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CUHI Spotlight on Urban Health Seminar Series

**all seminars run from 1:15- 2:45

"Community-Based Participatory Research using Arts: Homeless Women, Housing
and Social Support"

Dr. Izumi Sakamoto
Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

Date: November 8th (1:15pm - 2:45pm)
Location: Bahen Centre, University of Toronto: Room B024 (40 St. George
Street, immediately south of Russell Street)

Summary: 'Coming Together: Homeless Women, Housing and Social Support ', is
a community-based research project by the University of Toronto, Regent Park
Community Health Centre, and Sistering - A Woman's Place, which explored how
women and transwomen build support networks with each other when housing is
the issue . With the help of the advisory board consisting of
women/transwomen who experienced homelessness, women/transwomen at four
drop-in centres created scenes depicting their own visions of inclusion,
friendship and safe space through painting, theatre and photography ("staged
photography").  Various methods have been used to disseminate the study
findings and the evaluation of the project is under way.  The challenges and
rewards of conducting university-community collaborative research will be
discussed. 

Bio: Izumi Sakamoto is assistant professor of social work at the University
of Toronto. A former Fulbright Scholar, she received MSW, MS (Psychology)
and Ph.D. (Social Work & Psychology) from University of Michigan and BA and
MA from Sophia University, Japan. Dr. Sakamoto's current program of research
focuses on the intersecting oppressions, self-advocacy, and empowerment of
marginalized communities such as immigrants, homeless women/transwomen, and
people of colour in local, international and transnational contexts. She has
experiences in community-based research, arts-based research, qualitative
research and mixed-method research.  She has held research grants from the
Social Science & Humanities Research Council, Wellesley Institute, and
Centre for Excellence in Research on Immigration and Settlement -Toronto
(CERIS), among others. 

Free, all are welcome, please RSVP to [log in to unmask]

Upcoming Seminars/ Workshops:

Wednesday December 5, 2007
Laura Simich, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
CUHI 2007 CBR Award of Merit Honourable Mention
Presentation Title: "Sudanese Settlement and Sociocultural Aspects of Mental
Health: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally"
Location: University College, University of Toronto, Room 177 (15 King's
College Circle)

Summary:  The community-based Study of Sudanese Settlement in Ontario was
conducted for Citizenship and Immigration Canada in 2003-2004 to ascertain
Sudanese settlement needs in seven Ontario cities. The study indicated that
family adaptation, economic integration and social cohesion are the major
settlement challenges for Sudanese, and that these have a deleterious impact
on individual and community mental health. In this presentation, Dr. Simich
looks back on success factors and outcomes of the initial study. She also
presents recent findings from an in-depth follow-up study (2006-2007)
conducted in Toronto, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; and in the rural community
of Brooks, Alberta, to identify underlying issues and proposed solutions for
community mental health. The presentation reflects on the relationship of
the local to the global context and looks ahead to social support
intervention research and planning in Toronto.  

Bio: Laura Simich, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor in the Culture, Community
and Health Studies Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto,
and a Scientist in Social Equity and Health at the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health, Toronto.  She is an anthropologist (Columbia University, New
York) who came to Canada from the U.S. with her family in 1991. Dr. Simich
specializes in qualitative, community-based, health promotion and
policy-oriented research. Her recent studies have focused on sociocultural
determinants of mental health among immigrants and refugees.  Her ongoing
research interests are social support, resilience, family wellbeing and
mental health among Sudanese, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and non-status
immigrants in Toronto. She helped to develop the popular self-help guide for
mental health promotion in diverse communities, Alone in Canada: 21 Ways to
Make it Better, a Guide for Single Newcomers to Canada, which is available
in 18 languages. 
 

