Congratulations To The First Graduating Cohort Of The M.Sc.(A) Couple And Family Therapy Program
On behalf of Dr. Sharon Bond, Program Director, and the entire M.Sc.(A) Couple and Family Therapy team, we would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Ainsley Jenicek,Ěý Alexa Leon,Ěý Johanna Petkau, and Anouk Huizink on being the first cohort to complete the M.Sc.(A) CFT program.
This is a very special occasion as Â鶹AV is the first university to offer a Master’s degree in Couple & Family Therapy in Quebec - the first province to formally recognize the Profession of Couple & Family Therapy.
Convocation was a held on November 10th, 2015 and it was a memorable event for all in attendance.
Provost Manfredi’s Fall 2015 convocation address:
Master of Science (Applied) Couple and Family Therapy – An important milestone marked as Â鶹AV's School of Social Work graduates the first students at the Fall 2015 ceremony.Ěý See
Description:
Â鶹AV’s School of Social Work proudly offers the Master of Science (Applied) Couple and Family Therapy, a specialized program providing training and expertise in couple and family therapy psychotherapy. See Program information.
We are very proud of the accomplishments of our four graduating students, and wish them many, many successes in their future endeavours and careers!
Congratulations to Myriam Denov being named a Member of the College of New Scholars
The Royal Society of Canada has announced 48 new members to The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists today, including six Â鶹AV scholars.Ěý One of the new members include Â鶹AV’s Myriam Denov, School of Social Work.
Myriam Denov,Ěý a Full Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Youth, Gender and Armed Conflict at Â鶹AV. Her work investigates the lasting effects of war on children and families. Through her use of participatory and arts-based research methods, her investigation of child soldiers, and the gendered realities of war, her work has opened up new lines of inquiry and drawn international attention to war-affected children.
For more information, see
MYRA GIBEROVITCH - SURVIVING A GENOCIDE TRAUMA - GLOBAL TV
On Monday, November 9, 2015: Genocide Trauma expert, Myra Giberovitch, talked about Holocaust Survivors’ contributions to society and the positive lessons they teach about recovery from genocidal trauma.Ěý
Watch Surviving a genocide on GlobalNews.ca.
See TEDxMontreal YouTube .
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Dr. Bree Akesson - Winner of the Distinguished Dissertation Award
This year’s Distinguished Dissertation Award winner (Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) has spent much of her academic career studying its impact on children and their families. Dr. Bree Akesson received her PhD in social work from Â鶹AV. She is now an assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University specializing in international child protection and the psychosocial effects of war and disaster on young families. New methods of research and practical applications of research findings are of particular interest to Dr. Akesson. She will be talking about those issues and her research in a presentation at the DDA luncheon, Saturday, October 31. It is part of the being held in Calgary.
In the meantime, you can read more about her
Heading to the Parliament - Congratulations to Brenda Shanahan, BSW’07
The School of Social Work wishes to extend our congratulations to Brenda Shanahan,ĚýBSW’07 who was elected as the Liberal Leader for Chateauguay-Lacolle in the 2015 Canadian federal election.Ěý
See article in Â鶹AV .
For Brenda Shanahan's background, click .
Congratulations to Dr. Katherine Maurer newly appointed Assistant Professor
Dr. Katherine Maurer obtained her PhD in Social Work at the New York University Silver School of Social Work in May 2015. Dr. Maurer is a licensed social worker with a Master of Social Work (Hunter College School of Social Work, New York) and worked for four years as clinical social worker and a trauma therapist. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on adolescent mental and behavioral health during the transition to adulthood. Particularly, she studies the physiological impact of exposure to extreme stressors, such as violence and poverty, on the development of self-regulation capacities.
Dr. Maurer has held research fellowships with New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research and the University of California-Davis Center for Poverty Research. Her poverty research focuses on the development and application of social capital theory in social work policy and practice and the social reproduction of disadvantage in the context of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnic/racial identities. Dr. Maurer has an exceptional early record of scholarship with seven peer-reviewed articles.
Congratulations to Dr. Shadi Martin newly appointed Associate Professor
Before joining Â鶹AV, Dr. Martin was an associate professor of social work at the University of Alabama where she had taught for over 10 years. Dr. Martin holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Utah (2004) as well as a Masters in Social Work (2001). Her research focuses on health disparities among culturally/ethnically diverse populations, specifically the influence of culture on health care seeking behaviors of older Middle Eastern immigrants and African Americans.
