Thank you to the alumni who shared their social work journey with new MSW students September 8 & 9

FIFSW’s Orientation events and Introduction to Social Work Conference for new students in the two-year Master of Social Work program was held September 7 – 9. Thank you to all the featured speakers who shared their experiences in the social work field.

FIFSW is fortunate to have a wealth of accomplished and inspiring alumni who joined us at this event, including:

• Shawnette Thompson, Supervisor of Clinical Affairs at FIFSW’s Talk it Out Counselling Clinic, who joined Associate Professor Lin Fang in introducing FIFSW’s online clinic.
  

  (Read more about FIFSW’s Talk it Out Clinic here.)

• Susan Blacker, Senior Director, Cancer and Palliative Program Planning and Performance at Sinai Health, who talked about working with clients who are living with dying and the importance of social work in palliative care.
  

  (Read about Blacker’s leadership in palliative care here.)

• Kennes Lin, Lead of Youth and Family Services at the Hong Fook Mental Health Association, spoke about the use of professionalism as a tool when working with immigrants and refugees in community mental health.
  

   (Read about Lin’s work in collaboration with FIFSW professors on anti-Asian racism research in Toronto here.)

• Notisha Massaquoi, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough with a graduate cross-appointment at FIFSW, who discussed who we serve and the need to reassess the future of social work practice.
  

  (Read about Massaquoi’s research with Professor Peter Newman to deeper understanding of the pandemic experience of racialized sexual and gender minorities here.)

• Clara Ho, Manager of Client and Family-Centred Care & Partnerships at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, who spoke about social work leadership and transforming service user experiences into systems change.
  

  (View Ho’s presentation on best practices in family engagement and partnership via Children’s Healthcare Canada Here.)
  

• Candice D’Souza, Crisis Support Worker at the Canadian Mental Health Association, spoke about crisis intervention from a social work perspective.  
  

  (Learn about D’Souza’s role as a crisis worker here.)

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