2024 Orientation: Welcoming new students to FIFSW
Categories: Programs + Teaching, Students
Back-to-school at FIFSW
FIFSW was thrilled to welcome new students to our Master of Social Work and PhD programs on September 4th and 5th. The back-to-school events included orientation sessions, the Introduction to Social Work Conference for new students in the 2-year MSW program, and an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion workshop for all MSW students.
FIFSW ambassadors and representatives from the Graduate Student Association (GSA) (pictured above) were on hand to help welcome new students to the orientation events, which took place this year at Tartu College, just down the street from FIFSW’s building.
The events gave new students the opportunity to not only learn important details about their program and resources at FIFSW, but also meet their classmates and begin the process of building relationships with those who will support them on their social work journey.
Introduction to Social Work Conference
The focus of the Introduction to Social Work Conference was “Leading Social Change and Transforming Systems.” Featured speakers included Vern Ross, Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Steve Koptie, Uppala Chandrasekhar (pictured above), Susan Blacker, Shawnette Thomson, Lin Fang, and Clara Ho. (Read more about each of the featured speakers below.)
The conference included a resource fair for students to learn about organizations at U of T that can support their success, such as Accessibility Services and the Centre for International Experience. The GSA’s table included representatives from its student groups, including the Tamil Social Work Student Association, the Black Social Work Student Association, FIFSW Art Action and the Muslim Social Work Student Association.
Welcoming new PhD students
New PhD students met at FIFSW’s building at 246 Bloor Street West and posed for a picture in front of the buildings before enjoying a group walk after lunch on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny day.
Congratulations to all our new students. We look forward to getting to know you all better in the year ahead!
Special thanks to Jim Moore for taking photos!
Introduction to Social Work Conference 2024 Speaker Biographies
Dean and Professor Charmaine C. Williams is Dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Her research bridges practice and access and equity issues that affect various populations including racial minority women, LGBTQ individuals in a local and international context, and individuals and families affected by serious and persistent mental illnesses. The majority of her practice experience has been as a clinician in the mental health care system.
She has also been involved in organizational change initiatives in the health care sector and has extensive experience developing and delivering professional education in the areas of anti-racism, cultural competence, mental health and addictions. Recent activities include serving on the expert panel for the Mental Health of Black Canadians Initiative at the Public Health Agency of Canada and serving on the Anti-Racism Advisory Panel that developed the Toronto Police Service’s race-based data collection policy.
Dr. Verne Ross is Assistant Professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies at the University of Toronto. He is from Cote First Nation, which is a Sealteaux Nation belonging to Treaty 4 out in Saskatchewan. Verne started his career back in the mid 1980’s working in hospitals in Regina, Saskatchewan advocating for all Indigenous families. Verne is the founder of an Indigenous Health Program situated in the Pasqua Hospital. He has always worked with traditional healers and language interpreters and continues to do this important work within communities. Verne is not an Elder, but he does work with the guidance of the Elders. Verne is known as one of the Traditional Knowledge keepers. Verne graduated here at the U of T, completing his undergrad in Indigenous Studies in 2008, also successfully completing the Master of Social Work in 2012. He recently completed the PHD Program in Language, Literacies and Education from OISE within CTL Department. His research and thesis is in the area of Two-spirited people. Verne has taught an undergrad class called INS201Y1 – Introduction to Indigenous Studies offered through the Centre for Indigenous Studies Department (U of T). He has also taught INS200H1 – Introduction to Indigenous Truth and Resilience, and INS205H1 – Indigenous Worldviews, Spiritual & Healing Traditions. Verne continues to be not only be a social worker and a teacher, but he mentors all students from all walks of life here at the U of T.
Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux was appointed as the 1st Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation for Lakehead University in 2016.
Cynthia was inducted as a “Honourary Witness” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2014 and is Chair of the Governing Circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. She is a member and resident of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and has dedicated her life to building bridges of understanding. She sees endless merit in bringing people from diverse cultures, ages, and backgrounds together to engage in practical dialogue and applied research initiatives.
