Susan Kagan is a volunteer with High Notes Avante. This is her story.
By Dhairya Negandhi, part-time PR & Communications Officer, HNA
How one nurse turned advocate is changing the conversation on mental health
After more than five decades in nursing and education, most professionals would be ready to slow down. Not Susan. Though she officially retired in 2016, she’s still on a mission—only now, it’s outside hospital walls, in community spaces, music classrooms, and virtual training rooms. Through her work with High Notes Avante and as a certified Mental Health First Aid trainer, Susan has carved out a powerful second act, one rooted in compassion, prevention, and the simple but radical belief that the arts and mental health go hand in hand.
Susan’s journey began in nursing, where she spent much of her career teaching mental health as a professor at Seneca College. Though she didn’t initially gravitate toward the field—“I didn’t like it at all,” she laughs—something shifted. Over time, mental health became not only her area of expertise but her purpose.
“The foundation of all health is mental health,” she says firmly. “If your mental health isn’t working for you, the rest suffers.”
Even before retiring, Susan remained deeply involved in mental health care. She worked on the crisis team at Mackenzie Health’s emergency department and discovered Mental Health First Aid during that time. She trained as a facilitator and has been delivering workshops ever since.
It wasn’t long before Susan’s path crossed with Ingrid Taheri, the founder of High Notes Avante—a charity that uses music and the arts to support mental health recovery. Susan was invited to join the board and eventually began delivering Mental Health First Aid training to the organization’s music teachers.
The fit was natural. “High Notes is a small charity, but what it does is really important,” Susan explains. “The arts—whether it’s music, photography, painting—they can all be incredibly therapeutic.”
Being on the board allows Susan to help guide the charity’s direction. She envisions growth: more lessons, more access for economically vulnerable youth, and more forms of creative expression. “People without resources often miss out on things like music or sports lessons. But these experiences are vital,” she says. “They help prevent future mental health challenges.”
The Mental Health First Aid training Susan facilitates is a nine-hour course designed to prepare individuals to support those struggling with mental health challenges. Since the pandemic, she’s been delivering the course virtually. Each participant must first complete two hours of independent study, followed by sessions covering topics like anxiety, depression, and trauma.
But for Susan, the most important outcome isn’t memorization—it’s confidence. “My hope is that people walk away with a greater level of comfort talking about mental health. Approaching someone who’s struggling can be hard, but this training shows them how.”
She’s seen the impact firsthand. From High Notes Avante’s music instructors to Indigenous community groups she’s worked with, Susan says the willingness to learn and help has been constant. “People are committed. They want to understand better—for their students, friends, family, even themselves.”
Despite all her efforts, Susan is keenly aware of the systemic challenges in mental health care—especially access. “Unless you’re seeing a psychiatrist or visiting a publicly funded clinic, you’re paying out of pocket,” she notes. “And that’s a huge barrier. We need mental health care to be funded just like physical health is.”
Still, Susan remains hopeful. Her work with High Notes Avante is proof that grassroots initiatives can make a difference. As the organization continues to grow, she hopes to see it expand into other art forms and reach more people in need.
And for her? Retirement, clearly, is not the end.
“You can’t just sit around,” she says. “You need to do something meaningful. And for me, this is it.”
The High Notes Music Program is made possibly by our fundraising at Bingo World and Gaming, Richmond Hill. We currently have a waitlist for new people wishing to join the program. Kindly visit our website highnotesavante.ca to make a donation and to read more.