Information on where our service providers are located, how they provide their services and how to contact them can be found in the "Contact Information" section under each image.

Dean Anderson

Dean Anderson is an International & Canadian Certified Addiction Counselor CCAC, ICADC from London, ON. He currently wears many hats in the addiction and recovery communities, including being a Private Practice Counselor, MAP Service Provider, Consultant, and NRT Practitioner. His experience includes withdrawal management, residential treatment, peer support, residential trauma, private care, and several volunteering ventures. His dedication to the field is reflected in the multiple committees, programs, and community events, including chairing the Community of Practice for the CACCF.

Kelly Brownbill

Dr. Derek Chechak

Dr. Richard Csiernik

Rick Csiernik (they/them), BSc, BSW, MSW, PhD, RSW, CCAC is Professor, School of Social Work, King's University College in London, Ontario. Rick has been a social worker for over four decades, having written 10 books, edited nine, including The Essential Guide to Psychoactive Drugs in Canada, Substance Use and Misuse: Everything Matters, and Workplace Wellness. He has contributed to over 250 peer reviewed publications, made nearly as many public presentations and has been part of research teams receiving over $5 million in funding during his career.

Steve Didham

Steve is a Registered Social Worker with 22 years of clinical experience in various sectors, including child welfare, custody/access, mental health, addictions, and academia, among others. He is the owner and principal consultant at Phoenix Consulting and Counselling, an OACAS equity facilitator and Supervisor at the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex. He is also a part-time Lecturer at Kings University College. He has worked in the equity field for several years, providing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training for the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and other social service sectors, including academia, non-profit organizations and others.

Siham Elkassem

Siham Elkassem (she/her), BSW, MSW, PhD(c), RSW is a therapist and lecturer in the department of Social Work at Kings University College in London, Ontario, Canada. Her practice focuses upon on the use of anti-racist and anti-colonial approaches through the lens of intersectionality. Siham’s current research areas of interest are in racialized communities in Canada, anti-Muslim racism, addictions, critical race and anti-colonial studies.

Jennifer Fleming

Grace Ibrahima

David Knezevic

Dr. Jeff St. Pierre

Christopher Sterling-Murphy

Kelly Brownbill's spirit name, Wabunnoongakekwe, means Woman Who Comes from the East and she is proud to be Waabizhashi Dodem, Marten Clan. She is a member of the Flat Bay community of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Newfoundland, and of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge.
As an educator on Indigenous issues, she has conducted countless cultural awareness training sessions across a broad range of service sectors including key staff from both the provincial and federal governments. She guides organizations in forging more respectful and equitable relationships with Indigenous communities and agencies.

Derek Chechak is the Director of Quality Improvement and Crisis Services with St. Leonard’s Community Services in Brantford, Ontario. A Registered Social Worker since 2008, he began his career overseeing congregate care settings licensed under the Homes for Special Care Act, before working on an assertive community treatment team and forensic mental health outreach team. Most recently, he was the Social Work Practice Lead for a regional employee assistance program provider, and an implementation specialist, evaluator, and project manager with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Author of "Mercy: One Life Many Stories," "All Will Be Well," and "White Questions. Black Answers. Helping Kids to be Seen and Heard." Grace Ibrahima is a former Labour and Delivery, and Mental Health Professional, whose early life was marked by abuse, isolation, and abject poverty. However, Grace later transformed her life through a series of remarkable events. Grace did not have the opportunity to complete her grade and high school education, but she was determined to narrow that wide educational gap. In March 2022, she enrolled with IXL Learning, and in 2023 completed her Grades 4 to 12 English Grammar.

Jen Fleming RMT is a massage therapist in Hamilton Ontario in practice for 14 years. In more recent years she has focused her work on Trauma-Informed Care in massage therapy settings. She has written articles for the Registered Massage Therapist Association of Ontario publication Massage Therapy Today and lead webinars for RMTs on boundaries, the therapeutic relationship, Trauma-Informed Care and Sexual Harassment in the Treatment Room. She has completed the Trauma Certificate through Wilfrid Laurier University.

David is the Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility Coordinator with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB). Supporting the mandate of the Commissioner's Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility, he collaborates with KPRDSB leadership, staff and community to provide education, information, assistance and advice in fostering and supporting an inclusive culture free of discrimination and harassment. David is also a PhD Student with the Interdisciplinary Social Research program at Trent University focusing on human rights and inter-sectoral/interdisciplinary service collaboration to end youth homelessness in rural communities across Canada.

Dr. St. Pierre is a child psychologist available to offer seminars on how to help children with unique anxiety disorders such as Selective Mutism (severe social speaking anxiety), Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD), and understanding risk and protective factors in children’s mental health. He is currently a part-time Assistant Professor in Psychology at Western University (www.uwo.ca), teaching Ethics to Clinical Psychology graduate students, and the Exceptional Children undergrad course in assessment and treatment of mental health and trauma. He has been training and mentoring young doctors for 25 years as a clinical adjunct professor.

Christopher Sterling-Murphy is currently working as a Child and Family Therapist in Windsor, ON. Historically, Christopher has also been employed as a Child Protection Worker, a sexual health educator, and facilitated numerous groups for marginalized peoples. Christopher has published twice in the realm of human sexuality, one exploring sexual education in post-secondary Social Work education, and the other investigating the intersections of sexual activity, substance use and addiction. Lastly, Christopher has independently managed and produced content for a public social work Tiktok account.

Melissa Brideau

Melissa Brideau is currently completing her PhD in the Faculty of Education within the Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership Studies academic and research cluster. Melissa previously graduated from Kings University College with both a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She has worked for several years as a disability advocate helping individuals with diverse needs access crucial supports and services to increase their independence/ improve health and well-being. Presently, her research interests are in the areas of higher education and the barriers experienced by physically disabled students within the academy.

Jacqueline Iwanski

Jackie works primarily as a Clinical Therapist in Hamilton and St. Catharines supporting children, teens, and young adults. She is dedicated to challenging clients to lean into discomfort and equipping them with the necessary skills to create meaningful change in their lives. No two individuals are alike. Her approach to therapy is relational, gentle, and collaborative. She believes in tailoring therapeutic work together to address the challenges that are unique to the individual. Her training and experiences enable her to pull from several different theoretical frameworks to tailor a model that suits the client, their needs and personality.

Dr. Tracy Smith-Carrier

Dr. Tracy Smith-Carrier is an Associate Professor and the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the School of Humanitarian Studies at Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Smith-Carrier has years of experience conducting research and evaluation projects in the academic, community, government, and non-profit sectors. Her program of research touches upon various fields in the social policy arena, including access to social welfare benefits, social assistance receipt, food and income in/security, basic income, poverty, and climate justice. She is the Chair of the National Forum Strategic Planning Committee for a Basic Income Guarantee in Canada, and editor of the Taylor & Francis journal Critical Policy Studies.

Rocco Gizzarelli is a trained social worker with over 32 years’ experience working with children, youth and families to address issues of violence in relationships. One of his specialties is in the area of sexual abuse treatment and assessment of individuals who have committed a sexual offense. Rocco also has extensive experience working with trauma and men who are adult survivors of sexual abuse/assault. Rocco has won accolades for his clinical experience serving the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Indigenous, Racialized and Immigrant communities.

Rocco Gizzarelli