Dr. Martin has come to us with an extensive experience in international social work, including the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Middle East. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work throughout her career including Fulbright Fellowship, MIT Dissertation Award, and the Hartford Faculty Scholar Award.
Â鶹AV's School of Social Work welcomes Derrolton James, B.A., MSW, OTSTCFQ as the new Director and Supervisor of the Â鶹AV Domestic Violence Clinic (MDVC)
On behalf of the Â鶹AV School of Social Work, we would like to welcome Derrolton James, B.A., MSW, OTSTCFQ as the new Director and Supervisor of the Â鶹AV Domestic Violence Clinic (MDVC) located on the 4th floor of Wilson Hall.Ěý
Derrolton James is a social worker who has been working with Batshaw Youth and Family Centres for thirteen years.Ěý In addition, he is currently the Coordinator of services for Anglophone men at the Caplan Therapy Centre. He is the primary group facilitator for the English men’s group at the Montreal Anger Management Centre and the Â鶹AV Domestic Violence Clinic. Furthermore, he provides individual, couple, and family counseling in English.Ěý Derrolton has over 10 years’ experience working in Child Protection Services. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Carleton University, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Concordia University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Â鶹AV.
He can be reached at derrolj [at] hotmail.comor 514-398-2686 (MDVC direct line)/514-213-0314 (business cell).
For questions pertaining to the MDVC, please contact Lindsay Flood, Student Affairs Coordinator at lindsay.flood [at] mcgill.ca or 514-398-3950.
Peer support needed for local Ebola workers by Dr. Sarilee Kahn, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Â鶹AV
See article in
He laughed with his colleagues as they discussed the stressors of fighting Ebola in their country. But the eyes of a Liberian man I’ll call William betrayed more complex emotions. “He lost his wife, his mother and two of his three children to Ebola,” William’s co-worker, Gladys, whispered to me later. “And still he comes to work each day to help prevent others from suffering the same fate.”
I met William, Gladys and their co-workers in late September 2014 when I travelled to Liberia and Sierra Leone to help set up a peer support project for local staff of an international non-governmental organization.
Since December 2013, Ebola has killed 11,000 people. In the shadow of the World Health Organization’s last week in Geneva, where its partners have been meeting to reflect upon the past year and set priorities for the next, it is important to remember that individuals like William and Gladys have helped stem Ebola’s tide. Their health and welfare matters, too.
All humanitarian aid work is stressful. Barbara Lopes Cardozo of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and her colleagues have shown that both international and locally recruited aid workers are at risk of developing anxiety, depression, PTSD and burnout due to exposure to severe and prolonged stressors associated with their work. Mitigating factors include strong social support networks and management practices that build in time for reflection and relaxation — especially during emergencies.But to local aid workers like William and Gladys — who survived years of violent civil wars — Ebola represents a new kind of stress. As Gladys told me: “At least during the war, we knew who the enemy was.” With Ebola, the enemy could lurk inside a handshake or a kiss on the cheek from a sick neighbour. It could hide in the sweat of the stranger in the shared taxi local staff took to work. And it could foment fear and mistrust within families. When Gladys gently rebuffed cousins who urged her to quit her job, lest she unwittingly contract Ebola and infect loved ones, they asked her not to visit.
As the WHO and its partners redouble the fight against communicable and infectious diseases like Ebola, meningococcal meningitis and dengue fever, local staff will continue to provide invaluable human resources, as they are recruited and trained in skills necessary to manage fast-spreading disease outbreaks. The challenge for international entities will be supporting and sustaining those teams over the long haul.Implementing peer support is relatively simple and cost-effective. Combined with other best management practices, it can help mitigate stress for local staff. Our peer support trainees drew upon song, prayer and the simple human art of listening from the heart to support their colleagues. They suggested that peer support groups be implemented during normal work hours so the largest swath of workers might access them. They asked for additional training to help them identify colleagues who needed more intensive help. In those cases, a local mental health professional was engaged to provide that support.
The night after the training, Gladys’ beloved nephew succumbed not to Ebola, but to a chronic illness that had previously been managed successfully by the health system. That night, however, there were no hospital beds for non-Ebola patients. Two weeks after her nephew’s death, I spoke with Gladys by phone. She had returned to work, her motivation reaffirmed: “By the grace of God, we will beat back this devil.” And statistics show this has happened. Earlier this month, Liberia was declared Ebola-free.As West Africa braces for new Ebola cases during the approaching rainy season, may the lessons learned from the fight against Ebola resonate this week with the WHO and its collaborating organizations. And may attention to staff welfare continue to be a priority. By the grace of God and human-to-human support we will beat back this devil.
