Frayme Learning Institute 2024

Sabrina Abdul (she/her) is a graduate from the University of Guelph with a major in Neuroscience. She has over four years of dedicated experience in the field of youth mental health in a wide range of settings. Her professional journey began at the Grove Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario in Wellington County, where she served as a Youth Community Support Worker. Operating in both rural and urban settings, this role illuminated the systemic barriers prevalent in the current youth mental health systems, particularly for those in rural communities. This eye-opening experience fueled Sabrina’s passion in dismantling barriers that hinder youth in rural areas from accessing essential mental health support. Presently, she works as a Mental Wellness Program Facilitator at the YMCA of Greater Toronto Area, co-facilitating the group-based Y Mind Program tailored to teenagers and youth experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety or stress. As an immigrant, she has navigated the youth mental health system firsthand. This experience fuels her advocacy for accessible mental health support regardless of immigration status. When she is not working, she likes to cook new recipes, mountain bike, play soccer or go on a long walks with a nice podcast. Sabrina is excited to collaborate and learn about new ways to create more accessible youth mental health systems at the upcoming 2024 Frayme Learning Institute!

Augustina is a passionate advocate dedicated to transforming patient experiences and raising awareness about mental health. Her personal journey, overcoming psychosis and depression, sparked an unwavering determination within her to share her story and create positive change. Through her work, Augustina leverages her lived experience and expertise to champion patient engagement research. She is a dedicated Youth Engagement Facilitator at CAMH, supporting young people who have experienced psychosis through impactful research initiatives. She is currently the Chair for the Youth Advisory Committee for EPI-SET.

Dwight Ballantyne grew up in Montreal Lake Cree Nation, a remote north Saskatchewan First Nation, until the age of 21. He always felt that he was invisible to the rest of the world that existed outside of his community. When a once in a lifetime opportunity to move to BC presented itself in 2016 he took a leap of faith and left everything he knew behind. Once he had a chance to adjust to his new lifestyle, he realized that many of the new people he met did not even know what a reserve was. This realization instilled a desire to find a way to bridge the gap between remote Indigenous communities and the rest of Canada. In 2019, Dwight founded The Ballantyne Project with the goal of raising awareness about what it was like to grow up in a remote First Nation.

Amanda Bellefeuille is a Project Manager at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal. She is a Masters of Peace and Conflict studies graduate with 15+ years of experience working with youth in community-based programs, research and evaluation, and teaching.

Zuha is a Youth Ambassador at The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, who recently graduated from the University of Guelph with a bachelor of arts honours in psychology. Zuha's interests lie in fostering meaningful community engagement to promote accessible mental health resources for young people.

Victoria Carmichael is a Senior Knowledge Mobilization Specialist at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. In this role, she leads and supports various projects, activities and initiatives to improve the availability, accessibility, and usefulness of information and knowledge.

Victoria’s background is in mental health research, project management, and community engagement in the non-profit, academic, and public sectors. She holds a Master of Science in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from McGill University.

Agnes Chen is a proud first-generation Canadian, a mother of 4, and a registered nurse focused on anti-oppressive and trauma-informed approaches to health and well-being. Using her lived experience with the criminalization of a parent experiencing poverty and substance use challenges, she founded Starlings Community (now Family Advocacy Support Centre), to address systemic barriers to health equity for families. As the co-chair of the trauma-informed Care Collective of Alberta, she proudly journeys with 30 organizations in supporting the government to apply TI approaches to policies and practices. With a passion for family rights, Agnes brings her personal and professional expertise into her role as a leader, focused on nurturing reciprocal partnerships and genuine relationships with organizers and peers worldwide with one goal: to protect the health and promote the healing of generations of families.

