Our Team

Peer Support Facilitator: Shalyn

Shalyn is a wife and mom of two. She has experienced mental illness and the navigation of mental health services first hand. Her children have a diverse set of medical and emotional needs that have allowed her to further increase her knowledge of the services available to individuals and families in the Brantford area. She volunteers with PCMH as a Family Peer Supporter as an opportunity to share the resources and hope that she has gained over the years.

Peer Support Facilitators: Brenda, Chrystal and Kristin

Brenda is a mother of two and has experienced first-hand the challenges of supporting children with mental health struggles. Especially in their early years, she often felt isolated and found it difficult to access meaningful support from peers and services. Having attended PCMH support meetings for over a decade—starting when her oldest child was young—Brenda understands the value of connection and shared experience. She now volunteers to help ensure other parents and caregivers have a safe, welcoming space to talk, share, and feel supported on their journey.

Chrystal is a mom of two boys with disabilities and found her experience as a recipient of peer support was a lifeline. Her journey in the child and youth mental health and addictions sector began when she was a child as her own family of origin was significantly impacted by mental health challenges and addictions. She found that as a recipient of peer support, talking to others going through similar experiences was a game-changer and gave her hope when she felt like things were hopeless. “It was like a breath of fresh air knowing that if others could make it through tough times, so could I”. Chrystal wanted to give back and became a Peer Support Chapter Leader & Family Peer Supporter for Burlington PCMH this past year. She is also a Family Advisory Council member with the Knowledge Institute of Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions. Chrystal has recently been training with a local Urban Indigenous organization, Grandmother’s Voice, for Indigenous Wisdom In Trauma Recovery. Additionally, she is involved in building a non-profit organization, All Abilities Allstars, whose goal is to create supportive spaces for people of all abilities and their support networks, fostering inclusivity and giving them opportunities to showcase their abilities. She is passionate about improving access to services, reducing stigma, and promoting holistic approaches to treatment and support.

Kristin is a mom to two differently wired, almost teenage boys and has been (unknowingly at first) navigating the path of neurodivergence for many years. Anticipating school and social challenges she began searching for resources and support when her eldest son was still in  daycare. She understands how frustrating it can be when none of the typical advice or routines seem to work for your kids. With first hand experience of the daily struggles and stigmas families often face, she relates to the feelings of overwhelm, shame and loneliness that can surface. Despite connecting with many organizations in the area, feeling seen and heard by other parents was a lifeline to me. Through PCMH I hope to give that anchor to others. With her professional medical background and extra training in Mental Health First Aid, Peer Support, and Mindfulness, Kristin connects with others from a place of non judgment and empathy. I remind parents that you are a person with mental health needs too . It really is true that we need to fill our own bucket first!

Peer Support Facilitators: Carol, Ellaine, Sherry and Susan

Carol brings over two decades of experience as a foster parent, having supported children and families since 2004. She deeply understands how isolating the fostering journey can be and is passionate about creating spaces where foster parents feel connected, supported, and empowered to share both their challenges and triumphs. Before dedicating herself full-time to raising her high-needs foster sons, Carol spent 20 years working in the domestic violence sector as both a Children’s Service Worker and a front-line Crisis Counsellor, offering compassionate support to individuals in vulnerable situations. Her commitment to advocacy has continued through her long-standing involvement with the Foster Parent Association’s Executive for 12 years and her role as a Foster Parent Advocate for 15 years. Carol joined PCMH to help foster parents find community and understanding. She strongly believes in the power of peer support and is committed to helping others feel less alone on their caregiving journey.

Ellaine is a proud mother of two boys and a grandmother to one spirited granddaughter. Originally from Quebec, she is bilingual in French and English and brings a wealth of life experience and compassion to her work supporting others. With 28½ years of service at Toronto Transit as a bus and train operator, Ellaine was actively involved in the health and safety union and peer support for operators impacted by traumatic events, including suicide. Her calm, level-headed nature and deep empathy have made her a trusted presence in high-stress environments. Ellaine has spent years working with individuals facing mental and physical challenges, including teaching swimming and scuba diving to people with Down syndrome. Her commitment to inclusion and empowerment shines through in everything she does. For the past three years, Ellaine has also been a foster parent, continuing her lifelong dedication to helping others. She joined PCMH to extend that support even further—creating safe, understanding spaces where caregivers can connect, heal, and thrive.

