In the field of mental health, there is a continuous drive towards enhancing systems and practices to better serve individuals and communities. The mental health sector is characterized by its dedication to improving well-being through innovative solutions and a commitment to addressing systemic challenges. This industry thrives on the integration of diverse perspectives, which are crucial and valued, and evidence-based approaches to develop effective strategies that cater to both current and future needs.
Shauna Cronin, as the CEO, has emerged as a central figure in the mental health sector. Her unique approach, deeply rooted in the belief that the best outcomes are achieved when solutions are crafted with the end-users in mind and from a variety of viewpoints, sets her apart. Shauna's leadership is characterized by her efforts to scale and enhance existing systems, drawing on the collective strengths and passions of her team and stakeholders to drive meaningful change.
Frayme, the organization she leads, stands as a testament to her vision and commitment. As a charitable non-profit, Frayme has made significant strides in advancing mental health initiatives in partnership with its network of over 500 partner organizations and 350 lived experts, also known as “Groundbreakers.” The organization specializes in helping its clients and partners develop all-encompassing mental health solutions in their respective workplaces and communities by triangulating research expertise, lived expertise and practice expertise. Through its efforts, Frayme continues to play a crucial role in shaping the future of Canada’s mental health care, a testament to Shauna's vision and commitment.
Driving Impact and Innovation in Mental Health Systems
Shauna’s personal motivation stems from her belief that designing solutions with end-users and from diverse perspectives leads to the creation of the best systems for both the present and the future. She has always been someone who pursues opportunities to leverage what is being done well across the system, aiming to drive impact and quality. Recognizing that the mental health system across the country is filled with good intentions and extensive expertise, she was inspired and motivated to help scale and improve what is already happening. In her leadership role as CEO of Frayme, she works with a highly skilled technical team and stakeholders who are equally passionate about implementing the best ideas and bridging the gap between research and practice. Shauna views her role as one of both inspiring that passion in others and being inspired by it from others.
Collective Strength and Human-Centered Leadership
Shauna’s leadership philosophy is always one of being better together. She applies a person-centered approach and delegated leadership both internally and in partnership development with stakeholders. The sector focuses on people, so it is essential to keep the humanity of the work centrally focused. Whether it consists of system transformation efforts or more tailored mental health solutions, the work can be challenging, often involving intersectional, complex problems. Therefore, leveraging the strengths of everyone working together is seen as the only way to tackle what needs to be done. It’s also the foundation of Frayme’s approach – when we come together and involve multiple intersectional perspectives and forms of expertise, the end result is always more effective and impact-driven.
Navigating Challenges with Vulnerable and Collaborative Leadership
Frayme is a charitable non-profit that operates a suite of services to help organizations and clients both from within and outside of the mental health sector execute impactful mental health initiatives in their work, organizations or communities. Frayme is constantly working to best serve the needs of an under resourced system. The impact of COVID and national political-economic fragility has made it critical to maintain and sustain impactful work that addresses many of the sector's gaps. To support transparent and collaborative work, she has leaned into vulnerable leadership, modeling her own willingness to partner and share resources and information. Vulnerable leadership can act as a catalyst for building trust and overcoming the challenges of the current system.
Empathy and Grief in System Change and Leadership
The most significant influence on her approach to mental health and leadership was shared with her years ago as a way of thinking about system change and impactful solutions. The sentiment was that with every new innovation being implemented, whether across a system or in coaching an employee on a new approach to work, there is often a sense of loss. This loss might pertain to the old way of working, the time invested in learning skills that will no longer be needed, or a sense of pride in what had previously been built. This can be experienced as grief, and it is important to approach all types of change with this acknowledgment and empathy. This perspective has shaped her approach to partnership development and large-scale system change, and it also informs her person-centered approach to leadership and coaching.