Fiona Cooligan has worked in the youth mental health field for over 13 years as a program administrator, a participatory evaluator, a group facilitator, and a crisis intervention trainer with LivingWorks (for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). With a background in Psychology and Human Rights and a Master of Arts in Education (concentration in leadership, evaluation, curriculum development and policy studies), her research has focused primarily on student engagement and advancing peer-led academic support models. Ms. Cooligan currently leads a multidisciplinary team at CHEO’s YouthNet/RéseauAdo (YNRA), a for-youth-by-youth mental health program. YNRA offers a range of education, intervention, and youth advocacy services for young people ages 13-20 across the eastern Ontario region. Ms. Cooligan brings her expertise as YNRA’s Program Coordinator to help build sustainable youth-adult partnerships and support greater integration of community, education, and health services through a youth engagement lens.

Heath (they/them) is a youth mental health activist, public speaker, and young person with lived experience of drug use and mental illness. They believe that adolescent drug use is primarily a health issue, emphasizing that young people are autonomous individuals with complex needs and uniquely valuable insights, all of whom have an equal right to health services and evidence based information free of judgement, stigma, or shame.

As a young person living with comorbid mental health issues and chronic illness, I am passionate about removing barriers to accessing proper mental health services. I’m currently an undergraduate Psychology student at York. I hope to specialize in Health Psychology. My goal is to combine my lived experience with technical training to help contribute patient-informed research and care to the field. I enjoy creating pixel art in my free time.

Jaime (she/her) is an excited learner and passionate mental health advocate. Growing up seeing the impacts of mental health and illness around her, as well as having her own experiences of anxiety and eating disorders through young adulthood, propelled her interest in an education and career path. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Psychology from McMaster University, where she minored in Mental Health, Addictions, and Society, as well as a graduate certificate in Concurrent Disorders from Mohawk College. Jaime has years of experience in peer-focused roles, where she developed a non- judgmental and person-centered approach to supporting others and brings this combination of knowledge and lived experience into her current work. As the Peer Support and Navigation Coordinator with Eating Disorders Nova Scotia, Jaime supports the Peer Mentors at Body Peace Canada. When she’s not working, Jaime enjoys true crime podcasts, video games, reading, and any activity where she can spend time with the people she loves.

Lillian Duda is currently the Family Advisory Lead for the Early Psychosis Intervention and Spreading Evidence Based Treatment (EPI-SET) research project with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). My son used the early psychosis intervention services at the Slaight Centre for Youth in Transition at CAMH and as a family we greatly benefited from the services offered. I strongly believe that any young adult with psychosis should receive the care and support needed to get their life back on track. I volunteer at CAMH to help improve the Early Psychosis Intervention services across Ontario.

Brianna Dunstan is a graduate student in the Translational Research Program at the University of Toronto, driven by a dedication to advancing health equity and advocating for BIPOC individuals' well-being. Their current research focuses on inclusive patient engagement, while their broader interests include trauma-informed research and mental health within diverse communities.

Committed to addressing systemic barriers, Brianna applies a compassionate approach to their work, aiming for tangible advancements in health equity. They seek collaborations and meaningful conversations to foster positive change in healthcare research. Beyond academia, Brianna is a versatile commercial dancer, blending science and artistry into a unique skill set and perspective.

Shawn Fisk is an engaging educator, clinician, facilitator, and public speaker whose professional expertise is informed by more than 20 years of experience with systems of care for Substance Use Health needs. As an ally, counsellor, therapist, and peer, Shawn directs his passion for the study of psychology, concurrent disorders, mental health, and Substance Use Health, towards standing beside and supporting those whose health needs care.

Herbert (they/them) is a queer and non-binary mental health advocate. A multi-disciplinary person, they are also a piano teacher and a spoken word poet. Herbert loves to write and perform poetry in various events like the Vancouver Poetry Slam. Herbert is a public speaker doing talks on mental health as part of Jack.org's Jack Talks program, which has inspired them to strive to transform music education to be more positive and mental health-friendly. A fun fact is that this is their first time hosting and moderating, having been so inspired by their first time attending Frayme 2023 in their home city of Vancouver! Herbert loves to travel, doing photography, and meeting new people.