Sherry is a former child in care who was adopted by kin, and she’s always felt a strong calling to foster. After raising her own children, she and her family opened their home to youth facing mental health challenges, behavioural struggles, and placement difficulties—believing that a supportive home environment is far more healing than a group home. As a foster parent, president of her local foster parent association, and president of League of Foster Families (LOFF), Sherry represents foster families across Ontario and has built strong connections with community partners to stay informed and advocate effectively. She’s also actively involved with OACAS and played a key role in developing the Quality Standards Framework (QSF), helping shape better outcomes for youth in care.

Susan brings over 15 years of experience as a foster parent, walking alongside children and families through both challenging and rewarding seasons. Her journey has deepened her understanding of the power of connection, compassion, and support during difficult times. In addition to her fostering experience, Susan is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping women over 40 build strength, energy, and confidence. Her coaching philosophy mirrors her approach to peer support—meeting people where they are, offering encouragement without judgment, and helping them rediscover their inner resilience. Susan chose to volunteer with PCMH out of a deep appreciation for the value of being truly heard and understood. Having navigated both the personal challenges of caregiving and the professional world of coaching, she is committed to giving back by supporting others on their journey. Her goal is to create a safe space where peers feel seen, heard, and empowered.

Peer Support Facilitator: Cathy

Cathy started the Chapter in Timmins in 2019 because she knew that her community needed a safe, non-judgmental, supportive place for parents to go to share their experiences.  It is easy to feel alone in the journey through a child’s mental health illness, and she wanted to provide a place for parents to connect and feel less alone.  The monthly meetings can serve whatever purpose a parent needs, from support with a crisis or navigating care or school, to just getting out of the house and having a cup of coffee and a chat to clear their head. As a profession, Cathy has worked her entire 24 year career with children and their families.  She was a Resource Teacher for most of that time, assisting families in navigating the special needs system.  She quickly recognized the need among those families for extra support in accepting, advocating for, and receiving emotional support as they navigated their children’s various diagnosis.  Many of the “special needs” diagnosis came with a mental health component as well, which was often considered secondary by professionals, but made life at home difficult. Cathy is a mother of two young adults, and grandmother of two boys. Her lived experience comes from supporting her daughter who has struggled with her mental health since 2010, when she was in the fourth grade.  Cathy has experience navigating the school system with a child with mental health issues, as well as the public mental health system.  Over the years she has sought support for various “diagnoses” for her daughter, including anxiety, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, and continues to do so. Cathy recognizes that limited resources in a smaller community can make this journey even more challenging and difficult on parents and siblings.  She strives to make the few hours she spends with parents as supportive, informative, and refreshing as possible.

Peer Support Facilitator: Jemi

Jemi is a dedicated parent in a blended family, with a stepson and three boys of her own. Two of her children have been diagnosed with ADHD, along with a learning disability, and she herself was recently diagnosed with ADHD—bringing personal insight and empathy to her work with children and families. With over 20 years of experience in both volunteer and paid roles, Jemi currently works with foster children in their homes and has spent the past two years supporting youth with trauma and various mental health challenges. Her volunteer work includes Big Brothers Big Sisters, Reading Buddies, Rose of Durham, and ongoing involvement with her children’s school and soccer team. Jemi is passionate about creating safe, supportive environments where children and families can thrive.

Peer Support Facilitators: Ginette and Lisa

Ginette is the sole parent of an amazing boy diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Her adoptive experience included little support or information about her son’s diagnosis. As a result, Ginette immersed herself in learning everything she could to understand her child’s needs and give him the best possible chance of success. She has since learned that parenting a child with FASD often requires a shift in understanding and approach, and that success is a two-sided coin: understanding and meeting the child’s needs while learning skills and becoming intentional and resilient as a parent. Ginette’s passion is educating others about FASD, advocating for her son as well as the FASD community, and providing support to other parents on this unique journey. Her goal is to help parents feel more competent and confident by empowering them with the information, resources, and support they need to succeed. Ginette has been active as a parent mentor, a member of a number of FASD groups and committees, and an advisor to several planning committees and initiatives. Ginette is always keeping current on research, best practices, and what’s happening in the FASD world, as she strives to continue growing and learning as a parent of a child with special needs.

