Young Adult Team

I have many years of volunteer experience working for youth engagement and youth mental health projects including the New Mentality and the Regional Multicultural Youth Centre in Thunder Bay. I recently graduated from Trent University with a B.Sc. honours degree, specializing in Health Science.

I have received my Recreation and Leisure and Social Service Worker diplomas from Confederation College and I’m currently entering my fourth year of the Honours Bachelor of Social Work Program at Lakehead University. My passion for social action led me to do my third year placement at the Gender Issues Centre on campus. My employment includes working for Wesway as a Respite Worker, St. Joseph’s Health Centre as a summer Social Work Student, and Kanachihih Solvent Abuse Treatment Centre as a Casual Residential Worker.

Due to personal experience and passion, I have been a mental health advocate for a few years now. I have been a volunteer at mindyourmind since 2009 and have accumulated over 225 volunteer hours. Within those years at mindyourmind, I have taken part in over twelve projects, which focused on mental health promotion and reducing stigma.

I also helped to gather information in a cross Canada survey of the extended health insurance plans available to student on college and university campuses. I’m completing a Masters in Counselling Psychology program at the University of New Brunswick. I graduated with a BASc in Music and Psychology from the University of Lethbridge. As an undergraduate I worked for the Lethbridge Schizophrenia Society, designing programs for clients, fundraising, bringing awareness to the disorder through partnership presentations and running a family support group. It was through working there that I became interested in schizophrenia and advocating for the better supports for those with mental health problems. This interest led me to study how undergraduates perceive schizophrenia, which has been published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (2009). I was also involved in mindyourmind’s ‘Get Real’ project. Upon graduating from my BASc I took a year off to work and figure out where I wanted to do my Master’s degree. During this time I held various research assistant positions in the psychology department at the U of L, was a teacher’s assistant for the first year psychology class, a marker for several psychology courses and worked at the YWCA as a Youth Support Counsellor, the U of L Disability Office and the Schizophrenia Society. My Master’s work focuses on the stigma experiences that young adults with psychosis have had and how these experiences have affected their ability to be self-determined and thrive. My interest in this topic grew out of my participation with Mobilizing Minds and work with the individuals at the Schizophrenia Society.

We have also developed resource materials for young adults about developing video content that is relevant to young adults. After working with the young adult  team, I graduated from the University of Manitoba with an Honours degree in psychology. I work as a counselor for people that have issues with alcohol or other drugs at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, where I work with youth, young adults, adults, and older adults. I also volunteer at Klinic Community Health Centre as a crisis counselor for people who call in wanting to talk about serious life issues, crises, and suicide. I love that work, as I feel a deep sense of purpose and fulfillment in helping people. I am actively seeking out potential graduate school professors who will take me on as a student. I want to train as a clinical psychologist. I love music. I play piano, trumpet, guitar, drums, and I sing as well. I play ultimate Frisbee and volleyball in my spare time.

I am the 1 in 5 and I wouldn’t change it because of the strength it gave me. I participated in the development of information resources for young adults concerning help with problems with stress, anxiety, and depression.