2023

Taanshi, Larissa dishinikaashoon. I am 27, disabled, and carry Métis ancestry from Penetanguishene, and Afro-Carribbean ancestry from Jamaica. I most often lead and contribute to contracts and services that centre anti-racism, climate justice, restorative practice, and decolonized engagement.

Bio Coming Soon

Chris Leonard is committed to supporting transformative change and building capacity in areas of Grief and Loss, Vicarious Trauma, Restorative Practices to support worker well-being. Over the past 30 years, she has held space for individuals, workers and communities impacted by loss related to HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, the opioid crisis, community violence, and other traumatic events. Her trainings and process facilitation are grounded in wholistic, anti-oppressive, trauma-informed approaches that supports people to show up as their full selves. Chris brings mindful awareness from her training as a Zen shiatsu therapist to her work that supports individual and collective care for workers and communities.

Katherine T. Cost, Ph.D., began her career as a professional graphic designer and exhibiting artist. As an artist, biology was a constant source of inspiration. She was fascinated by the similarities of biological forms: trees, neurons, and blood vessels or seedpods, vesicles and viruses. Her piqued interest drove her to return to university to pursue a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA), followed by a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA). She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Toronto and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Currently, she is a research associate at the Hospital for Sick Children. She uses advanced statistical techniques to understand the roles of individual and contextual variables in the exploration of parent, adolescent, and child mental health.

Bio Coming Soon

Mackenzie Dupont and Ashley Johns are currently caseworkers for the Region of Durham in the Income and Employment Supports Division. Mackenzie and Ashley are specialized Trusteed Youth caseworkers who work with clients aged 16-17. They administer Ontario Works funding and supports with ongoing case management and have worked with Ontario Works in the Region of Durham for the past 8 years. They worked with the BGC Durham Youth Outreach/Justice Services Team to create a Trustee Program for Ontario Works clients under the age of 18 in Durham Region. This has been a very successful partnership with favourable outcomes for the youth they serve and they are excited to share more about this partnership at the conference!

Lareina is a non-binary Harm Reduction Worker who lives in the GTA! Committed to helping Toronto become a safer place for youth, I love to talk about social dynamics and the current drug supply. In their free time they enjoy painting, yoga, and spending time in the community!

Ellen is a Ghanaian-Canadian, residing in the GTA who has worked her entire professional career advocating for communities that are systemically being pushed to the periphery. She has worked in the criminal justice system, education system, non-for-profit sector and health care systems to provide awareness through educational, meaningful engagement with stakeholders. Ellen role involves building and maintaining relationships with all stakeholders involved to ensure effective and enduring strategy for Black youth and those who love and support them.

Shane is a Social Worker and Psychotherapist with over twenty (20) years of wisdom in the areas of masculinity, gender-based violence, program and policy development, suicide intervention and mental health. Within his private practice, he provides individual, couples and family therapy disproportionately for the Black, African, Caribbean and racialized populations, that is heavily grounded in intersectional and decolonizing approaches. As a Consultant, he has completed assignments for UN agencies, World Bank, CIDA among others throughout the Caribbean, North, South & Central America, Asia, Europe and Africa. He lectures at both College and University level and currently works as Associate Executive Director at Roots Community Services. At present, he is completing his Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at Millersville University of Pennsylvania with specialization in Leadership & Education.