Sherry Copenace - Niizhoosake, Saagimaakwe (Anishinaabe/Spirit Names), Atik dodem (Elk Clan), Midewin

Ms. Copenace was born and raised on the community of Ojibways of Onigaming. Ms. Copenace is firm in her ways of knowing and being Anishinaabe. Ms. Copenace speaks her original Language - Ojibway and has a great love for the Land, Waters and Peoples. Since 2011, Ms. Copenace has organized Makoosekawin- Anishinaabe young women coming of age teachings and ceremonies. She is part of a Grandmothers Circle with Nanadawegamig (FMHSSM )

Helen Cromarty

Ms. Cromarty is an Elder from Sachigo Lake First Nation. Ms. Cromarty began her education as a residential school student and attained her HBScN degree from Lakehead University. During her 45-year career as a nurse, she worked ICU-CCU for 23 years. Following this, Ms. Cromarty was a Health Policy Analyst/Health Liaison at Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and Special Advisor for First Nation Health at Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC). Ms. Cromarty was in many leadership roles in the development and implementation of health care programs and services delivered throughout NAN and Ontario.Ms. Cromarty has been recognized for her work in First Nations Health by the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and the Chiefs of Ontario. Ms. Cromarty received an Honorary Doctor of Science from Lakehead University in 2016. Ms. Cromarty is a residential school survivor, friend, sister, aunt, mother, and Kookom (grandmother).Her husband, Dennis Franklin Cromarty, passed away February 3, 1993. She is proud of their five children and a very proud Kookom of three beautiful girls.

Aryeh Gitterman, Ed.D.

Dr. Gitterman is currently a Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the School of Child and Youth Care, Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson University.

From 2007 to 2016 Dr. Gitterman was an Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) in the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS). While at MCYS Dr. Gitterman was responsible for policies and programs for: autism, community-based mental health, child protection, special needs, residential services, and the poverty reduction strategy.

Prior to joining MCYS, Dr. Gitterman was ADM of the Instruction and Leadership Development Division, and the Business and Finance Division in the Ministry of Education. While at Education he was responsible for policies and programs for: secondary schools, teacher quality, leadership development and safe schools.

Dr. Gitterman has presented at numerous meetings and conferences regarding education and children’s policies. Some examples: OECD, International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), Asian Development Bank, American Educational Research Association, SickKids, World Bank, CAMH, Children’s Mental Health Ontario.

Dr. Gitterman began his career at the Scarborough Board of Education teaching high school Mathematics and English. He then worked at the Halton Board of Education, as a guidance counsellor, Head of Guidance and Special Education in a Grade 7-13 school, and as a Curriculum Coordinator for the school board.

Dr. Gitterman was born in Winnipeg where he received his B.Sc. at the University of Manitoba. He moved to Toronto where he completed his B.Ed., M.Ed. and his Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology at the University of Toronto.

Joanne Lowe

Ms. Lowe is currently the Executive Director with the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB). YSB is one of the largest youth serving organizations in Ontario impacting the lives of 12,000 youth, their families and caregivers each year. More than 350 staff at YSB serve clients through four service areas that include youth justice, mental health, health, housing and employment services across 22 sites in Ottawa.

Ms. Lowe joined YSB six years ago following nine years with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) where she was the Manager, Community Division for the then Specialized Psychiatric and Mental Health Services (SPMHS) – now known as “Young Minds” which is a partnership between CHEO and The Royal created following recommendations from the Health Services Restructuring Commission. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ottawa Branch from 1994 to 2003. Previous to CMHA, Joanne was the Executive Director with Regeneration House, a supportive housing agency in central Toronto.

Ms. Lowe has participated and provided leadership in several local, provincial and national networks, coalitions, committees and working groups that include co-chairing the Cross-Sectoral Committee in mental health and education, United Way Partner Agencies Network, CMHA Executive Directors Network and the founding Co-Chair of the Alliance to End Homelessness.

More recently, Ms. Lowe has and continues to be involved in the Provincial Framework Advisory Committee for Child and Youth Mental Health; the Provincial Partnership Table for Moving on Mental Health and the Provincial Youth Addiction Advisory Committee. As one of first of 33 appointed Lead Agencies for Child and Youth Mental Health, Ms. Lowe has provided leadership in the development of the Lead Agency Consortium as its inaugural Co-Chair.

Ms. Lowe has been the Co-Chair the Ottawa Suicide Prevention Network for the past six years with more than 50 members working collaboratively to prevent youth suicide.

Nathan Scharf, MD FRCP(C)

Dr. Scharf was born in Montreal in 1958 and has resided in Toronto since 1984. He attended McGill Medical School, graduating in 1982. After several years of Residency in Internal Medicine, he switched to Psychiatry, where he developed a particular interest in psychiatric service delivery systems after travelling several times to Baffin Island with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Psychiatric Consultation Group. Dr. Scharf chose to pursue subspecialty in child psychiatry in part because of an interest in the complexity of service and support systems inherent in the subspecialty, where parents, caregivers and children together and separately navigate systems involving physical and mental health education, child welfare and protection and youth justice. This interest has been pursued through involvement in transdisciplinary consultative teams and in the development of various consultative and treatment programs at the Youthdale Treatment Centre in Toronto. In the last several years, he has been involved in the development of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services at Youthdale for Transitional Age Youth. He is currently writing a book for parents, caregivers and service providers on issues relevant to psychiatric service provision with high risk youth.

In regard to psychiatric patient care, Dr. Scharf’s specialty area of work is with “high risk” youth in inpatient, outpatient and residential settings and in outpatient consultation with children with neurodevelopmental disorders, complex psychopharmalogic concerns or with youth justice involvement.

Stella Schimmens

Ms. Schimmens is a council member of the Moose Cree First Nation. In that role, Ms. Schimmens is able to advocate while sitting on various portfolios, including Health, Education and Resource Development. Early in her career, Ms. Schimmens worked at the local Children’s Aid Society.

Later, while working at Medical Services, Health Canada, Ms. Schimmens advocated for patients and their families to ensure that they received optimum medical benefits in terms of transportation, medical supplies and the referral process. Medical Services transferred Health Care Delivery to Weeneebayko Regional Health Authority (WAHA), where Ms. Schimmens continued with patient advocacy and worked to develop the WAHA/Traditional Healing program using traditional practices, restoring historical knowledge and beliefs.

More recently, Ms. Schimmens was part of a team of culture support workers that accompanied the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) across Canada and provided supports at TRC events.

One of the highlights of Ms. Schimmens career was travelling with Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to Peru, where she had the opportunity to meet with a group of international Elders and witness the work they do combining modern and traditional methods for addictions.

Ms. Schimmens is a proud mother of four, a very proud Gookum (grandmother) of 11 and a Jaban (great-grandmother) of one.

Kim Snow, PhD.

Dr. Snow began her career in residential services in the children’s mental health sector, and while there earned her Child Care Worker Diploma. Dr. Snow then practiced in an intensive psychiatric day hospital working on outpatient assessment teams. In 1990, Dr. Snow established a private practice providing assessment and treatment for children and families with complex mental health needs. For a period time she served as a Child Advocate at the Office of Child and Family Services Advocacy. Most recently, Dr. Snow has been working as an Associate Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care at Ryerson University. She has a focus on safeguards for children and youth in care and the meaningful participation of young people in their care. She leads The Voyager Project, a social innovation strategy to redress educational disruption and disadvantage faced by children in care. Dr. Snow also engages in Participatory Action Research with remote First Nations communities and youth groups.She has published extensively in the areas of child and youth care and youth in care.