IndigenousTrauma and Resiliency

2015-2016YEAR IN REVIEW

I N T R O D U C I N G A G R O U N D B R E A K I N G N E W M S W S P E C I A L I Z AT I O N

It’s been a dynamic and exciting year at the Factor-Inw

entash Faculty of Social W

ork. A

year in which w

e continue to push the frontiers of innovation and knowledge.

In 2014 we celebrated our 100th anniversary -- an am

azing experience that brought us together w

ith alumni and field and com

munity partners. N

ow, based

on a firm foundation of a century of accom

plishment, w

e’re moving ahead at an

accelerated pace. In the classroom, in research, in w

orking closely with com

munities,

collaborating with the field and dissem

inating knowledge w

orldwide, our faculty

mem

bers are spearheading important initiatives.

As you flip through the pages in this Year in R

eview, you’ll get a sense of the rich

diversity of life at our Faculty right now. R

ead about exciting advancements that

are transforming how

our students are educated, like our newly launched M

SW

specialization and the remarkable w

ays we’re using sim

ulation. Learn how Practice

Fridays are deepening our all-essential bond with field instructors. M

eet students like recent grad Persia Etem

adi, newly hired faculty and staff, and alum

ni like Patricia Fenton w

ho has found a meaningful w

ay to fund research in an area she cares deeply about.

I believe that all of us – faculty mem

bers, alumni, field and com

munity partners and

students – share a comm

itment and passion to w

ork together to meet society’s

crucial challenges. Together, we are m

oving forward. A

s always, w

e’d love to hear from

you.

With best w

ishes,

Faye Mishna

Dean, Factor-Inw

entash Faculty of Social W

orkU

niversity of Toronto

2 C

onvocation

4 The Year That W

as

6 Introducing O

ur New

MSW

Specialization

8 H

onours and Achievem

ents

10 W

e’re Asking B

ig Questions about B

ig Issues

12 N

ew Faculty and Staff A

ppointments

15 The Sim

ulation Explosion

16 O

n The Move

17 G

aining Practicum Experience D

own U

nder

18 The B

uzz

19 M

eeting the Challenges of A

doption

20 A

Chance to Say Thank You

21 N

umbers that C

ount

CONTENTS

010506

07

08

A Celebration of O

ur StudentsS

PR

ING

CO

NV

OC

AT

ION

JUN

E 1

, 20

16

01 N

olan R. Fitzgerald and W

ilma M

arlyse Bergstra

02 Paula Vicente

03 N

atasha Antoinette Tacom

a and family

04 C

harmaine C

ansino

05 Tasha S

helly Ram

charitar

06 A

dam John B

elair and Lois Belair

07 (L-R

) Lisa Orr, S

ana Imran and C

assandra Hall

08 A

nisa Moham

ed and family

02

0304

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Celebrating

PR

IDE

at the Faculty on June 2

3, 2

01

6.

THE YEAR THAT WAS

THE YEAR THAT WAS

MSW

Andrew

Eato

n explored the role of social w

ork in supporting people affected by H

IV-Associated

Neurocognitive D

isorder (HA

ND

).

PhD

Kenta A

sakura examined pathw

ays to resilience am

ong LGB

TQ youth.

Co

rry Azzo

pardi provided a feminist

critical discourse analysis of maternal

failure to protect in child welfare policy

and practice.

David D

elay considered the effects of sham

e-proneness, emotional

dysregulation, language processing capacity and traum

a on Batterer

Intervention Program attrition.

Joanne F

ilippelli explored practice and policy responses in O

ntario related to the child w

elfare system and infants.

Barb

ara Lee looked into child welfare

outcomes for A

sian-Canadian children

and families.

Ashley Q

uinn focused on resilience processes and outcom

es for Aboriginal

Crow

n wards of the O

ntario child w

elfare system.

Steven S

olo

mo

n examined

homophobic and sexist language

among G

rade 7 and 8 students in the Toronto D

istrict School Board.

Melissa Van W

ert explored the intersection of child m

altreatment

and behaviour problems and

the implications for child w

elfare service providers.

Kyung-E

un Yang’s focus was the

entrance of imm

igrant wom

en into the S

outh Korean labour m

arket and their use of support services.

Sam

antha Yee identified factors associated w

ith the receipt of a fertility consultation by C

anadian fem

ale cancer patients.

One N

ew M

SW and 10

New

PhD Theses Exam

ining Critical Issues

01ED

ITOR

S: A

LEAN

AL-K

RE

NAW

I, JO

HN

R. G

RA

HA

M A

ND

NA

ZIM

H

AB

IBO

V, “DIV

ER

SITY

AN

D S

OC

IAL

WO

RK

IN C

AN

AD

A.” (O

XFO

RD

U

NIVE

RS

ITY PR

ESS

.)

02SH

ER

I VAN

DIJK, “H

ELP

TEE

NS

M

AN

AG

E E

MO

TION

S (TH

E IN

STA

NT

HE

LP S

OLU

TION

S S

ER

IES

.” (IN

STA

NT H

ELP.)

03SH

ER

I VAN

DIJK, “S

UR

VIV

ING

THE

E

MO

TION

AL R

OLLE

R C

OA

STE

R:

DB

T SK

ILLS TO

HE

LP TE

EN

S

MA

NA

GE

EM

OTIO

NS

(THE

INS

TAN

T H

ELP

SE

RIE

S).” (IN

STA

NT H

ELP.)

04CATH

ER

INE LO

UIS

E REA

DY, “S

HE

LTER

IN

A S

TOR

M: R

EV

ITALIZ

ING

F

EM

INIS

M IN

NE

OLIB

ER

AL

ON

TAR

IO.” (U

BC

PR

ESS

.)

05ED

ITOR

S: M

ICH

AE

L SA

INI, LES

LIE D

RO

ZD

AN

D N

AN

CY O

LESE

N,

“PA

RE

NTIN

G P

LAN

EVA

LUA

TION

: A

PP

LIED

RE

SE

AR

CH

FO

R TH

E FA

MILY

C

OU

RT.” (O

XFO

RD

UN

IVER

SITY P

RES

S.)

06ED

ITOR

S: IM

OG

EN

TAYLOR

, MA

RIO

N

BO

GO

, MIC

HE

LLE LEFEVR

E AN

D

BA

RB

AR

A TEATE

R, “R

OU

TLED

GE

IN

TER

NATIO

NA

L HA

ND

BO

OK

OF S

OC

IAL

WO

RK

ED

UC

ATIO

N.” (R

OU

TLED

GE.)

6 Books P

UB

LISH

ED

THIS

PAS

T YEAR

BY FAC

ULTY A

ND

ALU

MN

I

2016 SPR

ING

REU

NIO

N W

AS ALL

ABO

UT C

ON

NEC

TING

M

ore than 60 alumni from

across the generations came

together on a lovely May 25

evening at the Faculty to

celebrate the 2016 Spring

Reunion. The convivial

gathering (where recent books

by alumni and faculty w

ere

raffled off) was a chance to

catch up, renew relationships

and forge new connections

with other alum

ni and the

Faculty itself.

Newly elected Alumni Association President Janet Scollard (middle) with Members of the Board Sara Abura (R) and Christina Abounassar.

