Michael Dunn has worked in the field of mental health for over 15 years and has served in a variety of positions ranging from street outreach to senior leadership. He is passionate about quality improvement, ethics in mental health care and working together with service recipients. Michael is also an avid meditator and has taught classes at the Jampa Ling Kadampa Buddhist Centre.

Executive Director
Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre

Angela Robertson is the Executive Director of Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre. Parkdale Queen West is a community-based health service organization serving mid and west Toronto. Angela is dedicated to people and communities facing discrimination, poverty, and marginalization. Angela is a founding member of Blockorama, which focuses on forging a space for Black and other racialized LGBTQ+ people and allies at Pride and has served on numerous community Boards. Angela has been recognized for her social justice work by the YWCA, Fred Victor Centre, and Urban Alliance on Race Relations, NOW magazine and was honoured by York University in 2017 with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree for her social justice work.

Interim VP, Health System Performance and Support Patient Experience Measurement for Quality Care in Ontario

Dr. Gail Dobell is Interim VP in the Health System Performance and Support portfolio at Ontario Health. In this role, she leads indicator development, selection, and analysis, as well as benchmarking projects across all health care sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in Gerontology and a Doctorate in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco.

Co-lead, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism
Ontario Health

Maria Papadimitriou is the Co-lead, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism at Ontario Health.

Maria is an adult education specialist with a Masters in Behavioural Neuroscience (MSc) from Queen’s University and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Maria’s expertise is in leveraging policy and collaborative strategy to execute social change within organizations and across systems. Throughout their career, Maria has partnered with people who use drugs and their caregivers to develop and deliver non-stigmatizing services, improve workforce capacity and transform systems to be more effective, compassionate and inclusive.

Vice President, Planning and Delivery
Ontario Health

Michelle Rossi is Vice President, Planning and Delivery in the Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs division (previously HQO) at Ontario Health. Michelle is also Ontario Health’s Executive Lead, Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, tasked with leading the team that is setting up the new Centre within Ontario Health. Prior to working in the agencies Michelle spent a number of years at Queen’s Park, including in the Office of the Minister of Health and Long Term Care as Director of Policy.

Vice President, Planning and Delivery
Ontario Health

Michelle Rossi is Vice President, Planning and Delivery in the Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs division (previously HQO) at Ontario Health. Michelle is also Ontario Health’s Executive Lead, Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, tasked with leading the team that is setting up the new Centre within Ontario Health. Prior to working in the agencies Michelle spent a number of years at Queen’s Park, including in the Office of the Minister of Health and Long Term Care as Director of Policy.

Senior Director
Provincial System Support Program at CAMH

Jill Shakespeare is the Senior Director of the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH. She is a values-driven and passionate people-leader, with a strong commitment to inclusion, social justice, and health equity. She has worked extensively in the health, settlement and social services sectors, supporting implementation and improvement at the organizational, community and systems level. Jill has supported a wide-range of organizations in the mental health and addiction system by championing equitable solutions to complex system challenges. Jill is deeply committed to driving change that centres the needs of those made marginal by the system. She holds an MSW from Laurier University and is currently completing her MBA at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Addiction Services of Thames Valley
Manager of Quality Improvement and Professional Practice, Privacy Officer

Heather is the lead of the Clinical Quality Improvement Team at ADSTV. She ensures clinical quality service delivery through data analysis, mentoring, coaching and monitoring adherence to professional practice standards.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
Evaluator, West Region, Provincial System Support Program

Derek Chechak is an Evaluator in the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH who has supported the implementation of OPOC since 2016. He is a Registered Social Worker, with degrees from King’s University College at Western University, and his PhD from Memorial University. Prior to joining PSSP, he worked in tertiary mental health care and provided clinical leadership for a regional employee assistance program.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
Implementation Specialist, Northeast Region, Provincial System Support Program

Shandy van de Ligt is an Implementation Specialist in the Northeast regional office with the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH, who has supported the implementation of OPOC since 2017. She is currently working towards a Masters of Education in Adult Education. Before joining PSSP, she worked in various clinical and leadership positions in community and hospital mental health.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Equity Coach, Northwest Region, Provincial System Support Program

A Settler based in Wiikwedong (Thunder Bay), PhebeAnn Wolframe-Smith is an Equity Coach with the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH, working with the OPOC implementation team. She holds a PhD from McMaster University. Prior to joining PSSP, she worked in research administration at Lakehead University.

