Support

Unmasking Mental Health: Real Support, Real Change with CMHA’s Liz Grummett

In this special Mental Health Week episode, Jenn sits down with Liz Grummett of CMHA Simcoe County to explore what it really means to unmask mental health. With over 20 years of experience in outreach, crisis response, and education, Liz shares how connection, compassion, and accessibility are transforming lives—from youth to seniors, farmers to families, and everyone in between.

Together, they talk about:

• How stigma creates invisible weight—and how to lighten the load
• The impact of peer support and lived experience
• Groundbreaking programs for families, caregivers, and rural communities
• Why “meeting people where they are” can be a lifeline
• Liz’s personal tools for creating calm mental health, including breathwork and sensory grounding

This episode also features a moving journal entry from Jenn’s mother—reminding us how the masks we wear to protect ourselves can also disconnect us.

Whether you're a caregiver, a person in recovery, or someone simply trying to feel a little less alone, this is a powerful listen about showing up, speaking out, and making mental health support more human.

Visit cmhastarttalking.ca to learn more about CMHA Simcoe’s programs and services.

Host/Producer/Writer/Director: Jenn St John

Editor: Andrew Schiller
Website: www.jennstjohn.ca
Follow along:
Instagram: @jenn_stjohn
LinkedIn: Jenn St John

If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who might need to hear it too.

Subscribe, leave a review, or just send a little love—your support helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.

Transcript

1. Episode Title:                        Support

2. Episode Number:                  Season 1, Episode 6

3. Podcast Name:                     The Shadows We Cast

4. Host and Guest Names:         Host: Jenn St John, Guest: Liz Grummett, CMHA Simcoe Branch

5. Warnings:                             Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of mental illness, addiction, childhood trauma, and emotional abuse. Please listen with care.

7. Timestamps:                         Included

8. Episode Length:                    21 mins

TRANSCRIPT BODY

Liz  00:01

When you come to CMHA and you're going to share your story, having somebody who has that lived experience, who can say, I get it, I've been there that type of support, I think, is one of the most incredible things that we offer here, because we know if somebody can say, I get it, and I understand that weight changes.

Jennifer St John  00:26

Hello and welcome to the shadows. We cast a podcast about what we carry, the impact we leave, and the messy, beautiful reality of mental health. I'm Jen st John, a writer, business owner and a mental health advocate who grew up in a family shaped by mental illness. Some of it was heartbreaking, some of it darkly funny, and all of it shaped who I am today. Here we're going to share honest conversations, stories from me, from you and from those who have walked this road in different ways, through journal entries, letters from my mom and real conversations, we're going to pull back the layer on mental health, the tough parts, the moments that shaped us and how we move forward together. So grab a coffee, settle in and let's talk.

Jennifer St John  01:17

So before we begin, just a quick note. This episode includes adult themes like addiction, mental health, trauma and suicidal ideation, so please take care in choosing when and where to listen, especially if you're in a sensitive place, or if you have little ones around. I also want to gently remind everyone that I am not a mental health professional. The conversations that you hear in this podcast are grounded in lived experience, so mine and the stories that are generously being shared by others, my reflections, my questions and opinions come from that place, not from clinical training. Our goal here is to create connection, not to diagnose. This is a space for real stories, for honest conversations, and the hope that in hearing them, you might feel a little less alone.

Jennifer St John  02:03

So this episode is part of Mental Health Week in Canada. It's an initiative that's led by the Canadian Mental Health Association, and each year, CMHA invites Canadians to come together in conversations for awareness and for advocacy. And this year's theme is unmasking mental health, and it's a call to look beyond appearances, to shed the stigma and to create space for real connection. My guest today is Liz Gromit. She has been with the CMHA Simcoe County branch for over 20 years. Her role has included fundraising, communications and community engagement, and she brings a wealth of experience from her years in outreach, crisis intervention and education. She's a passionate advocate for accessible, compassionate mental health care that meets people where they are, across all the ages and across all walks of life.

Jennifer St John  02:55

This journal entry is from my mom. It was written during a time when she was fighting hard to feel whole again.  She wrote seven years ago, I decided I wanted to feel whole, happy, healthy, excited and fully alive, to get into bed at night, thinking today was a good day, a day that I lived in the very best way I could, not abusing myself or anyone else, and tomorrow will be even better.