Lisa is an adoptive mom of a teen with FASD. Lisa spent many years tirelessly advocating for her daughter’s educational and medical support needs within under-resourced systems that knew very little about FASD. Lisa and her partner advocated tirelessly to receive the assessments, diagnosis, and therapeutic support their daughter needed to thrive when she was younger.  Now, her support search continues as she prepares her daughter for the journey into adult services.  This kind of relentless advocacy was exhausting, and it required her to seek others who understood FASD and could support her on the journey.  She saw the value in such support and was excited when she had the opportunity to join PCMH as a Chapter Leader & Family Peer Supporter for London’s in-person peer support group for FASD caregivers.

Peer Support Facilitators: Darlene and Eilish

Darlene is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and a part-time professor in the ECE program at a local college. Her passion for FASD was sparked when her family became a foster home for newborn babies. They have been blessed by adoption, and their 16-year-old daughter, who has FASD, is the reason for Darlene’s passion. Finding ways to guide and support her daughter with strength-based modalities has driven Darlene’s advocacy in the community and, most recently, in the Healthcare system alongside her daughter. Darlene’s passion and energy are supported by her husband, Chris, who is the brake on her gas pedal at times, but together they find success even amid some of the most challenging moments on their parenting journey. Team LOVE is what the Durand Family has called themselves as they navigate situations, leading with love. Knowing that to help anyone be the best they can be, they need to know they are loved first and foremost. Team LOVE also cheers on caregivers, providing opportunities for connection and community to give those raising children the hope and strength they need to get through each day.

Eilish discovered PCMH through the FASD Facebook page and was drawn to its mission of supporting families navigating mental health challenges. For over 12 years, Eilish and her family have been on a journey with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), gaining valuable insights into its impact on the entire family’s mental health. Grateful for the learning and growth along the way, Eilish is passionate about sharing her lived experience to encourage and support others walking a similar path. She joined PCMH to help create a space where families feel understood, empowered, and never alone. 

Peer Support Facilitator: Miranda 

Miranda, a dedicated adoptive parent, has devoted over 20 years to fostering, adopting four girls, and providing care for over 30 children, including those affected by FASD, attachment disorders, addiction, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Her parenting journey has involved addressing school challenges, supporting treatment, and navigating the justice system, with the recent loss of a foster daughter due to an overdose. Miranda volunteers as a peer supporter, sharing her expertise and walking alongside other families as they navigate systems, build community, learn new skills, and find hope.

Peer Support Facilitators: Cathy and Irene

Cathy started the Chapter in Timmins in 2019 because she knew her community needed a safe, non-judgmental, supportive place for parents to share their experiences.  It is easy to feel alone in the journey through a child’s mental health illness, and she wanted to provide a place for parents to connect and feel less alone.  As a profession, Cathy has worked her entire 24-year career with children and their families. She was a Resource Teacher for most of that time, assisting families in navigating the special needs system.  She quickly recognized the need among those families for extra support in accepting, advocating for, and receiving emotional support as they navigated their children’s various diagnoses.  Many of the “special needs” diagnoses came with a mental health component as well, which was often considered secondary by professionals, but made life at home difficult. Cathy is a mother of two young adults and a grandmother of two boys. Her lived experience comes from supporting her daughter, who has struggled with her mental health since 2010, when she was in the fourth grade.  Cathy has experience navigating the school system with a child with mental health issues, as well as the public mental health system.  Over the years, she has sought support for various “diagnoses” for her daughter, including anxiety, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, and continues to do so. Cathy recognizes that limited resources in a smaller community can make this journey even more challenging and difficult for parents and siblings.  She strives to make the few hours she spends with parents as supportive, informative, and refreshing as possible.

Irene is a retired Registered Nurse with 40 years of experience in healthcare, including 13 years in leadership roles within the Waterloo region. Her connection to PCMH began 15 years ago when her teenage daughter was facing significant mental health challenges. When her daughter became a parent at 19, Irene and her husband stepped in to care for their granddaughter after a difficult and traumatic apprehension. Their granddaughter has since been at the heart of Irene’s journey into kinship caregiving—a path that revealed a lack of support for grandparents raising grandchildren. . Since retiring, Irene has focused on creating safe, supportive spaces for these “forgotten kin parents.” Her leadership experience in maternal, child, and paediatric care at Grand River Hospital and Cambridge Memorial Hospital has given her deep insight into both healthcare and family systems, which she now channels into advocacy and peer support.

Peer Support Facilitators: Holly, Jeff, Hélène, and Kate

Holly and Jeff are the loving parents of 3 boys in Guelph, ON. All three of their children struggle with a variety of serious mental health disorders and challenges (eg, ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, depression, anxiety). Over the past 15 years, they have navigated and worked with many levels and branches of the mental health system across the province while advocating for their sons. Holly and Jeff identified the lack of a local support group for parents of children with mental health disorders, which led to their becoming PCMH Family Peer Supporters in Guelph. They share a passion for helping families navigate the system, advocating for their children, and listening to their journeys.

