Workshop Tor-B
Mental Health and the Workplace

Erika Pond Clements,OT Reg.(Ont.),Dip ADD, CDMP

Erika graduated from Queen's University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. She went on to obtain a diploma in Addiction Studies from McMaster University in 1998, and obtained the Certified Disability Management Professional designation when it was first offered in Canada by the International Disability Management Standards Council in 2003. Erika has been working in the area of vocational and work-related Occupational Therapy for 20 years. Erika is in private practice in Kitchener, where her experience in helping individuals with mental health disabilities is combined with her knowledge of disability management and dedication to the elimination of the stigma of mental illness. Erika is the project manager for the CPRF Workplace Project.

Dr. Louise Hartley

Dr. Louise Hartley is Vice President of Clinical Services at Family Services Employee Assistance Programs in Toronto. She is a registered psychologist with 25 years of experience in many different settings.  She has developed expertise in the field of depression and has authored a chapter, Depression in the Workplace, in Wellness and Work: Employee Assistance Programming in Canada.

Dr. Hartley is Past President of  the Employee Assistance Society of North America and a frequent presenter at conferences.

Mandi J. Luis

During her 27 year career in the financial industry, Mandi developed a strong interest in the promotion of workplace wellness and sought out numerous volunteer and professional development opportunities to enable her to support and empower management and staff in the creation of healthy work environments.  Her training includes Influencing and Negotiating Skills, Working with People with Disabilities, Coaching for Performance, Creative Training Excellence in Listening, and Relationship and Communication Skills, Intentional Dialogue. 

With her personal experience with depression in the workplace and knowledge regarding workplace wellness, Mandi realized that mental health issues affect every workplace to some degree, exacting a significant price in terms of employee well-being and productivity. She began to focus her efforts on promoting mental health in the workplace and supporting employees with mental health problems to return to work. To extend her skills and experience into a range of work environments, Mandi launched MJ Concepts & Associates in 2005.   The expertise Mandi brings to this work includes Advanced Career Consultant and Leadership Development training. Currently, Mandi is a certified Peer Support Specialist and a Career Coach/Facilitator. Her focus is on facilitating a successful Return to Work process based on the principle of recovery that is in the best interests of both the employee and employer.

Diane Westcott, B.A.

Diane Westcott is a Consultant, providing support to employers in the areas of Employee Wellness and Disability Management. Previously Diane was the Director of Wellness and Benefits for Ontario Power Generation  (OPG). She was appointed to this position in April 2002.  In that position, Ms. Westcott was responsible for the oversight of OPG’s efforts to meet its legal and corporate requirements and goals regarding occupational health and benefits. Ms. Westcott was formerly OPG’s Ombudsman and Chief Ethics Officer.  Diane Westcott joined Ontario Hydro, the predecessor company of OPG, in 1989. She held positions of increasing responsibility in Planning and Evaluation, Marketing and Sales and Commercial Operations. Prior to her career at Ontario Hydro, Ms. Westcott held a position in policy development for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. She also worked in market research for Elliot Research. Born in Toronto, Ms. Westcott earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from York University.