Hello! My name is Lilli, and I am a Mental Health Planner at Youthnet, an outpatient program of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). I recently graduated from the University of Ottawa with a BSc in Psychology. I have a strong passion for youth mental health and bring experience from child welfare, in-patient & crisis services. Part of my position at Youthnet allows me to run our Youth Advisory Committee which specializes in fostering youth engagement through various avenues. At Youthnet we believe in a for-youth by-youth philosophy, ensuring that all our programming, outreach and preventative mental health services are vetted and evaluated by the young people they serve. Through this experience I believe there is much we can share about our ongoing projects and the work we do across Ottawa to have youth voices involved in their own services.

Antonietta Gutierrez (she/her) is a Co-Founder of the Youth Advisory Council at Yorktown Family Services. Currently pursuing a Bachelor in Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University, Antonietta was brought to this work after her dad died of stage four lung cancer when she was 12. Experiencing significant loss, trauma and barriers at a young age has sparked a driving purpose and passion. Antonietta has presented provincially and nationally on youth grief and mental health through Canadian Virtual Hospice, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association and Children’s Mental Health Ontario. She is part of the Canadian Alliance for Children’s Grief as a Member of their Advisory for a National Research Project. She currently works as a Youth Mentor at Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Health and Coordinator for a Children’s Bereavement Camp, Camp Erin Toronto.

Tanya Halsall is a Scientist at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University. Her primary research areas are related to child and youth development, evaluation and health promotion. Her specific interests are in participatory approaches and interventions that support system change for child and youth well-being.

Alisha (she/her) is currently in her second year of the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at McMaster University. She wishes to pursue a career in health care with an understanding of the Canadian mental health landscape for youth. She hopes to make medicine more inclusive and accessible, and address systemic barriers to seeking help. Through her experience of immigrating from Pakistan, Alisha has had first-hand experience with the impact of cultural attitudes on the well-being of minority communities. As the founder of her high school Jack.org chapter, she created a safe space for exploration and education on this issue, which marked the beginning of her mental health advocacy. Since then, Alisha has served as a national projects assistant with the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, planned the first Youth Summit for Mental Health in her hometown of Belleville, Ontario, and is currently a member of the Youth Council for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. As a co-host for the Frayme Learning Institute, Alisha hopes to contribute to a culture of collaboration and shared learning to drive positive, sustainable change in the YMHSU system.

Jeff Hoffman is the Executive Director at the Grove Hubs Wellington Guelph. Jeff has over 20 years’ experience leading teams and raising resources in partnership with some amazing individuals and some of Canada’s largest brands. At the Grove, Jeff leads the resourcing and operations initiatives for the sites. When he is not at the Hubs, you’ll most likely find him in a hockey arena with a large double double or on a baseball diamond with his fungo bat.

Kevin is a single parent and web developer who is trying his best to raise a couple of weird and wonderful teenagers while dealing with polarized influences amid his own neurodiverse challenges.

Alexia is a strategic system change leader and psychologist with over 20 years of clinical practice and system change experience, offering expertise in implementing large-scale, evidence-based, innovative mental health programs at the organizational and systems level. Alexia is currently Vice-President, Development and Implementation at Stepped Care Solutions. Alexia lead's the development of Stepped Care Solutions’ (SCS) implementation process, aligned with the SC2.0 model’s principles and implementation best practices. She oversees a SCS implementation support system, including training, resources, and capacity building to support SC2.0 implementation in different contexts nationally, internationally and across sectors.