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EAR

IN R

EVIEW

WE A

RE P

RO

UD

AN

D H

ON

OU

RE

D TO

AN

NO

UN

CE

OU

R N

EW M

SW SP

ECIA

LIZATION

IND

IGEN

OU

S TRAUM

A AND

RES

ILIENCY

We have brought together

Indigenous knowledge w

ith the latest scientific research on issues such as traum

a, resiliency and com

munity-based interventions to

create a groundbreaking new M

SW

specialization stream – Indigeno

us Traum

a and Resiliency (ITR

) – dedicated to educating traum

a-inform

ed social workers. W

e are delighted to announce that the first students start this Septem

ber. The ITR

was developed by the O

ntario

Federation o

f Indigenous

Friendship Centres (O

FIF

C), the

Middelto

n-Mo

z Institute and our Faculty: O

FIFC Executive D

irector

Sylvia Maracle, Jane M

iddelton-Moz

(see profile on p. 14) and the OFIFC

G

overning Council w

orked in close collaboration w

ith Professor Charm

aine W

illiams and D

ean Faye Mishna to

create the ITR.

“The ITR is founded on the core

concept that names collective and

intergenerational Indigenous trauma

as experiences that affect multiple

populations,” says Maracle, a prim

e m

over of the initiative. “It will equip

students to take that knowledge

into health and social services. Students w

ill be educated about com

munity interventions designed to

aid comm

unities experiencing high levels of intergenerational traum

a. The purpose of these interventions is to help individuals find their voice and to increase support system

s. The ITR

’s goal is to change the way

comm

unity services are provided in Indigenous com

munities and to equip

and empow

er individuals in these com

munities.”

The new specialization’s im

petus cam

e from the O

FIFC’s G

overning C

ouncil who approached the Faculty

to collaborate in developing capacity in Indigenous com

munities to address

urgent social issues. It is a response

to the pressing need to provide effective and culturally appropriate services to Indigenous populations. It is built – from

structure to curriculum

and goals – upon the historical know

ledge of the OFIFC

and the M

iddelton-Moz Institute. The

OFIFC

is an internationally respected non-governm

ent agency based in Toronto that serves m

ember Indigenous Friendship

Centres across O

ntario through advocacy, research and training. M

iddelton-Moz has

conducted interventions in Indigenous com

munities for over forty years and the

Middelton-M

oz Institute has developed a unique com

munity-based intervention

training system to address the effects of

current, cumulative, intergenerational and

cultural trauma.

• It was created in a partnership betw

een the OFIFC

, the Middelton-M

oz Institute and our Faculty.

• The curriculum is based on both Indigenous know

ledge and the latest scientific know

ledge on issues related to trauma, resiliency and the brain.

• Its comm

unity-based trauma-inform

ed approach is founded on the principle that the effects of unresolved traum

a are carried into the next generation. The goal is to equip students w

ith trauma-related skills and sensitivity so

they can empow

er comm

unity mem

bers to intervene effectively.

• The curriculum addresses all races, age groups, the entire life cycle and all

aspects of a person’s being: mental, em

otional, spiritual and physical.

• The ITR is structured to ensure that students rem

ain in their comm

unities w

hile studying. Placem

ents (in which students learn from

comm

unity Elders) are either in hom

e comm

unities (which m

ay be Indigenous and remote) or in

an Indigenous organization. Education focuses on self-awareness, traditional

and experiential learning, critical evaluation and mentorship by Elders.

Students participate in online courses as well as five six-day intensive face-

to-face seminars in Toronto (the first is in Septem

ber at our Faculty).

• With assistance by faculty, students are required to cultivate w

ellness plans and develop an aw

areness of the effects of multigenerational traum

a on their ow

n lives.

• The goal is to create comm

unity activists. “We w

ant to instill in our students the ability to ‘see the need and create solutions.’ W

e want them

to see w

hat needs to be done and do it, not to wait for som

eone else to develop a solution, but instead to act now

,” says Middelton-M

oz.

“The ITR

represents what a

Native A

merican E

lder told m

e is ‘bridging the river.’ O

n one side, there’s the science – everything w

e’re learning about issues such as attachm

ent, trauma and

resiliency and the latest neuroscience research. O

n the other, there are traditions such as Indigenous N

ative A

merican, First N

ations, Tibetan, A

frican and Irish am

ong others that have w

orked for hundreds of years. W

e are bridging the river betw

een cultures, between

youth and adults and between

comm

unities. And w

hen you bridge the river, you have a pow

erful dynam

ic to create real change.”Jane M

iddelton-Moz, Executive

Director, M

iddelton-Moz Institute

What M

akes Our N

ew S

pecialization U

nique?

“On M

ay 30, 2016, Prem

ier Kathleen W

ynne and the other party leaders stood up in the O

ntario Legislature, with m

any of us present, and said, ‘W

hat we did about residential

schools was w

rong. What happened w

as wrong and w

e are com

mitted to m

oving forward.’ They didn’t hedge it and they

didn’t make excuses. I believe that this new

specialization, this collaboration betw

een the Faculty and the OFIF

C, is part of the

way forw

ard. We’ve had so m

any social work courses delivered

to the comm

unity. This time it is different. This is a w

ay to have a real conversation about how

we change the pow

er dynam

ics and m

ove towards reconciliation in this country.”

Sylvia M

aracle, OFIFC

Executive Director

Members of the MSW-ITR: Back row (L-R): Suzy Goodleaf, ITR-FIFSW faculty; Tiffany Hubbard, ITR-FIFSW faculty; Ela Smith, OFIFC; Shawn Middelton, ITR-FIFSW faculty; Charmaine Williams, FIFSW Professor; Rebecca Martell, OFIFC Governing Council-ITR-FIFSW facultySeated (L-R): Faye Mishna, FIFSW Dean; Jane Middelton-Moz, Director, Middelton-Moz Institute-ITR-FIFSW faculty; Sylvia Maracle, Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC)-ITR-FIFSW faculty Absent: Kim Anderson, OFIFC Governing Council

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CHRISTINA ABOUNASSAR helped incoming social work students connect with peers and professors, as a leader of the FIFSW Buddy Program.

ADAM JOHN BELAIR

developed a feedback process that has improved the student experience, as a co-president of the FIFSW Graduate Students Association.

APRIL DOMINGO

organized the Extended Conversations Initiative, a series of discussions about diversity, equity and social justice.

SAMANTHA RAJCHEL

led an effort to address diversity and equity issues, as a co-president of the FIFSW Graduate Students Association.

VIVIAN F. ZHANG was acting president of the Canadian Asian Student Society and a committed volunteer for a number of organizations on campus.

2016 GO

RD

ON

CR

ES

SY

STU

DE

NT LE

AD

ER

SH

IP A

WA

RD

WIN

NE

RS

These FIFSW

students were recognized for m

aking outstanding extra-curricular contributions to our Faculty and the U

niversity this past year. This cross-university annual award w

as established in honour of FIFSW

alumnus G

ordon C

ressy, a former vice-president of developm

ent and university affairs, to promote leadership and com

munity engagem

ent.

CO

MB

ININ

G S

OC

IAL W

OR

K W

ITH LA

W IS

G

OO

D F

OR

THE

SO

UL

For Persia Etemadi, w

ho just graduated w

ith a JD/M

SW, doing a com

bined law

and social work degree w

as good for the soul. “It’s refreshing to step outside of the w

orld of law,” says Etem

adi, w

ho received the Law School’s D

ean’s K

ey at the June Convocation. “It w

as com

plementary and beneficial to have

the social work perspective.” D

esigned for people w

ho want to practise in

the areas where law

and social work

intersect, the JD/M

SW enables

students to complete both degrees in

four years, rather than the five it would

take independently.

