1/ The world lost a beautiful person today. Pat Capponi, my respected colleague and mentor died. This is a thread of gratitude to Pat.

2/ Pat opened many doors for me in my mental health career. When I was just getting a foothold into advocacy, Pat saw something in me that few others did.

3/ In her own way, she nurtured me. She affirmed my existence at the table. She reinforced the need to trust my instincts about my work. She conveyed her trust and respect.

4/ In 2015, after knowing her for less than a year, I got an unsolicited email: know anyone under 30 who could sit at a provincial table? I emailed back, me! (This was not my usual MO, but I was curious... and I was a few months shy of 30.)

5/ Her response: sure! I'll put your name forward. Soon after, I was sitting at a provincial table with HEAVY HITTERS in mental health @kwame_mckenzie @CatherineZahn @victoratparc @drfilion @EricWindeler @MaeKattNP @OPSChiefSloly @CamilleQu @GCzukar

6/ Watching Pat in action was the best form of advocacy and leadership training that I ever received. She taught me how to stay composed on the outside when my brain was screaming WTF (this lesson was usually learned while I accompanied her for a smoke during mtg breaks)

7/ She taught me strategy. She constantly reminded me to always hold the stories of the community in mind and to speak in the best interest of the collective. She didn't back down about the fact that there were two token PWLE and a fam member at the table.

8/ Eventually our table had two reference panels of smart, well seasoned, experienced advocates with lived experience and family/caregiving experience supporting our calls for mental health reform. Pat did that.

9/ She invited me to the opening day of a Working for Change advocacy training. She taught the participants how to tell their stories. I bore witness to the bravery and courage of folks looking to move forward in their lives, whose stories made a government official weep.

10/ When @stellasplaceca ran its first Peer support training, I invited Pat to talk to our participants. I drove her from @CAMHnews to George Brown College. As we were stuck in traffic, she told me stories about her advocacy days. I didn't want that car ride to end.

11/ Pat left a mark on that cohort of peer supporters in training, and on us, the facilitator team. Participants reflected on her knowledge, her passion and her skillful advocacy. I couldn't believe Pat trusted me to drive her in the car.

12/ When @stellasplaceca moved into its space on Camden Street, @JennyCarver2 and I hosted Pat for a visit. She remarked on how the space didn't feel institutional, and also on our design choices. She wondered how we would prevent bedbugs from destroying our nice couch.

13/ I got to see Pat in action the most when she was co-lead of the From Surviving to Advising program @UofTPsych. Her approach was no nonsense, but with gentle, good natured teasing of our psychiatrist co-lead.

14/ When Pat stepped back from the role, I felt a huge loss. I applied for the role of co-lead when the program recruited for Pat's replacement. But no one could replace Pat. When I was chosen for the role, I struggled with figuring out how to fill her shoes.

15/ One of the gifts that Pat gave me was the gift of learning what my own style of leadership looks like. I could never replicate her, though many elements of her approach inform how I do things.

16/ Pat taught me to see the best in people. To guide, to challenge, to encourage and to coach. She taught me that one of my roles as a leader is to open as many doors for as many people as possible.

17/ Pat opened many, many doors for me. We continued to sit at the government table together until the spring of 2018. By that time, I had applied to graduate school, was nearly graduating from undergrad and finally feeling accomplished about my achievements.

18/ We started to drift apart. Time and progress sometimes does that. It was a loss I mourned off and on for a long time. The gift Pat imparted upon me was the importance of seeing the long game. Advocacy was Pat's life. Her efforts led to incredible change and progress.

19/ She pushed our leaders to imagine what a just world looked like, a world that treats people with mental illness and addictions and those experiencing homelessness and poverty with dignity and respect. She pushed me to not rest on my laurels. She succeeded.

20/ Pat's death is our collective loss. I am grateful to have called her a mentor and a colleague, to have read her books, to have heard her stories, to have shared space, meals, time, knowledge with her. I'm a better person because of it. Our community is better because of Pat.

21/ This morning Pat asked that her community share this video, a beautiful tribute to her mentor, Reva Gerstein, with reciprocal gratitude from many of Pat’s friends, colleagues and mentees. . With gratitude to Pat, I share it with all of you.

22/ Thank you Pat, for believing in me. For believing in us. May Pat Capponi's memory be for a blessing, now and always. /end