Join us on March 4 for a conversation about the mental health impacts of living with a chronic health condition and learn about different tools and supports to manage your mental and physical health
It is estimated that approximately 45 per cent of Canadians live with at least one major chronic health condition that not only impacts their physical health but also their quality of life, well-being, and mental health.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada, in collaboration with HealthPartners and the Canadian Hemophilia Society, invite you to learn more about the mental health challenges of living with a chronic health condition and to come away with different tools and supports to better understand and manage your mental and physical health.
This 90-minute webinar will feature rich discussions grounded in lived and living experience, strength, and resilience and will focus on strategies and coping mechanisms.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 / 7 – 8:30 p.m. EST
PANELISTS:
- Brittany Acton, vice president, Hemophilia Saskatchewan
- Rachel Burns, associate professor, Department of Psychology, Carleton University
- Bruce Davison, clinical social worker
- Helen Meinzinger, volunteer speaker, Cystic Fibrosis Canada and HealthPartners
- Ubah Mohamoud, counselling therapist
SPEAKERS:
- Karla Thorpe, vice president, Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Kimberley Hanson, CEO, HealthPartners
- Sarah Ford, CEO, Canadian Hemophilia Society
For more information on the webinar, please contact Meagan Barrett-Bernstein at mbarrett-bernstein@mentalhealthcommission.ca.
BIOGRAPHIES:
- Brittany Acton is mom to nine-year-old Vaughn, who experiences both Severe Hemophilia A and Autism, along with a complex history of medical trauma. Through her parenting journey, she has learned to navigate both formal and informal support systems and advocate to ensure that her son’s physical and mental health needs are met, along with the mental health needs of herself, her partner, and their other child, all of which are impacted by having a family member with a chronic health condition. Beyond parenting, Brittany works in systemic advocacy for disability rights at a provincial organization in Saskatchewan.
- Bruce Davison has been a registered clinical social worker in PEI since 1996. He holds a MSW from Wilfrid Laurier University, specializing in working with individuals, families, and groups, and BA in Psychology from the University of Prince Edward Island. Bruce has done a diverse range of clinical social work within PEI’s public sector including working as a child protection social worker, a therapist in correctional services and with in-crisis youth and their families, and group work with men convicted of family violence. He served as a therapist and manager in Community Mental Health and Addictions across PEI, working to help establish mental health walk-in clinics and mental Health Student Well-Being Teams. He then worked in a clinical and program development role in Primary Care and Chronic Disease. Most recently, Bruce assumed the role as the first Clinical Social Worker in the Provincial Medical Assistance in Dying Program in PEI.
- Rachel Burns is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University. She received a PhD in Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2014. She complemented this training with a postdoctoral fellowship in mental health epidemiology at McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal. Dr. Burns’ research identifies the social and psychological processes that shape health behaviour and outcomes with an eye towards understanding how these processes unfold over time. She has a particular interest in the associations between mental health, health behaviours, and health outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes. She is currently an Associate Editor for the British Journal of Health Psychology.
- Helen Meinzinger is a recently retired RCMP officer. Her son Kaiden, who is now 15 years old, was born with cystic fibrosis (CF). Helen has been his primary caregiver, along with her spouse, Jason. Helen has been championing awareness, raising funds and advocating for more supports for CF in Canada for most of those 15 years, raising thousands of dollars, Most recently, she did a hike across Costa Rica for CF and raised over $14,000. She has been a dedicated impact speaker for HealthPartners for over 10 years.
- Ubah Mohamoud is a Canadian Certified Counsellor with a Master’s degree in Spiritually Integrative Psychotherapy from St. Stephen’s College, AB. Situated in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, amiskwacîwâskahikan (Beaver Hills House, colonially known as Edmonton, AB), her work is informed by culturally humble, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive approaches. Adjacent to her clinical work, Ubah routinely provides safe(r) spaces focused on professional training, consultation, healing/sharing circles, and presentations as an effort to contribute to mental health literacy, engagement, and awareness for diverse communities. Ubah has had the privilege of being a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) Youth Council for the past five years, and is a current member of the MHCC’s Hallway group as an advocate and advisor to various stakeholders and policy-makers on mental health concerns and needs, particularly as it relates to diverse populations.
