Living with rheumatic disease can affect more than physical health. Pain, fatigue, treatment, uncertainty, and everyday challenges can also impact a child or young person’s mental health and well-being.
Join us for a practical session exploring the connection between physical and emotional health, with strategies to help children and teens build resilience and feel supported.
What We’ll Cover
- The Mind-Body Connection: Discover how physical and emotional health are connected, and how nurturing mental wellness supports your child’s overall health.
- Practical Tools: Learn everyday strategies to support mental well-being and resilience.
- Supporting Your Child: Gentle ways to help support your child’s mental health, how to spot when they need extra help, and where to turn for trusted guidance.
Parents, caregivers, and older teens and young adults living with rheumatic disease are welcome to attend. Whether you’re supporting a young person or looking for tools to support your own mental well-being, this session offers practical, evidence-informed information.
Meet Our Caring Experts
Dr. Andrea Knight, MD, MSCE
Pediatric Rheumatologist & Researcher
SickKids & University of Toronto
Dr. Andrea Knight is a pediatric rheumatologist at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, a Senior Associate Scientist in the Neurosciences and Mental Health Program at the SickKids Research Institute, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine. She obtained her medical degree from the Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York. She then completed her Paediatric Residency and Paediatric Rheumatology Fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Knight is the Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Chronic Disease of Childhood whose research program focuses on brain and mental health in children with lupus and other chronic rheumatologic diseases. She is currently conducting translational research to understand the impact of childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) on brain health and development, utilizing neuroimaging, cognitive, and blood biomarkers to characterize the mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric dysfunction. The goal is to develop and test systematic approaches utilizing multi-level biomarkers for early detection and targeted, individualized treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders in SLE. She is also developing and testing strategies to improve assessment and intervention for psychiatric morbidity, such as tailored cognitive behavioral therapy, to optimize outcomes for children and youth with cSLE and other rheumatologic conditions.
Dr. Knight is the past Chair of the Lupus Section for the Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), current co-leader of the CARRA Mental Health Workgroup, and co-leader of the Cassie+Friends Youth Mental Health Working Group. She is also a member of the Medical Scientific Advisory Committee for the Lupus Foundation of America. She is also Co-Chair of the SickKids Mental Health Strategy Research Implementation Team and Member of the Advisory Panel for the SickKids Precision Child Mental Health Initiative.
Dr. Katie Birnie, PhD RPsych
Clinical Psychologist & Pain Researcher
University of Calgary and Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP)
Dr. Katie Birnie (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Calgary where she leads the Partnering For Pain research program. She is the Associate Scientific Director – Population Health and Lead for the Health Equity HUB with the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, as well as the Associate Scientific Director of Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), a national knowledge mobilization in children’s pain. Dr. Birnie has supported youth and families in clinical practice at several hospitals across Canada, including Alberta Children’s Hospital (Calgary), SickKids (Toronto), and IWK Health (Halifax). Through her leadership, Dr. Birnie brings together communities and families, researchers, policymakers, and health system partners to co-create solutions to complex health challenges. She is dedicated to advancing equitable, evidence-informed change that improves health and well-being for diverse populations.
Meet Your Hosts
Danielle Harrison
Manager, Programs + Partnerships, Cassie + Friends
As the Manager of Programs + Partnerships at Cassie + Friends, Danielle leverages a decade of experience delivering and leading programs for those managing chronic pain and health conditions. Having navigated her own chronic illness in her youth, she is deeply committed to delivering impactful programs that empower others.
When she isn’t working to drive meaningful change, Danielle enjoys spending time with her two children and relaxing with a good book.
Marissa Sangers
Family Support + Engagement Coordinator, Cassie + Friends
As the Family Support + Engagement Coordinator at Cassie + Friends, Marissa brings a deep commitment to youth support, inclusion, and family connection. Having been involved with C+F since 2019, Marissa’s contributions span leading community runs, driving local fundraising, and managing the Online Support Network for families navigating juvenile arthritis and rheumatic diseases.
Her dedication is deeply personal, rooted in her journey as a mom to her eldest daughter, Charlotte, who lives with JA. Outside of work, Marissa loves crafting with friends or exploring nature with her husband, Jordon, and their lively daughters, Charlotte and Riley.