“I realized during my first year of law

school that I needed som

ething to rem

ind me about the people at the

law’s centre,” Etem

adi says. “Social

work prom

pted me to look at broader

issues and focus on the ways people

are affected by the law and other

structures. I loved working w

ith other social w

orkers and getting the chance to em

phasize compassion and

empathy in m

y work. I also enjoyed

developing clinical skills and a better understanding of social theory and policy. A

n interdisciplinary degree enables you to think creatively.”

The June Convocation w

as the first tim

e a JD/M

SW student received the

Dean’s K

ey, which recognizes extra-

curricular contributions of an academic

nature. Etemadi w

as instrumental in

drafting a high school curriculum on

forced marriage and the legal rights

of youth (see the 2014-2015 Year in R

eview); she w

as co-Editor-in-C

hief of U of T’s Journal of Law

and Equality and a legal clinic volunteer. She is bringing that interdisciplinary perspective to a C

ity of Toronto articling job she started in July.

&A

ssociate Dean, A

cademic and Professor S

helley Craig

has co-authored the Council of S

ocial Work Education’s

(CSW

E) first Position Statement on C

onversion/R

eparative Therapy. It is accompanied by a curriculum

resource, “H

ow to Talk about Sexual O

rientation Change

Efforts in Social W

ork Education” which is designed to

help social work educators facilitate conversation about

sexual orientation change efforts and teach affirmative

practice relating to sexual orientation and gender-identity. A

bibliography suggests readings to support in-depth discussion. A

vailable on CSW

E’s website.

Professor Lin Fang received the FIFSW 2016 Teaching

Aw

ard for making an outstanding contribution as an

educator at our Faculty. She was chosen because of her

strong comm

itment to social w

ork education, thoughtful student m

entoring, overall educational leadership and the excellent student evaluations she has received.

Alum

na Shirley H

oy was appointed C

hair of the University

of Toronto’s Governing C

ouncil, after serving as Vice Chair

since 2013. The 50-mem

ber Governing C

ouncil oversees U

of T’s academic, business and student affairs. H

oy, who

received her MSW

at the Faculty, has built a distinguished career in public service. She also has a long record of volunteer leadership at the U

niversity and our Faculty, w

here she is a mem

ber of the Dean’s A

dvisory Circle.

Adjunct Professor S

teve Lurie, Executive Director of the

Canadian M

ental Health A

ssociation (CM

HA

), has been appointed to the O

rder of Canada. R

ecognized for his m

ore than 40-year contribution as a leading advocate and adm

inistrator in the field of mental health care, he

was described as “a tireless advocate, fighting to

improve the m

ental health system and being a voice for

individuals who are often m

arginalized because of stigma

and discrimination.”

Dean and Professor Faye M

ishna received the 2016 D

istinguished Recent C

ontribution to Social W

ork Education A

ward from

the US

-based Council on S

ocial W

ork Education (CSW

E). In granting the award, the

comm

ittee said: “Professor Mishna is internationally

renowned for her cutting-edge research and scholarship

on bullying, cyber bullying and cyber counselling – far ahead of her tim

e in making cyber bullying and cyber

counselling a significant focus of her research, curriculum

development and leadership agenda. H

er work has had

a profound impact on the lives of children, adolescents,

families, educators and all w

ho confront cyber bullying.”

Provost and FIFSW Professor C

heryl Regehr received

one of Canada’s M

ost Powerful W

omen: Top 100

Aw

ards from the W

omen’s Executive N

etwork (W

EN

). C

omm

enting on what leadership m

eans to her, Regehr

said, “It’s not about being a leader alone. I think the characteristic that is im

portant to me in term

s of leadership is a w

illingness to share leadership. It’s about seeing the incredible strength of people around you and looking for shared solutions to difficult problem

s, challenges and opportunities.”

Professor Micheal L. S

hier received the 2016 N

ortheastern Association of G

raduate Schools Doctoral

Dissertation A

ward. Each year the association recognizes

one outstanding PhD

dissertation in Social Sciences and

Education. His research exam

ined how social service non-

profit organizations promote social change. H

e engages in com

munity-based research initiatives that support the

mobilization of social innovation.

Hono

ursAchievem

ents

Persia Etemadi and her mother at Convocation.

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What are we learning about HIV and

sexually transmitted infections (STI)

among diverse young Canadian wom

en?Addressing social and structural drivers of HIV and STI am

ong diverse young wom

en in Canada: A mixed m

ethods, m

ulti-site cohort study; Carmen Logie,

principal investigator.

How can we support the employm

ent advancem

ent of visible minority

imm

igrant and refugee women

healthcare workers in Canada?Addressing Em

ployment Barriers and

Advancing Gender Equity: Creating Em

ployment Ladders and Supporting

the Advancement of Visible Minority

Imm

igrant and Refugee Women Working

in Canada’s Healthcare System; Dan

Zuberi, principal investigator.

How can we measure a non-profit’s

civic footprint?Non-profits and civic engagem

ent: An exploratory m

odel for measuring a

non-profit’s civic footprint; Micheal Shier, principal investigator.

How can we mobilize knowledge for

older adults?Engaged scholarship: Evaluation of knowledge m

obilization for older adults in the com

munity; Lynn McDonald, principal

investigator.

What are we learning about

adolescents in child welfare?Developm

ental disruptions: Adolescents involved in child welfare in Ontario; Bryn King, principal investigator.

How are we working to promote global

development, health and prosperity?

Global development, health and

prosperity cluster-Chair in social justice, equity and diversity; Peter Newm

an, principal investigator.

What strategies prom

ote effective parent-child relationships in high conflict separations?Focusing on parenting: Developing a fram

ework for effective parent-child relationships within the context of high conflict separation; Michael Saini, principal investigator.

How can we change the increasing trend of neighbourhood inequality in our cities?Neighbourhood inequality, diversity, and change: Trends, processes, consequences, and policy options for Canada’s large m

etropolitan areas; David Hulchanski, principal investigator.

What are we learning about children

exposed to intimate partner violence?

Children exposed to intimate partner

violence: Expanding our understanding of vulnerabilities and resiliencies; Ram

ona Alaggia, principal investigator.

What are we learning about HIV

prevention, risks, behaviour and access to healthcare?HIV Prevention, Risk Perceptions, Behaviours, and Health Care Access Am

ong Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Context of Changing Social-Historical, Messaging, and Socio-Sexual Environm

ents; David Brennan, principal investigator.

What are we learning about

substantive citizenship?Substantive citizenship in an era of crim

migration: Constructing the

deportable subject in the shadow of the state; Rupaleem

Bhuyan, principal investigator.

What are we discovering about

elder financial fraud?Elder financial fraud and scam

s: What do we know? David Burnes, principal investigator.

How are we mobilizing knowledge

in the child welfare field?Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS); Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

How are we working with higher risk com

munities in Canada, India

and South Africa to advance HIV vaccine acceptance?Social, behavioural and ethical challenges of HIV vaccine developm

ent; Peter Newm

an, principal investigator.

How do information and com

munication

technologies influence sexual and gender m

inority youth?Clicking to Cope? The Influence of Inform

ation and Comm

unication Technologies on the Resilience, Social Support and School Engagem

ent of Canada’s Sexual and Gender Minority Youth; Shelley Craig, principal investigator.

