Welcome to Strengthening Workplace Mental Health: Navigating The Post-Pandemic World!

Stephen is a Partner in Deloitte’s Human Capital Consulting group, and the national leader for Workforce Strategy and Future of Work advisory. Stephen has been a writer, speaker, and advisor on the future of work and the workplace of the future since 2011. With over 20 years’ experience in Consulting, Stephen leads transformations in workforce strategy that enable Deloitte’s clients to feel personal purpose and impact, as the business drives improved results. Stephen’s work is focused on building workforce strategies that deliver not only improved employee experience but also business benefits in the form of improved productivity and bottom-line savings. Deploying workforce strategies, he has worked in the fields of attraction and retention / employee value proposition, compensation, succession management, competency modeling, workforce planning and leadership development.

Tessa Virtue is a celebrated Olympian and the most decorated figure skater in history. Having retired from skating, Tessa joined Deloitte as an Executive Advisor, working with the firm’s senior leaders and their clients to translate her learning and experience as a world-class, high-performance athlete to the corporate world. Specifically, Tessa has been a key member of a team creating a new approach to working with organizations to help them and their people operate in a state of performance, allowing individuals to feel and perform at their best while also elevating the performance of teams and business units. Drawing parallels to her experience with pressure, competition and different approaches to training and coaching, Tessa shares important lessons in mental health and well-being, both as an accomplished speaker and an advisor. Tessa is a member of the Order of Canada. She has her MBA from the Smith School of Business and a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Tara Van Zuiden is Deloitte’s National Workforce Development Lead and an executive advisor to clients across the country in the areas of how to unlock the full potential of their workforces through building learning cultures and developing authentic, future focused leaders who create positive environments for growth.

Dr. Dobson is a Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary.  His research has focused on both models and the treatment of depression, particularly using cognitive-behavioural therapies.  In addition to his research in depression, Dr. Dobson has written about developments in professional psychology and ethics, and has been actively involved in organized psychology in Canada, including a term as President of the Canadian Psychological Association.  Dr. Dobson is also a Principal Investigator for the Opening Minds program of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, with a focus on stigma reduction related to mental disorders in the workplace.   Dr. Dobson’s research has resulted in over 400 published articles and chapters, 17 books, 3 DVDs, and conference and workshop presentations in many countries.  His recent books include the Law, Standards and Ethics in the Practice of Psychology, 4th Edition (2021), The Stigma of Mental Illness (2021) and The Treatment of Psychosocial Risk Factors in Depression (2023).  In recognition of his work he has received numerous awards including the Canadian Psychological Association Gold Medal for Lifetime Contributions to Psychology, and Fellow status with organizations that include the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada.

Presentation: Landscape of Workplace Mental Health Through a Researcher’s Lense

Tiana is an enthusiastic mental health advocate with a passion for turning systems knowledge into real-world change. She is currently working as a senior program manager at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where she supports employers in building workplace mental health strategies that align with the National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Her former experience includes six years serving on the Alberta Mental Health Review Panel where she gained extensive experience with in both mental health and judicial systems. She was also previously self-employed as an independent Mental Health First Aid instructor and conflict management consultant with a focus on community development. Tiana holds a degree in Human Services, along with certifications in Psychological Health and Safety, Mediation, Communication and Conflict Resolution as well as Workplace Fairness Restoration. She is currently undergoing her master’s degree in Transdisciplinary Leadership.

With over 20 years of experience working in the field of mental health, and a specialization in psychological health and safety, Claudia Canales is widely recognized for her expertise in leadership training and workplace mental health assessments, prevention and treatment. Over the course of her career, Claudia has led various projects with a provincial and national scope to identify, implement and evaluate best and promising practices in the area of stigma reduction, mental health literacy and mental resiliency. In her role as the National Manager of Workplace Projects for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Claudia led a team to deliver The Working Mind/R2MR training to over 50,000 employees across Canada. Claudia’s passion and commitment to workplace mental health includes client engagements from a wide array of employment sectors such as, first responders, provincial healthcare authorities, education and post-secondary institutions, oil & gas, high performance coaches/athletes, federal/provincial government as well as engineering and technical safety. As a Mentor/Master Trainer for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Claudia delivers high quality instruction for executive leaders, managers and employees. Claudia holds a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Calgary, and she has collaborated on various research projects and publications in the area of Population Health and Intervention Research.

Harriet is the Vice President of Enterprise Clinical Office at GreenShield, a not-for-profit social enterprise passionate about creating better health for all Canadians. In her role, she is responsible for growing the Mental Health services that supports the organization’s mandate as a payer of benefits and a provider of health services.

