The Keynote Speakers

Monday, June 2

Josh Shipp

From left: OACAS Director of Social Policy Virginia Rowden, Josh Shipp and OACAS YouthCAN Coordinator Adam Diamond.

An Oklahoma native, Motivational Speaker Josh Shipp kicked off the conference on Monday morning.

Abandoned, neglected, and abused as a child, Shipp spoke to young people about his triumph over tragedy. He has not taken the easy route but instead has chosen a path of hard work and determination. Shipp attributed his personal growth to the support of a great foster family, dynamic teachers and enriching school programs that opened his eyes to his true potential.

An inspiring young man, Shipp was one of the youngest speakers ever to be accepted into the National Speakers Association.

Dr. Stanley Kutcher

From left: OACAS Executive Director Jeanette Lewis, Dr. Stanley Kutcher and CMHO Past President Heather Elbard.

Monday afternoon, Dr. Stanley Kutcher delivered an informative and insightful presentation about teamwork when working with children who are prescribed psychotropic medications. Kutcher’s presentation provided an evidence-based overview of how therapeutic partnerships could be utilized to enhance psychopharmacologic treatment in care.

Kutcher is an internationally-renowned expert in the area of adolescent mental health and a national and international leader in mental health research, advocacy, training, policy, and health services innovation.

Tuesday, June 3

Frances Lankin

President and CEO of United Way of Toronto Frances Lankin.

The second day of the conference began with a presentation by President and CEO, United Way Toronto, Frances Lankin. To help children and youth succeed, Lankin proposed effective partnerships based on common ground within the children and youth serving sector.

Lankin has dedicated her professional career to community and social issues, and has been President and CEO of United Way Toronto since 2001. Lankin has chaired the federal government commissioned Blue Ribbon Panel, which made recommendations for improving how Ottawa distributes grants and contributions to charities and non-profit organizations. In 1990, Frances was elected to public office and served as a Member of Provincial Parliament for 11 years, including roles as Minister of Government Services, Management Board Chair, Minister of Health and Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Dr. Cornelia Wieman

Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Cornelia Wieman reinforced the theme of the conference, collaborative partnership, by showcasing how Six Nations Mental Health Services has provided mental health services to the community since 1997. The service development has led to innovative and collaborative ways of working with other health and social services agencies to deliver culturally sensitive care.

Wieman is Canada's first female Aboriginal psychiatrist (Ojibway Nation). Since 1997, she has worked as a consultant psychiatrist with Six Nations Mental Health Services. Wieman is both co-director of the Indigenous Health Research Development Program and assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

New Mentality

A panel of youth leaders belonging to The New Mentality engaged conference delegates Tuesday afternoon.

The New Mentality youth leaders come from Barrie, Burlington, Hamilton, Kingston, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Toronto and range in age from 15 to 25. Each young person is an advocate of mental health service because either they or someone close to them have received mental health services. Through The New Mentality project, these youth leaders have worked in partnership with local children’s mental health centres and community organizations to promote the practice of youth engagement and to reduce the stigma of mental illness.

The New Mentality is a 13-month, youth-led pilot project jointly sponsored by Children’s Mental Health Ontario and the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy

The New Mentality’s presentation was followed by Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy’s seminar, “Reconnecting the lives of our children: Pathway to New Partnership.”

Hardy is a professor of Family Therapy at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Prior to joining the faculty at Drexel, Hardy was a professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Syracuse University in New York where he also held administrative positions as the Director of Clinical Training and Research and the Chair of the Department of Child and Family Studies.

Hardy is currently the Director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships in New York where he maintains a private practice specializing in working with at-risk children and families.

Wednesday, June 3

Dr. Bert Lauwers and Karen Bridgman-Acker

Wednesday morning, Dr. Bert Lauwers and Karen Bridgman-Acker delivered the Annual Paediatric Death Review Committee (PDRC) and Deaths Under Five Committee Report. The presentation of the report focused on 35 cases reviewed by the PDRC in 2007 where a Children’s Aid Society (CAS) was involved with the family during the preceding 12 months before death.

The Associate Deputy Chief Coroner of Ontario and the Chair of the Deaths Under Five Committee, Lauwers became the Regional Supervising Coroner for Toronto West in 2006. Prior to coming to Toronto, Lauwers was an investigating and inquest coroner, an emergency physician and served as the Clinical Director of Critical Care at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, Ontario.

Karen Bridgman-Acker is the child welfare specialist at the Office of the Chief Coroner. Bridgman-Acker coordinates the reporting and reviewing of deaths of children where a CAS has been involved – including the PDRC child welfare reviews.

Bridgman-Acker was seconded from the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton where she worked as an intake and ongoing services worker and supervisor.

Terri Segal

Wednesday morning continued with an uplifting drumming workshop by Terri Segal.

Segal is an expressive arts therapist, facilitator and educator who is dedicated to sharing the therapeutic benefits of creative expression through group drumming and expressive arts workshops.

For the past 10 years, Segal has studied and taught West African drumming and world percussion. Through her business, Rhythmic by Nature, Segal facilitates group drumming programs for the purpose of teambuilding, wellness, recreation, and education.

Marc Kielburger

Marc Kielburger closed the Conference with the powerful message, “Me to We: Living a healthier life through social involvement.”

An award-winning social advocate, Kielburger has travelled to more than 50 countries, visiting underprivileged children and helping with development initiatives. Kielburger graduated from Harvard University with a degree in International Relations then went on to complete a Law degree at Oxford University with an emphasis on human rights law. In 2007, Kielburger was recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the 250 Young Global Leaders.

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