What are we learning about sexual

behaviour, social networks and health services engagem

ent?A Mixed Method Exploration of Sexual Behaviour, Social Networks and Health Services Engagem

ent among Younger

Gay, Bisexual, and other Men who use the Internet to Seek Sex with Men (MISM) in Ontario; David Brennan, principal investigator.

What is the experience of Mainland

Chinese imm

igrants to Canada?Intra-group dynam

ics and social exclusion: Experience of Mainland Chinese im

migrants to Canada; A. Ka Tat

Tsang, principal investigator.

What factors prom

ote well-being for childhood abuse survivors?From

Surviving to Flourishing: Factors Associated with Optim

al Well-Being am

ong Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse Survivors; Esm

e Fuller-Thomson,

principal investigator.

What are we learning about resilience

and violence among NW

T youth?Social ecologies of resilience and teen dating violence am

ong Aboriginal and Northern youth in the NWT; Carm

en Logie, principal investigator.

What are the sex- and

health-seeking online practices of gay and bisexual m

en?Exploring the Sex- and Health-Seeking Practices within Evolving Online Environm

ents of Gay and Bisexual Men; David Brennan, principal investigator.

How can we create pathways to fam

ily justice?Pathways to Fam

ily Justice; Michael Saini, principal investigator.

How are we promoting rights for

children and youth?Rights for Children and Youth Partnership: Strengthening Collaboration in the Am

ericas; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

How can we understand resident-to-resident aggression in long-term

care dem

entia units?Understanding Resident-to-Resident Aggression in Long-Term

Care Dementia

Units; David Burnes, principal investigator.

What are the risk factors for

early childbearing among adolescents

in foster care?Risk Factors for Early Childbearing am

ong Adolescents in Foster Care; Bryn King, principal investigator.

How can we promote m

ental health am

ong Aboriginal Canadians?Mental Health and Flourishing am

ong Aboriginal Canadians; Esm

e Fuller-Thom

son, principal investigator.

How are we developing child welfare tools?Child Welfare Tool; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

How can we support parents and children during separation?ARUC: Séparation parentale, recom

position familiale: parents et

enfants à soutenir; Michael Saini, principal investigator.

How can we promote socially

innovative initiatives?Predicting participation in collaborative partnerships for socially innovative initiatives: A pilot study; Micheal Shier, principal investigator.

What are the HIV and other health

disparities among m

arginalized gay and bisexual m

en?Resiliencies and risks: Addressing HIV and other health disparities am

ong m

arginalized gay and bisexual men;

David Brennan, principal investigator.

How are we connecting child welfare research to policy and practice?Connecting Child Welfare Research to Policy and Practice; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

How can we reduce healthcare-associated infection?Reducing health care associated infection in the Vancouver Metropolitan Region; Dan Zuberi, principal investigator.

How are we investigating HIV/STI vulnerability am

ong NWT youth?

Understanding syndemics and HIV/STI

vulnerability among Indigenous and

Northern youth in the NWT; Carmen Logie,

principal investigator.

What are we learning about elder

abuse interventions?Introducing Individualized Measurem

ent to Elder Abuse Interventions; David Burnes, principal investigator.

How can emerging technology

promote wellness for m

arginalized gay and bisexual m

en?OHTN Applied HIV Research Chair - Exam

ining Emerging Technology

to Promote Optim

al Wellness for Marginalized Gay & Bisexual Men; David Brennan, principal investigator.

What are we learning about HIV

vaccine implem

entation?Mobile com

puter-assisted survey research laboratory for HIV vaccine im

plementation science; Peter Newm

an, principal investigator.

How can we engage patients, fam

ilies and caregivers in the healthcare system

?Com

munication Technologies for

Engaging Patients, Families and

Caregivers in the Health Care System:

A Scoping Review; Lynn McDonald, principal investigator.

How are we exploring social and structural contexts of health am

ong sexually and gender diverse youth?Pride, stigm

a, resilience and comm

unity: Exploring social and structural contexts of health am

ong sexually and gender diverse youth in the NWT; Carm

en Logie, principal investigator.

How are we working with Highland Shore’s Children’s Aid Society?Highland Shore’s Children’s Aid Society; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

What are we learning about

cyber bullying?Cyber bullying; Faye Mishna, principal investigator.

What are we learning about elder

mistreatm

ent?A Client-Centered Measure of Success in Elder Mistreatm

ent Adult Protective Services; David Burnes, principal investigator.

What are we learning about inform

al ICT use as an adjunct to face-to-face social work practice?Social Work: Inform

al ICT Use as Adjunct to Traditional Face-to-Face Practice; Faye Mishna, principal investigator.

How are we evaluating the Salvation Arm

y Harbour Light’s programs?

Program evaluation of Salvation Arm

y Harbour Light’s Addiction Treatm

ent and Housing Program

s; Micheal Shier, principal investigator.

How do organizations influence child welfare service delivery?Understanding the Influence of Organizations on Child Welfare Service Delivery; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

What is the experience of clients,

counsellors and managers in an

Aboriginal comm

unity health setting in using cyber counselling?Chat now or TTYL: Exploring cyber counselling in an Aboriginal com

munity health setting; Faye Mishna,

principal investigator.

How are we working with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies?Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OCANDS): Perform

ance Indicator Results Project; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

What are we learning about LGBTQ+

youth in the NWT?

Mapping Social and Structural Contexts of HIV and STI Vulnerability am

ong LGBTQ+ Youth in the NWT; Carm

en Logie, principal investigator.

How are we working with the Association of Native Child and Fam

ily Service Agencies of Ontario?Perform

ance Indicators Results Project: Association of Native Child and Fam

ily Service Agencies of Ontario (ANCFSAO); Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

How do training and experience influence the professional judgem

ent of social workers?The relative influence of training and experience on social workers’ judgem

ent; Cheryl Regehr, principal investigator.

How can we use the arts to support hom

eless youth?Arts & Minds Program

: Utilizing the Arts to Support Hom

eless Youth; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

What are we learning about visual and

performance art for HIV prevention?

Visual and Performance Art for HIV

Prevention with Indigenous Youth in the NWT and Nunavut: A Mixed-Methods Multiple Case Study; Carm

en Logie, principal investigator.

How are we helping families that adopt

as well as adoption practitioners?The Effectiveness of ACT and Pathways 2 in Ontario; Barbara Fallon, principal investigator.

How can we measure outcom

e in elder abuse?Introducing individualized outcom

e m

easurement in elder abuse

interventions; David Burnes, principal investigator.

How are we developing cyber-related initiatives?Cyber-related initiatives; Faye Mishna, principal investigator.

What are we learning by exploring

ethnography?Exploring critical ethnography as a innovative approach to understanding stigm

a and social resistance among

sexual and gender minorities in the NWT;

Carmen Logie, principal investigator.

What is the relationship between foster

care and early childbearing?Foster Care and Early Childbearing; Bryn King, principal investigator.

How can we advance the prevention of sexually transm

itted infections and HIV am

ong young women?

Advancing Sexually Transmitted

Infections and HIV Prevention Am

ong Young Women; Carm

en Logie, principal investigator.

What are we learning about social

work and ICT?Inform

ation Comm

unication Technology (ICT); Faye Mishna, principal investigator.