Hélène and her husband adopted three children locally in Ontario, now young adults. As a family, they have struggled with a range of developmental and mental health challenges. Hélène brings this lived experience to the table as a member of the volunteer peer support facilitator team, who can relate to other parents facing similar challenges in their families and provide compassionate, active listening, connection, and support.

Kate:

Peer Support Facilitator: Andrea

Andrea is a mother of two living in Hamilton with her wife, their 3 dogs, 3 birds, a cat, and a fish. She is raising a youth with complex special needs and mental health concerns, which motivates her to share emotional and practical supports with others in similar situations. Andrea offers her unique perspective and experience to provide hope and empowerment to those struggling to navigate various systems in the Hamilton area.

Family Peer Supporter: Darlene

Darlene is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and a part-time professor in the ECE program at a local college. Her passion for FASD was sparked when her family became a foster home for newborn babies. They have been blessed by adoption, and their 16-year-old daughter, who has FASD, is the reason for Darlene’s passion. Finding ways to guide and support her daughter with strength-based modalities has driven Darlene’s advocacy in the community and, most recently, in the Healthcare system alongside her daughter. Darlene’s passion and energy are supported by her husband, Chris, who is the brake on her gas pedal at times, but together they find success even amid some of the most challenging moments on their parenting journey. Team LOVE is what the Durand Family has called themselves as they navigate situations, leading with love. Knowing that to help anyone be the best they can be, they need to know they are loved first and foremost. Team LOVE also cheers on caregivers, providing opportunities for connection and community to give those raising children the hope and strength they need to get through each day.

Family Peer Supporter: Caitlin and Teri-Lyn

Caitlin is a passionate advocate for mental health and a dedicated supporter of parents and caregivers navigating the challenges of raising children with unique needs. As a mother of five, including a child with autism, she brings deep personal insight into the complexities of parenting through both her children’s mental health journeys and her own. With a wealth of lived experience and genuine empathy, Caitlin is committed to fostering resilience, understanding, and connection among families. Her work focuses on helping parents access vital resources, build supportive communities, and feel less alone in their path toward healing and growth.

Teri-Lyn is a dedicated social work student, spouse, and parent of three children. Her journey as a mother includes raising a child with a dual diagnosis—an experience that has been both deeply educational and personally challenging. By navigating complex systems and confronting gaps in understanding and support, Teri-Lyn has become a passionate voice for families who often feel unheard. She openly shares her experiences to foster connection and raise awareness, finding strength in the stories of others who’ve walked similar paths. Motivated by a desire to create safe, supportive spaces for families, Teri-Lyn joined PCMH to help build a community where people can share, connect, and heal—rather than struggle in isolation.

Peer Support Facilitators: Jewel and Sue

Jewel is a stay-at-home mom to two teenage boys, one of whom lives with multiple mental health diagnoses, including IED, ODD, ADHD, OCD, and GAD. Her family’s journey has involved navigating challenges such as school avoidance, anxiety, defiant behaviours, and anger management. Motivated by her lived experience, Jewel is volunteering with PCMH to support and connect with other parents and caregivers. She’s passionate about creating a space where families can share openly, feel understood, and find strength in community.

Sue Sue knew from her first meeting with PCMH that this work was something her community deeply needed. As a mother of two daughters, she has firsthand experience navigating complex medical, mental health, and educational systems during a period of significant family trauma and her own long-term mobility challenges. After feeling overwhelmed and unsupported while advocating for a daughter with ADHD, Sue found strength through peer connection with a group of parents who offered understanding, encouragement, and practical support. This experience empowered her to advocate effectively and access the services her family and she needed. Today, she is passionate about creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces where parents and caregivers feel supported and confident in advocating for their children. She emphasizes that while professionals bring expertise, parents are the true experts on their own children, and that caring for yourself matters, too.

