence/trauma; the role of childhood exposure to violence on children in out of home care environments and reflective approaches to teaching and training social work students. She regularly promotes knowledge translation and exchange through relevant publications, speaking engagements, community-based workshops, and conference presentations.

Fiona Haynes

Mental Health Commission of Canada

Bio

Fiona is the national Program Manager for the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s HEADSTRONG youth leadership initiative. HEADSTRONG inspires young people to become leaders in their own schools and communities, challenging stigma and sharing hope. Fiona has worked in frontline non-profit and community mental health for the past 15+ years, with the MHCC, Foothills School Division, the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta and No Limits (UK). She has a lifetime of familial and personal experience with mental illness, and it’s that experience that motivates her every day to change the way people think about mental health. Fiona is mom to one daughter and two dogs.

Laura Mullaly

Mental Health Commission of Canada

Bio

Laura Mullaly has been working in the health and mental health sector for over 8 years with roles focusing on health promotion, community engagement, project management and stakeholder relations. Since joining the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in 2016, Laura has worked on projects focusing on recovery-oriented practice, early childhood mental health, chronic disease, psychological health and safety and the mental health of older adults. Laura holds a Masters of Public Health from the University of Alberta and a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences from the University of Ottawa. Laura is passionate about health equity and mobilizing change in the health and mental health system.

Karen Tee

Foundry

Bio

Dr. Karen Tee, Associate Executive Director, Foundry, British Columbia, Canada: Karen is a Clinical Psychologist passionate about early intervention in youth and young adult mental health. She brings over 20 years of direct service and program development and management experience in youth mental health. At Foundry, she is responsible for providing clinical leadership and overseeing service implementation, and in collaboration with Foundry Network clinical leaders, has been leading the development and implementation of Foundry’s Integrated Stepped Care Model.

AnnMarie Churchill

Stepped Care Solutions

Bio

AnnMarie is Executive Director of Stepped Care Solutions and a Research Fellow at Memorial University working on the CIHR Pragmatic Trial- Digitizing Stepped Mental Health Care. AnnMarie holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology, a Masters in Social Work and is a registered social worker in the province of NL.

Jai Shah

Access Open Minds

Bio

Jai Shah is a psychiatrist and researcher interested in the early phases of psychotic illness (including at-risk populations), early intervention, and the design and delivery of mental health services for youth. He is an Assistant Professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry, a Full Researcher at the Douglas Hospital Research Center, and is supported by an FRQS Clinician-Scientist Award.Jai is also a Principal Investigator with ACCESS Open Minds, a pan-Canadian network dedicated to developing, implementing and evaluating a transformation of youth mental health services for youth aged 11-25.

Shaleen Jones

Eating Disorders Nova Scotia

Bio

Shaleen Jones has been an advocate, organizer, educator, and all-round rabble rouser in the field of eating disorders for over twenty years, holding leadership positions with community organizations such as the BC Eating Disorders Association, Laing House, Peer Support Canada, and CMHA National. Having overcome an eating disorder, she is passionate about recovery, the transformative power of peer support, and creating sustainable, systematic changes across the sector. Shaleen was one of the first people trained to provide peer support for those with eating disorders in Canada, and earned her Peer Support Certification from Peer Support Canada in 2015. Shaleen was recognized with an Inspiring Lives Award from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, and served on the Mental Health Advisory Council to the Federal Minister of Health. She is an active member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Hallway Group, Quality Mental Health Care Network, and the E-Mental Health Collaborative. She is a founding member of Canada’s Body Peace Collaborative.

As the Executive Director for Eating Disorders NS Shaleen works to ensure that no-one in Nova Scotia has to face an eating disorder alone. She lives in Halifax with her son and their very loud cat.