Sarilee Kahn is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Â鶹AV and an occupational stress consultant to local and international humanitarian organizations.Aging Out of Place Into Homelessness
June 16th, 2015 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
Wilson Hall, Wendy Patrick Room:Ěý 3506 University Street Montreal, Quebec
Presentation and Discussion "Midi Cregés" By Victoria Burns, MSW, PhD Candidate
Please view the event flyer for all details.
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LEAVING IT ALL BEHIND ON A FAMILY SABBATICAL
Taking a sabbatical is one strategy for families to spend quality time together and reconnect, says Sharon Bond, an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Â鶹AV.
SeeAPTN Reports on Â鶹AV's Traditional Territory Acknowledgement
APTN reports on the ongoing campaign, and challenges that the Â鶹AV community faces, to relocate the Hochelaga Rock and to include an official Indigenous territory acknowledgement statement at all Â鶹AV events/meetings.Ěý APTN has aired its story , see for details.
Austerity Measures and the Reorganization of Québec’s Health and Social Services Network
Cuts and changes to health, education and social services are having a major impact across QuĂ©bec. In response, faculty and students at the Â鶹AV School of Social Work have undertaken a number of initiatives:
April 2015: Faculty and students at the Centre of Research on Children and Families have prepared a discussion paper on impact of austerity measures and service reorganization: 2015 Quebec Social Services Merger
February 2015: Social Work Association of Graduate Students organize a forum on restructure health and social services in Quebec: Forum
October 2014: Â鶹AV Faculty took the lead in writing policy brief submitted to the National Assembly’s Parliamentary Commission on Health and Social Services: 2014 Impacts – Loi 10
Professors TrocmĂ© and Collin-VĂ©zina present brief of the impact of Bill 10 on Youth Protection services Parliamentary Commission on Health and Social Services, National Assembly in QuĂ©bec.Ěý
Click to see
Open letter published in
Open letter published in
Restorative Indigenous child welfare practices in British Columbia by Shelly Johnson from the University of British Columbia School of Social Work
An emerging model for restorative Indigenous child welfare practice is becoming clear through consistent elements present in programming and policy across the largest urban child welfare agency in BC. Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services is developing a restorative impact on children and families. Based on their history of practice, and evidence-based research conducted as part of the Strengthening Our Practice Special Project, VACFSS defines a program or policy as restorative if: 1) it is grounded in intergenerational Indigenous knowledge systems, worldview, and the culture of the family being served; 2) it is framed within an awareness of and engagement with colonial history; 3) it departs from the punitive approaches of mainstream social work, in favour of concrete strength based, graduated and supportive client engagement- such as collaborative practice; and 4) it results in measurable positive change and/or outcomes for the family or families involved. This presentation will consider what this emerging model could mean for other urban and land-based child welfare agencies.
Date and Time:Wednesday, May 6th, 2015
12:00 to 1:00 pm. in the Wendy Patrick RoomWilson Hall - 3506 University Street
High School Students Visit the School of Social Work
On March 27th 2015, the School of Social Work welcomed two high school students from the English Montreal School Board as part of their Career Exploration Program.Ěý As part of this initiative, the students had the opportunity to visit Wilson Hall and attend the U1 Social Work course ““Poverty and Inequality” given by Richard Goldman.Ěý Following the class, they met with a current student, Melanie Pabst-Leonidas, who was able to share some insight on what being a Social Worker entails and to speak of her experience as a Â鶹AV student in the Bachelor of Social Work program.Ěý Finally, they were given a tour of the Â鶹AV campus and had the opportunity to learn more about all the exciting things the university has to offer.Ěý The visit was a great success and was very well-received by the students and the EMSB Career Exploration Program team.Ěý They especially loved attending Mr. Goldman’s course and hearing from one of our very own BSW students.Ěý We look forward to welcoming more young aspiring Social Workers in the future!
Congratulations to Dr. Marjorie Rabiau newly appointed Assistant Professor, as of August 1, 2015.
The School of Social Work is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Marjorie Rabiau to a full-time tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, as of August 1, 2015. Dr. Rabiau has eight years of experience as a clinical psychologist and a child and family therapist.Ěý SheĚý earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Â鶹AV in 2006 and completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Couple and Family Therapy at l’UniversitĂ© de MontrĂ©al as a member of the CRIPCAS (Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les problèmes conjugaux et les agressions sexuelles) from 2007 - 2009.Ěý Dr. Rabiau currently works at the Jewish General Hospital and in private practice. Her program of research focuses on evidence-based practices in systemic and cognitive behavioral family therapy.