QI Specialist
Ontario Health

Alice has been a quality improvement specialist with Ontario Health/HQO since its inception. As a QI Specialist, Alice provides quality improvement capacity building opportunities and is also part of the EQIP Working Group. Prior to joining OH/HQO, Alice was a practice facilitator with the Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership. She is an IHI Improvement Advisor as well as a Certified Professional Facilitator

Project Manager
Counselling Connect – Counseling, on connecte

Natalie Duchesne (Ph.D.) is the owner of Connect2Knowledge and is passionate about helping not-for-profit service providers build more equitable communities. In addition to providing project management services to Counselling Connect, she has helped service providers increase access and equity during COVID-19 by supporting the implementation of a device loan project and by building staff capacity to deliver virtual programming.

Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario

Naushaba Degani joined CMHA Ontario on November 18th, 2019. She has worked in health system performance and evaluation for more than 20 years and has a PhD and an MHSc from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto as well as a BScH from Queen’s University (Cha Gheill!). She comes to us from Health Quality Ontario (now part of Ontario Health) where she worked as the Manager, Performance Measurement supporting public reporting, quality standards and measurement for quality improvement. In addition to strong skills in data and measurement, Naushaba has a background in harm reduction, evaluation and equity assessment.

Interim CEO
Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch

Ed Castro has over 27 years of experience in health services, focusing in addictions, mental health, health equity, system planning, policy development, and quality improvement, including Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification. He is currently the Interim CEO with the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch.

Manager, Case Management Services
Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch

Megan McNeil has worked in the mental health field for 18 years, moving from front line work in Case Management and Justice Services to her current Management role. She a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and is involved in quality improvement initiatives within the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch.

Clinical Planner and Case Manager
Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch

Angela Gaetano, MSW, RSW, brings over 13 years of front line experience in mental health and addictions care and related services to her current role as the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch’s Clinical Planner. A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Angela is a leader in the design and implementation of data-driven program development and quality improvement projects.

Health Equity Specialist
Provincial System Support Program at CAMH

Stefanie’s work focuses on action-oriented and community informed approaches to equity through action planning & implementation, mixed methods participatory research & evaluation, education & development, and engagement. Currently, she works as a Health Equity Specialist at the Provincial System Support Program (PSSP) at CAMH. Stefanie earned her MPH from Queen’s University, and her BSc in Neuroscience and Biology from the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her work is grounded in the critical reflection, creativity, life teachings and knowledge gained from her culture and community.

Executive Director
Oak Centre Clubhouse

Ru Tauro has been working in the field of community mental health for close to 35 years.  She is the Executive Director of Oak Centre in Welland, Ontario and the Lake House in Port Colborne, Ontario.  At Oak Centre and the Lake House, she manages Clubhouse programs based on psychosocial rehabilitation principles that provide people with comprehensive supports in the community as well as opportunities to re-establish work skills in preparation to return to gainful employment or school.

Ru is the Co-Lead of the OCAN Quality Improvement Network which is a provincial group made up of 13 mental health and addiction organizations.  The primary purpose of the OCAN QI Network is to look at how service providers can help their clients see the value of OCAN assessments for recovery-oriented planning, establishing goals, and goal attainment.

Ru is also involved with the OCAN Community of Interest through CAMH EENet.  She also is a member on the Ontario Clubhouse Coalition and the Canadian Clubhouse Coalition.  Oak Centre is part of an international Clubhouse community with 333 clubhouses in 33 countries world-wide.

CEO
Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario

Camille Quenneville is the CEO of Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division. Before joining CMHA Ontario, Camille channeled her passion for mental health care in senior leadership roles in the educational, governmental and children’s mental health sectors. She served as Director of Policy and Communications at Children’s Mental Health Ontario (2005-2012), Chief of Staff to Ontario’s first Minister of Children and Youth Services (2003-2005), and Director of Policy at the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (1998-2003). Camille is an alumnus of the University of Windsor and the University of Toronto.

CEO
Addictions and Mental Health Ontario

Adrienne is a values-driven leader with 15 years of experience in public policy, advocacy, communications, and stakeholder relations. Passionate, focused, and collaborative, she is well-known among Ontario’s health care sector for her commitment to quality and humanity in the delivery of care – nowhere more so than in the area of mental health and addiction.

Adrienne has a strong track record of success in senior public and corporate affairs roles and has worked in some of the most highly-regulated sectors in Ontario. Adrienne has held senior positions at the Ontario Long Term Care Association, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Infrastructure Ontario, and with a former Premier of Ontario. Adrienne began her career as a consultant for private sector clients on culture and gender diversity at Catalyst Canada, Inc.

