Annual Conference

Ms. Viki Scott

RC (c); BSc OccHealth; RRP; CHRM; MBA; ADR (c)

Viki Scott is the President and Principal Consultant of Scott & Associates Inc.

Viki has an extensive history with both the public and private sectors, primarily in unionized environments. She has lead significant change management initiatives for major public, non for profit and private sector organizations. Her leadership positions include the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Workplace Health and Safety Agency, OPSEU and Extendicare, Canada In addition, she was a National Practice Leader at Watson Wyatt Worldwide and a Senior Manager with KPMG LLP where she directed and lead a high performance team supplying direct technical consulting services to Employers concentrating in the areas of labour management relations, occupational health & safety, absence and attendance and human resource management consulting practice. She also, has had the privilege of being a Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to an Ontario Cabinet Minister where she influenced the appointment of the first Employment Equity Commissioner for the Province of Ontario.

Viki has a particular expertise in labour management relations, with both employer and union sided experience, and has been successful in introducing workplace interest based consensus models for managing identified areas of conflict. She has established a reputation for the effective work she has lead resulting from her Transformational Mediation skills she brings to the parties for resolving conflict.

She has developed strong working relationships with the various government Labour Agencies and has an in-depth knowledge of federal and provincial workplace statutes. She has presented cases before the Workers Compensation Appeals Tribunal, Labour Relations Board, Grievance Settlement Board, Pay Equity Commission and the Human Rights Commission. Viki lead the Employment Equity initiative for a major public sector union and successfully negotiated and implemented various Employment Equity Plans with the OPS and BPS Sector Employers. She also led a provincial Pay Equity Negotiation Team responsible for negotiating well over 400 Pay Equity Agreements. As a Rehabilitation Specialist, Viki has been very successful with supporting workplace parties in developing strategies for meeting their return to work and workplace accommodation obligations.

Viki has also worked with various employers in meeting Occupational Health and Safety due diligence compliance in Canadian (Provincial and Federal), U.S.A., and European jurisdictions. She has developed standardized assessment and diagnostic tools that are used for identifying and minimizing risks. One of her many accomplishments is that in her capacity as the Senior Development Officer with the Ontario Workplace Health and Safety Agency, she was responsible for the development and implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Certification Training Program. In addition, during her tenure with the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services she received a number of commendations for her leadership during a provincial strike, SARS and the provincial “blackout”.

Viki has worked with a wide range of Bargaining Agents such as CAW, OPSEU, CUPE, AMAPCEO, CEP, USWA, OPSSU, ASU, UFCW, PSAC, LIUNA, PAO, AJC, ONA, OLBEU, SEIU, UNIFOR and the Teamsters Union.

Viki has an MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science, in Occupational Health. Viki also holds post graduate degrees in Alternative Dispute Resolution from York University and in Human Resource Management. She also has an Advanced Certificate in Board Governance. She is a Registered Rehabilitation Professional operating under license #SCOV0381-R. Viki has held Associate Professorship positions with the Rehabilitation Services Program, Seneca@York, and the Transformational Leadership Program for Women at Atkinson College, York University and in the Disability Management Program for the National Institute for Disability Management and Research. She currently is a Professor with the Seneca@York Government Relations Post Degree Program and the Public Relations -Corporate Communications Post Degree Program. She is also an Adjunct Professor with the Ryerson University Center for Labour Management Relations.

Viki has received Order in Council Appointments (Ontario Cabinet) for the North York Board of Health, and the Toronto Hospital Community Advisory Board, held Executive positions with the Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Professionals, the Ontario Association of Rehabilitation Professionals and the Canadian Association for Disability Management Coordinators. She is a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, the Society for Human Resources Management, the ADR Institute of Canada, the Ontario Bar Association ADR Section (Affiliate), the ADR Institute of Ontario, the Canadian Industrial Relations Association, the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Conflict Resolution Network of Canada, the Association for International Arbitration, the International Association on Workplace Bullying and Harassment, the National Association Safety Professionals, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the National Case Management Network, the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada, the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Ontario, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the International Federation of University Women, the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Canadian Pain Society, the Women’s Executive Network, an Associate Member of the Canadian Society of Medical Evaluators and an inducted Member of the Women of Influence. She is a past Member of the Humber River Regional Hospital Board of Directors and Quality Assurance Committee. She is also a member of the Toronto Board of Trade, the Government Relations Institute of Canada, the Public Affairs Association of Canada, and the Institute for Public Administration of Canada.

Mark Wafer

Franchise Owner , Tim Hortons

Mark Wafer is the owner of six Tim Hortons restaurants located in Toronto, Ontario. In the past 18 years Mark and his wife Valarie have hired 85 people with disabilities in meaningful and competitively paid positions and currently employ 36 people with disabilities in all aspects of the business including entry level positions, logistics, customer service, production, administration and management.

