About Us

Executive Director
Thunder Bay Counselling

Nancy Chamberlain is the Executive Director of Thunder Bay Counselling since 1991 with oversight for a budget of 4.3M and 29 unique services. Program areas include counselling and psychotherapy; addiction and mental health; victim services, child and youth services; financial counselling and employee assistance programs. Nancy has extensive experience in organizational leadership, governance, policy development and strategic planning. She has held numerous governance roles with community, provincial and national boards of directors for non-profit organizations such as Family Service Ontario and the Canadian Centre for Accreditation. She is currently past chair of Children’s Centre Thunder Bay and a board member of Thunder Bay and Area Victim Services. Nancy is co-chair of the Thunder Bay District Mental Health and Addiction Network and an active participant in community system planning initiatives. Nancy received a Victim Services Award of Distinction in 2013 and the Queen’s Jubilee Award in 2002.

Executive Vice-President of Public Affairs and Partnerships and Chief Strategy Officer
CAMH

Lori is the Executive Vice-President of Public Affairs and Partnerships and Chief Strategy Officer at CAMH.

A passionate advocate, Lori is changing the conversation about mental health, improving awareness and understanding of mental illness and working with governments and communities to improve health systems and policy. She supports the alignment of mission critical activities designed to be responsive to CAMH’s many stakeholders and is engaging partners and resources to better position the hospital to make a sustainable system contribution to mental health.

As a former senior political advisor, Lori has advanced public policy in areas such as early learning, child care, skills, and innovation. She is devoted to building healthy communities and driving social change.

Director, Mental Health and Addictions Services

Robin has held a variety of leadership positions in community based health care over the past 23 years. In her current role as Director, Mental Health and Addictions Services, she oversees a counselling and social services team specializing in concurrent disorders and a specialty clinic focusing on addictions, mental health and primary care for at-risk youth. In previous roles, she has worked in the Community Health sector as an Associate Executive Director, a Director of Primary Care and a Director of Health Promotion.

Robin is active the regional and Provincial levels, providing input and leadership on systems alignment activities that span the mental health, addictions and primary care sectors. She currently co-Chairs the Champlain Addictions Coordinating Body and is a member of the a variety of committees and working groups including the Champlain Coordinated Access Working Group, the Primary Care Working Group of the Mental Health and Addiction Leadership Council and the Champlain Staged Screening and Assessment Working group She is frequently called upon to represent the Association of Ontario Health Centres at Provincial and system alignment consultations that impact the provision of addiction and mental health services.

Our increasingly sophisticated understanding of the interrelationship between addictions, mental health and primary care poises the sector for a time of great and positive change and AMHO is known for its energetic, thoughtful and strategic leadership. Robin is honoured to put her name forward for this opportunity to support the further

Johanne Levesque is the Executive Director of Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services, a communitybased treatment centre that offers prevention, education, group and individual treatment programs along a harm reduction continuum. Rideauwood serves individuals and their loved ones affected by substance use, addiction and mental health issues in Ottawa and the surrounding region.

Johanne’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families has served as a backdrop for her professional and volunteer activities for over thirty years. She began her professional career in nursing as an inpatient psychiatric nurse working with youth and families and has also worked in public health, community care and public administration. Her understanding of communities and approach to change leadership have been shaped by her experiences as a health care professional, a policy advisor, a manager in the federal public service and at the City of Ottawa and the co-founder of a successful of strategic management practice where she worked, for more than a decade, with organizations and progressive thinkers across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

Johanne is also an active community volunteer and advocate, who has a long history of serving on boards of directors of major organizations that include the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (where she served 4 years as Board Chair), the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health (at CHEO) and the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa.

Johanne has successfully delivered on her diverse mandates, always with the same set of values – a systems thinker, focused on building compassionate, effective health care services that puts the needs and voices of clients and families at the centre and also actively engages them in their care and recovery. She is well known for her commitment to excellence, her ability to bring together diverse groups, connect genuinely with others and her passion for making a difference.

Johanne holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing Science from Ottawa University, a Master’s of Public Administration from Queen’s University and a CHE designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Executive Director
Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre

Mike Beauchesne is the Executive Director of the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre in Ottawa. He has been with the DSYTC for nearly two decades and has worked in various clinical and leadership capacities during his tenure, including: Addiction Therapist, Clinical Coordinator and Executive VP – Clinical Services. A strong proponent of evidence-based practices and the personal and professional development of self and others, Mike enjoys working with a local, regional, provincial and national focus to help improve the lives of those who are impacted by mental health and addiction issues.

Mike possesses an Honours degree in Psychology from Carleton University, an M.Ed. (Counselling) from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from Carleton’s Sprott School of Business. Mike is also a Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

Executive Director
Stonehenge Therapeutic Community

Kristin Kerr is a registered social worker and an experienced leader with over 15 years working within the mental health and addictions sectors with people of all ages. As the Executive Director at Stonehenge Therapeutic Community, Kristin strives to create communities where people living with substance use are welcomed, supported, and thriving. She embraces the opportunity to drive health system change forward and bring health equity to vulnerable populations across her community. Kristin believes that organizational health drives the quality of care provided to clients and she takes pride in developing strong organizational culture and staff engagement. Outside of her work life, Kristin enjoys spending time with her two daughters and their new puppy, and spending time outside in nature whenever possible.

Peer Integration and Systems Lead 
Support House’s Centre for Innovation in Peer
Support

Alyssa is a passionate and dedicated system leader and advocate, who has used her lived experiences,
education and professional experiences to create change in the healthcare and social service sectors.
Alyssa has a degree in psychology and 15 years of experience in peer support. She has managed and
coordinated peer programs focusing on youth empowerment, mental health, and harm reduction. She has also chaired and co-chaired many local committees and working groups.