How are we establishing an effective periodic health m

onitoring survey?Establishing an effective periodic health m

onitoring survey; David Brennan, principal investigator.

What is the im

pact of offering face-to-face and online counselling by MSW

student interns to U of T undergraduates?Exam

ining the effectiveness of Counseline services; Faye Mishna, principal investigator.

bigquestions about big issues

we’re

asking

10 | 2016 YEA

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| 11

Wanda G

abriel, w

ho has her BSW

and MSW

from M

cGill

University, has been appointed the Field C

oordinator for the new

MSW

specialization, Indigenous Trauma

and Resiliency (ITR

), effective September 1, 2016. The

cornerstone of the ITR is that student practicum

s take place in the student’s hom

e comm

unity – many of these

are Indigenous and remote – and G

abriel will draw

on her extensive know

ledge and relationships within those

comm

unities in connecting students to their placements.

A citizen of K

anehsatake Mohaw

k nation and a veteran social w

orker and comm

unity organizer, Gabriel has

worked in First N

ations and Inuit comm

unities for over 20 years. From

the Cree of Jam

es Bay to the M

ohawk

of Kahnaw

ake and Tyendinaga, she has been helping people to heal from

trauma, recently returning from

w

orking with the Innu of Pessam

it near Baie-C

omeau on

intergenerational trauma.

Gabriel and her tw

o daughters comprise Tsi non: w

e tiota’sha: ronte/B

ack to the Source, a K

anieke’ha: ke (M

ohawk) fam

ily social enterprise dedicated to Aboriginal

healing. The name speaks to G

abriel’s core philosophy: “To regain balance w

e need to go back to the source, to reconnect to cultural values and teachings. W

e aim to be at

the forefront of creating a positive and sustainable future,” she says. They provide consultation, program

and policy developm

ent and also work w

ith organizations to improve

work relationships w

ithin culturally diverse environments.

As a social w

orker, Gabriel is com

mitted to com

bining m

ainstream theories w

ith Indigenous approaches to healing and w

as mentored by a num

ber of Indigenous elders and leaders. O

ne of her most im

portant mentors

was Jane M

iddelton-Moz (also profiled here), w

ith whom

she worked for seven years – an experience G

abriel calls “an enorm

ous privilege.”“I do com

munity healing w

ork, comm

unity mobilization,

help people deal with protocols and develop best practices.

I also work w

ith Indigenous youth who are in the trades,

giving them tools to survive in the w

orkplace and creating cultural buffers, so they can deal w

ith racism, sexism

and prejudice in the w

orkplace. It’s incredible to see what can

happen when you create a safe space. People have the

tools within them

selves to heal,” she says.

Gabriel believes that the new

specialization will have a

huge impact. “It’s exciting to be a part of this. This is a w

ay to bring about concrete change. Students w

ill learn within

the comm

unities to work on issues related to traum

a and resiliency. It m

eans that more people w

ill be able to do this w

ork. We are creating a new

way of doing things. W

e are clearing a path.”

WA

ND

A G

AB

RIE

L IS C

OM

MITTE

D TO

P

RO

MO

TING

A

BO

RIG

INA

L HEA

LTH

Gabriel w

ill draw on her extensive

knowledge and relationships w

ithin Indigenous com

munities in connecting

students to their placements.

Rachelle A

shcroft has been appointed an A

ssistant Professor at the Factor-Inw

entash Faculty of Social W

ork, effective July 1, 2016. She joins the Faculty from

the U

niversity of Waterloo, w

here she has been an Assistant

Professor of Social W

ork at Renison U

niversity College

since 2013. Ashcroft received her B

SW and M

SW from

the U

niversity of Manitoba and her P

hD in S

ocial Work

from W

ilfrid Laurier University in 2013.

Ashcroft brings strong expertise as a health system

s researcher. In 2013, she com

pleted the Social A

etiology of M

ental Illness (SAM

I) Training Program at the C

entre for A

ddiction and Mental H

ealth (CA

MH

), a strategic training initiative designed to establish an international netw

ork of mental health researchers. She also com

pleted the TU

TOR

-PH

C (Transdisciplinary U

nderstanding and Training on R

esearch-Primary H

ealth Care) program

through the U

niversity of Western O

ntario in 2011. This program

, which provides specialized training and

mentoring, aim

s to create a critical mass of interdisciplinary

primary healthcare researchers and foster a collaborative

research network. A

shcroft has recently become a m

entor to a new

group of fellows.

Ashcroft is com

mitted to exploring how

the healthcare system

can promote health equity. H

er research focuses on three key areas: social w

ork’s role in healthcare, interprofessional prim

ary healthcare and ways to im

prove prim

ary mental healthcare. H

er interests grew directly

out of the early years she spent working in a variety of

Winnipeg com

munity health settings. H

er belief in the im

portance of interprofessional healthcare teams is

grounded in her 10 years in Winnipeg’s H

ealth Sciences C

entre, particularly her seven years as a social worker w

ith the neurosurgery program

. “I was lucky enough to w

ork on a strong interprofessional team

which w

as very interested in w

hat I had to offer as a social worker and very open to

thinking about creative ways of addressing health equity.

I’ve seen in practice the impact that social w

ork can have as part of a team

,” she says.C

urrently, she is conducting research with an

interprofessional team. She hopes to dem

onstrate the im

pact on people’s health of interprofessional teams

and the contribution that social work can m

ake as part of a team

. She is also exploring ways to im

prove mental

healthcare within Fam

ily Health Team

s and other primary

care settings, by talking to a broad range of healthcare providers, service users and policym

akers.“I’m

excited to be joining the Faculty,” Ashcroft says.

“I believe it is a comm

unity that will support

the growth of healthcare research. A

nd I’m

looking forward to w

orking with scholars

whose w

ork has inspired my ow

n career.”

RAC

HE

LLE AS

HC

RO

FT B

RIN

GS STR

ON

G P

RA

CTIC

E A

ND

RES

EAR

CH

EX

PE

RTIS

E

“I’m excited to be joining the Faculty. I believe it is a

comm

unity that will support the grow

th of healthcare research. A

nd I’m looking forw

ard to working w

ith scholars w

hose work has inspired m

y own career.”

NEW

FACU

LTY AND

STAFF APPOIN

TMEN

TS

12 | 2016 YEA

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2016 YEA

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| 13

JAN

E MID

DE

LTON

-MO

Z: C

OM

MITTE

D TO

HE

LPIN

G

CO

MM

UN

ITIES HEA

L FRO

M

TRA

UM

A

Jane Middelton-M

oz has been appointed as Assistant

Professor in our Faculty, effective July 1, 2016. The executive director of the M

iddelton-Moz Institute (an

organization dedicated to healing the effects of specific and m

ultigenerational trauma in individuals, fam

ilies and com

munities), she has an international reputation as a cutting

edge leader on issues related to multigenerational grief and

trauma. M

iddelton-Moz’s life’s w

ork is to help individuals and com

munities heal from

trauma and since 1989, she has

conducted interventions in comm

unities that have experienced traum

a (many of w

hich are Indigenous). An H

onorary W

itness for The Truth and Reconciliation C

omm

ission of C

anada, a prolific author and well-know

n comm

entator, she has deepened our understanding of m

ultigenerational grief and traum

a in individuals, families and com

munities, lateral

violence and ethnic and cultural awareness.