Mark is not only a leading advocate for people with disabilities in the area of employment but also the lead business champion on the rotary at work initiative, a member of Ontario's Lieutenant Governors accessibility team, an inaugural inductee into Ontario's Champions league and one of four members of the Federal governments panel on opportunities for people with disabilities in the workforce.

Mark lives with his wife Valarie in Ashburn, Ontario. In his spare time, Mark is a motorsports enthusiast, a race car driver and a former amateur race car champion.

Micheal Pietrus

Director, MHFA & Opening Minds

• Director of Mental Health First Aid and the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s international award winning anti-stigma initiative Opening Minds. In February 2015, Opening Minds received the Innovator Award from the organizers of the 7th Together Against Stigma Conference in San Francisco as the “…program which creates a major impact through new approaches that inspire new possibilities and/or disrupts prevailing views.”

• Under Micheal’s leadership, the Commission launched Opening Minds, its 10-year anti-stigma/anti-discrimination initiative which is the largest systematic effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness in Canadian history. He was appointed Director of MHFA in July 2015

• Micheal is a founder of the Global Anti-stigma Alliance, which is composed of more than 20 international organizations working to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness

• He is a former member of the Board of the Alberta Lieutenant Governor’s Circle on Mental Health and Addictions and is a member of the advisory committee for the Centre for Dignity, Recovery and Empowerment, San Francisco, CA.

• Micheal was also a Director with the Alberta Mental Health Board.

Kevin Lippold

Resource Coordinator at Progressive Alternatives Society of Calgary (PASC)

PASC was established in 1985 as a supportive employment program for adults with intellectual disabilities. PASC’s primary operating practices include personalized planning, one on one supports, collaborative partnerships and responsiveness to evolving employer, workforce and participant needs.

Kevin Lippold, MBA-International Marketing
In 2007 he achieved a Business, International Marketing Degree from Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB.

Experience:
Resource Coordinator, Progressive Alternatives Society of Calgary (PASC), April 2013 – Present (3 years), Calgary, Alberta

• Connecting with Employers to fill their organizational needs

• New Staff Orientation

• Program Planning/Caseload Management

• Intake

• Planning meetings

• Areas outside of employment – housing, medical, food etc.

• Administration – yearly government paper work, scheduling, vacation requests

• Staff supervision

• Staff evaluations

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Sean McEwen

Sean McEwen is currently Director of Employment Services at Calgary Alternative Support Services. He has over 30 years of experience working with people with disabilities in a variety of settings. For the past 18 years Sean has been working in Supported Employment and Supported Entrepreneurship service delivery and design. As a Senior Consultant at RealEyes Capacity Consultants, Sean engages with service providers and business to build their capacity in Workplace Diversity and Inclusion. An avid proponent of Social Innovation, Sean has helped developed social media networks and regional networks dedicated to the Employment Inclusion of people with disabilities. He has also co-developed and facilitated provincial curriculum in Supported Employment and Career Counsellor Training through the Alberta Council of Disability Services.

Sean’s educational background is in Youth Services and Emotional Disturbance. He is a Certified Employment Specialist and has chaired the board of directors for both the Alberta Association for Supported Employment, as well as the Canadian Association of Supported Employment. Both of these associations have utilized ‘Best Practice Documents’ authored by Sean. He also blogs about work in the sector on a weekly basis.

Sean has presented on a range of topics pertaining to employment inclusion and business development for persons with disabilities at numerous provincial and national conferences – as well as at a number of colleges and universities.

When not working, Sean’s attention is directed to family, friends, mountain-biking and snow-boarding.

Don Smith

Don Smith has been a probation officer working with sexual offenders (1980-1995) and was a private counselor working with victims and offenders, as well as clients dealing with traumatic histories. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant factor in depression, anxiety and behaviors that are offensive. Don provided corrections staff with training related to sexual assault and victimization. He also has delivered treatment programs for offenders based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Don became a Rehab Consultant in 1999 after delivering a presentation on the relationship between trauma history and disability. Specializing in mental health and chronic pain, he has worked with numerous employees, mainly teachers, dealing with mental health disabilities, helping them to access resources, develop resiliency and, ultimately, return to work. He has developed and facilitated group programs for teachers struggling with stressors in the workplace and being somewhat symptomatic. The program was designed to specifically develop resiliency skills to maintain and enhance their level of function at work.

Don has since become the owner and CEO of Vital Life, a company specializing in disability management from a holistic perspective which includes mental, physical and financial well-being. Vital Life focuses on achieving work-life balance through health and hard work, recognizing that financial well-being comes from being gainfully and happily employed, feeling safe and comfortable in their employment.

