Each year, the College hosts an education day in conjunction with its Annual Meeting. The event is open to members only and provides a full day of education and networking opportunities. There is no cost for members to attend the event as it is a benefit of membership in the College.
The 2010 event took place on June 14th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
We were pleased to once again welcome the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services to address delegates following the Annual Meeting.
If you would like to download the presentations from those speakers who have slides available, please click on the speaker’s name below.
We look forward to welcoming you again next year!
9:00 – 10:15 – Annual Meeting
10:45 – 11:45 a.m. – Keynote Address
Marking Milestones: Landmarks and Discovery
Kevin Kennedy, RSSW, Cheryl Regehr, RSW and Frank Turner, RSW
This moderated panel will celebrate the professions and the 10th anniversary of the College. Panelists will share their views about how the past informs our future, focusing on the integration of education, practice and research. Each presenter will comment on the factors that have shaped the professions, including the impact of social and environmental factors, technology and professional regulation.
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
1:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Lorraine Gregson, RSW and Brenda Whiteman, RSW
This workshop will provide an overview of MBSR and its efficacy in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, chronic pain and disease management. The workshop will be both didactic and experiential, leaving participants with a substantive flavour for the tremendous healing potential of MBSR.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) – What Are My Obligations?
Linda Markowsky, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
In 2005, the Ontario government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Under the Act, the government has a goal to make Ontario accessible by 2025 by implementing accessibility standards that will break down barriers in five key areas of everyday life. This session will address these five areas and explain the obligations for organizations under the Act.
Waterloo Sexual Assault Team
Sue Gallagher, RSW
The Waterloo Region Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centre provides on-call, emergency department response for those who have experienced sexual or intimate partner violence. Social workers work ‘under one roof’ with crown attorneys, child welfare, women’s crisis services and police to provide a seamless response to issues of violence. Understanding violence in relationships and the skills required for this practice will be discussed.
Crisis Systems: A Review of the Functions of Crisis, Spectrum of Crisis Services, and How and When to Access Crisis Care
Greg Clarke, RSSW, Amanda Conrad, RSW and Guy Doucet, RSW
This presentation, given by several board members of the Crisis Workers Society of Ontario, is intended as an introduction to Crisis Systems in the Province of Ontario. The presenters will review the features of crisis response service, the spectrum of crisis services available based on the crisis standards and functions, and how and when to access the spectrum of available crisis programs.
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Family Legal Health Program at SickKids: Partnering with Pro Bono Lawyers to Promote Social Justice
Ted McNeill, RSW and Wendy Miller, Pro Bono Law Ontario
Promoting social justice is at the heart of social work values. The Family Legal Health Program at SickKids is a unique partnership that brings pro bono lawyers and health care professionals together on behalf of low income children and their families to address legal obstacles associated with the social determinants of health that may limit their care and recovery.
Concurrent Disorders
Wayne Skinner, RSW
Clients who present for treatment of addiction or mental health problems are at high risk to experience these problems concurrently. These more complex clients are traditionally excluded or underserved in health care and social service settings. This session will identify the relationship between substance use and mental health problems and outline strategies for engagement and assessment of a vulnerable population that can benefit from integrated treatment.
Jewish Girl Power: A Short Documentary Film and Research Talk
Nora Gold, RSW
Jewish Girl Power grew out of Nora Gold’s longitudinal study of Jewish girls in Toronto. Gold followed 14 Jewish girls from age 10-14, conducting in-depth interviews with them once per year, focusing on their experiences of sexism and antisemitism. In the film Jewish Girl Power, made by Gold in the final year of her study, five 14-year-old girls talk candidly, and sometimes humourously, about their everyday lives, their experiences of sexism and antisemitism, and their thoughts on intermarriage. In this session, Gold will screen Jewish Girl Power, and discuss both her film and the larger research project that inspired it.