Middelton-M

oz’s expertise and experience were crucial

to developing our new M

SW specialization, Indigenous

Trauma and R

esiliency (ITR), w

here she will teach. The

ITR w

as founded through a partnership of our Faculty with

the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship C

entres (O

FIFC) and the M

iddelton-Moz Institute. W

orking in a close collaboration w

ith OFIFC

Executive Director Sylvia M

aracle, the O

FIFC’s G

overning Council and Professor C

harmaine

William

s and Dean Faye M

ishna, she played a key role in conceptualizing goals, developing the curriculum

and sitting on the A

dmissions C

omm

ittee. M

iddelton-Moz, w

ho has a Masters of Science degree in

Clinical Psychology from

St. Michael’s C

ollege in Vermont, has

had an extensive career in mental health. In her early years in

Vermont, she w

as the Director of an outpatient departm

ent and a Substance A

buse program in a com

munity m

ental health centre as w

ell as a home-school coordinator. She spent

11 years as Clinical D

irector of the Seattle Mental H

ealth Institute and D

irector of the Professional Practice Institute at Seattle M

ental Health. She w

as one of the founders of the

National A

ssociation for Children of A

lcoholics and the National

Association of N

ative Am

erican Children of A

lcoholics. It w

as in Seattle that Middelton-M

oz’s thinking about m

ental health underwent a profound shift. “W

e were running

a comprehensive m

ental health agency and I realized we

were diagnosing people as ill w

ho were having a norm

al response to an abnorm

al life. Then as I was doing com

munity

interventions, I saw that w

orking one-on-one with individuals,

especially in Indigenous comm

unities, wasn’t w

orking. We

needed to address multigenerational traum

a, to deal with

family, extended fam

ily, then comm

unity, in a circle moving

outward. I also began to realize that the rise in rage and

violence in our world w

as closely connected to our growing

disconnection from one another in fam

ilies and comm

unities. W

e need to focus on helping children who are suffering

from traum

a and/or lack of attachment as early as possible.

We need traum

a-informed schools, m

ental health, social services and correctional professionals, w

hich is why this new

program

is so exciting,” she says.M

iddelton-Moz once invited children from

all over North

Am

erica to write her letters about w

hat they wanted from

adults in the new

millennium

. “I got thousands of letters and I just sat on m

y couch and cried,” she says. “Many children in

kindergarten and first grade said that what they w

anted most

was ‘som

eone to say hello to me w

hen I come hom

e from

school.’ Many older children said that they w

anted to learn values from

a grandparent or Elder in the living room rather

than from a TV. It broke m

y heart. They needed connection. I w

rote a 23-page letter to parents in one of my books

asking them to unplug and spend tim

e with their children. It’s

connection that heals trauma. C

onnection is the correction.”

NEW

FACU

LTY AND

STAFF APPOIN

TMEN

TS

It just keeps getting better – simulation-w

ise. In the classroom, in the

field and across the globe, we’re finding innovative w

ays to use simulation

to help students, field instructors, professionals and educators.

Practice Fridays is a great new

voluntary learning experience introduced this past year that is helping students build confidence and assessm

ent and interviewing skills. H

ere’s an example of how

it w

orks: A student and a sim

ulated client played by a trained actor interact in a standardized scenario in w

hich the social worker m

eets the client and they discuss w

hat has brought her there. They are seated before a group of their peers, field instructors and professors including Sim

ulation Coordinator Toula K

ourgiantakis (who

developed the initiative). Everyone provides feedback. Some students

take turns as the social worker; others offer feedback. There’s tim

e to stop and discuss w

hat’s happening. Students take risks they w

ouldn’t attempt in their placem

ents. And they receive specific and

imm

ediate feedback and then apply it. Field instructors are finding it’s an exciting w

ay to partner with the Faculty in teaching students. This

powerful learning tool is strengthening the essential bond betw

een field instructors and our Faculty.

A June 10 S

im-posium

brought over 75 field instructors to the Faculty for a stim

ulating day focused on building student com

petence through sim

ulated learning activities. Professor Ram

ona A

laggia described using simulation in her fam

ily therapy class; Professor Shelley C

raig discussed using sim

ulation to teach students to practise in the intensity of patients’ short-term

hospital stays; Field Instructor Lauren M

assey, a St. Michael’s

Hospital social w

orker, described how sim

ulation accelerates student learning; and Sim

ulation C

oordinator Toula Kourgiantakis discussed

Practice Fridays. The day of dialogue concluded as a panel of field instructors shared ideas about facilitating student learning.

From A

ustralia to England and the USA

, Professor M

arion Bogo has been presenting

her groundbreaking research at conferences and educational institutions. “People are really catching on to how

effective simulation is as

an enrichment to w

hat happens in the field setting. O

ur systematic approach is grounded

in a well-articulated conceptualization of

holistic competence. W

e’ve identified various com

ponents of competence and then design

and use standardized simulations to teach

them in a focused w

ay. Simulated scenarios

enable students to develop core competencies

so they are better prepared to work w

ith real clients,” says B

ogo.

An innovative instructional video (free on

our home page) is helping field instructors

across the globe hone their skills in supervising students. S

o far there’ve been over 420 – m

ostly international – requests and Professor A

ndrea Litvack, who developed “A

ddressing C

hallenges in Supervision: The Relational

Context of Supervision: Educational Practices

to Enhance Learning” (with Professor M

arion B

ogo and Professor Ellen Katz) is being invited

to present at a variety of conferences.

Sim

ulation ExplosionTH

E

Mobilizing

Know

ledge

A

CR

OS

S

TH

E

GL

OB

E

14 | 2016 YEA

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| 15

WH

ER

E A

RE

YO

U W

OR

KIN

G

NO

W?

Andrew

Eato

n: I just graduated with

my M

SW, successfully defended m

y thesis and in Septem

ber I’m starting

my P

hD at the Faculty. M

y research explores the role of social w

ork in supporting adults living w

ith HIV. I am

a G

roup Programm

ing Coordinator

at AID

S Com

mittee of Toronto (A

CT)

where I frequently see adults living

independently with H

IV and cognitive issues w

ho need more support. I w

ant to discover if social w

ork can have a real im

pact.

Sylvia G

om

es: I’m a Program

C

oordinator in Transitional Housing at

the Salvation Arm

y of Canada. I w

ork w

ith clients in a residential program

who are from

treatment program

s (m

any are refugees), all with a w

ide spectrum

of needs. We support them

as they get ready to live on their ow

n. It’s very challenging w

ork but I love it. B

efore this I was a team

leader and addictions counsellor in the Salvation A

rmy’s H

omestead A

ddiction Services treatm

ent program.

WH

Y D

ID Y

OU

WA

NT TO

HA

VE

A

PR

AC

TICU

M E

XP

ER

IEN

CE

IN

ME

LBO

UR

NE

?

Andrew

Eato

n: I’d worked at A

CT

for a number of years and I w

anted a different kind of experience than

if I’d stayed in Toronto. I’d done an undergraduate placem

ent in Swaziland

(for my B

SW) and I w

anted to have another international experience. I w

as interested in social w

ork in Australia

because I knew that they used a sim

ilar clinical m

ental health framew

ork and w

ere recovery-oriented.

Sylvia G

omes: I debated going at first.