Linda R. Crockett, MSW, RSW

Linda has been a professional social worker for over 26 years. As a witness and target of Workplace Bullying (including mobbing) in her own profession, her career is dedicated to development of a Centre which provides education, intervention, prevention, and recovery services for anyone affected by behaviours of bullying. Linda offers a holistic perspective to addressing the diverse, multi-layered, complex phenomenon of bullying.

She completed her Masters of Social Work Degree with a specialty in this area and later completed additional training at the Workplace Bullying Institute with Dr. Gary Namie. In August of 2015 Linda completed the Inaugural Summer School: Formulating Evidence Based Treatment for Targets of Bullying which was hosted by the International Association of Workplace Bullying and Harassment. Researchers and therapists from around the world shared their work with 24 helping professionals. This included assessment, diagnosis and treatment frameworks for treating people traumatized by bullying and harassment.

Linda has created a service in Edmonton Alberta to support healthy changes and increase health and safety for all communities within and outside of Alberta.

As a presenter, Linda has facilitated workshops to social workers, teachers, youth justice volunteers, the Edmonton Support Network, First Nation and Métis Communities, teens entering the workplace, domestic violence survivors preparing for the workplace, and more.

As a therapist, Linda offers a safe and confidential space for clients to feel heard and validated. Clients need to process their story and experience support during a difficult decision making period. Linda supports her clients with brainstorming solutions and options while treating symptoms that may vary from e.g. anxiety, fear, confusion, and the effects of isolation or ostracism. Many of Linda’s clients find themselves struggling with the complexity of navigating numerous systems e.g. insurance companies, medical teams, unions, and human resources. Linda is skilled and thorough when identifying gaps within these organizations, she offers support and individualized recommendations.

Performance Management

The most common and most stress-laden mistake front line supervisors, managers, and leaders make is believing they are responsible for making their employees work harder, faster, or better. Supervision, management, and team leadership are hard enough without taking on responsibilities that belong to someone else.

In this keynote, seminar presentation or workshop, Sheila talks and works with your group to place the responsibility for producing quality results back where it belongs – squarely on your employees’ shoulders.

You will learn how much more respect you are showing for your staff when you expect and require them to do the work they were hired to perform and how much more respect you will receive in return when you learn how to step aside and let them do it.

Sheila’s presentation or workshop is not about abdication; it’s about accountability and empowerment – real empowerment, as opposed to lip service. It’s about learning how to help your employees take pride in doing their very best. It’s also about understanding the difference between ability to do the job and willingness to do the job.

What you will be able to apply:

• How to discover strengths and limitations – yours and your employees,

• How to sidestep the most common snares & hazards,

• How to achieve a greater understanding that will result in increased loyalty, and enhanced staff productivity, and

• How to experience the joy of leading and supervising.

“You can have a better team or … when absolutely necessary … a different team. You can become a better leader!”

mRehabilitation

Presented by CBI Health

mRehabilitation- Exploration of the trends in use of technology to provide services that support recovery outside of clinical environments.

• What are the barriers and risks?

• How can they be mitigated?

• Current tools that have clinical relevance.

• How does this address service gaps. Is it effective – what does the research say?

• What does the future hold.

Jennifer Dunn, BScPT

Physiotherapist, AB Regional Manager Disability Services
CBI Health Group

Jennifer has over 18 years of experience in working as a Physical Therapist, and started her focus in Orthopaedic focused care. She went on to complete requirements to be on the Spinal Manipulation Roster as well as Injury Management Consultant Roster with the Physiotherapy College + Association. She has completed extensive training in Functional Capacity Evaluations, both Physical and Cognitive, Chronic Pain, Cancer Survivorship, Medical Legal Expert training, Motivational Interviewing and CBT. Jennifer has spent her clinical years working with a wide variety of clients individually as well as in multidisciplinary teams.

Always interested in finding ways to solve barriers to care, including optimizing outcomes, cost effectiveness, and access to care, Jennifer has developed an interest in using technology to help address these issues over the past 10 years. She has implemented individualized programs to work with clients that are not able to attend traditional clinical models to access services regularly, or at all, and to find ways to support their recovery in their communities and work places. She also works to be able to find ways to objectively monitor their progress and function, using technology. This field of practice started as Telehealth or eHealth, but with the trends of technology, has progressed to mRehabilitation.

Jennifer has presented in conferences, seminars, and educational events both internally and externally. She speaks on biopsychosocial models of care, client engagement, pain, complex clients, triage/navigation, FCE, and mRehabilitation. She is presently involved in working on developing various mRehabilitation service streams that are standardized and replicable as well as evaluating their effectiveness.