Nikki Olguin

Eating Disorders Nova Scotia

Bio

Hello! My name is Nicole (she/her). I am 25-years-old, a queer Latina, and currently living in Toronto, Ontario with my two beautiful pugs! I like to spend my time reading, watching scary movies, and volunteering. I struggled with disordered eating for many years, and it wasn’t until I found the right support and connected with those with lived experience that I discovered new ways of thriving. It was almost like I was meeting myself again – both a terrifying and beautiful experience and continues to be. I try to remember that being hard on myself isn’t my default and that it takes time to cultivate trust, kindness, and meaning, and connection can really be a catalyst to all of it. I am looking forward to meeting you where you are at in your own journey, to hear about your own unique challenges, to celebrate every success, and/or to just simply be there.

Soyeon Kim

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

Bio

Dr. Soyeon Kim (she/her) is a Research Scientist at Waypoint and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University. Dr. Kim's research to date has culminated in 13 published and two under peer-review papers. She has contributed to evidence that has a direct impact on new policies, practices, and programs to reduce mental health problems in youth. Dr. Kim's expertise in quantitative research is highly relevant to this project, and she has applied various analytic methodologies in her interdisciplinary research (e.g., structural equation modelling, multilevel modelling, longitudinal data analysis, and moderation/mediation analysis).

Shavon Stafford

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

Bio

Ms. Shavon Stafford is currently pursuing a career in clinical psychology with a focus on the forensic population. She has also been contributing as a youth lead for a research project working with Dr. Kim at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. She is a recent graduate of Carleton University. While attending Carleton, she achieved a BSc Honours with high distinction in Psychology. Currently, she is studying Addictions and Mental Health at Algonquin College to further advance her knowledge, skills, and passion for mental health care.

Holly Archer

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

Bio

Holly Archer is a communications and fund development specialist with nearly 10 years of experience in the mental health and addiction sector. Holly has supported the Waypoint Research Institute and programs across Waypoint to acquire funding, establish partnerships, communicate with media outlets and the general public, host educational events, and develop and implement knowledge translation strategies. Holly has a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Ottawa and a dual degree in English Literature and Theatre from Queen’s University. Holly is a founding member of the Our Health Series, a televised program providing health information and education, and is currently training to become a Mindfulness Facilitator.

Jeannine Smith

Body Brave

Bio

Jeannine is a Registered Dietitian with the College of Dietitians of Ontario and the Careteam/e-platform project manager at Body Brave. Prior to starting her academic studies to become a Dietitian, Jeannine was employed as a professional fashion model, an experience which ultimately motivated her to pursue a career in dietetics. While Jeannine enjoyed many aspects of her modelling career, her professional success within the fashion industry was conditionally tied to the size of her body, and the only way she knew how to meet these requirements was through an eating disorder. When her modelling agency gave her the option to lose her coveted agency contract or lose weight, Jeannine decided to leave the fashion industry altogether. Through this experience, Jeannine gained a new perspective on the impact of media influence on the general public and the dangers associated with encouraging restrictive body image ideals. When she decided to go back to school, Jeannine was drawn to nutrition and dietetic sciences as she was motivated to help others discover the freedom and love that accompany nurturing relationships with food and one’s body.

Today, Jeannine is passionate about the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and hopes to use her knowledge and skills acquired from her dietetic training to increase public awareness and understanding of mental health and nourishing relationships with food.

Karen Trollope-Kumar

Body Brave

Bio

Karen Trollope-Kumar is a family physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. In addition to her medical qualifications, she holds a PhD in medical anthropology. She is an Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at McMaster University, and has been involved in medical education for many years, teaching medical students in her clinical practice, and later serving as Co-Director of the Professional Competencies program at McMaster.

She’s also been involved with continuing medical education forfamily physicians at a national level. Major changes occurred in her life when her daughter Sonia became ill with an eating disorder. Karen realized then how many gaps exist in education, research and treatment of eating disorders. Sonia recovered from her illness after an arduous struggle.

Karen and Sonia founded Body Brave in 2017, a non-profit corporation based in Hamilton aimed at providing support and advocacy for people with eating disorders. A second focus of Body Brave is to develop an e-platform that could serve as a hub for training and education about eating disorders. In Karen’s role as Program Director at Body Brave, she hopes to use her background and skills both to develop programming as well as to promote the e-platform.