Jennifer St John  03:25

So reading that now, I'm really struck by the clarity of her hope and by how much effort it took for her to say it out loud, because for so many living with mental health and substance use challenges, this kind of honesty often stays hidden behind a mask in a mask that we wear to protect ourselves from judgment or from misunderstanding or from ignorance, but one that can slowly disconnect us from the world around us. That's why this year's Mental Health Week theme, unmasking mental health is so important. It invites us to look beyond the surface, to see the full person, and to lead with understanding and compassion instead of assumptions and judgment. So I'm honored to welcome Liz Gromit from CMHA Simcoe County to the conversation today. Liz, let's just dig right in here. What does unmasking mental health mean to you in the work that you do every day when we think about wearing a mask. What does that mean? 

Liz  04:22

It means you're hiding something. Maybe you're protecting something, definitely around the idea that you don't want to be seen. So when we think about folks who struggle with mental health and addiction, that is something we often hear there's that stigma and there's that fear of not being accepted.

Jennifer St John  04:43

 Yeah, absolutely, I feel, especially in my mom's journey, stigma was a really big part of it, because my mom didn't end up getting help well into her 50s, and she was fortunate that she got to the place where she was able to accept help. But I know for me, being a child of a parent with mental health and addictions, that stigma. Even as a child, we wore masks. She wore a mask. You didn't even talk about mental health. It was all hidden. 

Liz  05:06

And different generations, right? We see a change as we work more with young folks. We are seeing a change with that stigma, but definitely 2030, years ago, that would have been common practice for a lot of families. 

Jennifer St John  05:18

Yeah, absolutely. So the campaign talks about how stigma can make somebody's mass feel heavier. How do you see that weight showing up in our communities, and how do we start to lighten that load? 

Liz  05:30

Great question, and I didn't even think about that weight or not being true to ourselves, or able to tell our true stories, that would feel heavy. And I think about people that I work with through CMHA having conversations like this, and the more work we do, hopefully lessens that weight, and then we see more people feeling comfortable being vulnerable and not wearing a mask.

Jennifer St John  05:53

Yeah, being able to say it out loud, to be open and honest about what you're going through, it's a really big step, and it's one that can feel impossible without the right support, and that's why I wanted to talk about some of the incredible programs that you offer at CMHA, like, what are a few that you wish more people knew about, especially for someone who might be struggling right now?

Liz  06:13

We have tons of really great programs. Our peer support program is something we've been offering for a long time, but it certainly has grown greatly. The last few years we've received a little bit more funding. So when you come to CMHA and you're going to share your story, having somebody who has that lived experience, who can say, I get it, I've been there, that type of support, I think, is one of the most incredible things that we offer here, because we know if somebody can say, I get it, and I understand just like you're talking about that heaviness of wearing a mask, that weight changes. So that program, we have it connected with lots of other pieces, some through our employment program, some specialty things like maybe somebody who's dealt with suicide, that program is strong and one of our wonderful services.

Jennifer St John  07:00

And what you're describing so beautifully here, this shared understanding, this sense of I get it, it's exactly what unmasking mental health looks like in practice. 

Liz  07:09

When we think about some of our specialty addictions programs, ones that deal with maybe a young mother who's struggling with addiction, or who is pregnant, or a young father that has young children, that program, I think is really special. We've always tried to meet the community with what their needs are. What are we hearing? What can we do better? 

Jennifer St John  07:27

That's amazing. We're going to be talking to Victoria on the peer support program, and I can't wait for that conversation. I was so intrigued to hear what you guys have done, even in a short period of time. I really hope that just explodes even more, because I think it's amazing program. There's also programs to help. For example, myself being a family member of somebody who has mental health. Can you tell us a little bit about that? 

Liz  07:50

Family support is something, again, we've offered for a very long time, and it's definitely grown. That's something that we're seeing a change as well. Just like you spoke of it with your mother, more family members are coming out and saying, I have a loved one that I'm trying to support. How do I do that? And one of the first things we often lead that person to is we can't force anyone to get support if they need it, but we can help you. So how do we help you stay well and learn ways to cope with the stress that maybe you're experiencing, or to help support the person. Our family services are super great. There's educational programs, there's a case manager who can provide some support, and there's a peer support piece for that as well. So family members and the caregivers is a big part of who we serve. 

Liz  08:35

I'm very lucky the role that I have. I moved into this role about nine years ago. Before that, it was outreach and Frontline. I get to be part of many conversations, whether they're in schools, whether they're with community groups. Lately, we've been invited to more retirement homes, so focusing on seniors and mental health and well being in their later years, those conversations are great, and they're all a little bit different when you're speaking with someone who's 10 or even 18 or someone who's 75 and it's very cool to see how the stigma changes. So 

Jennifer St John  08:35

Yeah, those are the kind of programs that didn't exist when I was young. Didn't as I got out of school and I was in my early 20s, I was seeking support, and all I could find at that time was Al Anon. Because of the addiction side, there was nothing for the mental health side. So I'm so happy to know that there's programs like that, and that they're growing, and that you guys offer them, and I will do everything I can to shout from the rooftops in your role, you help spark conversations that lead to understanding and action from parents to youth to seniors. You're really trying to meet people where they are. So what does that outreach look like across such a different age group? 

