Virtual Stigma-Free School Program

Andrea Paquette is the President and Co-Founder of the Stigma-Free Society. She is an experienced speaker who lives well with bipolar disorder having been diagnosed for over 16 years. She holds a double major degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies and she has worked for the BC government in the areas of mental health and addictions, social development and education. She is certified in ASIST Suicide Prevention. She has also been trained and certified in the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Mental Health First Aid course. Andrea has received many awards including the 2015 Courage to Come Back Award by Coast Mental Health.

EJ is a School and Community Presenter for the Stigma-Free Society and is extremely passionate about mental health and LGBTQ+ topics with the intersectionality of both subjects. EJ is able to talk openly about their experience with their own mental health, sexuality, gender identity and the effects stigma has on it. As a non-binary person, and having recovered from addictions, EJ is a person living with complex PTSD and depression, who understands the importance of asking for help.  They believe that we are able to change people’s lives and create meaningful change when we share our stories and experiences.

Benjamin Garner is an award winning artist, actor and resilient advocate for mental health. Through the arts, he expresses a personal interest on the topics of mental health, gender identity, societal norms and connection to the human spirit. He possesses a varied educational background in counseling and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. As a queer male, and having recovered from addictions, Ben lives with bipolar disorder and understands the effects of stigma. He has 10 years of experience working with marginalized populations with respect to comorbid health concerns, psychopathology, mental health and addictions, gender identity, HIV, personal trauma and stigma related issues.

Joesh is a school presenter for the Stigma-Free Society. He is very passionate about sports and plays a lot of them, his favourites are soccer, basketball, and football. Joesh is extremely passionate about ADHD and learning differences and how we as a society can be more aware of them. Joesh does not see these as a disorder but as more of a benefit and how we can effectively utilize ADHD and learning differences in our school systems. As someone who has both ADHD and the learning difference of written output, Joesh wants to inspire and educate young minds about what it’s like to live life with these and why it is important in our communities.

Nathan Lirenman is a 20-year-old young man, currently enrolled in the Kinesiology program at Capilano University. Nathan is a person who has worked hard to learn the skills necessary to be successful in life and proud of who he is, a young man who happens to have Autism. Nathan has used determination, and hard work to not let stigma, stereotypes, and adversity get in the way of his goals. Nathan loves to keep active by running, working out, and walking in nature which he has felt has made him stronger mentally. Nathan is motivated to shatter all the stigmas associated with Autism!

Samara is the Programs Manager for Stigma-Free Society. She has a Bachelors degree in Equity Studies, a Masters in Teaching and a professional development certificate in Youth Mental Health. Samara wrote her Masters thesis on inclusive education practices for students with learning disabilities. She is passionate about inclusion in all forms, but specifically for students struggling with learning disabilities and/or mental health concerns. She has Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, as well as generalized anxiety disorder and situational depression, which she speaks about openly and honestly. She wants to work towards removing the stigma connected to seeking mental health help from a professional and is open about her experience in therapy.

Mike Scott is a father to four, retired electrician and foreman, and avid study of stigma and mental health. Mike is currently working on the Family Research Advisory Panel for the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine. While also achieving his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1997, Mike experienced a ten-year battle with life-threatening episodes in bipolar I disorder.

Noelle Smith is a young woman who aims in advocating autism and mental illnesses, as well as promoting a healthy driven lifestyle. Being diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, Depression, PTSD, and Anxiety, Noelle experienced endless amounts of negative stigmas in her life, but eventually she turned to living against those limitations and strived to live the life she wanted. She is passionate about sharing her story and becoming the example of an individual who lives beyond the negative labels of society and strives for others to start living this way. Noelle currently works with kids and teens on the spectrum, as well as a personal passion and self employed Yoga and Meditation Instructor.