Growth Through Empathy and Clarity in Mental Health Leadership
Frayme has been a period of tremendous growth for her both personally and professionally, allowing her to break down arbitrary distinctions between those living with mental health challenges and the professional world. By engaging with her own personal journey, as well as empowering and amplifying the expertise of others with lived experience of mental health struggles through policy and practice redesign, she has witnessed the strength in experiential evidence. A major learning for her has been to lead with the concept that clarity is kindness. Sometimes, organizations have numerous ambitions and ways of working but lack the capacity, training, or resources. By being clear and upfront about how they can partner and engage with various experts, they manage expectations and demonstrate humility.
Harmonizing Life and Work for Equitable Attention
Time management is always a challenge for her. Recently, she learned about the concept of harmonizing instead of balancing, which resonated deeply with her. With a busy home life, a demanding work life, and numerous individual passions such as poetry and swimming, harmonizing her responsibilities has become essential. By aligning her mission with all facets of her life, she facilitates this harmonization. Her fundamental mission is to have a positive impact on those around her and to continue learning and growing. Guided by this mission, both personal and professional aspects can nurture and contribute to one another. On a practical level, harmonization acknowledges that some days require more attention to personal matters, while other days demand focus on professional responsibilities. It is not about equality but about providing equitable attention as needed.
Building a Collaborative and Inclusive Future for Mental Health
For her, the future envisions a collaborative and thriving mental health system. There is remarkable work occurring across the country in advocacy, service, research, and policy. Her focus is on creating a consolidated national vision that aligns and scales learnings while applying this overarching knowledge to serve as a foundation for each mental health solution her organization develops. Facing complex national issues such as the climate crisis, economic and housing instability, and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, there is much work needed to achieve Truth and Reconciliation and ensure health systems are no longer colonizing and oppressive. Recognizing the value of diverse worldviews in mental health solution design and fostering intersectional partnerships is a crucial step toward creating a flourishing mental health system of the future. Frayme is committed to working effectively with experts across the country and leading with transparency and partnership at its core.
Building Trust and Honesty Through Collaborative Research
Building relationships is fundamentally about trust and honesty. One experience that exemplifies this sentiment occurred while Frayme was helping a group of researchers scale up and mobilize their research findings. There was a strong interest in working directly with youth and families throughout the research process, which was new for everyone involved and initially led to some tensions around vision. By acknowledging and being honest about the different perspectives and leveraging the trust that their shared goals provided, they navigated the process and achieved incredible outcomes. The youth involved felt empowered and that their voices mattered, while the researchers saw firsthand the impact of lived expertise on their work and subsequently became champions themselves of embedding service users and their experiences in future research.
Harnessing Feedback for Effective Leadership and Growth
Feedback is considered the most important gift of information she can receive as a leader. Receiving feedback allows her to identify patterns over time and make real-time adjustments. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on how to approach and apply the feedback. For her, feedback is a source of curiosity, prompting further questions about its application in various circumstances or contexts. Feedback has influenced her approach by helping her focus on coaching people in relation to their work rather than doing the work herself. Through feedback, she feels she has become a better leader, learning to delegate leadership, power, and influence to others.
Transforming Challenges into Impactful Achievement
The story of Frayme is regarded as her standout achievement and the source of her greatest pride, along with the team that helped build it. Frayme evolved from an idea with a very small group of people into a national charitable organization during the challenging years of COVID. They created something meaningful and impactful during remote and isolated times, becoming a beacon of hope for their partners and network. Their premiere network of lived experts, Groundbreakers, is now over 350 people strong, all advocating for better mental health solutions across Canada through Frayme. The organization continued to expand, successfully delivering on its strategic plan and establishing many impactful programs that have enhanced the mental health landscape while having successfully delivered over 43 distinct mental health solutions for clients. Building a network of stakeholders that are now all collaborating, resource sharing and working together serves as a testament to how needed and appreciated Frayme has been by the sector. In particular, Shauna recalls the inspiring words from a young Groundbreaker about their experience working alongside Frayme:
“Frayme stands as a cornerstone in the mental health sector. As a driven and passionate young individual who wholeheartedly recognizes the boundless capabilities of our youth, Frayme has been the most important catalyst for me to amplify this belief.”
