Today health care is heavily shaped by a biomedical approach which focuses on diagnosing and treating atypical conditions. Disability and mental illness are often framed as problems to be fixed through medical intervention with medication and clinical treatment prioritised over other forms of support. While this approach has advanced medicine it can limit the ways … Continue reading Reframing Health Care: Biomedical Discourse, Mental Health, and Social Work
Design Thinking: Putting Service Users at the Heart of Service Design
I’ve always believed that the real experts in service user care are the people actually facing the issues. So to me, it only makes sense that service users should have a say in shaping their care and the services they rely on. With that in mind, I’ve often pushed for the idea that, as service … Continue reading Design Thinking: Putting Service Users at the Heart of Service Design
Volunteer Management 101: The Shift Toward a Risk-Smart Sector
After nearly two decades engaging volunteers at national, provincial, and local levels, I have seen a lot change in the volunteer world. But one of the biggest shifts has been how seriously organisations now take risk. These days, most groups understand that if something goes wrong, say a volunteer makes a mistake or acts carelessly, … Continue reading Volunteer Management 101: The Shift Toward a Risk-Smart Sector
Amplifying Community Impact through Research for Real Change
At its core, community based research (CBR) is exactly what it sounds like. It does not happen behind a desk. It is research done with communities, not about them. It is a way of asking questions, collecting insights, and analysing challenges together with the people most affected. CBR values lived experience as much as data and listens … Continue reading Amplifying Community Impact through Research for Real Change
Service User Support: Rethinking “Cultural Competency”
We hear the word culture all the time, but what does it really mean? It can mean shared values, languages, art, beliefs, customs, or even collective memories. But here is the thing, culture is complicated, it is often oversimplified, overused, or misunderstood. Helping professionals absolutely should consider culture, but they also need to see each service user … Continue reading Service User Support: Rethinking “Cultural Competency”
Catching Health in the Workplace
It’s relatively easy to sneeze a cold virus on to a coworker. Spreading great health habits, both personal and professional, however, is a much more complex task in the workplace. There’s no simple and fast way to do it but health is like a cultural virus and the ways that viruses spread can teach us a … Continue reading Catching Health in the Workplace
Creating Organizations that Foster Volunteer Loyalty
Boosting Volunteer Loyalty and Retention at Each Touchpoint The success and relevance of any business often depend on its ability to cultivate customer loyalty. When organizations make sure customers are satisfied at every touchpoint, whether in person, on the phone, by email, on their website, or through external media, that satisfaction can turn into loyalty. … Continue reading Creating Organizations that Foster Volunteer Loyalty
Non Profit Sector Work: Leading Yourself Through Change
Constant change has become a day-to-day reality for not for profit organizations. They must adapt to the changing needs and requirements of their stakeholders in areas such as funding and fundraising, community engagement, financial reporting and technology upgrades. The ability to be productive while accommodating multiple changes is a must-have skill for managers, staff and … Continue reading Non Profit Sector Work: Leading Yourself Through Change
Reframing Self-Care Advice: Equity, Access, and the Social Determinants of Health
“The definitive factors in determining whether someone is in good health extend significantly beyond access to care and include the conditions in their life and the conditions of their neighborhoods and communities.” — John Auerbach Rethinking Self-Care Whenever the topic of self-care comes up with friends or coworkers, it sometimes feels… well, a little privileged. Because honestly, not … Continue reading Reframing Self-Care Advice: Equity, Access, and the Social Determinants of Health
Peer Support 101: Strategies for Surviving College & University
College and university life can be exciting, and a little overwhelming. Between deadlines, finances, and everyday life, it’s easy to feel stressed. The good news? You’re not alone. Peer support can make a big difference. Connecting with other students helps you share experiences, swap advice, and build a community that cares. Here are three easy ways … Continue reading Peer Support 101: Strategies for Surviving College & University
Peer Support 101: Engaging Outside Your Support Group
