“Simon was the Academic Programs Manager at The University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health during my time in the Master of Public Health Program. Simon's strong management, leadership and problem solving skills helped me to overcome several challenges I faced as a student who was enrolled in a distributed learning format where the majority of my instruction and course work was done online. He was a supportive mentor and advocate for all students in the School and I especially admire his ability to embrace diversity and balance the needs of all stakeholders in a given project or situation. Simon advocated for and supported me to achieve my goal of doing an international practicum at the World Health Organization which was a life changing experience. I have yet to meet a professional who is as organized and responsive as Simon. I highly recommend Simon for any opportunity he pursues. ”
About
Experience & Education
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British Columbia Institute of Technology
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Volunteer Experience
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Mentor
Hart House
- 1 year 8 months
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Local Engagement Ambassador
Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW)
- 7 months
In this role, I engage with social workers to form a local engagement network that promotes connections and provides educational opportunities to increase the capacity of social workers in Ontario. Through collaborating with other Ambassadors, I develop and deliver innovative professional development and networking events in Toronto. All of this is done through an integrated a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Co-President, Graduate Student Association
University of Toronto
- 1 year 1 month
Education
Led a graduate student association in implementing engaging events and activities for over 300 Master students that promote a sense of solidarity with each other, the Faculty, and the social work community. This included overseeing an budget of around $20,000, supervising the activities of 9 Executive members, forming partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, and advocating for student needs. Increased accountability and transparency were also important goals as demonstrated by the…
Led a graduate student association in implementing engaging events and activities for over 300 Master students that promote a sense of solidarity with each other, the Faculty, and the social work community. This included overseeing an budget of around $20,000, supervising the activities of 9 Executive members, forming partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, and advocating for student needs. Increased accountability and transparency were also important goals as demonstrated by the first student elections and an annual general meeting in over a decade at the Faculty, and improved communications through newsletters and websites to distribute information. Together with the other co-president, we collaborated with Health & Wellness and the Faculty of Social Work to launch a Peer Support Program for students at the University of Toronto.
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Peer Mentor
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
- 1 year 7 months
Education
Engaged with graduate students to improve their use of academic skills including time management, writing, reading comprehension, studying techniques, and providing career development skills. I also identified barriers for students preventing them from completing their coursework, and worked with students to enhance their strengths while also addressing major challenges.
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Student Leader and Advocate
University of Toronto
- 1 year 8 months
Education
Served on the Graduate Student Advisory Committee, an advisory committee to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, to represent social work and professional students across the University. Within my Faculty, I sat on the Faculty Council and the MSW Studies Committee for two years. My roles were to solicit feedback and advocate for student needs across the Faculty and University to ensure that student voices are heard in important discussions and decisions.
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MSW Practicum Student
Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW)
- 8 months
Directed the implementation of the student engagement strategy by chairing a student action committee composed of 14 students and leading a plan to fulfill key strategic priorities. Also assisted management team with strategic planning, creating work plans, providing evidence-based recommendations, and the creation of a new governance structure.
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MSW Practicum Student
Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, Sinai Health
- 5 months
Provided emotional support to patients in the orthopedic unit and the hemo-dialysis unit, working in an interprofessional team to promote holistic care to all patients. I served as a liaison for patients to connect them with community resources to ensure a safe and supportive discharge plan while also helping the hospital meet its discharge targets.
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Interviewer
The Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia (Crisis Centre)
- 2 years
Social Services
Interviewed potential volunteers to the Crisis Centre with the goal of determining their fit to the training and rigours of the Distress Line positions. Through the use of questions, building rapport, and role play, I assessed the suitability of the applicant as well as helping the applicant determine if it was a beneficial position for them.
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Distress Line Volunteer
The Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia (Crisis Centre)
- 2 years 2 months
Social Services
Supported people in crisis on the phone and the chat through the use of empathy and active listening to help de-escalate the immediate situation. Demonstrating my understanding of the client and their circumstances, I built strong rapport and relationship which forms the foundation of our conversation. When possible, I guided clients to discover potential solutions, provided community resources, and helped them cope in the moment.