Adrienne Young

Family Navigation Project

Bio

Adrienne completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Family Studies at the University of British Columbia and a Master’s of Social Work in Macro Practice at Boston University. Adrienne’s research interests are centered around understanding processes to overcome barriers to authentically including youth voice in organizations and communities. In her work at the Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook Adrienne is partnering with stakeholders to develop and implement a youth engagement strategy. Outside of her professional interests, Adrienne is strong advocate for Indigenous rights and enjoys hiking and being outdoors.

Hannah Laird

Family Navigation Project

Bio

Hannah Laird is a certified youth mental health speaker who has a passion for advocating mental health rights. Hannah works at the Newcomer Centre of Peel, counselling parents and their children as they settle in Canada. Hannah also completes research with Sunnybrook Hospital’s Family Navigation Project, a program designed to help families navigate our current mental health and addiction services. As a Youth Engagement Partner, Hannah helps advance knowledge, support, and resources with mental health and addiction issues to better meet the needs of youth and their families. The mental health landscape in Canada includes all communities, so Hannah strongly believes in working collectively towards keeping it an inclusive matter.

Renira Narrandes

Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, CAMH

Bio

Renira Narrandes is a Knowledge Translation Specialist at the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Her role is to find ways to help shorten the time it takes for research to have an impact on clinical practice. This involves developing tools and working with the people who will use them, including service providers, young people, and family members. To learn more, watch Renira's video: What is knowledge translation? Spoken word poem. Renira holds a Master of Public Health (Health Promotion) from the University of Toronto (2015), as well as a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (2011) and a Master of Arts & Journalism (2008) from the University of Western Ontario.

Stephanie Ameis

Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, CAMH

Bio

Dr. Stephanie Ameis is the Associate Director of the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression and a Clinician Scientist in the Brain Health Imaging Centre, The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH. She collaborates closely with the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, the Kimel Family Translational Imaging-Genetics Laboratory and the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at CAMH.

Dr. Ameis is a child and youth psychiatrist at CAMH and is appointed to the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at CAMH, the University of Toronto and SickKids. She is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Peter Szatmari

Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, CAMH

Bio

Dr. Peter Szatmari is Director of the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Dr. Szatmari’s investigative interests fall broadly into areas of psychiatric and genetic epidemiology, specifically: 1) longitudinal studies of children with autism spectrum disorders and the factors associated with good outcome; and 2) the genetic etiology of autism including studying families with rare copy number variants and studies of infant siblings. Another area of interest is the developmental course of child and adolescent psychopathology including depression, eating disorders, oppositional behaviours and anxiety disorders, with a particular area of concern being measurement issues and sampling by family unit rather than by individuals.

Feodor Poukhovski-Sheremetyev

ACCESS Open Minds National Youth Council

Bio

Feodor Poukhovski-Sheremetyev is a third-year medical student at the University of Ottawa and has held various leadership positions with ACCESS Open Minds for six years. Throughout his post-secondary career, he has advised youth mental healthcare policy and service design at the local, provincial, and national levels. Focusing on how factors outside the clinic affect youth, his advocacy has led him to examine the macrosocial determinants of mental health through interdisciplinary research in psychiatry and social theory.

Zoya Punjwani

University of Calgary

Bio

Zoya Punjwani is a PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of Calgary. Across her diverse health research experiences, her passion is rooted in knowledge translation and bridging the gaps between benchside, bedside and community medicine. Her doctoral research will focus on assessing transition (pediatric to adult health care) readiness in youth with chronic health conditions.

Aidan Scott

Speakbox

Bio

Aidan Scott is the Co-Founder and CEO of Speakbox, a Therapeutic Support Platform, improving the delivery of mental health care across North America. After experiencing mental illness in his own life and seeing first hand the barriers preventing millions from accessing care, Aidan recognized that to be effective, patients and care providers need to function as one harmonious team.

Before Speakbox, Aidan has worked tirelessly over the past ten years influencing policy and programs to improve access to mental health care using digital technology.

Outside of work, Aidan enjoys running the Seawall near his home in Vancouver, BC.