Thursday January 17, 2008
Donald Cole and Kate Bassil, Department of Geography, University of Toronto
CUHI 2004 & 2006 Seed Grant Recipient
Presentation Title: "Use of 911 Ambulance Dispatch Data for the Syndromic
Surveillance of Heat-Related Illness in Toronto: Summer 2007"
Location: University College, University of Toronto, Room 177 (15 King's
College Circle)

Summary: The adverse effect of heat on health in urban communities is of
major concern, and will likely become even more important with climate
change. In Toronto, although a heat alert system based upon predicted excess
mortality exists, there is currently no method for monitoring heat-related
illness (HRI) in the community. As a result, there is a lack of information
regarding the impact of HRI on members of the community and the urban areas
that are most severely affected. Over the summer of 2007 our research group
monitored the temporal and spatial distribution of heat-related illness in
Toronto using 911 ambulance dispatch data. The findings of this work will be
presented as well as a discussion of the challenges in developing and using
this syndromic surveillance system in the public health environment.

Bio(s):

Kate Bassil is a PhD candidate in the Epidemiology program in the Department
of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto.  Prior to this Kate
completed a MSc in Epidemiology, also at the University of Toronto, and a
BSc Biological Sciences at Oxford University in 1998. The focus of her
doctoral research is the use of ambulance dispatch data to better understand
the temporal and geospatial distribution of heat-related illness in Toronto.

Donald Cole is a physician who practiced primary care, public health,
occupational health and environmental health in a variety of settings
globally. In a community medicine residency at McMaster University he
completed a Masters in Design, Measurement and Evaluation of Health Services
(1991), and went on to qualify as a Royal College fellow in Occupational
Medicine (1990) and Community Medicine (1992).  A Tri-Council Eco-Research
fellowship in environmental epidemiology and the role of Interim Director of
Research followed by Senior Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health
fostered his focus on research. His ongoing interest in agriculture and
human health questions led to his leading development of the Agriculture and
Human Health Division with the International Potato Center. As a tenured
Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto,
he currently teaches, mentors, does research, and contributes research
evidence to public health practice both in Canada and internationally. 

Tuesday February 12, 2008
Cyndy Baskin, School of Social Work, Ryerson University 
CUHI 2006 Seed Grant Recipient
Presentation Title: "Which of the Following is NOT an Essential Service o
Roads o Schools o Food Access? Exploring Food Security with Young Aboriginal
Moms"
Location: Earth Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Room 142

Summary: This seminar will present findings from a research project
conducted with young Aboriginal mothers in Toronto using Aboriginal research
methodologies. The project explored issues affecting food security for these
mothers and their children with a focus on community involvement and policy
connections.

Bio: Dr. Cyndy Baskin, of the Mi'kmaq Nation, is an Associate Professor in
the School of Social Work and the Centre for Studies in Food Security at
Ryerson University. She worked at several Aboriginal social services
agencies within Toronto before coming to Ryerson in 2001. Cyndy's teaching,
research and writing focus on Aboriginal world views, research
methodologies, decolonization, and the strength, resilience and resistance
of Indigenous peoples globally.


Wednesday March 19, 2008
June Larkin, Institute for Women's Studies and Gender Studies & Susan Flynn,
Planned Parenthood
CUHI 2007 CBR Award of Merit Winners
Project: Toronto Teen Survey
Presentation Title: "The Toronto Teen Survey: Improving Sexual Health
Services for Diverse Toronto Youth"
Location: Bahen Centre, University of Toronto: Room 2130 (40 St. George
Street, immediately south of Russell Street)

Thursday April 17, 2008
Gala Arh, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
CUHI 2006 Seed Grant Recipient
Project: "Mapping the Attributes of the Church & Wellesley Neighbourhoods
which Influence Tobacco Use among Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgender People"
Presentation Title: TBA
Location: Bahen Centre, University of Toronto: Room B024 (40 St. George
Street, immediately south of Russell Street)


Alexis Kane Speer
Centre Coordinator
Centre for Urban Health Initiatives (CUHI)
University College, Room 259
University of Toronto
15 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7
416-978-7223
FAX: 416-946-0669


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