Calling all Â鶹AV thespians: The School of Social Work wants you
Are you an actor? Do you like doing improv? If so, the School of Social Work needs you! As part of the admission process to its new M.Sc.(A) Couple and Family Therapy Program, the School will be running mock family therapy sessions involving a therapist (applicants to the program) and a 'family' made up of actors from the Â鶹AV community. In turn, the admissions committee will observe and evaluate the role-play. A detailed description of the case would be provided well in advance to ensure that the actors are aware of who they would be representing (i.e. mother, father, teenaged daughter). However, the role-play will require some improvisation as each candidate interaction will be different.
See for more details.
JOB TALK: EXPLORING LINKS BETWEEN SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND HEALTH OF OLDER CHINESE IN SHANGHAI, CHINA BY HONGMEI TONG
Dr. Tong’s presentation will focus on Exploring Links between Social Exclusion and Health of Older Chinese in Shanghai, China. The presentation will begin with an overview of Dr. Tong’s program of research, practice, and teaching interests. One of her key research and practice interests concerns the impacts of social exclusion on older Chinese adults’ health status, and the presentation will exam-ine the findings from her research on social exclusion of older adults in the context of dramatic socio-economic and demographic transi-tions in China. Her doctoral research revealed that over one-third of older adults report experiencing multiple exclusions, which are signif-icantly related to a higher number of chronic illnesses, depression, and low life satisfaction. Dr. Tong will also introduce a study in pro-gress that investigates how historical and structural factors contribute to older Chinese adults’ experiences of multiple exclusions. Dr. Tong will conclude her presentation by reflecting on her future scholarly goals and the opportunities that they create for research, teaching, professional practice, and international knowledge exchange.
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, April 13th at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
JOB TALK: DECOLONIZING INDIGENOUS YOUTH WORK BY ELIZABETH FAST, PHD
Dr. Fast will present on “decolonizing indigenous youth work”. She will describe how she incorporates the principles of decolonization and Indigeni-zation into her teaching, research, mentorship and community involvement. Dr. Fast’s presentation will also include an overview of her dissertation research that explored cultural identity of urban Indigenous youth. She will then discuss how the findings are linked to an emerging program of research that has three main objectives: 1) Gaining a better understanding of the cul-tural needs of Indigenous youth raised outside of their biological families; 2) Conducting research that supports the capacity of Indigenous and non-Indigenous child welfare workers and community workers to address the interconnections between trauma, addictions and child welfare involvement; and 3) Supporting and evaluating the development of empowerment programs, Indigenous education and cultural teachings as one element of healing from historical and ongoing trauma.
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, March 30 at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
JOB TALK:Ěý INSIDE-OUT: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND COMMUNITY NEEDS IN NUNAVIK, QUEBEC BY SARAH FRASER, PhD, O.P.Q
Dr. Sarah Fraser is a clinical psychologist and professor at the depart-ment of Psychoeducation at Montreal University. She has specialized in the field of Aboriginal health, youth protection services and community wellbeing. Over the past years she has been working with an Inuit commu-nity in an action-research project around community mobilization for family wellbeing and prevention. Inspired by systemic thinking, Dr. Fraser has explored a variety of themes including micro-interactions within youth protection services, associations between family cohesion and community wellbeing as well as system dynamics in family and community change. She has also worked with various researchers in the field of transcultural psychiatry, exploring cultural adaptation of services for immigrants and refugees.
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, March 23 at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
For presentation video, please see Yong Hong Feng in room 301 (Wilson Hall)
JOB TALK: CROSSING CULTURAL BARRIERS IN HEALTH CARE: A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY BY: SHADI S. MARTIN, PhD, MSW, MPA/HSA, MA
Dr. Shadi Martin is a tenured associate professor of social work at The University of Alabama where she has taught for over 10 years. Dr. Martin has a multi-disciplinary background and a variety of academic and professional experiences worldwide. These experiences include her work with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Middle East, and visiting scholar at United Arab Emirates University School of Social Work and School of Medicine. She has published widely in the fields of health, mental health, gerontology, caregiving, qualitative research, and international social work. Dr. Martin has a strong record of obtaining both external and internal research grants (17 funded grants) individually and through collaborative efforts with colleagues from across different disciplines including nursing, psychology, and medicine. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work throughout her career including Fulbright Fellowship, MIT Disser-tation Award, and the Hartford Faculty Scholar Award.
