In our Staff Showcase series, we’re highlighting individuals who make Canvas Health an exceptional mental health provider. Today, we shine the spotlight on Jenny O’Connor and Katie Pape who have dedicated 20 years of their careers to making a difference in our community.
Join us in thanking our incredible staff for their contributions to our mission!
Celebrating 20 Years with Canvas Health
Jenny O’Connor, LMFT
Describing Jenny O’Connor’s responsibilities at Canvas Health is no small task. As Child Day Treatment Manager, she provides exceptional clinical leadership across multiple intensive mental health programs serving children and families with complex needs.
Jenny oversees three Child Day Treatment programs: TLC, the stand-alone program at the Oakdale office; TEC, in partnership with NSP-M and O; and TEP, in collaboration with Forest Lake. Collectively, these programs serve 35 children each day who experience significant mental health symptoms that interfere with daily functioning. The work is demanding, and Jenny approaches it with expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication.
In addition to day treatment programming, Jenny oversees Embedded School-Based Mental Health Services within the Federal Level 3 and 4 programs at Webster K-12 and Justice Alan Page Elementary School. Under her leadership, mental health staff provide individual, family, and group therapy while also supporting school systems in understanding and responding to the unique mental health needs of students.
Jenny began her career with the organization on February 9, 2001, as a Life Skills Counselor within the TLC Program. In many ways, her career has come full circle. Over the past 20-plus years, she has served children and families in multiple clinical roles, consistently focusing on helping children, adolescents, and their family systems better understand mental health symptoms while building the tools needed for healing and long-term success. Her work is grounded in the belief that children thrive when supported within relationships, families, schools, and communities.
Anyone who engages in professional consultation or conversation with Jenny quickly recognizes the passion she brings to her work. She believes deeply in the importance of family involvement in the therapeutic process and consistently demonstrates this value in her clinical leadership. Her intelligence, insight, and thoughtful approach to complex client situations make her an invaluable resource to colleagues and staff alike.
Jenny’s team describes her as a leader who “leads with integrity and grace,” someone who is “consistently reliable, knowledgeable, and able to balance the weight of the work with all the good as well.” Staff members admire her clinical skill with clients and families, her curiosity and open-mindedness, and the supportive environment she creates for growth and learning. One staff member shared that Jenny’s trust and encouragement helped push them outside their comfort zone in the best possible way.
Jenny’s more than 20 years of service have made a lasting impact on children, families, community partners, and the agency as a whole. Her flexibility, creativity, clinical wisdom, and dedication continue to strengthen the communities she serves and inspire those fortunate enough to work alongside her.
Katie Pape, MSW, LICSW
Over her 20 years at Canvas Health, Katie Pape has been a steady and highly respected leader whose work has meaningfully shaped the agency’s clinical, operational, and strategic direction. As a long‑standing Clinical Director, Katie has provided consistent leadership through periods of growth, the achievement of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) designation, and evolving community needs. She has played a central role in guiding child, family, and adult mental health services, working closely with supervisors, clinicians, and leadership to ensure programs remain responsive, compliant, and grounded in high‑quality clinical practice. Her deep institutional knowledge and steady presence have brought clarity and continuity to complex operational environments.
Katie’s leadership is especially evident in her ability to align clinical excellence with operational discipline. Over the years, she has helped shape program structure, workforce development, service delivery expectations, and financial sustainability across a broad portfolio of services. She is widely relied upon as a trusted voice in program strategy, staffing decisions, cross‑department coordination, and system‑wide initiatives that strengthen accountability while keeping services centered on client care.
Building and sustaining relationships is one of Katie’s defining strengths. She routinely engages with community partners—often well beyond the standard workday—to strengthen collaboration, expand access to care, and secure funding. Through her leadership, the Therapeutic Assistance Program (TAP) has grown more than threefold, and in 2025 she helped secure funding that strengthened the long‑term sustainability of Abuse Response and Prevention Services and Vocational Services programs. Her ability to connect partnerships, funding, and mission has had a lasting impact on both the agency and the communities it serves.
Equally important is the human presence Katie brings to her leadership. Colleagues describe her as thoughtful, collaborative, and deeply supportive. Known for checking in during times of community trauma, advocating for school‑based programming, and leading with compassion, she creates spaces where people feel safe to be authentic and heard.
Across two decades, Katie’s legacy reflects clinical insight, operational wisdom, relational depth, and unwavering dedication to Canvas Health’s mission of bringing hope, healing, and recovery to the people and communities we serve.
Congratulations, Jenny and Katie!