Naomi Parker

PolicyWise

Bio

Naomi is the Senior Operating Officer at PolicyWise. Naomi has over 15 years’ experience working in the field of addiction and mental health. This work has ranged across the continuum from front line practice to prevention, policy and research. More recently Naomi has worked extensively with diverse, multi-sectoral stakeholders to generate evidence for child, family and community well-being. Naomi is committed to mobilizing knowledge in order to promote evidence-informed policy and practice. Naomi oversees a team who apply a structured project management approach to research, evaluation and data analytic projects to ensure quality results are delivered. Naomi has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Masters of Business Administration and is currently completing her Doctorate of Business Administration. When not working, Naomi and her family can be found out enjoying the mountains.

Val Salt

PolicyWise

Bio

Val Salt is a Senior Research & Policy Associate at PolicyWise for Children & Families. Val has a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Calgary and over 10 years’ experience in the non-profit sector in positions ranging from frontline to program coordination and evaluation. Val’s research over the past five years has centered around the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated youth mental health services in Alberta. Outside of work, Val can be found curled up with a good book or spending time outdoors.

Nadine Taylor

PolicyWise

Bio

Nadine Taylor is a Research & Policy Associate at PolicyWise for Children & Families. She has a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Health Promotion from the University of Alberta. Over the past few years, Nadine has worked on several research and evaluation projects related to child, youth, and family mental health and wellbeing including youth peer support for mental health, trauma-informed approaches in youth justice settings, and community-led mental health promotion in rural and remote areas.

Rosemary Perry

University of Calgary

Bio

Rosemary Perry is a Research Coordinator at the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her current role and responsibilities include the coordination of several research projects related to child and adolescent mental health, emerging adults, and youth peer support.

Manya Singh

University of Calgary

Bio

Manya Singh is a Research Coordinator at the Calgary Eating Disorder Program and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She currently coordinates several projects related to child and adolescent mental health and eating disorders, peer support, and transitions in care.

Sarah Lindsay

Stella's Place

Bio

Sarah (she/her) has a background in social work, and most of her career has been with LGBTQ communities and in the mental health and disability sectors. She is passionate about program evaluation and knowledge mobilization, working at Stella’s Place as the Evaluation Coordinator to improve evidence-based programming.

Ashley Ward

Stella's Place

Bio

Dr. Ashley Ward (she/they) completed her PhD in Psychological Science at X University. As the Research & Evaluation Manager at Stella’s Place, they infuse lived experiences with evidence-based approaches into their research, evaluation, and program development work.

Nader Alasvand

Stella's Place

Bio

Nader Alasvand (he/they) is the Access Manager for Stella’s Place. Having completed his MSW at York University, Nader has a social work background and has worked closely with Peer Support Workers in his career. He is leading the development of the peer ambassador team and programming at Stella’s Place.

Madelyn Whyte

Foundry

Bio

Madelyn is a 23-year-old mental health and substance use activist and researcher. She is a recent biochemistry graduate from the University of British Columbia. She is currently a research assistant at Foundry working on various mental health and substance use studies.

Krista Glowacki

Foundry

Bio

Krista is an occupational therapist who has worked in the field of mental health for over a decade. In 2020, she completed her doctorate exploring the relationship between mental health and physical activity at the University of British Columbia. She is currently the Mental Health Lead at Infinity Health, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working with Dr. Skye Barbic and the community organization Foundry, researching the use of Wellness and physical activity programs in the community for youth with mental health and substance use disorders.

Cheryl Pronovost

Town of Stony Plain Community and Social Development Department

Bio

My name is Cheryl and I am the Youth Services Supervisor for the Town of Stony Plain Community and Social Development Department. I manage the day to day operations of the Stony Plain Youth Centre where the youth of our community are welcome to participate in programs and activities. It has been a pleasure to spend time with youth and provide a safe and caring space for them to be in the after school hours. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Gabriella Urgel

Bio

Gabby is a youth council member from Saint John, New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of New Brunswick and is a current Bachelor of Social Work student at St. Thomas University. Her passion is advocating for the improvement of mental health services in her province. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with various mental health non-profits such as Camp Kerry Society and Take This.

