Register by September 16th to Attend
OMSSA's 2022 Forum
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There is still time to register for OMSSA's 2022 Forum. The deadline to register is the end of day on Friday, September 16. Register for our virtual Forum before September 9th to take advantage of our Early Bird rates. Register five or more people and save 20% with our group rates!
This year's Forum is devoted to delving into the issue of workplace mental health and the types of changes affecting human services workplaces.
We will discuss a number of workplace mental health topics that are relevant to all OMSSA members, such as: burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, self-care, and more. Please see our full program below.
Let‘s take this opportunity over two mornings from September 20th to 21st to navigate these challenges in-depth while hearing from experts about possible solutions around coping with change, managing anxiety and fatigue, and building psychologically healthy and safe workplaces.
Whether you are a senior leader, manager, or frontline staff, the 2022 Forum will have something for you!
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OMSSA is Pleased to Announce Our Day 1 Opening Keynote, Françoise Mathieu | |
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Back by popular demand! OMSSA welcomes back mental health expert Françoise Mathieu as our 2022 Forum opening keynote speaker.
The 2022 Forum is shaped by the knowledge that the pandemic has dramatically transformed the way we work. For many OMSSA members, this period has brought on a heightened level of stress in our day-to-day jobs. There is a higher demand for human services, compounded by staff shortages, and the loss of experienced workers. And, we have not even factored in the change at home and what this has meant for us and our families! These collective and compounding changes have all taken a toll on our mental health.
This forward-looking keynote will set the stage for the two mornings of OMSSA's 2022 Forum and focus on the issue of workplace mental health and the types of changes affecting us all.
Join OMSSA on Day 1 of the 2022 Forum and save your virtual seat for Françoise Mathieu's keynote.
In our September 1st Forum eblast, OMSSA mistakenly added an incorrect title to this session description. We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding members may have had as a result.
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BREAKOUT: Identifying and Supporting Colleagues and Staff Experiencing Acute Stress or Trauma
Identifying acute stress and trauma in the workplace is a key component of avoiding staff burnout and ensuring retention. Having the right training and programs in place to support colleagues before they feel overwhelmed is essential. In this session, mental health experts will introduce ways to identify support for staff when they have experienced acute stress or trauma, and they will guide attendees through the latest best practices for the workplace.
Our panel will also provide insights from CMSMs and DSSABs who have implemented successful programs to work through these challenges. Please note, our Mental and Emotional Preparedness While Working with Service Users in Crisis breakout session on Day 2 picks up from this conversation with a discussion about the development of a self-care routine.
Speakers:
- (moderator) Jennifer Lible, Manager, Client Services, District of Thunder Bay
- Mara Boedo, Steward Coordinator, Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400
- Cherill Hiebert, Bargaining Support Administrator, Unit C Steward Coordinator, Members' Action Centre Coordinator, Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400
- Drew Sousa, Executive Director, Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Association
- Dr. Deepy Sur, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Association of Social Workers
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BREAKOUT: Enhancing Remote and Hybrid Workplace Communications
Remote and hybrid work has dramatically transformed communication within the workplace. These new work arrangements, while having clear benefits associated with staff quality of life, do not offer the same level of connection both amongst staff and between staff and management. This transformation has led to a loss in opportunities for collaboration, the absence of traditional informal peer support networks, and a general lack of connection to our workplaces.
From maintaining high levels of staff engagement to creating opportunities for informal peer support, this panel will consider what senior leaders to front line staff can do to enhance their workplaces while not giving up the benefits that have come remote and hybrid work. In this session we will hear from experts who have thought deeply about these challenges and who can offer solutions that can be implemented in workplaces.
Speakers:
- (moderator) Kelly Black, Director of Human Services, Oxford County
- Samuel Breau, Program Manager, Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Catherine Connelly, Professor, Human Resources & Management, and Canada Research Chair in Organizational Behaviour, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University
- Aisha Saintiche, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of the Commissioner, Community and Health Services, York Region
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OMSSA is Pleased to Announce Our Day 2 Opening Keynote, Marci Gray | |
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The Dual Stigma: Racism and Mental Health
OMSSA welcomes back Psychotherapist and DEI Consultant, Marci Gray, as our 2022 Forum Day 2 opening keynote speaker.
As OMSSA Members you may be familiar with the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues, what about the impact of how mental health stigma intersects with racial stigma? Staff who both identify as racialized and are struggling with their mental health must overcome the “dual stigma” where these two identities intersect. In addition, they must also overcome multiple barriers to seeking help.
In this keynote, Psychotherapist and DEI Consultant, Marci Gray, will outline ways in which leaders and managers can view racism through the lens of workplace psychological health and safety. This framework will be introduced, and emphasis will be placed on how to ensure the overall well-being of racialized staff.
Join OMSSA on Day 2 of the 2022 Forum and save your virtual seat for Marci Gray's keynote.
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BREAKOUT: Practical Strategies for Healthier Workplaces
Even before the pandemic, there was a growing effort to reorient workplaces towards employee mental health and wellness. Decision makers understood that staff would thrive in an environment that prioritized their mental health. After three years of heightened stress during the pandemic, healthier workplaces have shifted from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have”.
In this panel, we will hear from experts who will share insights into the practical ways OMSSA Members can create healthier workplaces. Whether through improved mental health support for existing staff, better retention strategies, effective onboarding, or the restructuring of the workday, this panel will outline strategies that senior leaders, managers and supervisors, and frontline staff can adopt to contribute to healthier workplaces.
Speakers:
- Dr. Ellen Choi, Assistant Professor in Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour, Toronto Metropolitan University
- Katharine Coons, National Senior Manager, Workplace Mental Health, Canadian Mental Health Association
- P.A. Neena Gupta, Partner, Gowlings WLG
- Don MacLeod, Chief Administrative Officer, Corporation of the Township of Zorra
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BREAKOUT: Mental and Emotional Preparedness While Working with Service Users in Crisis
Caseworkers and other frontline staff face many challenges working with service users in crisis. Social service users are often multi-barriered and live with a multitude of issues including addictions and mental illness that need to be recognized and understood. Not only that, but staff may also be coping with stresses within their workplaces that they need to set aside in order to do their work effectively. We often forget that there is a need caseworkers and frontline staff to be both mentally and emotionally prepared for the work that they do supporting service users. In this session, we will hear from a mental health expert and seasoned caseworkers who will share their experiences of working with multi-barriered individuals.
This panel will address the ways in which caseworkers and other frontline staff can work with these service users, while ensuring that they are effectively prepared for the mental and emotional strain of this work. Additionally, our experts will provide insights into stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma, as well as how self-care can help staff prepare themselves to cope.
Speakers:
- Chris Kindy, Case Manager, Haldimand Norfolk Health and Social Services
- Julia Lewars, Caseworker, City of Toronto
- Andrea Personnic, Case Manager, Haldimand Norfolk Health and Social Services
- Megan Phillips, Registered Psychotherapist, Phillips Psychotherapy Services
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The Ontario Municipal Social Services Association
30 Duncan Street, Suite 606
Toronto, ON M5V 2C3
416-479-1491
www.omssa.com
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