Our Advisors
Young Adult Co-Design Groups
Stella’s Place uses a co-design process to create each of our program components. Each co-design team consists of young adults with mental health challenges, and is led by a young adult Peer Facilitator in a paid leadership role. These groups engage other Stella’s Place staff, as well as professionals, as relevant. Our design groups to date include:
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Peer Conversations Group:
- the foundational group that contributed to building the peer support program and training requirements.
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Peer Support Training Program Curriculum Design Group:
- a group that discussed and designed the materials for the Peer Support Training Program that is offered in partnership with George Brown College.
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Online Platform and App Co-Design Group:
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a group that is designing our online peer support platform and app.
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Evaluation Working Group:
- a group that is thinking through the outcomes for young adults at Stella’s Place, and how to measure and track them.
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onTRACK Co-Design Team –
- a group that is designing the fitness and wellness program that is offered in partnership with the Miles Nadal JCC.
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Possibilities Co-Design Team:
- a group that is designing the Clinical, Recovery and Wellness programs and activities at Stella’s Place.
Leadership Advisory Council
Dr. Simon Davidson
Clinical Professor, BC Children’s Hospital
Alan Greenberg
CEO, Minett Real Estate Services; Co-Founder & Chairman, GreenSoil Investments
Dr. Marshall Korenblum
Medical Director, SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health
Dr. Anthony Levitt
Chief, Brain Sciences; Program Medical Director, Family Navigation Project Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Patrick McGorry
Director of Orygen Youth Health and Orygen Youth Health Research Centre Victoria, Australia
Karen Minden, C.M., Ph.D.
Founder, Pine River Institute and Foundation; Partner, Minden Schipper & Associates
Jaime Watt
Executive Chairman, Navigator Ltd.
Dr. Ari Zaretsky
Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Founding Parents Council
Donna Green
Founder and President, Stella’s Place
Marylee O’Neill
Co-Founder and Vice-President, Stella’s Place
Diane McKenzie
Program Development Specialist PhD Candidate, Mental Health Program Evaluation
Stephanie Merrin
Management Consultant
Ellie Perkins, Ph.D
Economist and Professor, York University
Dana Colson
Doctor of Dental Surgery
Vivian Bercovici
Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Pictured above: Young Adult Advisory Council Members, 2019
Our Family Advisory Council
Stella’s Place FAC is a dynamic group of volunteers supporting Stella’s Place and our vision for young adult mental health. Our members share lived experiences with being caregivers and supports to young adults at many stages of their mental health journey.
George Ayer
George Ayer is a Professional Engineer and the father of three young men. In 2007 the diagnosis of his youngest with a brain tumour was the beginning of a long journey navigating the health system as a caregiver. As his elder twin brothers entered their teens a few years later, signs of mental health challenges began in earnest. It became apparent that the physical health systems and the mental health systems were vastly different in the level of universal access, compassion and support. Being introduced to Stella’s Place was a real breath of fresh air. As a caregiver who struggled with feeling helpless in accessing quality care for my sons, I am keen to support the Family Advisory Council and Stella’s place as an advocate and champion of Young Adult mental health. It is very exciting to participate in the growth of a better way to serve our Young Adult community and their Caregivers.
Victoria Birkett
Victoria is a mother of two young adult children and has experience effectively communicating with family members affected by anxiety and depression. She has firsthand knowledge of navigating the complexities of the mental health care system. Victoria is also the author of a children’s book series, Minnie is Worried, a collection of stories to help children and parents navigate anxiety. As a volunteer member of the Stella’s Place Family Advisory Committee, Victoria co-developed and facilitates the Stella’s Place Family to Family workshop designed to assist family caregivers in supporting young adults with mental health struggles. She is an entrepreneur and current partner with Innovation Grade Ventures, a venture fund that invests in early-stage businesses focusing on health and wellness.
Lori McBurney
Lori was a securities lawyer before deciding to end her practice to become a stay at home mom to her children. Lori has been involved in mental health and addiction issues for many years having multiple family members who have been afflicted with such issues, including Lori herself. Having confronted these issues, Lori knows the difficulties of gaining access to meaningful services applicable to the unique needs of young adults. It is her purpose to ensure barriers to such services are eliminated.
Martha McGroarty
Martha McGroarty is a mental health advocate and over the past several years has led successful fundraising and community outreach events for Stella’s Place. As a suicide loss survivor, Martha shares her daughters’ story, and her story as a mother, to spread awareness to others. She has experience assisting her daughter navigate the mental health care system and believes in Stella’s Place methods and mission. She is a committed volunteer member of the Stella’s Place Family Advisory Council and has also volunteered as a Crisis Responder for the Kids Help Text Line. Professionally, Martha is a Manager at a public sensor technology company.
Nicole Waldron
Nicole Waldron became a volunteer with Stella’s Place Family Advisory Council after hearing about the work that Stella’s Place does for youth. Nicole’s loved one first experienced psychosis a couple months after a bike accident in 2015 and has since made a commitment to helping others in this area. She has become a mental health advocate for loved ones and caregivers after having to deal with the mental health system.
Nicole has enjoyed a 30+ year career as an event specialist. She is an inspirational speaker, author and the host of The Victory Speaks Podcast and Online Show. Nicole also serves on various boards and committees working for the advancement of her community and advocating on several issues.
John Swain
After over 30 years as an executive management consultant, John is now semi-retired volunteering his expertise and lived caregiver experience as a member of Stella’s Place Family Advisory Council. In this capacity he has been a co-developer and facilitator of Stella’s Place’s successful Family to Family workshop focused on assisting adult family caregivers who support young adults with mental health conditions. Since their son was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, ADHD and anxiety over 25 years ago John and his wife have navigated a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional treatment approaches including psychiatry, counselling, clinical and
alternative therapists, residential rehab programs and life coaching. His goal, along with his wife, is to enable his son to become fully functional in a world that still stigmatizes and challenges those with such conditions.
Our Endorsements
During our development, we have communicated with many local, national and international leaders and mental health experts. Here’s what they have to say about the needs of young adults and how Stella’s Place is taking a step forward.
Barry Alper
Business Manager/Partner
Fresh Restaurants
Simon Davidson
M.B., B.Ch., FRCPC Regional Chief
Specialized Psychiatric and Mental Health Services for Children and Youth CHEO
Gillian Gray
Executive Director
Family Outreach and Response
Amy Wakelin
Manager of Peer Initiatives
CMHA Toronto
Ari Zaretsky
MD FRCPC Psychiatrist-in-Chief
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Mike Colle
MPP
Eglinton-Lawrence
Susan Davis
Executive Director
Gerstein Crisis Centre
The Hon. Michael Kirby
Founding Chair
Partners for Mental Health
Catherine Zahn
MD, FRCPC President and CEO
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Our Partners
We work with a range of community-based and hospital partners in program development, training initiatives and service co-delivery and co-location.
“The uniqueness of Stella’s Place, being designed for youth by youth, is an approach to care that is needed in our system. In addition to developing innovative supports, Stella’s Place has created opportunities for education, training and employment for youth with lived experience. These opportunities are incredibly valuable to the recovery process.”
Gillian Gray
Executive Director, Family Outreach and Response Program