![Linda Monteith Gardiner, seen from the waist up, wearing a patterned shirt, short brown hair, and smiling](https://www.womensacademics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/330_Linda.2fa2369f.png)
I am a woman and a senior who lives with schizoaffective disorder. I became ill in my teens and spent years trying to find help in the siloed and disjointed mental health system in Ontario. I now spend my days promoting understanding and support for those with psychotic illnesses.
A veteran of the mental health system in Ontario, I advocate better and more timely mental health services in addition to the right to literacy for all.
![Graphic of puzzle pieces and the title EMPaCT](https://www.womensacademics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/empact-1-1-1024x472.jpg)