Shaleen Jones is an advocate, organizer, supporter, and rabble rouser in the field of eating disorders, holding leadership positions with the BC Eating Disorders Association, Laing House, Peer Support Canada, CMHA National, and Eating Disorders Nova Scotia. Having overcome an eating disorder, she is passionate about recovery, the transformative power of peer support, and creating sustainable systems change. Shaleen was one of the first Canadians trained to provide peer support for those with eating disorders, earning her Peer Support Canada Certification in 2015. Shaleen has been recognized with the Inspiring Lives Award from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, the Invisible Champion Award from the Bhayana Family Foundation, and the Association of Psychologist of NS Community Award in Mental Health. She currently serves on the Mental Heath Commission of Canada's Hallway Group, Quality Mental Health Care Network, and the E-Mental Health Collaborative.

Dr. Kim is a research scientist conducting research in psychiatric epidemiology at the Waypoint Research Institute and an assistant clinical professor at McMaster University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences. Before joining Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. She has also trained and worked as a clinical psychologist upon obtaining her master’s degree in clinical psychology. She has expertise and interdisciplinary research experience in youth mental health. Her research program examines socio-cultural determinants of youths’ mental health. It develops and implements equitable and culturally competent preventative intervention programs to mitigate mental health challenges and disparities and promote equitable mental health among marginalized youths.

Beth King is the Manager of Fund Development at the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington. She has almost 25 years of experience providing leadership to community relations and fund development initiatives. Beth is a passionate storyteller who believes that stories have the power to inspire, motivate and create connection to the causes that we care most about. At CMHA Waterloo Wellington, Beth is working to help our community better understand the mental health needs of local individuals and families. When she is not at work you will find her with her family – wherever they are is where she loves to be.

Andrea LaMarre, PhD, is a Research Associate at CHEO Research Institute. Her research has focused on eating disorder recovery, as well as lived-experience-driven approaches to eating disorder treatment and support. She uses qualitative and arts-based methors in her research, seeking to deeply engage with people's experiences in their own words. Prior to taking up her current position, Andrea lived and worked in Aotearoa New Zealand for 3.5 years, where she worked as a lecturer in critical health psychology at Massey University. Andrea has published widely in peer reviewed journal articles, as well as being regularly invited to contribute to blogs and news articles. She has presented at many national and international conferences over the past 10 years, sharing her research on eating disorders and recovery with interdisciplinary audiences.

Justin Langan is a 24-year-old Indigenous advocate from the rural town of Swan River, MB. Since he was 15, he’s been a leader for Indigenous youth. He sits on many local, provincial, and national committees. Some of his achievements include the 2021 Métis Youth Indspire Award, the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, the Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25, the National Champion of Mental Health for Youth, and more. He’s in his fourth year of majoring in political studies at the University of Manitoba. After graduation, he will attend law school to study Human Rights Law. He intends to become a lawyer and a politician, advocating for Canadians' rights internationally.

Dr. Arlene MacDougall is a psychiatrist, Associate Professor (Clinician Researcher) and the Director of Research for the Department of Psychiatry at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University with a cross-appointment to the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. She is also the Director of Research and Innovation for Mental Health Care at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. Dr. MacDougall leads trans-disciplinary and cross-sectoral educational, research and innovation initiatives that apply social innovation approaches for tackling complex mental health system challenges. These include the MINDS (Mental Health INcubator for Disruptive Solutions) of London-Middlesex - Canada's first social innovation lab addressing complex community mental health challenges starting with the mental health of youth and young adults and the CREATE Kenya project focused on the use of social entrepreneurism and psychosocial rehabilitation to promote recovery from serious mental illness in low income settings. Dr. MacDougall is the founder and CEO of The Global MINDS Collective, registered charity, which trains and builds capacity in mindfulness, social emotional learning and mindful social innovation to catalyze self and system transformation for mental health and wellbeing both locally and globally (e.g., El Salvador, Democratic Republic of the Congo). She also contributed to the design, establishment and evaluation of Biigajiiskaan: Indigenous Pathways to Mental Wellness at St. Joseph's Health Care London - a novel approach to care for Indigenous people with severe and persistent mental illness that incorporates both Western mental health care and Indigenous knowledge and traditional healing. Dr. MacDougall conducts research in the areas of youth mental health, mindfulness, early psychosis, and collaborative care. She has been recognized as a Global Young Physician Leader by the international Inter-Academy Partnership.

