Join our host, CharityVillage President Mary Barroll, to learn how nonprofits can better support their staff and volunteers when it comes to mental health. We speak to experts about burnout, isolation and depression, as well as potential solutions designed to help employers create lasting change.  We’ll explore how the ongoing pandemic has exacerbated the chronic mental health challenges faced by nonprofit professionals and how employers can better support their staff by creating psychologically and emotionally healthier workplaces.

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Meet Our Guests (in order of appearance)

Steve Lurie

Former Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch

Steve Lurie recently retired as the Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch, a post he held since 1979. Steve has written and lectured extensively on mental health policy issues. He recently was named to the Order of Canada for his contributions as leader, scholar and advocate in 2016.

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In November 2017 he was honored by CAMH as one of Canada’s Difference Makers in mental health and addiction. Steve has a Masters in Management from the McGill McConnell, Voluntary Sector Leadership program and has a BA and MSW from the University of Toronto Faculty of Social Work where he is now an adjunct professor.

Rensia Melles

Founder of Integral Workplace Health

Rensia Melles is a certified Psychological Health and Safety advisor with over 20 years of experience managing and designing international employee support programs to fortune500 employers.  She is a passionate advocate for creating a difference in the workplace for both employees and employees on the topic of mental health and psychological safety.

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She has published and presented internationally on a wide range of employee support topics, including leveraging the workplace for health, global trauma support, mental health and employer liability. In 2019 she founded Integral Workplace Health, providing organizations psychological health and safety consultancy from a systems perspective.

Raksha Bhayana

CEO of Bhayana Family Foundation

Raksha M. Bhayana is currently CEO of the Bhayana Family Foundation and Principal, Bhayana Management focused on managing investment portfolios. Prior to her move to the business world, she was active in directing a range of not-for profit organizations including Family Service Association of Toronto and Dellcrest Children’s Centre. (Now Hincks- Dellcrest). 

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Raksha and her husband were recently named among the 2021 Indiaspora Global 100 Philanthropy Leaders List. Ms. Bhayana has over 25 years of Board Governance experience with a wide range of health care, nonprofit and private sector organizations. She is currently on the Board of Rise and the Government Relations Committee of Reena.

Pamela Uppal

Director of Policy (formerly Policy Advisor) at the Ontario Nonprofit Network

Pamela (she/her) cares deeply about community, allyship, and equity. Over the past 10 years, she has focused on bridging frontline work, research initiatives, and policy advocacy to help build equitable systems. Currently, she is the Director of Policy at the Ontario Nonprofit Network.

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She led a nonprofit organization as a student volunteer, started her career in the nonprofit sector as an intake worker at a multi-service agency, has designed diversity trainings, and collaborated on multiple gender equity research projects.  She holds a Masters degree in Women Studies & Feminist Research.

About your Host

Mary Barroll

President of CharityVillage

Mary Barroll, president of CharityVillage, is an online business executive and lawyer with a background in media, technology and IP law. A former CBC journalist and TV producer, in 2013 she was appointed General Counsel & VP Media Affairs at CharityVillage.com, Canada’s largest job portal for charities and not for profits in Canada, and then President in 2021. Mary is also President of sister company, TalentEgg.ca, Canada’s No.1, award-winning job board and online career resource that connects top employers with top students and grads.

Resources from this Episode

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Additional Resources from this Episode

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