Romeo May

Access Open Minds

Bio

Hello, my name is Romeo, I'm 29 years old. I am a single father to a 6 year old princess and I love helping people. I am a member of the ACCESS National Youth Council. I was previously active with ACCESS RIPAJ before and during a part of COVID-19. I was also implicated in creating video games dealing with the stigma of mental health. I am heavily involved in the fitness world as I do online and personal training. I would like to continue to still be involved to help and show youth that anything is possible as long as you try.

Connie Berrios

Foundry

Bio

Connie dedicates herself to empowering young people to take their health and well-being into their own hands. Through community engagement and evaluation practices, she works to improve access to programs, tools and resources needed to help young people make decisions most beneficial for them. Her background includes work in program evaluation, and social service delivery. She recently joined the Foundry team as an Evaluation Specialist. She helps to implement evaluation methods that result in meaningful, useful insights for Foundry Centres across the province. Prior to obtaining a Masters in Public Health, Connie used strength-based approaches to coached youth volunteers at the Calgary Distress Centre to emotionally and psychologically support young people accessing services. Through ongoing family and youth engagement and reciprocal learning, her aim is to contribute to equitable, resilient policies that support access to health and social services, and which give everyone an opportunity to thrive.

Hélène Corriveau

Université de Moncton

Bio

Research professional at the Interdisciplinary Research Chair in Mental health of Children & Young people

Renée Nossal

Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions

Bio

Renée Nossal (she/her) has worked in health promotion and community-based mental health for the past 15 years. She is currently a Knowledge Broker with the Knowledge Institute and works with a variety of communities across the province to integrate youth and family voices in the design and delivery of mental health services and system planning.

Teresa Campbell

Foundry

Bio

Teresa is a Youth Peer Evaluator on the Wellness Project with Foundry Central Office for the past year. She is currently located in Coast Salish territory living in Vancouver.

Christopher Sanford Beck

Foundry

Bio

My name is Christopher and I’ve been a Youth Peer Evaluator on the Wellness Project for almost a year now. I’m currently located in WESANC territory and I’m attending the University of Victoria, doing a double major in Creative Writing and Philosophy.

Brooke Macnab

Foundry

Bio

Brooke is a Research and Evaluation Associate on Vancouver Island. Prior to that she worked as a Youth Peer Evaluator on the Wellness Project with Foundry Central Office. She acknowledges her place of work is on Coast Salish Territories, specifically of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.

Whitney Hindmarch

University of Calgary

Bio

Whitney is a cell and developmental biologist. She is the program manager for a child and adolescent mental health research program in Calgary, Mental Health Research 4 Kids.

Gerald Jordan

McGill University

Bio

Gerald Jordan, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow at McGill University the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, and the Strategies for Patient Oriented Research National Training Entity. He is committed to social justice and motivated to shift the overwhelmingly pessimistic narrative of research on, and care for mental health and substance use problems towards a greater recognition and understanding of the potential for recovery, particularly among youth, who are just beginning to chart important life trajectories (e.g., in work, school, relationships, etc.) and for whom hope is critically important.

Gerald’s program of research examines the ways people transform their lives and communities after experiencing a mental health challenge, and how such transformations are shaped by community-based mental health services and citizenship-based inequities. He is currently funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategies for Patient Oriented Research award to examine how youth who experience madness, distress and extreme states define and experience citizenship

Jessica Kemp

CAMH

Bio

Jessica Kemp is a Research Analyst in the Digital Mental Health Research Lab at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Jessica recently graduated from the Master of Health Informatics Program at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. She hopes to focus her career on improving the accessibility of supports for mental health while improving Canadian's experiences with mental healthcare.

Iman Kassam

CAMH

Bio

Iman is a research analyst with the Digital Mental Health Research Lab at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She is a graduate of the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the intersection of population mental health, digital health, and health equity.

