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There’s no access without them.

Community
advisory
circle

Behind Let’s Talk Access is a circle of collaborators whose skills and lived experience strengthen every part of the work. They’re not just names on a page — they’re actively shaping the program, the podcast, and the movement.

COMMUNITY,
EXPERTS,
FRIENDS & FAMILY

Family, friends, and community stand at the heart of Let’s Talk Access. They’ve jumped in with ideas, pushed us when we needed it, and often led the conversations that got this moving. We wouldn’t be here without them — and we’re glad they’re in it with us.

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Advisory Circle Members

We don’t make plastic — we build knowledge. Rooted in Canadian pedagogy and oral storytelling, Let’s Talk Access is powered by 17 advisory circle members already shaping the work. Community is in the blueprint.

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Donated hours

Five million Canadians went without timely mental health care last year. The real gap isn’t just services — it’s literacy. That’s why people have already given 3000+ hours to help us close it.

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Donated Resources

We flip the script: literacy before therapy. A group program, podcast, and Access Guide all tied together with equity. And with $170K in donated resources, redistribution is hard-wired from the start.

Our Advisory Circle brings expertise in clinical practice, audio storytelling, research framing, social impact strategy, grant evaluation, community engagement, financial planning, and lived-experience advocacy.

This isn’t a static board — it’s a working group that contributes ideas, networks, and hands-on support.

Meet Our
Circle

They show up after long shifts, bring tea and hard questions, catch our blind spots, and remind us this work belongs to the community, not a single name. Many hands, one rope—pulling together.

Alder, aka GWiz
Indigiqueer Artist + Graphic Designer + Community Workshops
Tara Jean Stevens
Podcast (Heaven Bent) + Radio WAVE 98.3 + Podcast Mentorship
David Perry
Executive Recruitment + Leadership Development + Flow Through Shares
Yamila Franco
Financial Literacy Advisor + Community Education & Engagement
Alyssa Manankil
Research Assistant & Consultation + Health Sciences + Resource Development
Carlene Noelle
Registered Psychiatric Nurse + Somatic Experience & Private Practice Owner

Gudangee Tlaats’gaa

Stephanie Pennier + Indigenous Resilience-Based Group Facilitation
Brian Babcock
Sound Technology + CBC Radio + Creative Sound Direction
Shannon Martel-Perry
Social Media Marketing & Advertising + Direct Health Advocacy Experience
Brianna Bear
Lekwungen Matriarch + Artist + Organizer
Victoria Clements
Producer + Event Coordinator + Arts & Design & Fashion
Dorraine Baines
Facilitator + Coordinator + WorkBC
Kate Ritchie
Health Directory + Community Health Network
Symeon Price
Spirituality in Care + BC Youth
Heba Elgharbawy
Research + Psychology + PhD Candidate

I want my daughters to grow up with the mental health knowledge I never had.

Gudangee Tlaats’gaa

”I support the goals of Let’s Talk Access to bring better mental health literacy to BC”.
Dr. Shana JohnstonMD
Dr. Shana Johnston