Karyn Baker
“I am going to walk with you and hold the hope for you.” Karyn Baker, 2006
Karyn Baker BSW, MSW is the Executive Director of the Family Outreach and Response Program providing supports to family and friends of those recovering from serious mental health issues.
Karyn has worked in mental health for over 20 years and has been working with families for the past eight. Prior to that time, Karyn worked as a consultant with Community Resources Connections of Toronto(*) and also managed the City of Toronto Mental Health Coordinating Committee.
Karyn has been able to work in many areas of mental health including:
- direct support for consumer/survivors and families
- community development and planning
- program and organizational development
Karyn is committed to ensuring that families, other mental health professionals and the general public learn about mental health recovery and the important role that families play in the recovery process.
Amongst her other activities in 2006, Karyn has:
- worked on the organization committee for the highly successful International Perspectives on Recovery conference held in Toronto in November
- spoke on Hope and Recovery at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Mental Health Association - Chatham-Kent branch in Chatham, Ontario in June
- was featured in the article You cannot recover without hope written by Diane Simon in the Chatham Daily News on Tuesday, November 7, 2006
- presented on Working with Families Using a Recovery Approach at the Eastern Ontario Summer Institute in Mental Health and Addictions in Kingston in June
- presented in Chatham again in October at the Mental Illness Awareness Committee of Chatham-Kent.
- hosted the very successful second annual Family Outreach and Response Program fund-raising golf tournament in September.
In September 2007, Karyn received a public service award from the Ontario Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association for her work with families and in mental health recovery.
Karyn’s advice to those helping others recover from mental health problems is to be the light at the end of the tunnel.
She can be reached at 416-535-8501 ext 2011.
