Darlene Sullivan

Mental Health Workplace-based Peer Support Program. A healthy and respectful workplace. It's everyone's responsibility.

Peer Supporter Biography

Darlene Sullivan

40 Mews Place
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Darlene.sullivan@servicecanada.gc.ca
855-249-2290

Group and Level:
PM-02
Branch:
Service Canada
Work Environment:
Working in Policy or Program Area
Language:
Bilingual
Preferred method of Communication:
Lync, Email, Telephone

Peer Supporter Identifies As:

  • Woman

Areas of Life Experience In Dealing With:

  • Conflicts at home or with other employees
  • Depression / Mental health difficulties
  • Family issues
  • Gender-related issues
  • Sexual orientation issues
  • Sickness
  • Stress / burnout
  • Substance abuse
  • Suicide / Loss of a loved one

Brief Description of Life Experience related to Mental Health:

After a successful career in marketing and communications, I felt that I needed a change of pace and found myself working for the Government of Canada in January of 2012. Today I feel that fate has brought me to this place of peace and has awarded me the privilege to be a part of this amazing Peer Support Group.

I’m grateful to say that I was adopted into a very loving and caring, yet dysfunctional, family at thirteen months old and am proud to say that in 2017 I found my biological family. It has been quite a journey of the soul.

Living through experiences of addictions of loved ones, depression, anxiety, spousal abuse and domestic violence, parenthood, divorce, bullying, workplace sexual harassment, remarriage and my privileged advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, I have grown tremendously. I am the spouse to a caring gentle man that is currently fighting a strong and courageous battle with cancer and I have been a caregiver to a parent that succumbed to this disease.

I am so proud to be a Positive Space Ambassador, a member of our workplace Health and Wellness Committee and now a Peer Supporter. My passions include spending time with my family and my beautiful rescue dogs, walking, cooking, gardening, design and lending an ear of support when I can. My charities of choice include Iris Kirby House Women’s shelter and the Run for the Cure.

My path to recovery is ever evolving. I AM on a glorious road to loving the best me.