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Dr. Nadia Sunderji
President & CEO, Waypoint
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Biography coming soon…
Nitika (Rewari) Chunilall
Director, Prevention & Promotion Initiatives, Mental Health Commission of Canada
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Jordanne Holland
Clinical Director, CAMH
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Dr. Lew Pliamm
Family Doctor, Co-Founder, Champagne Centre
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Debra Walko
Chief Client Care Officer, LOFT Community Services
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Nicole Howell
Patient Care Manager, Mental Health, Ajax-Pickering, Lakeridge Health
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Cara Vaccarino
President & CEO, The Royal
Cara Vaccarino is the President and CEO of The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (The Royal), bringing more than 25 years of distinguished leadership in mental health care across Canada and the United States. A lifelong social worker, she is known for uniting deep clinical knowledge with strategic, system-level thinking to advance patient- and family-centred mental health services. Cara’s career reflects a sustained commitment to accessibility, innovation, and compassionate care. Before joining The Royal, she held senior roles at leading institutions including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Trillium Health Partners, and the Edgewood Health Network.
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Across these organizations, she championed initiatives that expanded service access, strengthened clinical pathways, and elevated the role of mental health within broader health systems.
At The Royal, Cara leads the organization’s SPARQ strategic plan—focusing on sustainability, access, research, and quality—while steering transformative initiatives, including implementing a regionally integrated digital health record and opening an Urgent Care Clinic to better meet community needs. Her leadership reflects an understanding that high-quality mental health care requires both innovation and strong partnerships across the continuum of care.
Cara also brings a rich academic foundation and early-career research experience, having worked at McGill University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She holds a Master of Science in Health Services Administration (MHA) from the University of St. Francis in Chicago, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Tulane University in New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from McGill University.
Motivated by personal experience, Cara is deeply committed to transforming mental health systems and strengthening community partnerships that support holistic, recovery-oriented care. Her career reflects a steadfast belief that meaningful mental health reform must be grounded in compassion, evidence, and the lived realities of the people and families it serves.
Michelle Hedges
Clinical Manager, Outpatient Services, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Michelle Hedges, M.Sc. O.T., O.T. Reg. (Ont.) is the Clinical Manager of Outpatient Services at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, with more than 15 years of experience in mental health care, clinical leadership, psychotherapy, and quality improvement. She has extensive expertise in program development, system planning, and collaborative care models that improve access to mental health services across the lifespan, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
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Michelle is committed to building strong partnerships among specialized mental health services, primary care providers, schools, Indigenous organizations, and community agencies to create integrated and responsive pathways of care. She has contributed to the development and implementation of innovative consultation and shared-care models that strengthen primary care capacity and improve timely access to mental health expertise. Michelle holds a Master of Science in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Child Studies from the University of Guelph. She has also completed the LEADS Canada Program in Healthcare Leadership and earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Lisa Wilson
Community Clinician, Team Leader, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Lisa Wilson, RN, BScN is a Team Leader and Community Clinician with the Family, Child and Youth Program at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, bringing more than 13 years of experience in mental health nursing, leadership, quality improvement, and clinical education. She has worked across acute care, professional practice, adult and pediatric outpatient, and community mental health settings and is a Lean Healthcare Green Belt (Gold Level) certified leader. Lisa is passionate about recovery-oriented, trauma-informed care and advancing quality initiatives that improve client and family experiences.
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