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, March 16 at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
For presentation video, please see Yong Hong Feng in room 301 (Wilson Hall)
JOB TALK: ĚýBALANCING PRACTICE, RESEARCH & ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE BY: SARA TORRES, PhD
Dr. Torres' presentation will focus on two areas of research and practice and explain her approach to teaching. She will discuss: 1) her doctoral research on CHWs, through which she examined the macro (upstream) societal struc-tures leading to what she calls the "social production" of CHWs. Dr. Torres' findings have led to the creation of the first Community Health Worker Net-work of Canada; 2) her postdoctoral research, which focuses on the evaluation of a professional development program in health promotion. Dr. Torres examined the factors that assisted in or detracted from the integration of participation and empowerment in three pilot interventions, and whether or not the interventions seek to address social inequalities and inequities.
With respect to her approach to teaching, Dr. Torres seeks to help students gain an understanding of the way that communities function, and the limits and possibilities for inclusive, anti-oppressive social work practice. Key elements of her teaching and research are intersectional feminist analysis and transnational feminist practice. Dr. Torres embraces an approach that examines how intersecting oppressions work together to keep individuals, groups and commu-nities in marginalized social locations.
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, March 9 at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
For presentation video, please see Yong Hong Feng in room 301 (Wilson Hall)
JOB TALK:Ěý AN EXAMINATION OF THE DYNAMICS OF INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE AS MEDIATED BY AFFECT REGULATION CAPACITY BY KATHERINE MAURER, PHD CANDIDATE, LMSW
Ms. Maurer’s presentation will focus on Intergenerational Transmission of Family Violence as Mediated by Affect Regulation Capacity. Following an overview of her research program, she will present a critical analysis of the relationship between adolescent exposure to physical child abuse, inter-parental violence, and subsequent adult family violence perpetration. The study is a secondary data analysis which prospectively applies structural equation modeling techniques to assess the variability of intergenerational family violence as mediated by affect regulation. Interdisciplinary research-ers are exploring regulation of stress physiology to better understand the effects of adverse experiences during adolescence on development and psychopathology. Ms. Maurer will present her study results which suggest affect regulation capacity plays a significant role in the intergenerational perpetration of partner violence. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of practice, research, and policy implications of the findings and her future scholarship and research program.
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, Feb 23 at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
For presentation video, please see Yong Hong Feng in room 301 (Wilson Hall)
JOB TALK:Ěý TOWARDS ADEQUATE CARE & WELLBEING OF CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTAL CARE: A GLOBAL RESEARCH PROGRAM BY: MĂ“NICA RUIZ-CASARES, PHD
Dr. Ruiz-Casares’ presentation will focus on her program of research with children without parental care in Canada and in low and middle income countries. She will begin her presentation by providing an overview of her program of research, which explores how adults and children in different cultures define and experience “(in) adequate” and alternative care arrangements. To illustrate her theoretical framework and research approach, she will present results from a study to map the social networks of children heads of household in Namibia and a child protection Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices study in Liberia. By documenting child care beliefs and practices in context, these studies informed policies and interventions aimed at promoting child wellbeing by preventing child-family separation, strengthening parental capacity, and replacing institutional care with quality alternative care. Dr. Ruiz-Casares will conclude her presentation by reflecting on her future scholarly goals, and the opportunities that they create for teaching, mentoring and professional practice.
Monday, Feb 16, at 10:30 am, in room #326
For presentation flyer, click here.
Definition and Measurement of Asset Poverty in Canada by David Rothwell
School of Social Work Assistant Professor David Rothwell recently estimated the first known asset poverty measures in Canada using the 1999 and 2005 Survey of Financial Security. Rothwell, with co-author Robert Haveman, produced asset poverty rates based on (1) both financial assets and net worth, (2) the Canadian Low Income Cutoff as the threshold of basic needs and (3) three months as the period time.
In the we reported the national asset poverty rates to be 53% based on financial assets and 34% based on net worth. The findings were recently covered in a Global News , that is part of a larger series on financial instability.
Without denial, delay or disruption: Ensuring First Nations children’s access to equitable services through Jordan’s Principle
A new report released today, Without denial, delay or disruption: Ensuring First Nations children’s access to equitable services through Jordan’s Principle, highlights the ongoing inequity faced by First Nations children in Canada who need health and social services. Today’s report is being released by researchers from Â鶹AV, the University of Manitoba and the University of Michigan, in collaboration with representatives from the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Paediatric Society and UNICEF Canada.
Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle intended to ensure that First Nations children don’t experience denials, delays, or disruptions of services ordinarily available to other children due to jurisdictional disputes. It is named in honour of Jordan River Anderson, a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba, who encountered tragic delays in services due to governmental jurisdictional disputes that denied him an opportunity to live outside of a hospital setting before his death in 2005. Jordan’s Principle states that in cases involving jurisdictional disputes, the government or government department first approached should pay for and provide services that would ordinarily be available to other children in Canada; the dispute over payment for services can be settled afterwards.
The governmental response to Jordan’s Principle falls far short of realizing the vision of Jordan’s Principle advanced by First Nations and endorsed by the House of Commons in 2007. The current federal and provincial/territorial governmental response narrows the range of cases, service domains, and jurisdictional disputes to which Jordan’s Principle will be applied, introduces delays in payment for services in cases involving jurisdictional disputes, excludes First Nations from Jordan’s Principle implementation and case resolution processes, and lacks mechanisms for ensuring transparency and accountability.Based on the research findings, The Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Paediatric Society, and UNICEF Canada call on federal, provincial, and territorial governments to work with First Nations, without delay, in order to:
- Develop and implement a governmental response that is consistent with the vision of Jordan’s Principle advanced by First Nations and endorsed by the House of Commons.
- Systematically identify and address the jurisdictional ambiguities and underfunding that give rise to each Jordan’s Principle case. By clarifying jurisdictional responsibilities and eliminating the underfunding identified in individual cases, governments can prevent denials, delays, and disruptions in services for other children in similar circumstances. Accordingly, they can better assume the responsibilities to ensure equitable treatment of First Nations children outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and other federal, provincial/territorial, and First Nations legislation and agreements.
Click for the full report.
Click for an information sheet and background information.
Congratulations to Dr. Jaswant Guzder on being promoted to full Professor
On Monday, February 2, 2015, during its third meeting of 2014-15, the Board of Governors approved the Statutory Selection Committee’s recommendations to promote Dr. Jaswant Guzder (Psychiatry) to full Professor.
Congratulations to Dr. Jaswant Guzder on this important recognition of excellence in pedagogy and scholarship effective February 1, 2015
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The Passing of Liesel (Elisabeth) Urtnowski, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
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It is with great sadness that we share the news that Liesel Urtnowski (née Elisabeth Pantke), Associate Professor passed away on December 15th, 2014, at the age of 84.
Liesel taught at the Â鶹AV School of Social Work from 1970Ěý to 1998, mainly in the Marriage and Family area. A committed social activist and passionate advocate for the Inuit Community, Liesel initiated the Â鶹AV Certificate Program in Northern Social Work Practice in 1991 aiming at both facilitating the involvement of local resource people such as elders, local professionals, council and committee members and heightening the community awareness of community work.
A memorial gathering will be held in this spring. In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to Project Genesis (genese.qc.ca) or SPCA Montreal ().
For more information, see obituary from the .Ěý
Congratulations to Dr. Nicole Ives, Dr. Myriam Denov and Dr.Tamara Sussman for their release of "Introduction to Social Work in Canada: Histories, Contexts, and Practices".
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Congratulations to Richard Silver, reelected to the Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) Board of Directors
Richard Silver of Montreal, Québec, has been reelected director at large to the 2015 Board of Directors of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).
The election was held during the association’s Annual Meeting of the Delegate Assembly in Boise, Idaho, in November. This is his second term holding the seat on the ASWB Board of Directors that is filled by a member of member board staff.
Silver, a social worker and a lawyer, is legal counsel to the Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des thĂ©rapeutes conjugaux et familiaux du QuĂ©bec and has been on staff at the order since 2001. He obtained his BSW as well as civil law and common law degrees from Â鶹AV. He also received a master’s degree in law (LL.M.) from the UniversitĂ© de Sherbrooke. He was a founding board member of the Canadian Council of Social Work Regulators.
Silver has an extensive history with ASWB, serving as member and chair of the Program and Education Committee and chair of the Nominating Committee (2009), participating in the Passing Score Study (2010), contributing to the organization’s strategic planning (2010 and 2013), and presenting at the association’s Spring Education Meetings.Ěý
Silver currently serves as volunteer coordinator of ASWB’s New Board Member Training and as board liaison with the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee. He has been a member of the ASWB Board of Directors since November 2012.
For more information, see .
Results of Fall 2013 competitions for external scholarships for 2014-15.
The following students were awarded external scholarships for 2014-15 by federal/provincial goverment agencies.Ěý
For students' names and pictures, click
here.
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