Diana Capponi

Diana Michele Capponi (February 22, 1953 – September 21, 2014) was a Canadian mental health activist, psychiatric survivor, and community leader. Born in Montreal, Quebec, she was the youngest sister of writer and activist Pat Capponi. Both sisters experienced an abusive home and left as young women. In 1984, Diana graduated from a police training program at Centennial College in Toronto, which she later described as a pivotal life change. Capponi’s career began with challenges, including dropping out of school, traveling to India, and struggling with heroin addiction. After returning to Canada, she settled in Toronto with the help of her sister Pat, who assisted her in finding housing and rehabilitation. She worked at a women’s shelter and later at a cleaning service. In 1984, she founded the Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses (OCAB) to create economic opportunities for psychiatric survivors. She also served on the board of directors at the Gerstein Centre in Toronto. In 2003, Capponi became coordinator of the Employment Works program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where she focused on building businesses and careers for individuals with mental health or addiction challenges. She consulted on mental health policy across Canada and internationally, emphasizing that a mental health diagnosis does not correlate with work ability. She appeared in documentaries such as *Working Like Crazy* (1999) and television programs like *Second Chance: Making It Work* (2005). In 2009, she testified before a Canadian Parliamentary committee on employment and mental health. In her personal life, ...