Our Board
Board of Directors
Susan Barberstock, Chair
Susan Barberstock is from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Susan is the Director of Community Wellbeing in her home community. Her experience combined with her education, which is a Bachelor of Social Work from Ryerson University has assisted her in her career path working with the urban Indigenous population and the on reserve population. Susan has also been involved with youth sports in many capacities, participant, coach, manager, spectator and parent.
Bryan Davies, Vice-Chair
Bryan holds an Honours degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto and an MBA from York University. He has an MA in Counselling Psychology from the Chicago Based Adler Professional School. He completed a certificate program in Conflict Management and Mediation from the University of Waterloo.
Bryan's professional background includes more than 20 years in the Canadian financial services industry including time as a Vice President in Human Resources with the CIBC. He was an Associate Client Partner with Hay Group, now Korn Ferry, for more than 23 years. Now semi-retired, he continues to consult independently. He is a vice-president of the Trenton Lion’s Club and a member of the board of Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society.
David Lee, Treasurer
David Lee, has been the Financial Director of the Trenton Military Family Resource Centre since 2004. He has many years of experience working within his current Not-for-Profit organization. David is a chartered accountant and a member is good standing with the Chartered Professional Accountants Association (CGA/CPA) since 1992. David brings strong financial and business experience.
David has come to our Board with the wish to contribute to the organization that assists youth with their mental health needs. He sees this as an important role within the community that he can contribute to.
David Lee
Peter Wright, Secretary
The Honourable Mr. Justice Peter Jeffrey Wright was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2002. Peter has experience as an Official Guardian Representative, assisting children in conflict with the law.
Peter has demonstrated a commitment to public service both professionally and personally within our community. He is the recipient of 10 and 15 yr volunteer achievement awards from the Premier of Ontario for service to the community.
He has joined our board to help make life better for the youth within our community who need understanding and care.
Shawn Lauzer, Director
Shawn has been the Operations Manager for Trinity Fire and Security since 2015. A graduate from the University of Ottawa in Anthropology, Shawn’s passion has always been towards Culture and Community Development. Driven to make a better community for his young family, Shawn is excited to be a member of Children’s Mental Health Services Board and their community initiative.
Recently completing three terms on the Board of Directors for the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce, Shawn brings a wide range of experiences and skills to CHMS; having worked with the local business community and on various committees like the Young Professionals and Government Affairs. Shawn hopes to bring fresh energy to the board and further the services and aid provided by the CHMS to the community and people in need.
Lia Lyons-Grosso, Director
Lia Lyons-Grosso is an artist and owner of Little Feather Studio a pottery studio in Prince Edward County. She attended Concordia University, graduating with an Honors B.A and completed her M.A from the University of Toronto. She has numerous business ventures on the go with her partner and husband.
She is the founder of Francesco’s Fund, supporting Children with Type 1 Diabetes under the SickKids Foundation umbrella. Lyons-Grosso is a regular face at her children’s school (to the chagrin of her teenage boys and the delight of her young daughter), volunteering on the Parent Liason Committee for many years. She is a member of the Board of Directors at Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society from which she was adopted as an infant. As a mother of 4 children, she is acutely aware of the many challenges of raising a family, and seeks to destigmatize the need for support. She is thrilled to be part of CMHS and the good work it accomplishes in our community supporting healthy growing families.
Grace Whyte, Director
Grace is currently a student at Trent University enrolled in Social Work. Grace was a student trustee on the Hastings and Prince Edward District school board, and a part of the Mental Health Leadership team and Equity and Inclusivity committee, which has given her some valuable experience.
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Grace is extremely passionate about being involved in the community and providing youth perspective wherever possible!
Holly Perrault, Director
Holly is the daughter of military parents and has experienced postings to Ottawa, Belgium and the US. She is currently a first-year student in the Police Foundations Program at Loyalist College. Holly works at the Trenton YMCA as a Swim Instructor and Lifeguard. Holly is also a qualified youth sailing instructor with the CANSail Program. Holly sees her future career path involving community engagement and service with a focus on youth and is pleased to contribute to the vision and mission of CMHS.
Christine Perrault, Director
Christine achieved her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degress from the University of Windsor. She then spent close to 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Nursing Officer with most of that time spent at CFB Trenton. Christine has vast volunteer experience working with youth in our community with Girl Guides of Canada and the Canadian Air Cadet Program. Christine is actively involved with the Trenton Lions Club as the Service and Environment Committees.
Christine’s personal mantra ‘love where you live’ drives her passion towards helping all members of our community have what they need to thrive. She is pleased to join the Board to actively support CMHS as the provider of choice for our community’s youth.
Cristy Latham, Director
Cristy is the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Loyalist College, where she combines her passion for education and sports to foster an inclusive and dynamic campus environment. She holds a Bachelor of Education from McGill University and a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta.
An educator at heart, Cristy brings extensive experience in teaching, coaching, and leadership across all age groups. She is driven by a commitment to create healthy spaces by removing barriers, leading with empathy, and empowering others to make informed choices.
Recently relocated to the Quinte area, Cristy is eager to contribute her diverse skill set to the local community. She looks forward to supporting CMHS and its ongoing outreach efforts, as she works to give back and make a meaningful impact
Children’s Mental Health Services (CMHS) is seeking new Board Members with a passion for children and youth and who care about their mental health and wellness, within our communities.
We are looking for people with skills that can contribute to the organization and to the vision of building a better system of service for children and youth across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPE).
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Our Board supports the vision of collaboration with other not for profit Boards to help improve the overall system for children and youth within HPE.
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If you are interested in joining our Board please complete the following Board Application Form and submit it to EA@cmhs-hpe.on.ca
Meet the CEO
Susan Sweetman
Susan Sweetman, CEO
Susan has been the Chief Executive Officer at CMHS since 2015.
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Susan came to CMHS with vast Human Service experience, spanning across the country and various field.
Susan’s initial background with children was as an Early Childhood Educator, studying at Loyalist College. She then shifted to the field of Child Protection, completing a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Regina in 1997. Susan held various progressive positions in Regina, North Bay and Ottawa, throughout her fifteen year career within Child Protection. She was also a trainer with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, teaching forensic interviewing skills to police and social workers across the province.
Susan was also called upon to be an Expert Member of the Senate of Canada’s Roundtable on Sexually Exploited Youth in Conflict with the Law. As a result, amendments were made to Criminal Code sections related to the Age of Consent, Sexual Exploitation and a new section created related to Internet Luring of children.
Susan completed a Master of Public Administration at Queens University in 2004, pursuing her love of policy and leadership.
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Returning to the Quinte area in 2005, Susan initially assisted the courts as a Family Court Clinic Assessor, then accepted the position as Executive Director at the Trenton Military Family Resource Centre and was seconded to DND to develop National Accreditation standards for all MFRCs. In 2013, Susan completed a Masters of Laws at York University.
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In 2015, Susan joined the team at CMHS, wanting to return to her clinical roots in social work. Seeing the great need within the community and the challenge ahead for the Mental Health sector, Susan assumed the challenge of seeking Lead Agency status for CMHS within the first three months on the job. In 2017, Susan continued her education, completing the Public Sector Executive Leadership program at the Rotman School of Business.
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As a lifelong learner, Susan is committed to always improving the work she does with children and youth because “kids deserve better!”