Israel Diaz

Inside Out Initiative

Bio

A 25+ year award-winning creative professional and business leader, Israel Diaz started his career as Designer and steadily moved up the ranks to Chief Creative Officer to lead some of the most renowned and awarded Advertising Agencies in the world. Throughout his career, Israel has contributed to the business success of some of the world’s most iconic organizations and brands, and he is a recipient of the coveted D&AD Black Pencil for Digital – the first ever Black Pencil win for Canada.

In 2017, Israel Diaz launched his Strategic and Creative firm, Sunday+Night. During the 2020 pandemic, Diaz adapted the Magnum Opus - a proprietary Strategic tool developed by Sunday+Night for their clients – to focus on individual development. Multiple iterations later and the support of young visionaries, experts, and educators, the MEmap was finalized, and the Inside>Out Initiative was created with a mission to “MEpower” youth from the Inside>Out.

Heidi Philip

Inside Out Initiative

Bio

Intrigued by Human Behaviour, Heidi Philip began her career 30+ years ago at a multinational advertising & communications company. Over the years, she held a variety of national and global leadership roles and she has worked in almost every category (including setting up a yoga business in Brazil and Canada!), but most dear to her heart were the projects that enabled her to help people live a better life.

Heidi’s not-for-profit and social innovation portfolio includes CAMH, ConnexOntario, and ParticipACTION to name a few. In 2014 she was a core member of the Always #likeagirl team, which resulted in unprecedented global social impact in female empowerment and recognition from the United Nations. Heidi has a deep understanding of psychoanalysis and other wellness modalities, and co-founded the Inside>Out Initiative to integrate science, business and philosophy into a simple framework accessible to youth. When youth succeed, we all succeed.

Michaela Lynn

Bio

Michaela Lynn is passionate about improving the experiences of youth, family and caregivers when accessing care and the support they need when faced with either or both addiction and mental health concerns. Michaela is a strong advocate for youth voices to be involved from start to finish when discussing the future of delivery of care and services. Michaela has lived experience as a family member, whom unfortunately lost her sister to substance use in 2019. She represents a family perspective.

Kayly Vig

Bio

Kayly Vig is a youth with lived and living experience with opioid use and mental health concerns, she is passionate about the involvement and engagement of youth and familial perspective to initiatives and project design.

Amanda Kwan

University of British Columbia

Bio

Amanda has a Master of Science in Population and Public Health and brings 5 years of experience with qualitative and quantitative research projects. Her past experience includes using systems science and network techniques to promote the healthy development of young children, specifically around social and emotional vulnerability. She is currently working across various research projects to better understand program/service impacts on health, social, and employment outcomes for vulnerable youth and adult populations. She is passionate about supporting the health and well-being of individuals across the life trajectory, from the early years through adolescence and adulthood.

Cassia Warren

Foundry

Bio

Cassia attended the University of British Columbia for her Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Oncology. She brings 3 years of experience in research and 2 years of experience in project management and research trial coordination. Her current projects are centred around working with and integrating youth into research that aims to better understand the care needs of youth, how they differ based on demographic, clinical, and community factors, and to understand and evaluate service innovations required to align the diverse needs and priorities of these populations.

Anna-Joy Ong

Foundry

Bio

Anna-Joy brings 4 years of experience in health research and is particularly interested in qualitative work. After completing a Master of Public Health at Simon Fraser University, she shifted her focus from global maternal and infant health to youth mental health in Canada. She is excited to actively engage youth in research projects that amplify their voices and advocate for their needs. Currently, her work focuses on understanding the implementation process of a program that supports youth with mental health challenges in their pursuit of competitive education, employment, and training opportunities.

Aakriti Pandit

University of Alberta

Bio

Aakriti Pandit is a fourth-year nursing student at the University of Alberta. She is passionate about mental health promotion, youth and adolescent health, and health equity. She has been working as a research student with Dr. Carla Hilario since 2020 on projects related to youth mental health. Outside of research and school, Aakriti is the acting president of the Alzheimer’s Student’s Association at the University of Alberta and an executive member of Boxed Blessings, a not-for-profit student group that curates care packages with supplies that inner-city Edmontonians need.