I worried about netw

orking because m

any of my friends got jobs through

their placements but I’m

very glad I did. It w

as wonderful, both personally and

professionally. I was in the Faculty’s

Collaborative M

SW Program

in A

ddiction Studies (which w

as fantastic) and I had an incredible opportunity in M

elbourne to use my expertise and

experience with addiction issues.

WH

ER

E D

ID Y

OU

WO

RK

DU

RIN

G

YO

UR

PR

AC

TICU

M?

Andrew

Eato

n: I was a m

ember

of an interdisciplinary mental health

team. I provided evidence-based

case managem

ent and targeted interventions for clients w

ho I saw in

the hospital and at home, providing

a bridge from their hospital stay. In

addition to my practicum

(I needed to w

ork), I was a consultant for an H

IV com

munity-based agency, developing

a comm

unity engagement strategy to

support their strategic plan.

Sylvia G

om

es: I was a consultant

in hospitals, using my expertise on

addiction and substance use to build capacity for nurses, residents and other staff. O

nce a week I’d m

eet with

staff in detox centres and provide my

perspective on clients. I also wrote

a booklet for the Royal C

hildren’s H

ospital with inform

ation related to addiction and I’m

thrilled because they are using it now

.

WH

AT W

AS

IT LIKE

?

Andrew

Eato

n: It was a w

onderful experience. I learned so m

uch by going to another country, about the leading approaches to m

ental health and prevalent fram

eworks. It had a

significant impact. I m

ade professional contacts, w

idened my netw

ork and expanded m

y scope of practice. It broadened m

y thinking.

Sylvia G

om

es: It was an incredible

experience. I recomm

end it highly. I’d been hearing for years about sim

ilarities in the way w

e do things so I w

as extremely curious to see it up

close. It was valuable professionally

to understand the standards and approaches of another country. You develop a different perspective – a w

orld view – one that you w

ould never get otherw

ise. You see that we’re all

working tow

ards the same goal.

GAIN

ING

PRAC

TICU

M EXPER

IENC

E D

OW

N U

ND

ERW

hen Andrew

Eato

n (MSW

2016) and Sylvia G

om

es (MSW

2013) w

ere MSW

students, they took advantage of our Faculty’s partnership w

ith the University of M

elbourne to do their Year 2 placements A

ussie-style in M

elbourne. For students like Eaton and Gom

es – as well as M

elbourne students w

ho come here – this international practicum

is a chance to launch their careers by gaining international experience and a global perspective.

CO

NTIN

UIN

G E

DU

CATIO

N E

XPA

ND

S ITS

NE

TWO

RK

BY

JOIN

ING

S

CH

OO

L OF C

ON

TINU

ING

STU

DIE

SC

ontinuing Education at our Faculty is changing. You’ll still get the great courses you’ve come

to expect but now you’ll find them

through the University of Toronto’s School of C

ontinuing Studies w

ebsite and catalogue. The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of S

ocial Work has entered

into a strategic partnership with the School of C

ontinuing Studies and, as of July 1, 2016, our Faculty’s C

ontinuing Education courses are offered through the School of Continuing Studies.

There are strong advantages to this partnership. The School of C

ontinuing Studies is an innovative and globally recognized leader in continuing education w

ith a w

ell-established infrastructure, extensive resources and considerable m

arketing and com

munication expertise. R

adio, subway and

bus ads are just a few exam

ples of the kind of m

arketing we w

ill now be able to tap into.

By joining the School’s ecosystem

, Faculty courses and program

s will be exposed to a

much larger audience. A

nd importantly, our

Continuing Education learners and instructors

will becom

e part of a vibrant comm

unity of learners, instructors and practitioners w

ho are passionate about professional adult education and lifelong learning.

INS

TITUTE

FO

R LIFE

CO

UR

SE

AN

D A

GIN

GProfessor E

sme Fuller-Tho

mso

n has been appointed the D

irector of the Institute for Life Course and A

ging at the Factor-Inw

entash Faculty of Social W

ork for a five-year term.

Fuller-Thomson holds the Sandra R

otman C

hair in Social W

ork at our Faculty. The Institute, w

hich is now housed at our Faculty,

has three goals: to conduct interdisciplinary research on aging from

a life course perspective; to provide graduate education in aging and the life course through collaborative program

s on aging and palliative care; and to facilitate know

ledge transfer through the N

ational Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (N

ICE). N

ICE is

a national centre of excellence and knowledge transfer netw

ork; Professor Lynn M

cDo

nald is the Scientific Director.

ON

THE M

OVECongratulations to the first cohort of the Certified Solution-Focused Coaching Program in Malaysia who graduated on April 20, 2016 in Kuala Lumpur. The program – which is geared to managers and professionals – trained the graduates in a practical and innovative approach to coaching.

At the 11th Annual NICE Knowledge Exchange at U of T’s Hart House, May 26, 2016: Professor Lynn McDonald (L.) and Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson (R.) stand with Mario Sergei, MPP and former Minister Responsible for Senior Affairs.

2016 YEA

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| 17 16 | 2016 Y

EAR

IN R

EVIEW

THEB

UZ

ZTH

EBU

ZZ

HE

RE’S

A LOO

K AT S

OM

E OF TH

E EVEN

TS TH

AT GE

NE

RATED

A B

UZ

Z TH

IS PAS

T YEAR.

JAN

E M

IDD

ELTO

N-M

OZ W

OW

S TH

E C

RO

WD

Jane Middelto

n-Mo

z gave a powerful speech to an overflow

crowd at

Innis Town H

all for the second annual Distinguished S

peaker Series

talk on April 18. Executive D

irector of the Middelton-M

oz Institute, the author of num

erous books and a well-know

n speaker (who has discussed

trauma w

ith the likes of Oprah W

infrey), Middelton-M

oz has had a rem

arkable career as a staunch advocate for the vulnerable. For over forty years, she has conducted interventions in com

munities across N

orth A

merica that have experienced m

ultigenerational trauma. (To read m

ore about M

iddelton-Moz, see her profile on p. 14).

The Distinguished Speaker Series, w

hich was created by the FIFSW

A

lumni A

ssociation, is an opportunity to hear cutting-edge speakers discuss today’s m

ajor challenges. That is exactly what M

iddelton-Moz

delivered. Her tim

ely speech was a rare and im

portant chance to learn about the groundbreaking techniques she uses in w

orking with individuals

and comm

unities. In a clear, forthright and unsentimental tone, she w

alked the rapt audience through the steps she takes in conducting interventions.

Listening to her speak was to be a w

itness to some of w

hat Middelton-

Moz herself has w

itnessed over an extraordinary career of dedicated com

munity activism

. It was a privilege to have been there – a privilege to

hear her speak with such com

passion, integrity and clear-sightedness. An

extraordinary evening.

Professor Joan B

erzoff, D

irector of the End-of-Life certificate program

at Sm

ith College, School for S

ocial Work,

provided compassion and insight into

issues related to death and dying in an O

ctober 23 talk.

Black H

istory M

onth w

as celebrated this past February at the Faculty w

ith panel discussions.

Professor Allen Z

web

en, Associate

Dean of A

cademic A

ffairs and R

esearch at Colum

bia School of S

ocial Work, led a N

ovember 13

workshop introducing the audience

to recent evidence-based techniques and procedures in M

otivational Interview

ing (MI) and an advanced

workshop on M

ay 27.