Polliann Maher is the Lived Expertise Lead, Families with the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. She is the spouse of a Veteran with PTSD and brings more than 20 years of lived experience navigating the mental health system to her role. She has a background in community service work. Polliann spent slightly more than 10 years as a Family Peer Support Coordinator with the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program in southwestern Ontario. This experience allowed her to utilize her own lived experience and her understanding and knowledge of mental health to help peers navigate the systems that can be so overwhelming to many Family members. Polliann is passionate about educating the Veteran community and sharing her knowledge of the resources that are available to them. She is a strong advocate around changes that encompass the Family, which are many times forgotten or an afterthought.

Samarah is a passionate mental health advocate. Aside from studying biochemistry at McMaster University, she is also a Network Representative at Jack.org, Youth Advisor with CHEO’s Knowledge Institute, and a member of the CAMH’s national youth action council. In these roles she provides youth insights and is a platform to voice lived experiences from intersecting marginalized communities. A fun fact about her is that she likes to sew, especially skirts and dresses. She is excited to be one of your moderators for Frayme’s 2024 LI and looks forward to meeting everyone!

Kathryn is an implementation consultant at the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions, and has a background in public health. She brings an interest in building systems improvements across the mental health sector.

Heather Miko-Kelly (she/her) is the Director of the mindyourmind program. Heather has been with mindyourmind since 2006 and is inspired and energized by the process of combining youth insight, health promotion and technology together. When she's not trying to change the system, she loves to be outdoors, in the forest or at the lake.

Monique values her yoga practice as an ongoing journey of becoming more self-aware and lighthearted. Over 25 years of practice, she has come to deeply appreciate the choices she has to live with integrity, to be of service in society, and to live as part of, and not separate from, Nature. As a yoga teacher, Monique offers a space to pause, digest, and integrate. Feeling our body experience is prioritised over thinking about our body experience.

Renée has worked in health promotion and community-based mental health for over 20 years. She is currently an Implementation Consultant with the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions and supports change efforts in the delivery of services and system planning.

Sam Osman has been a Community Support Worker (with Peer Speciality) at LOFT Community Services since 2021 but has worked with young people for over 10 years. Sam has a diversity of experiences in youth-orientated spaces such as Alternative Schools at Toronto District School Board, youth shelters, local community centers, youth co-op housing, and mental health services. She is passionate about positively impacting programs and helping participants by providing expert support living with homelessness and mental health barriers. Currently, Sam works on community-based research projects at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health including supporting by-youth for-youth resources like Housing Outreach Project-Collaborative (HOP-C), a CIHR-funded multi-organization collaboration focused on improving services to young people who have experienced homelessness.

Julia Parrott is a psychotherapist working in PEI as a youth trauma therapist. She did her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Economics, then went on to complete her master’s in Counselling and Spirituality. Julia has completed research in fear of cancer recurrence, intolerance of uncertainty, and knowledge mobilization and has worked in addictions, health psychology, and trauma fields. Julia also loves talking about her cat Betty, and will shamelessly bring up any recent gardening wins, or adventures outside.

Keely Phillips, MSW RSW is a dynamic and equity-focused leader with 15 years of experience creating mental health and addictions systems change by amplifying voices of lived experience and leading support programs. Inspired by her own experiences navigating mental health services and recovery, Keely works with people and organizations focused on transforming services and systems. Keely is a skilled change agent, facilitator, and project manager. Keely is the Body Peace Canada Project Manager.

