Jennifer Chambers is a founder and Executive Director of the Empowerment Council – Systemic Advocates in Addictions and Mental Health. She was also founder and Advocacy Coordinator of the Queen Street Patients Council, and a founder and Chair of the Mental Health Legal Advocacy Coalition. Each organisation conducted systemic advocacy by and for people with a history of mental health and/or addiction issues. The organisations she founded and worked with have been the only peer advocacy organisations in Canada to regularly intervene in Supreme Court of Canada cases and have standing at inquests in Ontario.
Jennifer is a member and former Co-Chair of the Mental Health and Addiction Advisory Panel to the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB), a member of the Anti Racism Advisory Council to the TPSB, and a member of the Police and Community Engagement Review (PACER) advisory to the Toronto Police Chief. She was on an advisory to The Ontario Consent and Capacity Board and to Legal Aid Ontario. She has been an expert witness in numerous forums on the intersection of policing, people in crisis, and race.
In addition, Jennifer has taught college classes, and guest lectured in classes in law, nursing, social work and policing both locally and internationally. She has authored and co-authored articles, chapters and numerous deputations. She has often spoken to media and at webinars and conferences, including the Ontario Conference of Judges.
Jennifer has received awards from the City of Toronto, the Ontario Association of Patient Councils, the Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Education Department as well from CAMH Social Workers, the Mental Health Legal Committee, and the Law and Mental Disorder Association.