Helen Fishburn, MSW

For over 25 years, Helen Fishburn has worked in numerous roles in the mental health and addictions field, including various leadership roles for the past 20 years with the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW). Helen holds a Masters in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University. Helen feels honoured to be the Chief Executive Officer of CMHA WW as it allows her to drive health care system change forward while overseeing care for people of all ages with complex needs. The creation and implementation of Here 24/7, a coordinated access centre for all mental health, addictions and crisis services in Waterloo Wellington, and the IMPACT police crisis program are some of the defining achievements in Helen’s career. More recently, Helen has been a key participant in the popular ‘Finding the Balance” webinars, created to respond to and support the mental health needs of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Helen was honoured to receive a Champion of Mental Health award from The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, which recognizes exceptional Canadians who have worked to advance the mental health agenda in Canada. In 2016, Helen received the Guelph Women of Distinction Award. If you ask Helen, her true pride and joy is her family – her husband and their two children keep her grounded and ever grateful.