Jennifer St John  09:17

I'm sure. 

Liz  09:20

The kids have the language, the kids are using the words, and then maybe our seniors or our older adults, they still struggle a little bit because they grow in a time, just like you said. You didn't talk about him. I learned from them and they learned from us. 

Jennifer St John  10:04

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that's fantastic.

Jennifer St John  10:09

It's powerful to hear how unmasking mental health looks different at every age, like whether it's a 10 year old who already knows the words for what they feel, or if it's an elder who's still learning, maybe for the first time, really, that they're allowed to take off that mask.

Jennifer St John  10:29

If there was one shift that you would love to see in how people talk about or treat mental health, especially with this campaign, what would it be? 

Liz  10:36

Well, I think the work we're doing is great. I think we're seeing that shift. I know the stigma is still there. We often see the stigma hiding with different cultures too. So we're being very mindful of all the different people that we support, so that we're meeting them where they're at. If something could be different, I think making sure that we're providing or someone is providing, because maybe it's not just us, maybe we're being more collaborative, which we are trying to is making it so easy for someone to get support. I often say when I'm out speaking that we've done a really great job. People are talking. So that whole start talking has worked. Make sure there's no barriers that I can get in touch with someone, easy, accessible. That is what I keep pushing, right? 

Jennifer St John  11:24

Because sometimes there could just be that moment, and if you lose that moment, then you've lost them. 

Liz  11:28

Yeah, yeah. If you're going on wait list, you know, we thought of talking even about how we do an intake when you're sitting down with someone and they're telling their story, and we're filling out our paperwork and we're asking for, maybe for data collection. How are we doing that? Are we doing it in a way that's trauma informed? Is it kind and are we scaring folks and they're not going to come back? That's what we're really focusing on. We want to make it super easy and comfortable. 

Jennifer St John  11:53

That's amazing. Because I definitely think that was probably a hurdle for my mom. There were definitely times throughout her life where, especially some of her sisters would kind of reach her and have her in a moment of, okay, yes, I'm going to try. But then, if there are any hurdles after that, then she was out.

Liz  12:11

Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, I think anything, if it's become a little bit tricky, you just say, No, forget it. 20 years ago, we started providing more of a service where somebody called us and they asked us for something that we didn't provide. We still connected them. Because if I say, Oh yeah, sorry, that's not us, you need to call someone else, just like your mom, you'd probably say, Oh, forget it. This is too hard if somebody's struggling, and now you have to make another call. So we really make sure we don't just say bye, bye. That's important.

Jennifer St John  12:39

It's very trauma informed. That's fantastic. I feel also, education is such a big part of it, and breaking down the stigma. And like you said, generationally, the talking, everybody's talking, everybody's learning, everybody's aware. So that's great, as you say, now it's accessibility. Let's get people in.

Liz  12:56

Even some of those other specialty groups we're now targeting. And this is CMHA, Ontario. Farmers and the agricultural communities. We know during the pandemic, we found out a lot that's a very isolated work. And again, growing that up as a farmer, you're told to just pull your socks up, and you don't take a sick day, and you don't ask for help. You make it work yourself. So we're doing some really great education, and those conversations are powerful. We have young farmers. We have some senior farmers. It is amazing. 

Jennifer St John  13:24

Yep, my husband grew up on a farm in Huron County. And I mean, it's the isolation and loneliness of just living on a farm, let alone living and only working on a farm is it's very high. Oh, that's fantastic. Sorry, what's the name of it? 

Liz  13:37

It's called 'In The Know'.

Jennifer St John  13:41

It's those kinds of stories, whether you're a young farmer or a teenager in a classroom, that remind us how unmasking mental health is happening all around us, sometimes slowly, sometimes in bursts, but it's always moving forward.

Jennifer St John  13:58

What gives you hope in this work, even on the hardest days?

Jennifer St John  14:02

That's a good one. And I think hope changes. Some days. It's certainly easier than others. But I think when you speak to the young people, and I said this before they have the language, so we'll do a talk, and we'll say, when you think about mental health, what words come to your mind? And I'm always expecting, you know, some of those harder words, crazy, psycho. You never hear them, you never hear them. You hear anxiety, you hear depression, you hear bullying. But pulls at my heart strings because I think something's changed, right? Something's changed. So that gives me hope a lot, but when I have day where I know we've lost someone to suicide, and it's really hard, and I start to say, are we doing good enough work? If I'm able to speak to some young people, then it gives me a little bit of hope, you know what? It is changing, and there's the proof. 

