MHL Champions

Our MHL Champions

We are committed to creating and delivering the highest quality mental health literacy information, research, education and resources. And, we can’t possibly do all of this important work alone! This is where our champions make an incredible difference: by collaborating on a variety of initiatives and integrating the mental health literacy message directly into their communities of practice.

Our MHL champions come from a wide scope of professional backgrounds and expertise! Get to know them by reading their bios below.

Dr. Yifeng Wei

Dr. Yifeng Wei, MA, PhD, has worked as a researcher and school mental health lead with mentalhealthliteracy.org since 2008. She is currently assistant professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta.   Her research interests focus on promoting mental health literacy in schools (both secondary and post-secondary settings) to help students gain better understanding about mental health and mental disorders, reduce stigma against mental illness, obtain and maintain good mental health, and enhance help-seeking behaviors. She has made a significant contribution to school mental health research, program development, and education across Canada and around the world. Dr. Wei continues to work with school districts and education institutions to improve health outcomes for students and educators.
Dr. Wei has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and one book on school mental health. She has led/co-led more than 30 school mental health projects, locally, nationally and internationally. She has also presented at regional, national and international scientific meetings and conferences. Dr. Wei was awarded the Canadian Institute of Health Research Doctoral Research Award in 2011 and the Dalhousie University President’s Award in 2011 and 2012.

Wendy Carr

Dr. Wendy Carr is a Professor of Teaching Emerita in the University of British Columbia Faculty of Education. After a long career in K-12 education as a teacher and district level consultant and in post-secondary as a teacher educator and administrator, she now supports BC educators to build mental health literacy in their schools and districts. She is also committed to inclusive teaching approaches that consider all parts of a learner’s identities. Wendy co-created the free, online MHL curriculum resource, LEARN, led research studies showing the effectiveness of the resource among educators, and mobilized professional learning across BC school districts. She believes that mental health literacy provides an essential foundation for learners of all ages.

Cheryl Shinkaruk

Cheryl Shinkaruk is the Manager: Programs & Projects with Edmonton Catholic Schools.  Cheryl has completed a master’s degree in Curriculum and Pedagogy from the University of Alberta and is a sessional instructor in Secondary Education. She is a committee member of the University of Alberta Community University Partnership, which focuses on creating or mobilizing evidence-based knowledge that impacts programs and policies. Cheryl has served the division in multiple roles, but her passion lies in championing student mental health through healthy living and active learning within a Comprehensive School Health approach. She was instrumental in developing the Edmonton Catholic Schools Mental Health Strategic Plan in collaboration with her colleagues and under the guidance of Dr. Stan Kutcher, Dr. Yifeng Wei and Andrew Baxter.  She is a Mental Health Literacy Core Trainer, and she has been leading sessions for school staff in her division. Cheryl has collaborated with Dr. Yifeng Wei and Andrew Baxter in supporting student mental health research with the Elementary and High School Mental Health Curriculum Guide.  She has presented at various conferences and professional development workshops across Canada and the United States. Her work is published in various research journals and educational leadership magazines.

Kyla Vieweger

Kyla Vieweger, MSW RSW CPT,  came aboard the mental health literacy project in 2019 on a 5 year contractual basis as a writer, resource developer, research assistant and health promotion facilitator! While working within these roles, Kyla was most passionate about the knowledge translation process and working to make quality, evidence-based mental health literacy information accessible to a variety of audiences. She enjoys collaborating with key partners in resource writing, design and dissemination.

Kyla brings a clinical mental health background in which she has worked therapeutically with children since 2007. During her time with Alberta Health Services, she has worked in both school-based and community mental health settings. Kyla has provided direct treatment across the spectrum of child development: from early childhood through to adolescence, including intervention and consultation with caregivers and educators alike. Kyla now has her own private practice and continues to work therapeutically with children, teens and families. When she is not working, she puts on her gardening hat and enjoys spending time outside with her family.

