A council of visionaries
Pre-eminent mental healthcare leaders and practitioners.
Dr. Sidney Kennedy
MD, FRCPC, MRC PSYCH
Dr. Kennedy holds the Arthur Sommer Chair in Suicide & Depression studies at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He is the Director of the Centre for Suicide and Depression Studies at St. Michael’s Hospital, and a Scientist at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and Krembil Research Institute in Toronto. As the lead investigator for the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CAN-BIND), a national depression biomarker initiative, Dr. Kennedy is working to identify risk factors for suicide.He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada.
Dr. Anthony Levitt
MD, MBBS, FRCPC
An expert in the field of mood disorders and brain science, Dr. Levitt is Chief of the Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Levitt’s research at the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute is focused on treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Levitt has a firm commitment to public and medical education, improving recognition of mood disorders by health care professionals and expanding access to care for people with mood disorders in the community.
Daniel Hoffmann
BSW
Daniel Hoffman is a social worker who sees the societal advantage of organic farming at The Cutting Veg. Passionate about organic and sustainable farming, he cultivates personal, social, environmental and economic health through organic agriculture. Daniel Hoffman is an inspirational educator with a wealth of experience in bringing the benefits of organic farming into the urban setting through pop up markets and speaking engagements. The Cutting Veg is rooted in social enterprise to foster community well being.
Karen Goldenberg
C.M. OONT
Karen Goldenberg has had a distinguished career whose work has left a lasting impact on the community. As an executive in mental health care, she was the CEO of JVS Toronto, Senior VP and acting CEO of the Addiction Research Foundation (now CAMH), and the Co-founder and Executive Director of COTA Rehab Services. Karen Goldenberg was made a Member of the Order of Canada 2014 for her work in rehabilitation and was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2020 for her exemplary service to the community.
Ann Marie Mac Donald
CHRP, CTM
As Executive Director/CEO of Hope and Me – Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, Ann Marie is an outstanding leader who builds relationships and connects people. She brings extensive experience in the recovery model of care. MDAO is a leader in group peer support programs and strategies facilitating a province-wide network of peer support groups. Ann Marie believes in the power of support provided by those with lived experience.
Susan Meikle
OT
Susan Meikle is an Occupational Therapist with extensive experience in the provision of community mental health services. Currently the Executive Director of Toronto North Support Services, Ms Meikle has an interest in, and commitment to developing mental health services for people from marginalized and underserved communities. Ms Meikle has extensive experience in multidisciplinary case management serving vulnerable populations in Toronto.
Dr. Ari Zaretsky
FR, FRCPC
Dr. Zaretsky is Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Vice-President, Education, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. A highly respected authority on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dr. Zaretsky is an advocate of this evidenced-based therapy. A Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Dr. Zaretsky is dedicated to exploring ways to enhance compassion in the treatment of mental illness through unique programs such as the narrative medicine project “Out of Darkness”.