Katherine Hay

Kickstand

Bio

Katherine Hay (she/her/hers) has worked in the mental health and substance use services field since 1997. Educated with a master’s degree in occupational therapy, Katherine has been a tireless advocate for recovery oriented, person centered care, that focuses on the whole person and the environments in which they want to live, work and play. Katherine’s experiences include inpatient, outpatient and community-based care for adults and during the last 7 years, with the emerging adult population (16-25 years old). During her career, Katherine has developed a special interest in the role that employment holds in one’s recovery process, how to match service delivery to individuals’ strengths and resources to promote success, operationalizing customer service expectations within health care environments, measurement based care processes, and cultural humility and a commitment to ongoing learning. Katherine has over 10 years of leadership experience, including the last 4 years in a Program Manager role with Alberta Health Services overseeing a portfolio of emerging adult programs and services. With a keen interest in system transformation and contributing to solutions that can meaningfully impact the health and wellness of young people in Alberta, Katherine joined Kickstand, the Alberta Integrated Youth Services Initiative, and is committed to seeing the implementation of a provincial strategy to create recognizable, predictable and easily accessible spaces, co-created with young people for young people, where a wide range of developmentally specific services and programs are available for a young person and their family to find the help they need.

Rachal Pattison

Kickstand

Bio

Rachal Pattison is a mental health clinician & research manager at Kickstand, in Edmonton, AB. They are a registered occupational therapist, specialising in mental health, and they worked with incarcerated persons for 6 years before returning to school for graduate studies. They recently completed a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia, doing research in the area of gender identity and mental health in young people. When Rachal is not working on establishing an integrated youth service model in Alberta, they can be found reading fantasy novels, eating nachos and catering to the whims of their co-dependent cat.

Jennifer Couturier

McMaster University

Bio

Dr. Jennifer Couturier is a Senior Clinician Scientist, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and the Medical Co-Director of the Pediatric Eating Disorders program at McMaster Children’s Hospital. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Couturier has devoted her career to the study of eating disorders in children and adolescents, where her research primarily focuses on improving pediatric health services for eating disorders.

Danielle Pellegrini

McMaster University

Bio

Danielle Pellegrini is a Research Coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, overseeing several research projects related to pediatric eating disorders. She is a Master of Public Health graduate from Queen's University. Danielle's professional interests include improving the equity and equality of health care systems and services, specifically for youth and families.

Maria Nicula

McMaster University

Bio

Maria Nicula is a Master’s student in the Health Research Methodology program at McMaster University. She is currently leading and assisting with projects that explore or pilot interventions aimed at improving the care received by pediatric eating disorder patients and their families.

Laura Grennan

McMaster University

Bio

Laura Grennan is a graduate student in the Master of Science in Psychotherapy program at McMaster University, and works as a Research Assistant in pediatric eating disorders. She is an advocate for improved mental health services and greater mental health awareness.

Daniella San Martin-Feeney

University of Alberta

Bio

Daniella San Martin-Feeney is a Research Coordinator with the Stollery Cardiac Outcomes and Research Evaluation (SCORE) team in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. In this role she supports multiple research studies related to transition from pediatric to adult care.

Lily Racine-Bouchard

ACHWM

Bio

Lily works alongside Indigenous communities across the country to promote Indigenous children and youths' wellness. She has completed degrees in both Biologie biomédicale and Health Promotion at Laurentian University. As a natural leader and an active volunteer in her community, she has developed many strong connections and partnerships. Lily holds several years of experience in education and communication, developing and implementing plans for Indigenous populations across the North.

Gerrilynn Manitowabi

ACHWM

Bio

From Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Gerrilynn works at the Naandwechige-Gamig Wikwemikong Health Centre as the Associate Director. Previously, Gerrilynn worked in policy at the First Nations Health Authority in Vancouver, BC, and in research at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health in Saskatoon, SK. She attended Western University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences, and her Master of Public Health degree.

In her free time, Gerrilynn enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, playing hockey and reading.