Rob McWeeny

Rob McWeeny is a Ph.D student in the department of Psychiatry working under Dr. Yifeng Wei at the University of Alberta. His interests include bridging gaps between biological psychiatry, translational medicine, and public health. Rob believes in cultivating cross-ministry collaboration among public sectors to leverage resources toward shared mental health goals. Rob’s first career in secondary education and subsequent academic-psychiatry training provide the team with added insight from both sides of the mental health – education fence. 

Rob is a research assistant and content contributor for the Mental Health Literacy project. He enjoys collaborating to support school-based projects and the team’s ambitious research initiatives. He has interest in expanding the MHL mandate toward familial education and school-based Trauma-Literacy for teachers.

Academics aside, Rob enjoys music, running, and coffee. He is training his dog to execute advanced commands with some success, but mostly cherishes the opportunity to consult old behaviour modification texts. His dog has appealed to the union for a crippling strike. 

LORI BAIN

Lori Bain, B.A. in Psychology, B.Ed. is the Parent Advisory Lead for mentalhealthliteracy.org. Her eighteen year career in Human Resources was focused on workplace learning and performance, employee relations and leadership development. For the past decade, while raising her two elementary-aged sons, Lori has been an active volunteer within their schools and has served as Key Communicator on a CBE School Council since 2018. Lori has a keen interest in promoting mental health literacy within schools, families and the broader community. She is a passionate advocate for helping people learn about mental health, the importance of support, access to resources and stigma reduction. She is certified as a Core Trainer and has completed the Facilitator Training with the Mental Health Literacy Project. Lori enjoys hiking, biking, skiing and adventuring in the mountains with her family.

Katherine Jarrell

Katherine Jarrell MSW, RSW, joined the Alberta School Mental Health Literacy Project on a 5 year contractual basis in 2019, and had worked in Alberta Health Services in a mental health capacity building role since 2013, serving as an Education Consultant and Clinical Consultant to support rural educators, physicians, clinicians and other direct service providers in their work with children and youth. In her work at Mount Royal University, Kathy served as a subject matter expert for the Children’s Mental Health Certificate program, and has taught clinical courses primarily in the Social Work program. In 2011, Kathy was recognized with a Distinguished Teaching Award. Within AHS, Kathy has partnered with the Provincial Mental Health Promotion and Injury Prevention team to deliver training in Disaster Preparedness, including facilitating School-based Psychological First Aid.  Kathy is currently providing counselling in private practice, primarily using a CBT approach.

Katarina Darwent-Daignault

Katarina lead the Youth Advisory Committee for mentalhealthliteracy.org for several years. She is a graduate of the University of Calgary, with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Bachelor of Secondary Education, with a minor in Psychology. A member of the Scholars Academy Program for outstanding undergraduates, Katarina is a self-described reader, academic and “nerd” with a vested interest in bettering her community.  Her lived experience with school-based mental health initiatives inspired her to pursue academia and advocacy in practices and approaches to adolescent care, with a particular emphasis on mental health literacy and educator-student support systems.  She is currently working as a teacher in the child day treatment program, continuing to support the mental health and needs of her students.

JOHN FLETCHER

John Fletcher, MEd, CCC, LCT, is a Key Mental Health Literacy Trainer located in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Since 2018, he has been delivering MHL trainings in schools and communities, supporting implementation of MHL curriculum resources and engaging in research. John has a keen interest and passion for increasing mental health literacy at the community level.

John has worked in the area of school-based mental health since 2012. He also works therapeutically with teens and adults through his private practice and is currently pursuing federal certification in Animal-Assisted Therapy/Equine Facilitated Wellness. And, if that isn’t enough, John also hosts the podcast, Fishing for Mental Health.

Outside of the regular 9-5, you will find John working on his farm with his wife, 4 children, 5 goats, 2 miniature donkeys and 1 dog. Or, you may spot him paddling a canoe down one of the tributaries of the mighty Miramichi river, fly fishing for Atlantic salmon, trout or striped bass.