CH

ILD W

ELFA

RE

PAN

EL F

OR

YE

AR

1 MS

W S

TUD

EN

TS

A panel discussion for M

SW students, “Strategies

to Address the O

verrepresentation of Black and

Aboriginal Youth in C

are,” was held on February

13 at the Faculty. The event was organized by

Professor Rupaleem

Bhuyan for the Year 1

MSW

course on social work in organizations and

comm

unities. Speakers included Renu M

andhane, C

hief Com

missioner for the O

ntario Hum

an Rights

Com

mission (O

HR

C) – w

ho drew attention to the

guide to collecting data on the OH

RC

website, “C

ount m

e in! Collecting hum

an rights-based data” – and K

ike Ojo from

“One Vision, O

ne Voice.” Developed

by the African C

anadian comm

unity and funded by the O

ntario Ministry of C

hildren and Youth Services, “O

ne Vision, One Voice” aim

s to create a new practice

framew

ork to eliminate overrepresentation in care and

develop improved relationships betw

een the African

Canadian com

munity and child w

elfare agencies.

ALU

MN

A PATR

ICIA

FEN

TON

IS

HE

LPIN

G FA

MILIE

S TO

ME

ET THE

CH

ALLE

NG

ES

OF A

DO

PTION

We know

that the adoption experience can be accom

panied by numerous challenges for adoptees,

adoptive parents and their families – to nam

e just one exam

ple, the number of special needs adoptions

has increased over the last decade – and that many

adoptive parents face an increasingly difficult task in providing for the com

plex needs of adoptive children. B

ut we don’t know

enough about the kind of services that w

ork best. As challenges increase,

one of the biggest obstacles to providing appropriate post-adoption services in O

ntario has been the lack of evidence-based research into w

hich services are m

ost effective. That’s why conducting this research

is so important. The goal of the P

atricia and Aaro

n Fento

n Ado

ption and P

ermanency R

esearch Fund is to address that need.

“Through my ow

n experience,” she says, “both personally (our second child is adopted) and professionally, I’ve com

e to believe that we need to

learn more about the kinds of post-adoption services

that will serve the needs of children, fam

ilies and

adoption professionals. We need to find the best w

ays to support children w

ho have had to lose one family

and join another.”

Fenton has known for years that she w

anted to donate to the Faculty to support research in post-adoption services, a subject close to her heart. “M

y husband and I have alw

ays wanted to give back to the U

niversity. But

it wasn’t until w

e were updating our w

ills recently, that w

e looked at each other and said, ‘Why w

ait until we’re

gone? Why not do it now

?’ We realized that w

e wanted

a chance to see the impact of our donations,” she says.

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of S

ocial Work is

extremely grateful to Patricia Fenton for her vision and

generosity in creating the Patricia and Aaron Fenton

Adoption and Perm

anency Research Fund.

Patricia Fenton (MSW

1978) has seen first hand the urgent need for research into services for fam

ilies that adopt. One of the founders – and a form

er Executive D

irector – of the Adoption C

ouncil of Ontario and a longtim

e adoption practitioner, Fenton is now

semi-retired, w

ith a private practice helping applicants to navigate the adoption process. A

passionate advocate on behalf of adoptive families, she

has made a donation to the Faculty to support research in post-adoption services

and we are m

ost appreciative.

2016 YEA

R IN

REVIEW

| 19 18 | 2016 Y

EAR

IN R

EVIEW

“Your donations make an enorm

ous difference, enabling students like m

e to keep going. Life isn’t linear; we can’t plan

for it to happen and sometim

es it’s hard to see the finish line w

hen we’re dealing w

ith ‘life’ at the same tim

e as studying.

“My m

other had a massive stroke in the m

iddle of my first

term and m

y world turned upside dow

n. Suddenly I was

struggling to complete m

y studies, work and stay engaged

on comm

ittees like the Graduate Student A

ssociation. I needed financial help and I w

as only able to continue my

studies and help my m

om during that stressful tim

e because of a scholarship. Then, w

hile comm

uting to school, I fell victim

to a car accident. This has had an enormous im

pact, physically, em

otionally and financially – an impact I still feel.

I’ve needed time to recover, resulting in financial need. I w

as teetering on the point of taking an extended leave w

hen another scholarship enabled m

e to stay in the program.

“Thank you for your kind support and for generously creating scholarships. Your contributions help students to learn and grow

regardless of circumstances. In turn, your m

oney goes to future social w

orkers comm

itted to making a difference

in the world. Your funding w

ill be paid forward m

any times,

ultimately benefitting everyone w

e serve.” C

hristina Abounassar (M

SW 2016)

Thank You!S

tudents had the opportunity to meet and thank directly the generous people w

ho have donated to the Faculty – through scholarships, bequests or by funding research – at a M

arch 8 Appreciation Event. S

peaking on behalf of her fellow students to a crow

d of donors, students, faculty and staff, C

hristina Ab

ounassar (M

SW

2016) described how

scholarships had enabled her to stay in the MS

W program

and continue her studies. In a room

filled with so m

any individual tales of gratitude and generosity, her story (her speech is excerpted below

) was a m

oving example of the pow

er of your donations.

If you would like to

discuss how

you can have an im

pact by creating a scholarship, please contact the A

dvancement O

ffice

at fund.fsw@

utoronto.ca or 416-978-4437.

A C

HA

NC

E TO

SAY

THA

NK

YO

U

136 viewsof The S

ophie Lucyk Virtual Library collection, dissem

inating across the globe, cyber-related research by faculty m

embers.

621 FIELD INSTRUCTORSW

ORKED WITH MSW

STUDENTS IN 2015-2016.

NU

MB

ER

S TH

AT CO

UN

T

2026

176920

Adm

inistrative S

taff

FACULTY

Adjunct Lecturers

ADJU

NCT

PROFESSO

RS

STATUS O

NLY

PROFESSO

RS

MSW

students411

56w

ere enrolled in the Master

of Social W

ork program.

worked tow

ards their D

octor of Philosophy.

PhD students

PRACTICUM HOURS IN THE

2-YEAR MSW

PROGRAM

98To graduate, each M

SW student in

the 2-year program accum

ulated 462 practicum

hours in Year 1 and 518 practicum

hours in Year 2.

authored or co-authored articles published in 2015- 2016.

39 students

We w

ant to thank Lynn Factor and Sheldon Inw

entash for their continued support, com

mitm

ent and advice.2016 Y

EAR

IN R

EVIEW | 21

Produced by The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Editorial: Laura Roebuck Design: DUO Strategy and Design Inc. www.duo.ca

HERE’S HOW TO CONNECT WITH USVISIT US246 Bloor St. W.Toronto, ONCanada M5S 1V4

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is at the intersection of Bloor Street West and Bedford Road, just west of the Royal Ontario Museum and across from Varsity Stadium. The front door is a few steps from the St. George subway station’s Bedford Road exit.

VISIT US ONLINEwww.socialwork.utoronto.ca

CALL USPhone: 416-978-6314Fax: 416-978-7072

KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH USWe want to keep you informed about all the activities that are taking place at the Faculty. Please be sure to update your alumni profile on the Faculty website by going to Alumni and clicking on “Update Your Information Form.” If you would like to receive e-Reach or Reach magazine or if you have any comments on any of the stories you have read here, please e-mail us at fund.fsw@utoronto.ca or phone 416-978-4437.

SUPPORT USTo invest in the future of this Faculty by making a donation, please contact the Advancement Office at fund.fsw@utoronto.ca or 416-978-4437.