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, sheβs still on a missionβonly now, itβs 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.
Susanβs journey began in nursing, where she spent much of her career teaching mental health as a professor at Seneca College. Though she didnβt initially gravitate toward the fieldββI didnβt like it at all,β she laughsβsomething shifted. Over time, mental health became not only her area of expertise but her purpose.
βThe foundation of all health is mental health,β she says firmly. βIf your mental health isnβt working for you, the rest suffers.β
Even before retiring, Susan remained deeply involved in mental health care. She worked on the crisis team at Mackenzie Healthβs emergency department and discovered Mental Health First Aid during that time. She trained as a facilitator and has been delivering workshops ever since.
It wasnβt long before Susanβs path crossed with Ingrid Taheri, the founder of High Notes Avanteβa 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 organizationβs music teachers.
The fit was natural. βHigh Notes is a small charity, but what it does is really important,β Susan explains. βThe artsβwhether itβs music, photography, paintingβthey can all be incredibly therapeutic.β
Being on the board allows Susan to help guide the charityβs direction. She envisions growth: more lessons, more access for economically vulnerable youth, and more forms of creative expression. βPeople without resources often miss out on things like music or sports lessons. But these experiences are vital,β she says. βThey help prevent future mental health challenges.β
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, sheβs 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 isnβt memorizationβitβs confidence. βMy hope is that people walk away with a greater level of comfort talking about mental health. Approaching someone whoβs struggling can be hard, but this training shows them how.β
Sheβs seen the impact firsthand. From High Notes Avanteβs music instructors to Indigenous community groups sheβs worked with, Susan says the willingness to learn and help has been constant. βPeople are committed. They want to understand betterβfor their students, friends, family, even themselves.β
Despite all her efforts, Susan is keenly aware of the systemic challenges in mental health careβespecially access. βUnless youβre seeing a psychiatrist or visiting a publicly funded clinic, youβre paying out of pocket,β she notes. βAnd thatβs a huge barrier. We need mental health care to be funded just like physical health is.β
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.
βYou canβt just sit around,β she says. βYou need to do something meaningful. And for me, this is it.β
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.