Breakout Session 1

Tanya (Toni) De Mello is the assistant dean, student programming, development and equity at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.

Toni is a human rights lawyer and holds Bachelors' degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Waterloo; a dual Masters degree in Public Policy and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton University; and two law degrees (common and civil law) from McGill University Faculty of Law. She has a PhD from the University of Toronto, focused on access to the legal sector in Toronto and examining recruitment and interview processes by focussing on questions such as, “Who fits?,” and, “Who doesn't?” She is considered an expert on equity and inclusion in Canada. Toni is a member of the Ontario bar.

Beth Beattie is currently Senior Counsel at the Ministry of the Attorney General Civil Law Division, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care Branch. Beth has a broad-based health law litigation practice and has expertise in the areas of human rights, forensic and civil mental health, OHIP eligibility, Coroner’s inquests, and long-term care home compliance.  Beth has a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in alternative dispute resolution.

In 2002 Beth was diagnosed with bipolar disorder following a psychotic episode that led her to being hospitalized for two weeks at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Because of the prevalence of the stigma surrounding mental illness, she hid her illness for 14 years, telling only her family and closest friends about her condition. Given the stigma surrounding mental illness, Beth endured much angst at the thought that her colleagues, clients and opposing counsel would find out about her illness and hospitalization.  

In 2017 Beth made the decision to come out of the “mental health closet” and started speaking publicly.  Since January 2018 Beth has been a Friend of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign.  Her story of living and working with bipolar disorder has been featured on television, radio, print media and billboards across the country.

Zahra Juma is a Registered Nurse at a downtown community health centre that supports the health and wellness needs of racialized women. Many of the centre’s clients are newcomers and refugees to Canada; single mothers; individuals who have undergone significant trauma; individuals with disabilities as well as individuals with low-income, food insecurity and housing insecurity. Some are from indigenous and LGBTQ2SI+ communities.

Zahra will speak to the additional challenges that Covid-19 poses to the health and well-being of vulnerable populations within these communities as well as the vicarious trauma experienced by the primary and allied health care providers that support them.

Zahra’s experience in mental health includes having been a Policy Analyst with the Canadian Mental Health Association and 6 years as a Course Instructor for Mental Health First Aid. Her Master’s Degree in Public Health from Columbia University, together with her degrees in Psychology and Nursing, give her a deep understanding of the impact of the social determinants on individuals’ health and well-being and enable her to provide holistic care to her clients.

Zahra’s work in public health has given her insights into strategies to cultivate a healthy and psychologically safe work environment. This is even more relevant today, as we find ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic, leaving many employees with poor mental health, whether due to stress or having to juggle multiple demands, or just being “Zoomed out”. Additionally, Zahra’s international health promotion work in Tanzania, Kenya, and Afghanistan adds a unique cross-cultural perspective to her expertise.

Jesmen Mendoza is a registered psychologist and professional counsellor at X University’s (renaming in process) Centre for Student Development and Counselling where he provides therapy and counselling to students on a range of mental health and developmental concerns. In addition to these supports, Dr. Mendoza provides consultation to faculty and staff on tricky student issues. Prior to X University, he has provided support in a number of social service and criminal justice settings and applies an integrated, inclusive and positive psychology approach to all of the clinical and community work he delivers.

Tess Sheldon is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor. She writes, presents and teaches extensively on a variety of mental health, access to justice, disability and human rights topics. She practiced exclusively Ontario’s legal clinic system, including at ARCH Disability Law Centre and Justice for Children and Youth. Dr. Sheldon's research, including about coercive medication administration practices in psychiatric settings, scrutinizes the role of law to protect and promote our communities’ health. She explores the law’s possibilities (and perils) to confront the regimes that reflect and reinforce economic and social exclusion of persons with disabilities and consumers/ survivors of the psychiatric system.