Tammy Rosner

Jack.org

Bio

As Evaluation Lead at Jack.org, Tammy (she/her) works with the evaluation team to better understand the effectiveness of Jack.org’s programs—what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs changing. She also communicates those findings to provide insights to Jack.org youth, staff, and donors so that everyone can know what youth in Canada are saying about their mental health. Tammy completed her MA in clinical psychology at the University of Waterloo and her PhD in cognitive psychology (studying memory and attention) at McMaster University.

Jenny Li

Jack.org

Bio

Jenny Li (they/them) is an honours undergraduate student at St. Francis Xavier University and a lifelong mental health advocate. Their intersecting identities, such as that of a non-binary, racialized, and Mad individual, influence their understanding of wellness. Jenny is a leader within Jack.org, Kickstand (http://mykickstand.ca/), and their own not-for-profit, Free Your Mind Mental Health Society (http://freeyourmindinitiative.com/). Jenny hopes that their honours degree in Sociology will help them better understand the factors driving youth mental health across Canada. After all, Jenny is most content when they are out in the field, creating systems change, and inspiring other youth to raise their voices.

Joey Shaughnessy

Kickstand

Bio

Joey is completing his MSW practicum at Kickstand, and has 6 years experience as a social worker within the field of youth mental health including program development, group facilitation and individual supports.

Jen Wilkie

Health Standards Organization

Bio

Jennifer Wilkie has more than a decade of experience in health system transformation and is passionate about building relationships to support integration and improvement within and across organizations. In 2021, Jennifer joined Health Standards Organization as Faculty to support across a number of initiatives.

Jennifer is an empathetic and energetic leader. She loves working with people to challenge and investigate new and innovative ways to approach complex problems. She is a connector of ideas and people, constantly thinking about how to collaborate and improve the systems around her.

In 2021 Jennifer Wilkie and business partner Kasia Bruski founded BoardWalk Group. BoardWalk Group provides consulting services to help healthcare organizations discover opportunities, design solutions and deliver a better future.

Prior to BoardWalk Group, Jennifer was the Director of Continuous Improvement at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). In that role, she was responsible for the implementation of Integrated Care Pathways, Measurement-Based Care, and leading strategies to support CAMH in becoming a Learning Health System.

Jennifer has spent a considerable part of her career leading ground up transformation within the community health sector. She worked as a freelance consultant leading the implementation of a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics and evaluating the need for First Response Mental Health Crisis services in Peel. She has also held the roles such as Director of Technology and Shared Services at Reconnect Community Health Services and Community Care Implementation Lead as part of the Ministry of Health, along with many others.

In 2019, she completed her Masters in Health Administration from the University of Toronto Institute for Health Policy and Management and her Certified Health Executive (CHE) from the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL).

Hannah Wadman-Scanlan

Choices For Youth

Bio

In her current role as Project Officer at Choices for Youth (CFY), Hannah has been leading work with the Health Standards Organization’s (HSO) for the Improving Integrated Care for Youth (IICY) Initiative, which aims to sustainably improve the integration of community-based mental health and addiction services for youth. At the same time, Hannah and the CFY team have been leading and collaborating with community partners across NL to develop a provincial Integrated Youth Services (IYS) network, which involves the development of four new IYS sites across the province. Hannah has supported this provincial expansion work by finding meaningful ways to engage provincial partners in the IICY Initiative and promote knowledge translation.

Hannah’s passion for working with community-based organizations led her to become the volunteer Choir Director for the Stella’s Circle Inclusion Choir, a non-audition community choir for adults who face barriers to fully participating in their community. Through this work, Hannah spearheaded research at Memorial University on the importance of community programming in building social connections. As a former Research Assistant at the Children and Youth in Alternate Care (CAYAC) Clinic – a medical home for children and youth in alternate care arrangements – Hannah also brings with her experience in pediatric research.

Sara Saeedi

Chilliwack Youth Health Centre

Bio

Sara Saeedi is a clinical supervisor at Chilliwack Youth Health Centre in Chilliwack, BC and a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Adler University (Vancouver Campus). She values connection and believes that the therapeutic relationship is the main instigator of healing and draws heavily on Adlerian theories. She has experience working with a diverse range of people across the lifespan - from older adults with cognitive impairments to children who have experienced trauma.