In her personal life, Adrienne enjoys cooking and home decor, and loves nothing more than living life through the eyes of her two young children, Lauren and Sam, alongside her husband, Kevin.

Executive Director
Breakaway

Nicola is the Executive Director of Breakaway Community Services located in Parkdale, Toronto. Prior to that she directed the Towhee Residential Program operated by CDI/Integra and was the Program Director of Pine River Institute. She has a Masters Degree in Creative Arts Therapy and is a Registered Psychotherapist.

Manager of Implementation
Provincial System Support Program, CAMH

Deanna is a Manager of Implementation at the Provincial System Support Program (PSSP) at CAMH supporting the implementation of the Ontario Perception of Care Tool for Mental Health and Addictions and Staged Screening and Assessment tools.   Deanna is passionate about system change, integration and collaboration, and uses her diverse experience within the health system to inspire teams to make things better.

QI Specialist
Ontario Health

Alice has been a Quality Improvement (QI) Specialist with Ontario Health/HQO since its inception. As a QI Specialist, Alice provides quality improvement capacity building opportunities and is also part of the EQIP Working Group. Prior to joining OH/HQO, Alice was a practice facilitator with the Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership. She is an IHI Improvement Advisor as well as a Certified Professional Facilitator

E-QIP Quality Improvement Coach
CMHA Ontario

Laura Daly-Trottier, delivers Quality Improvement Coaching through the Excellence through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP). Since October 2016 Laura has delivered coaching to member organizations in the Mental Health and Addictions sector throughout the province of Ontario to increase the capacity for Quality Improvement.

Shauna James, 200 RYT is a Project Coordinator with the Ontario Community Support Association and a movement facilitator. She has a passion for bridging community with movement practices and is inspired by the traditional teachings of Yoga. Her classes are a combination of traditional asana postures with lots of options and play! Shauna encourages her students to move their bodies in all the ways that feel best for them – feeling grounded and supported throughout the process.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @shauna_ns for more!

Ontario Health

Bio Coming Soon.

RISE

Bio Coming Soon.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Chris Sullivan is an Implementation Specialist and Coach with the Provincial System Support Program (PSSP) at The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). With more than 25 years of experience working in the community mental health and addictions sector, Chris brings a rich and diverse set of skills to support system transformation at the community and regional level. Chris specializes in implementation support, coaching, training, teaching, evaluation, and quality improvement. Chris is inspired daily by his wife and their two adult children. In his free time, Chris likes to woodwork, workout, and practice Aikido.

Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario

Naushaba Degani joined CMHA Ontario on November 18th, 2019. She has worked in health system performance and evaluation for more than 20 years and has a PhD and an MHSc from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto as well as a BScH from Queen’s University (Cha Gheill!). She comes to us from Health Quality Ontario (now part of Ontario Health) where she worked as the Manager, Performance Measurement supporting public reporting, quality standards and measurement for quality improvement. In addition to strong skills in data and measurement, Naushaba has a background in harm reduction, evaluation and equity assessment.

Addictions and Mental Health Ontario

Debbie has worked in the addiction and mental health sector for over 30 years. She was a public health nurse and a mental health nurse working with youth in high schools. She developed a first of a kind consumer information centre in a Canadian Hospital and has been involved in qualitative and quantitative research about health decision-making, cancer clusters, the impact of yoga with people with substance use issues and hearing from Canadians about the connection between mental health and an HIV diagnosis. Data and demonstrating value and outcomes has been a career long interest. During the last 18 years, Debbie has managed Womankind Addiction Service and Men’s Addiction Service Hamilton (MASH) at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, project leading the amalgamation creating Womankind, the transfer and expansion of MASH from one hospital to another, managing the Eating Disorder program and was the management chair of the health and safety committee. Her credentials include a degree in nursing, a graduate degree in Health Promotion, a number of leadership and management diplomas and a green belt in LEAN. Debbie holds faculty appointments at McMaster University in the School of Nursing and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences teaches motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care. Her interest in quality improvement is long-standing and Debbie learned early the value of data to provide perspective on how services are being delivered and what tweaks/ changes are needed to improve the quality of the services provide to the people we serve.

Quality and Performance Improvement Officer, Privacy Officer
CMHA Elgin Middlesex

Chris Babcock began with quality on the side of her desk for 12 years and has completed EQIP and IDEAS training as well as IHI training.  For the past 2 years Chris has been in a role fully dedicated to quality improvement and performance measurement developing the position and growing a quality culture in CMHA Elgin Middlesex and the MH&A sector.