Executive Director, Empowerment Council, Toronto, Canada

Jennifer Chambers is founder and Executive Director of the Empowerment Council (EC), Systemic Advocates in Addictions and Mental Health. The EC is a voice for service users in the mental health and addiction systems. She is also Community Co-Chair of the Mental Health and Addiction Advisory Panel of the Toronto Police Services Board. She has testified at numerous inquests into the deaths of people with mental health issues in encounters with police, and facilitated the party standing of the EC at inquests. She has served as an expert witness at Human Rights Tribunals examining cases where Black race, perceived mental health issues, and police use of force converge. She is currently engaged in interviews with Black service users in the forensic mental health system about their perceptions of that system.