Peer support groups provide individuals with a safe space to share experiences, address challenges, and receive encouragement from others who have faced similar situations (e.g., addiction, depression, diabetes, grief, etc.). However, chance encounters with fellow group members outside of the support setting can sometimes lead to uncertainty or discomfort. Many members may not be sure … Continue reading Peer Support 101: Engaging Outside Your Support Group
Peer Support 101: Using Peer Support to Tell Your Story
“Being heard meets a deep-seated human need for connection. The simple yet critically important act of being acknowledged, being listened to – truly being heard – changes everything. It changes the person being listened to and therefore everything connected to that person”. Center for Digital Storytelling We hear our first stories at home. These early stories shape our sense … Continue reading Peer Support 101: Using Peer Support to Tell Your Story
Give Back, Feel Good: Your Guide to Volunteering
Volunteering isn’t just good for your community, it’s great for your health too! Whether you want to give back, meet new people, or support a cause you care about, there’s a volunteer opportunity waiting for you. And just to share some interesting stats, Canada’s charitable and non-profit sector makes up over 8 per cent of … Continue reading Give Back, Feel Good: Your Guide to Volunteering
The Toronto Distress Centres Support Social and Mental Health in Toronto
Many people in Ontario struggle to access mental health support that is both affordable and available when they need it. Since 1967, Toronto Distress Centres have been stepping in to fill that gap, providing critical support exactly when it matters most. The centre offers free, confidential, 24/7 phone support for anyone feeling lonely, stressed, or … Continue reading The Toronto Distress Centres Support Social and Mental Health in Toronto
Election Day is Approaching: Are You Ready To Vote Canada?
Voting matters! And, just as important as voting is “understanding” who - and what - you are voting for. Before you vote, take some time to find out about all the registered political parties (i.e. visit their websites, research their political track records, research what causes or policies they are supporting, etc.). Elections Canada tries to make … Continue reading Election Day is Approaching: Are You Ready To Vote Canada?
They Left Us Everything: A Memoir (Plum Johnson Book Reading)
“EVERYONE IS INTERESTING, AS LONG AS YOU ASK THEM THE RIGHT QUESTIONS" –PLUM JOHNSON Author Plum Johnson won the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize, for her book They Left Us Everything: A Memoir. As the winner of this annual award, which celebrates excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction, she received $25,000. Since receiving this award, Johnson has … Continue reading They Left Us Everything: A Memoir (Plum Johnson Book Reading)
Continuing Education: Building More Inclusive and LGBTTIQQ2SA-Friendly Services
In a wonderfully diverse country like Canada, and an even more diverse city like Toronto, those of us in the helping professions, whether in health, social services, social justice, or beyond, are constantly learning how to best meet the needs of the people we serve. Continuing education is not just about professional growth, it is … Continue reading Continuing Education: Building More Inclusive and LGBTTIQQ2SA-Friendly Services
Form Follows Function in the New User Friendly World of Work
REDEFINING WORKING AND THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT: Form follows function is an architectural principle that suggests that “the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose”. This principle is being applied more and more in the modern world of work (literally and figuratively, in regards to approaches to … Continue reading Form Follows Function in the New User Friendly World of Work
Rethinking Loneliness in a Hyperconnected World
In a culture obsessed with competition in every form, it is getting harder to feel content, whether we are alone or with others. We are constantly fed these perfectly staged glimpses of happiness on television, which is pure fantasy, and on social media, which is just a moment frozen in time. And then we assume … Continue reading Rethinking Loneliness in a Hyperconnected World
Civic Engagement Runs in the Family
Research shows that civic engagement, like voting and volunteering, often starts at home. Marion Menard (2010) found that parents and family play a big role in shaping young people’s sense of social responsibility. Early family conversations are often kids’ first lessons in debating ideas, expressing opinions, and standing up for what matters. A study by … Continue reading Civic Engagement Runs in the Family
The Middle Slice 