All About CICMH

Marija Padjen (she/her) is the Director for the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health and the Chief Clinical Officer at CMHA- Ontario. She holds a BA in Political Science and History from McGill University, and BSW and MSW from York University. Marija spent 18 years in the dementia field as a front-line social worker and as Chief Program Officer for the Alzheimer Society of Toronto. She has a strong commitment to person centred care and is a firm believer in collaborative relationship building.    Director for CICMH, the focus of her work is on enhancing the capacity of colleges and universities to support student mental health.

Emily Anne Opala (she/her) has been passionate about mental health advocacy from a very young age. She started her career in neuroscience, studying the impacts of stress on the brains of post-partum rat moms and earning an MSc from McGill University. During that time, she worked in the sexual assault centre at McGill, where she discovered her interest in psychoeducation. She went on to work in a supportive housing program in Toronto, providing case management and counselling to women with histories of trauma and substance use. She now works at the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health as a Knowledge and Research Lead, where she helps campuses across Ontario to meet the mental health needs of students.

Taylah Harris-Mungo (they/them) is CICMH’s Bilingual Knowledge and Research Lead. Previously, Taylah worked in social services specifically in the shelter sector with families fleeing violence, and the precariously housed.