Alicia Pinelli (they/them), MSW, RSW, RSSW is the Young Caregiver and Family Counsellor and Clinical Lead with Young Caregivers Association. They have been involved in the field of social services as long as they can remember, first as a service user and currently as both a researcher and service provider. Over the past 10 years, Alicia has dedicated their professional and academic career to expanding the idea of what social services can look like, incorporating unique methods into practice, and remove some of the traditional expectations of therapy. Their professional and academic work has focused on the experience of young caregivers, children's mental health and intersectionality within the mental health field and gender identity. Alicia holds a Masters of Social Work, Honours Bachelor of Social Work and a Graduate Certificate in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.

Jerris Popik MSW, RSW, is a registered social worker, co-founder of Shoulder to Shoulder and director of the National Warrior Kids Programs offered through Wounded Warriors Canada, available to children and youth from military and first responder families impacted by a parental psychological injury. Ms. Popik have spent over a decade creating space to offer meaningful mental health services for Veteran and first responder youth. She believes in critically examining what the research has offered for new knowledge on this population and translating this into evidence-informed practice. She also runs a mental health program called Heads Up designed to helped reduce mental health stigma for all youth using play-based strategies and meaningful engagement with young people. She received an applied psychology degree from Concordia University and a Master’s Degree in clinical social work from the University of Calgary.

Jenna Pybus (she/her) holds a Masters of Social Work and is a Registered Social Worker. She has been working in Youth Mental Health and Substance Use for 10 years. Jenna has worked directly in clinical services as well as in program oversite/development and currently works for the Foundry Central Office as a Manager, Service Implementation and Integration. Jenna is passionate about working with youth transitioning to young adulthood and providing low-barrier accessible services. She cares about social justice, dismantling the patriarchy and meeting your dog. She enjoys a good book and even better coffee. She is grateful to live, work, and play on traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Okanagan Syilx People in Kelowna, BC

Patti Ranahan is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director of the Graduate Diploma in Youth Work at Concordia University. She has over two decades of practice experience working as a child and youth care professional in a variety of settings including residential care, crisis shelters, school-based practice, mental health outpatient services, and community-based foster parent support. Her program of research focuses on education as intervention, including suicide prevention education, development and application of mental health literacy, youth work pedagogy, enhancing security in parent-youth relationships, and foster parent education. Presently, she is working on paternal caregiver engagement with Dr. Marlene Moretti and colleagues at Simon Fraser University during the Canada-wide implementation of Connect - an attachment and trauma-informed parenting intervention - funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

I am a 2nd year MD student at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. I also hold an MPH in Epidemiology with a specialization in Women & Gender Studies from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and Biology from Brown University. My primary areas of interest include: Sexual & Reproductive health, Social epidemiology, and Maternal & Child Health.

Maureen Ringlein (she/her) has worked in the field of children/youth mental health for 15 years, and is currently the Manager of Child, Youth & Young Adult Mental Health Services at Yorktown Family Services (YFS). Since the inception of the Growing With Grief program at YFS, Maureen has been proud to support the incredible initiatives put forth by the Youth Advisory Council members and to work alongside them to improve the services offered for child, youth and families impacted by grief.

Sarah Ryerson (she/they) joined the Youth Advisory Council at Yorktown Family Services in 2021. She is presently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience at Bishop’s University. Sarah was introduced to this field at the age of 11 after the death of her father due to brain cancer in 2015. These events which transpired in her youth have impacted Sarah’s aspirations to help others through their own grief journeys and to become a better advocate for grief education in the wider world, while also dispelling commonly held myths about the nature of grief.

Kristina Smith is a Nursing Project Officer at Ottawa Public Health. Kristina works with the Community Health and Wellness Branch. She has over 10 years’ experience with Ottawa Public Health and her focus during that time has been on mental health and wellness. Initially Kristina focused on workplace mental health where she consulted and trained different workplace intermediaries to ensure psychologically healthy and safe workplaces in Ottawa. She has since expanded her role and focus to include suicide prevention, fostering resiliency in the community, promoting mental health and substance use health, and preventing harms that can occur from substance use. Most recently Kristina has been leading the development of the Mental Health, Addictions, and Substance Use Health Community dashboard. This dashboard is a multi-year collaborative project which serves to bring evidence forward to inform health and system planning and ultimately lead to action in the community.

