Staff Spotlight: Debbie Brown

Behind the Scenes: Debbie Brown on 30 Years with SHIP

Behind every story of recovery and stability are staff who show up day after day with compassion and commitment. Among them is Debbie Brown, Community Mental Health Counsellor with SHIP’s Recovery Residences Hammond program and SHIP’s longest-standing employee. Her three-decade journey offers a rare glimpse into how SHIP has grown, evolved, and stayed true to its mission.

When Debbie first joined SHIP, the organization was still part of the Canadian Mental Health Association. “It was in the early 90s that SHIP became an independent organization,” she recalls. “I had a lot of great leaders around me and my manager was a free-spirited, community-minded person who taught me to view clients as people first who happen to be dealing with an illness.” That philosophy, she says, has shaped her entire career.

Coming from a group home serving young teenage girls, Debbie was familiar with the supportive housing model but new to the mental health sector. Learning about the history of deinstitutionalization and the public stigmas that came with it was an awakening. “It’s easy to learn when you think of the person first, before their diagnosis,” she says. “I even saw familiar faces, people I grew up with, come to the sector for help. That was an eye opener for me, that mental illness can happen to any one of us at any time. Connection with people is the most important part of this work; the other stuff you can learn.”

Over the years, Debbie has watched SHIP transform from what she describes as a “small grassroots ‘mom and pop’ type organization” into a strong, structured leader in supportive housing and mental health services. “First and foremost, I believe in what we stand for,” she says when asked why she’s stayed so long. “The programs were changing and growing and adapting to the way the work in the sector was being done. SHIP was a leader in the sector, and over the last 15 years I would say the structure of how we work has changed.”

For Debbie, SHIP’s greatest strength lies in its people. “We have the right people in the right positions,” she says, emphasizing that compassion and collaboration are what make the difference. “You have to have the heart for this work and understand that teamwork is incredibly important. Collaboration with colleagues is key to best supporting our clients. Be willing to compromise and understand that your way isn’t the only way.”

As she reflects on her time with SHIP, Debbie remains as grounded and inspired as ever. “Our clients have had magnificent lives before they came to us for help. Understand this and be open to learning from them,” she says. It is advice rooted in humility, experience, and the same respect for people that has guided her since the beginning.