Harriet has over 20 years’ experience in the Mental Health sector. Prior to this role, she was the Senior Lead for Virtual Mental Health at the Ontario Telemedicine Network and Ontario Health, where she was responsible for introducing, implementing, and driving virtual mental health services for the people of Ontario. Harriet oversaw the dramatic growth of Ontario’s virtual mental health program – from a pilot project to Canada’s first province-wide, fully-funded internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy program. Of note, this program supported over 120,000 Ontarians during the COVID pandemic.

Harriet has held several transformative roles in the private and public sector, including with KPMG, the Ministry of Transportation, eHealth Ontario and Haldimand County. She began her career as a mental health nurse in the U.K. and moved to Canada in 2001 to work at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, where she held several roles, including Manager of the Mood and Anxiety outpatient program. In this role, she was responsible for inspiring a centralized intake process that led to a 40 percent reduction in wait times.

Harriet’s life’s work is the provision of high-quality mental health services for patients and their families. She believes that virtual care is a vital tool and that its widespread adoption is long-overdue. Harriet values collaborative stakeholder engagements and has extensive experience in building meaningful partnerships aimed at planning and delivering evidence-based, affordable and accessible care. She currently serves as Vice-Chair on the board of Directors for Connex Ontario and leads a working group of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Standardization Collaborative.

Harriet holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Business Administration, and is Project Management Professional Certified.

Ashley Wood-Suszko is the Manager of Mental Health and Wellbeing and Project Lead of the Purolator Health program at Purolator Inc. In her role, she’s developed a comprehensive mental health strategy and continues to build awareness and understanding of organizational determinants of health impacting psychological and physical safety. In addition, Ashley is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo with a Master of Health Evaluation and a specific research interest in participatory action research. By aligning her academic and career goals, she hopes to add to the theoretical knowledge database on workplace wellbeing, develop supportive tools to increase holistic health, and help those in leadership roles to understand the direct link between healthy employees, improved organizational outcomes and its transcendence to the community and broader population. 

Shenise Power is the Senior Manager of Learning and Development, overseeing the diverse learning programs and portfolios that support the employee experience at Doctors of BC. Her extensive experience in program development, event management, and learning strategies, has led her to work for both local, municipal, and provincial levels of government. Shenise has worked in a variety of learning and development areas across multiple sectors of government and industries, engaging with diverse audiences of; Community Members, Employees, Students, Learning Providers, Physicians, Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Agents and Brokerages. Through these unique experiences Shenise has been able to develop a variety of technical courses, create diverse learning frameworks, launch large scale programs, and implement dynamic learning events. The impact Shenise creates through these engaging learning opportunities continues to grow, as new technologies, strategies, and frameworks are introduced, elevating the participant experience. Her experience is complimented by her education, holding a Master’s degree in Applied Health Science with a focus in program design, in addition to her leadership and project management certifications.

Shenise is a life-long learner, her passion for education is driven through strategic planning, creating collaborative environments, and building communities of connection. Shenise’s commitment to learning is an integral component of her presence and drive for innovative solutions, and the development of unique learning opportunities for a wide range of audiences. In her spare time, you can find Shenise enjoying a bike ride around the seawall of Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC or listening to a new podcast.

Miranda Massie, is a Workplace Wellbeing Practices & Learning Consultant within Human Resources at the University of British Columbia.  Her work involves learning & curriculum design, strategic consultation support, and systems change as they relate to wellbeing, mental health and psychological health and safety in the workplace. 

Miranda has a background in psychology, as well sexual health and adult education, and is a Mental Health Commission of Canada certified instructor. Miranda’s work is grounded in health equity, health promotion, and adult education principles and she believes in empowering employees and teams while challenging dominant systems to positively impact the wellbeing of individuals, as well as the health and culture of the organization.

Outside of work you can find Miranda having dance parties with her toddler, learning to grow veggies in her community garden patch, and playing in two fantasy football leagues.   

Meg Mathes is a dedicated Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Modern Niagara Group Inc., contributing her expertise to the People and Culture team. In her national role, Meg spearheads DEI efforts, overseeing the creation and implementation of impactful programs, metrics, projects, and initiatives. With a rich background in the Skilled Trades spanning over 27 years, Meg holds notable credentials in the skilled trades (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, and (a) Gasfitter, Blue Seal). Her journey within Modern Niagara began in 2019, where she previously served as a Service Manager and General Manager of Alberta before assuming her current DEI-focused position in 2022. Recognized for her significant contributions, Meg was inducted into the Alberta Trades Hall of Fame in 2021 for her 18-year service with the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board. A passionate advocate for diversity, Meg proudly identifies as an openly transgender woman, actively working to support equity-deserving groups in the Skilled Trades and Technology sector. Currently serving as a Board Member of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, Meg continues to drive positive change in her industry.