Karen Hetherington

After completing an undergraduate degree in sociology at Loyola College, Karen Hetherington began her career in social services in 1972. Her first challenge was as a volunteer at Forward House, a community mental health organization in Montreal. Karen eventually became the Assistant Director of Forward House and then moved on to direct the Dawson Community Centre in Verdun. With the transformation of community health clinics to CLSC's, Karen assumed the role of General Coordinator of the Point Saint-Charles Community Clinic. During her 3 years at the clinic, Karen undertook a Masters degree in psycho-education at the University of Montreal. Never losing her focus on mental health issues, in 1990 Karen was the first to develop the community liaison role at the Douglas Hospital. During this time, her vision of community grew larger as she was asked to become a senior consultant to the Montreal World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health. In this capacity Karen consults on mental health development in Central America, the Caribbean and Africa. Following her 10 years at the Douglas Hospital, Karen worked at the Montreal regional level of the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Karen has a vast community and public service experience. She has been a founding member of numerous community organizations, working in areas such as in mental health, immigration and youth. She also founded "Option Milieu", an organization which provides consultation in planning and implementing integrated community health networks. Karen joined the McGill School of Social Work in 2007. She hopes that her in-depth knowledge of the "field" will contribute to the enrichment of the field placement experience in social work.

Following a trip to France in 1974 to her sister's wedding at L'Arche, Jean Vanier's communities for the intellectually handicapped, Karen decided to focus her career goals on working in the area of social service. She promptly enrolled to be a volunteer at Forward House, a community mental health centre in Montreal. At that time she applied for a BSW in social work at McGill. She was accepted, but at the same time was offered a position as the Director of the Day Program at Forward House. Deciding that what she needed was the work experience, Karen chose to accept the position at Forward House. As Karen moved through her various administrative, clinical and consultation experiences, she has come to identify herself as an "agent of change". Karen's belief in the impact of community organizing, social justice and social change has guided her career path. In a desire to share her vision Karen became involved in grooming new "agents of change" through her role as a lecturer in the School of Social Work and the Faculté d'education permanente at the Université de Montréal and in the Continuing Education Department of Université de Laval.
Karen has specialized in the area of mental health from a clinical, administrative, planning and policy perspective. As a senior consultant to the World Health Organization, she has worked on program and policy development in Latin America, and the Caribbean. She is presently working in Guatemala with rural communities, supporting the traditional mental health practices of the Maya and on the development of mental health policy.

Education

M.A. Psycho-education (Université de Montréal) 1985

B.A. Sociology (Loyola College) 1972

Professional activities

• President of the Canadian Mental Health Association - Montreal Branch, 2008.
• Chairperson of the organizing and scientific committee of the Global Conference on Primary health care and mental health. To say and to do it. Integrating mental health into primary health care, May 2008
• National Secretary for the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation
• Housing committee for l' Association québecoise pour la réadaptation psychosociale
• Organizing committee for the annual conference on promotion and prevention of l'Association canadienne pour la santé mentale - Filiale de Montréal

Employment

1990 - present Senior Consultant

Montreal World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research And Training in Mental Health

2001-2003 Consultant to Heath care establishments

Agence de la santé et des services sociaux

1999 - present Lecturer

Université de Montréal

1996 - present Instructor

Université de Laval

1988 - 1999 Community Liaison Agent

Douglas Hospital

1998 - present Consultant

Option Milieu

1984 - 1987 General Director

Point Saint Charles Community Clinic (CLSC)

1980 - 1984 General Director

Dawson Centre

1972 - 1980 Assistant Director and Day Program Coordinator

Forward House

Areas of interest

• Primary health care
• Tran cultural psychiatry
• Mental health in the work place
• Health and social service policy and system organization

Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package World Health Organization, Geneva 2003

Modules: Mental Health Context, Planning and Budgeting, Mental Health Legislation and Human Rights, Quality Improvement, Advocacy and Budgeting Mental Health Policies and Programs in the Workplace, World Health Organization, Geneva 2005.
Hetherington, K. Laissons sa place au communautaire, Le Point en administration de la santé et services sociaux 2005 Vol.1 No 2. Hetherington, K. Professionals and non-professionals. Beyond the Difference...The Emergence of Mutual Compromise, International Journal of Mental Health, U.S.A.1994.

Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package World Health Organization, Geneva 2003.

Recent Communications

Innovation in mental health and the work place - XV World Congress of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Athens Greece October 2006.
The application of quality measures for primary health care in the context of the health reform in Quebec -CEQM workshop, Quebec September 2006. Primary Health Care in Canada - Pan American Health Organization, Regional Conference on Health Reform, Brasilia, Brazil, 2005. De la réflexion à l'action - Le plan d'action en santé mentale du Québec - Association canadienne pour la santé mentale, Montréal, 2005. Empowerment: A Question of Meaning and a Search for Strategy. V World Congress of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation International congress, New York U.S.A. 2003