OMSSA is excited to announce our slate of 2024 Award Recipients. This impressive group of individuals and teams will be recognized at our upcoming 2024 Policy Conference and 2025 Exchange Conference. Learn more about the outstanding individuals and teams we'll be...
Today OMSSA is releasing a report on Special Needs Resourcing (SNR) in Ontario. The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system (CWELCC) has resulted in a historical investment in Ontario’s early years and child care system. This initiative offers enormous...
From 2017 to 2024, Katherine Chislett served as Commissioner of Community and Health Services for York Region and as President of Housing York, Inc., overseeing a $1 billion budget, 3,000 staff, and more than 300 programs that support York Region’s residents. Katherine’s focus on integrated service management and her dedication to equity and inclusion have enriched the lives of over 1.2 million residents.
She is also the recipient of the 2024 OMSSA Lifetime Achievement Award. OMSSA sat down with Katherine for an interview to discuss her work and career and thoughts on human services in Ontario.
Gail Spencer, Manager of Housing Stability and Homelessness for the City of Greater Sudbury, spearheaded community and provincial initiatives, developing a roadmap for a responsive, integrated human service system for the unhoused population and programs aiming to end homelessness.
She is also the recipient of the 2024 OMSSA Patti Moore Human Services Integration Award. OMSSA sat down with Gail for an interview to discuss her work and career and thoughts on human services in Ontario.
Adrienne recently served as the Commissioner of Community Services where she was committed to serving the most vulnerable people in the Niagara community from infant to senior. In this role, Adrienne envisioned Niagara Region as a strong community where individuals are supported to maximize their potential, achieve their goals, and enhance their quality of life and social well-being.
She is also one of the recipients of the 2024 OMSSA Champion of Human Services Award. OMSSA sat down with Adrienne Jugley for an interview to discuss her work and career and thoughts on human services in Ontario.
Janine Mitchell has worked in the human services sector for her entire 40 year career, starting off working in licensed child care and eventually making her way to a municipality managing Children’s Services, the delivery of Ontario Works Program and Social Services Emergency Management.
She is also one of the recipients of the 2024 OMSSA Champion of Human Services Award. OMSSA sat down with Janine Mitchell for an interview to discuss her work and career and thoughts on human services in Ontario.
OMSSA is pleased to announce the 2024-2025 Board of Directors after our in-person Annual General Meeting on June 14, 2023. This year, OMSSA voting Members participated in a secure online election to fill two vacancies. We are pleased to announce that the following...
Often, autistic individuals are overlooked for roles in helping professions, yet, recent research that examines autistic educators, nurses, librarians and doctors, demonstrate that those with lived experience are proud of their workplace contributions in helping professions, especially in relation to supporting autistic service users. Further, human services boast inclusive values and ethics, which might draw autistic workers towards the field. In this article, author Sarah Southey provides a brief overview of autism in the workplace and describe challenges and recommendations that can be implemented to foster neurodivergent inclusion in human services organizations.
Douglas Bartholomew-Saunders has 45 years of managerial and executive expertise in health and human services operated and funded by the government. Throughout his career, he has devoted himself to providing strategic guidance to government, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations.
Douglas’ experience covers service system management, multi-system integration, strategy and policy development, systems expansion, and oversight design and implementation within human services and includes considerable understanding and expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
His recent advisory work includes: developing a 10-year Early Learning and Child Care Service plan in collaboration with an Ontario social services organization; advising an Ontario temporary shelter on external pressure management; advising two Ontario-based social service organizations on fiscal viability amid declining funding; leading an Ontario municipality in introducing integrated service access and delivery to improve client service and reduce multiple intakes; and leading an Ontario immigration settlement community in settling and offering services to 1,800 immigrants on an emergency basis within a year.
He is also the recipient of the 2023 OMSSA Lifetime Achievement Award. OMSSA sat down with Douglas for an interview to discuss human services, his career, and his involvement with OMSSA.
David Thomas has been involved in policy development and training for over 30 years. Many of you know David from past years employed by OMSSA as a Lead Trainer in their Social Assistance Training, commencing from 1994, and more recent years as a Lead Trainer for the SAIL Curriculum and currently with OW Directive Training and Life Stabilization. David is involved with various Leadership Initiatives providing skills and competencies designed to improve service quality, build organizational capacity, enhance service system management, and further service integration. David’s role in supporting Integration includes managing multiple projects related to implementation and delivery of streamlined services for clients and staff alike. He is also one of the recipient of the 2023 OMSSA Champion of Human Services Award. OMSSA sat down with David for an interview to discuss his work as a facilitator and his thoughts on social assistance in Ontario.