Andrea Marshall

Role

Vice-President, Communications and Patient Experience

Andrea Marshall is the Chief of Communications and Patient Experience. She joined Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in 2007 and has held progressive leadership roles throughout her tenure.

Andrea Marshall is a seasoned public relations professional with a passion for leadership development, employee and stakeholder engagement, reducing stigma and partnering with patients and families to improve their experience.

In this role, she oversees Communications and Public Affairs, the Centre of Education and Organizational Development, Volunteer Services, Spiritual Care, and Quality and Patient Experience. She also co-leads Family Council and Patient Council.

Prior to Ontario Shores, she worked at the Ontario Pharmacists Association and Edelman Public Relations.

Ms. Marshall also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Denise House, an organization in Durham Region that provides shelter and support for abused women and children.

'My Mental Illness Didn't Stop Me' - Tas

Tas was admitted into the Young Adults Transitional Services Unit, which focuses on concurrent treatment for alcohol/substance and mental illness for young adults aged 18 to 35 with severe mental illness. Prior to his stay at Ontario Shores, Tas was living on his own and looking for work. But, he struggled with his mental illness, dealing with paranoia and substance abuse. Tas also had a difficult upbringing. Throughout his teen years, he has struggled with anger and the effects bullying has had on his life. In his early adult years, he also dealt with substance abuse.

‘My Mental Illness Didn’t Stop Me’ - Raheman

When Raheman was 16, he began experiencing hallucinations and paranoia. He thought people had put implants in his head and uploaded his brain to a computer and could read his mind. Raheman believed that, as a result of being bullied, kids at school were trying to poison him. Quite frequently, this is his reality as a result of struggling with Schizophrenia. He’s struggled with it for about 15 years now. “I think others feel that way…that’s my reality, it’s scary,” Raheman said about his disorder.

Words Matter: The Story Behind the Hope T-Shirt

Words Matter. This tagline served as the inspiration for us in the creation of our new mental health awareness campaign. We know that for those with a mental illness, words can hurt and be a barrier to recovery. Ontario Shores reached out to people living with mental illness, their families, our staff and the community to hear first-hand what words they felt inspired discovery, recovery and hope. The results were incorporated into the HOPE T-shirt design as a way to carry this important message forward. We hope these t-shirts will create conversations in our communities and change the