Publications
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Primary care teams’ experiences of delivering mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
BMC Family Practice
See publicationBackground: Integrated primary care teams are ideally positioned to support the mental health care needs arising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how COVID-19 has affected mental health care delivery within primary care settings will be critical to inform future policy and practice decisions during the later phases of the pandemic and beyond. The objective of our study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams’ delivery of mental health care. Methods:…
Background: Integrated primary care teams are ideally positioned to support the mental health care needs arising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how COVID-19 has affected mental health care delivery within primary care settings will be critical to inform future policy and practice decisions during the later phases of the pandemic and beyond. The objective of our study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams’ delivery of mental health care. Methods: A qualitative study using focus groups conducted with primary care teams in Ontario, Canada. Focus group data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: We conducted 11 focus groups with 10 primary care teams and a total of 48 participants. With respect to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health care in primary care teams, we identified three key themes: i) the high demand for mental health care, ii) the rapid transformation to virtual care, and iii) the impact on providers. Conclusions: From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care quickly responded to the rising mental health care demands of their patients. Despite the numerous challenges they faced with the rapid transition to virtual care, primary care teams have persevered. It is essential that policy and decision-makers take note of the toll that these demands have placed on providers. There is an immediate need to enhance primary care’s capacity for mental health care for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
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Cyberbullying and health: A preliminary investigation of the experiences of Canadian gay and bisexual adult men
Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services
See publicationThe majority of cyberbullying studies are within the school environment. This quantitative study investigates cyberbullying among Canadian gay and bisexual men outside of the educational setting through a cross-sectional survey. Of the 7,430 respondents, 4.6% reported cyberbullying in the past year, with younger, Aboriginal, lower-educated, lower-income respondents reporting higher odds of experiencing cyberbullying. Victimization from cyberbullying was significantly associated with experiences…
The majority of cyberbullying studies are within the school environment. This quantitative study investigates cyberbullying among Canadian gay and bisexual men outside of the educational setting through a cross-sectional survey. Of the 7,430 respondents, 4.6% reported cyberbullying in the past year, with younger, Aboriginal, lower-educated, lower-income respondents reporting higher odds of experiencing cyberbullying. Victimization from cyberbullying was significantly associated with experiences of antigay discrimination as well as worry about antigay prejudice. A variety of negative health outcomes were also associated with cyberbullying, including intimate partner violence and suicidality. Implications for social service providers and future research are discussed.
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Speaking Up: for the health of Queer People of Colour
Community-Based Research Centre for Gay Men's Health
Speaking Up was an invitation-only event that gathered advocates for queer people of colour who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the health and well-being of the QPOC community. The event created an intentional space for those who self-identify as a queer person of colour – a safe place where participants were able to share their experiences and truths. The purpose was to envision the future of health for queer people of colour in BC with facilitated discussions and open dialogue on…
Speaking Up was an invitation-only event that gathered advocates for queer people of colour who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the health and well-being of the QPOC community. The event created an intentional space for those who self-identify as a queer person of colour – a safe place where participants were able to share their experiences and truths. The purpose was to envision the future of health for queer people of colour in BC with facilitated discussions and open dialogue on issues and priorities with accessing health services, and challenges and opportunities in community building and engagement. The role of race in navigating queer spaces and health services was a thread throughout this discussion.
Other authors -
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A Campaign of Intersections: Evaluating Perceptions of the Our City of Colours LGBTQ Posters in Metro Vancouver
Journal of Undergraduate Ethnography
See publicationOur City of Colours (OCC) is a Vancouver-based group looking to raise the visibility of, and address the issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in various linguistic and cultural communities. In November 2011, the group released a series of 6 posters online featuring LGBTQ people who identified with a particular cultural background. This paper seeks to analyze the perceptions of these posters from the OCC team and people outside the team. Ultimately, this is…
Our City of Colours (OCC) is a Vancouver-based group looking to raise the visibility of, and address the issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in various linguistic and cultural communities. In November 2011, the group released a series of 6 posters online featuring LGBTQ people who identified with a particular cultural background. This paper seeks to analyze the perceptions of these posters from the OCC team and people outside the team. Ultimately, this is an early evaluation of whether OCC can meet its mandate in conveying their message to linguistic and cultural communities. Through the use of participant observation, interviews, focus groups, archival data analysis, and content analysis, the OCC posters were found to have a relatively positive impact in increasing visibility of LGBTQ people and issues. However, participants noted that using more cultural references and having more romantic images to solidify the LGBTQ message could further strengthen the impact of the posters. There is also the need for the posters to be directed towards the older generation as many of the participants identify the older generation as a key demographic for receiving positive LGBTQ messages.
Honors & Awards
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Graduate Community Development Award
Graduate Student Union, University of Toronto
Recognizes exceptional students on campus for their contributions to the graduate student experience.
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Doris Guyatt Alumni Scholarship
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Demonstrated outstanding ability in the first year of the Master of Social Work program at the University of Toronto.
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Sharon and Larry Enkin Community Leadership Award
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Demonstration of active volunteerism and outstanding leadership in the community.
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Phi Alpha Honor Society
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Awarded to social work students at the University of Toronto who demonstrate academic excellence (overall GPA of 3.8 and higher).
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Ontario Graduate Scholarship
University of Toronto
Merit-based scholarship ($15,000) to Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academia.
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Gordon M. Shrum Entrance Scholarship
Simon Fraser University
Merit-based scholarship ($24,000) recognizing high academic standing and a commitment to school and community service, leadership, and volunteer activity.
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