Stacie (she/her) completed an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University in 2020 and a professional degree in Education from the University of New Brunswick in 2022. She is pursuing her Master's in Arts in Education at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Recently, she was a 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 founder of the Mental Health Student Support Network, a Groundbreaker with Frayme, a co-lead of the Mental Health International Youth Advisory Committee (G1G), and Co-Executive Director of the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health. She currently works as the Youth Programs Lead at the YWCA Halifax.

She is passionate about school food, food insecurity, youth mental health, and youth engagement.

Jill Stringer (she/her) is a Public Health PhD Candidate researching mental health promotion. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health with experience working and volunteering in the public health sector and with national non-profits like the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health, and Jack.org. She is a board member of Mental Health International, mental health advisor to the Canadian Youth Delegate to the WHA and PAHO-DC, and has collaborated on mental health projects with The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, and the Hamilton Family Health Team. As a self-proclaimed life-long learner, Jill is driven to advocate for positive health system change that acknowledges and integrates lived expertise and other diverse forms of knowledge. She is passionate about multidimensional health promotion through an understanding of programs, processes, and policies at the intersection of psychological, physical, and social wellbeing. When she’s not working or studying, Jill enjoys baking, weightlifting, and swimming with friends.

My name is Hunter (they/them) and I am super excited to be joining the team at Get Sensible. My professional experience ranges from harm reduction to beekeeping and I have been involved in several grassroots harm reduction efforts. I am passionate about the intersections of disability and substance use, as well as the vital importance of drug user-led organizing. Outside of work, I’m a huge nerd about plants, gardening, fashion, and invertebrates.

Kate is a multi-passionate KMb Fellow and health advocate from Canada's Atlantic coast. Driven by her lived experience and community connections, Kate brings an intersectional and human-centered approach to everything she does. She is a graduate student in Applied Health Services Research, and is interested in health system reform, patient self-advocacy, and health literacy. Specifically, she explores patient perceptions of navigating primary care services without a consistent care provider, with particular consideration for socioeconomic and rural status. She is passionate about youth mental health and gender equity and loves learning with and from others. Currently, Kate is a research assistant supporting a capacity-building initiative for palliative programming in long term care and has also worked with various groups, including university housing, autism youth services, and an Indigenous Friendship center, to support diverse community development and user-centric projects. For fun, Kate enjoys being active outdoors, sharing food with friends, and making a mess with never-ending DIY projects.

Jill joined mindyourmind as Program Coordinator in 2023. She graduated from the University of Guelph Psychology and has worked in the youth mental health sector in community and residential services. Jill is passionate about giving youth a place to be heard and helping them feel empowered in who they are. In free time, Jill is often looking for the perfect place to hang her hammock.

Katherine is a Project Manager with over 12 years of experiences in the health and mental health sectors. She has worked on initiatives supporting individuals with complex care needs and their health service providers using coordinated care plans. She currently works at the Canadian Mental Health Association where she implements projects and programs at the national level.

Kim Willis is the Director of Communications and Mental Health Promotion at the Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch.

She has over 20 years of fundraising and communications experience primarily in the education and healthcare sectors. In her current role, Kim is responsible for fundraising, communications, mental health promotion and the Youth Wellness Hub. Working with her team, they launched the Sole Focus Project campaign in 2017 to be proactive in making Windsor-Essex a mentally healthier community.

Kim has her Masters of Arts in Journalism from Western University and also has her CFRE fundraising designation. She has served on the Boards of AFP, CAGP, the AFP Canadian Foundation, Brain Injury Association and the Teen Health Centre.

Una Wright, Founder, YouthSpeak Charity shares her personal story with challenges related to mental health within her family and the researched-backed coping tools she uses which have enabled her to maintain a strong spirit, positive mental health and overall well-being through very difficult life circumstances.