Steve Koptie has a MSW from Wilfred Laurier and a MEd in Adult Education and Counselling Psychology and almost 40 years of experience in hospital, clinical, and justice settings. He continues to work in remote and regional Indigenous communities, supporting individuals and families in their wellness and healing.
Uppala Chandrasekera, MSW, RSW (she/her) is a Social Worker with over 20 years of work experience in the health sector, ranging from frontline work assisting individuals and families with mental health and addictions issues, to supporting mental health and addictions programming province-wide, and implementing the national strategy to address mental health across Canada.
Presently, Uppala is the Director of Public Health, responsible for public health strategy and clinical services at Toronto Public Health. From 2013-2022, Uppala was the Director of Public Policy at the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario.
Uppala currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Daymark Foundation, a national foundation committed to supporting the mental health of Canadians. From 2017-2020, she served on the Toronto Police Services Board, the first mental health professional to be appointed to this role. From 2012-2018, she served on the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the national organization mandated to improve the mental health system through sound public policy. From 2008-2014, she also served on the Board of Directors of Parkdale Community Health Centre, a primary care health centre focused on engaging with traditionally underserved communities in Toronto.
Uppala is an Assistant Professor (Status Only) at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Through her research, published writings and work in the community, Uppala examines the impact of the lived experience of discrimination and racism on the health, mental health, and wellbeing of marginalized populations.
Susan Blacker, MSW, RSW is the Senior Director, Community Partnership and Cancer & Palliative Program Performance. She brings to this role more than 25 years of experience as a social worker, educator and program leader in the field of cancer and palliative care. Susan is also a Provincial Clinical Co-Lead for the Ontario Palliative Care Network.
Susan holds an academic appointment at the University of Toronto:
Adjunct Professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. She teaches a course on social work practice in palliative care each fall.
She is also appointed as a Lecturer (status only) is a Quality Co-Lead for the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family and Community Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine.
Shawnette Thompson is the Supervisor of Clinical Affairs at FIFSW’s Talk it Out Counselling Clinic. She has many years of clinical practice experience. She is a dedicated Individual and Family Therapist, utilizing a harm reduction based approach, that is trauma and attachment informed and approaches therapy from an integrative clinical model of practice.
Associate Professor Lin Fang is currently an Associate Professor and the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Children’s Mental Health. She is also the Founding Director of FIFSW’s Talk It Out Online Counseling Clinic. With over 10 years of postgraduate clinical experience, Lin’s program of research has focused on advancing the theoretical and empirical knowledge of positive child and youth development through etiology and intervention research as well as community-based research and services. Versed with a range of research methodologies and advanced statistics, Lin has published and presented widely in the areas of adolescent substance use, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and mental health and cross-cultural experiences among immigrant communities.
Coming from a community organizing background, Lin takes pride in advancing social work while doing social work in the community. During the pandemic, Lin conceived and launched the Talk It Out Online Counseling Clinic, where supervised MSW students at FIFSW provide free short-term counseling services and wellbeing workshops to lower-income and Black communities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). In its first year, the Clinic provided services to over 150 residents living in the GTA.
Clara Ho (she/her) is a social worker and health care leader with hospital-based experience in patient and family engagement, co-design, and partnerships, inclusive program design, family-centred service delivery, and health care education. She is passionate about advancing health equity through partnering with service users at all levels of decision-making within a health care organization.
Currently, Clara is the Manager of Client and Family-Centred Care and Partnerships at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, leading their award-winning Family Leadership Program and corporate family engagement initiatives. Previously, Clara advanced the Patient and Family-Centred Care strategy and education program at North York General Hospital. Clara is a registered Social Worker and a Lecturer at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, teaching in the Human Services Leadership and Management stream. She is committed to creating an inclusive and generative learning environment where critical thinking and appreciative inquiry can flourish among students.
While completing her Master of Social Work at the University of Toronto, Clara was a recipient of the Gordon Cressy Leadership Award for her contributions to improving the social work student experience at the University of Toronto as co-president of her Graduate Students’ Association, and was also the recipient of the Hilary M. Weston Medal for academic excellence at the Faculty of Social Work.
Clara lives in Toronto with her family and Ripley, her English Springer Spaniel puppy. She is an avid vegetable gardener and dedicated reader of cookbooks.