Jennifer St John  14:52

Yeah, yeah. And I mean, the fact that they're naming an emotion is just that's huge. That's so, yeah, that's such a shift and such a level of awareness. I have a 12 year old and a 15 year old, and I absolutely feel that way about their generation, very excited to see where it goes in 30 or 50 years.

Jennifer St John  15:12

So I'm just going to wrap this up by asking you. We have a hashtag movement called Create calm mental health. We're trying to provide an online library for people who just are looking for different ways to create calm mental health, so how they regulate their nervous system. Again, I think everybody is a lot more aware of this, and everybody's a lot more open and sharing. For myself, I have a meditation app on my phone that I use multiple times a day. I journal and I love to get outside, but we ask all of our guests the same question at the end, and that is, could you share with us one or a few things that, either right now or in the past have really worked for you to help just create calm mental health? 

Liz  15:54

So we focused on mindfulness probably 10 years ago, and every staff was able to take part in this six week mindfulness. Course, it was a lot, and it was super hard, and I have certainly a brain that's pretty active, so being able to sit and do the meditation was really tricky. The one thing that stayed was just focusing on your breath, but something that's always with us. So that piece, that's what I try to notice more. I'm a little bit nervous now. So if I took a moment and kind of went, What's my breath doing? Well, I'm probably holding it a little bit, so taking a moment to just not changing it, but noticing it. What's happening right now. How does it feel? That helps me a lot. And I do a lot of touch. If I'm feeling quite anxious, I try to find a cool surface, a soft blanket. The touch helps me ground myself a little bit. So noticing my breath, taking a moment, and finding something, even something smooth, and then that again, that that mindfulness piece can help. Oh, maybe bring down, you know, the anxiety or

Jennifer St John  16:55

Yeah, absolutely, yeah. 

Liz  16:57

And something else, a good friend of mine told me was, I'm feeling sad, I'm feeling angry, not feeling that pressure that you have to change it. So I'm really sad right now. I should make myself happy. Well, should I? How about just being in that moment, thinking about it and accepting it, instead of trying to push it away and get to another place? Because that's exhausting. 

Jennifer St John  17:19

If you don't sit with it. It's it's going to keep coming. And that's the other thing, I think, that we've all learned is that there's no way to move around it. You have to just move through it. So meet yourself where you are and do what you have to do to support yourself. But yeah, I firmly agree with your friend. I think that's a really, really big one. But breath and sensory touch, like I only discovered breath work really through by doing yoga, only probably in the last 10 or 15 years, but it's phenomenal. Those are fantastic tips. Thank you so much, Liz. 

Liz  17:49

Oh, thank you so much.

Jennifer St John  17:53

So this conversation with Liz was such a powerful reminder that healing happens not just in clinics or therapy rooms, but in community, in shared stories, in peer support and in everyday moments of honesty, from youth programs to family support, from sensory grounding to simply noticing your breath. Liz gave us so many examples of what unmasking mental health can look like when we meet people with understanding instead of judgment, and when we make help not just available but accessible before we go, I want to invite you to join our hashtag. Create calm mental health movement. This is a space for sharing the creative ways that you care for your nervous system and create stillness in your day. So whether it's journaling or walking or dancing or painting or simply just taking a deep breath, share it with us. Tag us using the hashtag, create calm mental health so that we can build a collective library of tools that could help all of us come back to ourselves. Now, if this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. You can connect with us through the show notes on social media or by visiting our website. Jen, st, john.ca, that's J E N, N, S T, J, O, H n.ca, and if you'd like to support the podcast and help these conversations reach more people, then please consider subscribing, sharing the episode or leaving a review. As you know, it really makes a big difference. If something difficult came up today while you were listening to this episode, please don't sit with it alone. In Canada, you can call or text 988 anytime for free, confidential mental health support. You could also reach out locally to the CMHA Simcoe County Crisis Line at one triple eight, 890, 38333 or you can text 686868 to connect with a trained volunteer through the Crisis Text Line and in the US, the 988, suicide and crisis Lifeline is available. 24/7 by call or text for anyone in emotional distress, not just for those in crisis. Please, let's take good care of ourselves, but also take good care of each other.

Jennifer St John  19:55

Thank you for being here and for listening and for holding space for stories like Liz.  We'll be back next week with another episode, and until then, take care of yourselves and keep finding your way forward. 

Closing Note:                This transcript was created for accessibility and connection. Thanks for listening to ‘The Shadows We Cast’.