Peer Support Facilitator: Carolyn and Laurie

Laurie is a mom to three adult sons and a grandmother of four. She has been a volunteer peer supporter with PCMH for 7 years, sharing her lived expertise about her own journey of supporting a loved one with mental health concerns. Laurie believes that peer support enables family/caregivers to safely tell their story to someone who has been in similar situations – hearing “Me too!” is like receiving a glass of water in a desert! After 31 years as an educator, Laurie also believes in the importance of early intervention and the value of early supports in navigating systems, building a support network, and knowing that this will lead to a family thriving amid these challenges. Laurie believes that by accessing support early, when symptoms first appear, the entire family is able to be more resilient, and to experience less suffering. Laurie is a facilitator of the evidence- based “Family Connections” course through Sashbear.org, which gives families the DBT skills they need to manage their own emotions when their loved one is experiencing mental health and other challenges. With Laurie’s experience facilitating family advisory councils, she encourages family members to advocate for improved services. Laurie’s involvement in both provincial and national family council networks has helped her become aware of the services offered in other communities and successful advocacy pathways. She continues to bring these values and support to families to the hospital, community, and school settings, and hopes to engage more families in this work.

Peer Support Facilitator: Leslie

Leslie

Peer Support Facilitators: Kara and Laura

Kara is a mother of two and a Student Success Teacher with the Rainbow District School Board. As part of her work as a teacher, she has walked parents through the assessment process for educational identification. She has worked diligently with families, supporting them as they accessed services, read their children’s Individualized Education Plans, and actively participated in their children’s education. She is passionate about community building to support the mental well-being of its members and about advocating for students with special needs.

Laura is a champion for children’s mental health. A mother of three, Laura knows firsthand the challenges parents face when navigating the mental health system. A passionate and compassionate teacher, Laura ensures that all her students feel safe and welcome in her classroom and at school. She knows that learning happens when children’s social-emotional needs are met.

Family Peer Supporters: Mary Louise and Nicole

Mary Louise is a mom of three beautiful children, currently grieving the loss of her youngest to suicide in 2022. She and her family worked tirelessly to navigate finding support while managing the struggles her daughter, Jaida, was experiencing, such as substance use, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. She and her husband, Rob, could not let this loss go unnoticed and wanted to help other young adolescents and their families who may be struggling as they were. They started the Jaida Project in her name and continue to raise awareness surrounding mental health and suicide with the goal of ending the stigma surrounding this illness. The Healing Path is for parents who are surviving the loss of their child to suicide so that, as a community, their children can be spoken of and remembered while supporting each other on this journey of healing. You can learn more about The Jaida Project HERE.

Nicole 

Peer Support Facilitators: Damion, Larissa, and Sarah

Damion is a cake artist and owner of the award-winning Toronto-based bakery, Cinnabean Cakes, and a former executive producer of the Canadian television series, ‘da Kink in my Hair. As the father of a teenage son who has experienced mental health challenges since early childhood, Damion has been closely connected with many mental health agencies and has previously served on several advisory committees devoted to child and youth mental health.

Larissa is a single mom and long-time Toronto resident. She has been supporting her daughter through complex mental health challenges since age 9. Most recently, she has been helping her daughter navigate the transition from child and youth to adult care. Through this journey, Larissa found peer support and discovered a vital component to her own recovery from traumatic events involving her daughter. Peer support remains an important part of her self-care. She is an advocate for suicide prevention and works at reducing stigma around mental health at every chance she gets. In her spare time, Larissa enjoys skiing in the winter and searching for beach glass in the summer.

Sarah is the mother of a bright, creative, and determined youth and became involved with the Toronto Caregiver Connection group while navigating her child’s elementary school avoidance. Through her family’s journey, she has experienced navigating an autism and ADHD diagnosis, sensory processing challenges, AFCCA, high-conflict separation and divorce, co-parenting, generalized anxiety disorder, eldercare, as well as bereavement and grief. She has participated in Sashbear’s Family Connections DBT skills program and NAMI’s Family-to-Family mental health support groups. Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, biking, skating, swimming, and dancing.

Peer Support Facilitators: Cherie, Andy, and Stacia

Cherie wants to advocate for parents and children alike as they traverse through mental health challenges.  As a mother of now older children, she wants to share her knowledge and help other parents and caregivers navigate the “system”.  She wants parents to know they are not alone and to provide them with space to feel comfortable sharing thoughts that are often difficult to share with parents of atypical children. Cherie currently hosts our daytime chapter meetings.

Andy and Stacia have two grown children; their son is 26, and their daughter is 23. Their daughter has suffered from depression, anxiety, and a few suicide attempts since the age of 11 and is now living independently and attending school away from home. They want other parents to know that they are not alone on their journey with their child. They want to help others have a safe space to talk, cry, or just be heard, and currently host our evening chapter meetings to do just that.