Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Alumni Association

Upd

ate

FALL 2013

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This Update

Alumni Update Message from the Department Chairs

Student Updates

Spring Reunion 2013

Alumni Achievement Awards

Announcements

UpdateusUpdate your address:PT/OT Alumni Association University of Toronto 160/500 University Avenue Toronto, ON M5G 1V7

Or contact Morgan Tilley at:Email: morgan.tilley@utoronto.caTel: 416-978-3588Fax: 416-946-7722

Or directly by clicking here

UPDATE welcomes submissions from alumni. We want to hear about your accomplishments! Please note submissions are subject to gentle editing. Please send submission to ptot.update@utoronto.ca

Physical Therapy

and Occupational

Therapy Alumni

Association

Executive Committee

Gaye WalshPresident (on leave)

Margaret ShawInterim Co-Chair

Mary Sauroil Interim Co-ChairSpring Reunion Committee and PT Faculty Rep

TBATreasurer

Ashley GrahamUpdate Editor

Biraj KhoslaAchievement Awards

Diane GasnerCommunications Committee

Patty RigbyOT Faculty Rep

Shirley LuptonMember-at-Large

Danielle D’AlessandroAndie Hickling (OT)Ryan Wells (PT)Student Reps

Alumni Co-Chair Update...

Our big news is of course the activities of Spring Reunion. You will read about our Alumni Award winners in a separate article. It is always a real thrill to learn of the wonderful achievements of our winners. Mary Sauriol, Co-Chair of the Executive, has been chair of our Special Events Committee and deserves our thanks for the inordinate amount of time required to ensure the success of our annual meeting and breakfast.  In addition this year, we are planning a very special event with dinner and show at the Famous People Players Theatre. Diane Gasner has assumed responsibility for planning and organizing this occasion. Look for more information in this issue. We would like to discover events which will allow those across the country to participate. Any ideas? Please let us know. We are sorry that Angie Andreoli will be leaving us this year. Angie has carried out the duties of treasurer so ably and we are most grateful for her dedication to her role and to the Alumni. However, we are happy to send our best wishes to her and her new son - both mother, father and baby are doing well and getting to know one another. On a different note we are sad to report the death of Dr. Katherine Berg's mother in late July. On behalf of all alumni we extend our deepest sympathy to Katherine. Please keep in touch with your alumni association, e-mail provides up with a wonderful way of communicating and allows us to keep in touch. PLEASE USE IT! We want to hear from you. Sincerely, Marg Shaw

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Departmental Update: Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Greetings! We’ve had an exciting summer with lots of news to share!

I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Angela Colantonio (’78) has been awarded the very prestigious and well deserved Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health for her research program: Gender, Work and Traumatic Brain Injury: Addressing the Gap in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Research, Policy, and Practice. Through this award Angela will train new researchers to study the relationships between work and health associated with gender and sex and translate the findings into recommendations for interventions and policies. Angela’s research has shown that women sustain work-related head injuries much more frequently than previously reported, and she has identified the risk factors associated with gender and types of industry. Angela has also examined the social and environmental factors that affect women's long term health outcomes following traumatic brain injuries. She has discovered that significant numbers of homeless and incarcerated individuals have had traumatic head injuries, but that there are very few resources to address the needs of these individuals. In a set of studies, Angela tracked traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries across the continuum of care for all 14 Local Integrated Health Networks in Ontario, providing guidance to hospital and community programs on what resources are needed in each jurisdiction. Angela has worked tirelessly with health, labour and housing policy-makers and community partners, such as the Brain Injury Association, to align public policies with evidence. Angela contributes to numerous national and international research organizations, and leads the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Task Force on Girls & Women with Acquired Brain Injury. Within the Department, Angela is a highly esteemed mentor and colleague. She chairs our Research Committee and has led unprecedented Department-wide grant initiatives in occupation-based interventions for chronic disease prevention and management. Angela has also held the Saunderson Family Chair in Acquired Brain Injury Research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Hospital Network since 2003.

Thelma Cardwell Research Day

The 2013 Thelma Cardwell Lecture and Student Research Day was held on June 16th in the McLeod Auditorium. Dr. Karen Whalley Hammell, PhD, MSc, Dip COT (UK), OT(C), was selected by faculty members as the 2013 Thelma Cardwell Lecturer. Dr. Walley Hammell’s address: Beyond deficits: Perspectives on well-being and occupational therapy provided a very stimulating challenge to more critically examine some of the profession’s most cherished values. Specifically, Dr. Whalley Hammell discussed our commitment to client-centredness in light of the profession’s current core competency, “enablement”. Dr. Whalley Hammell noted that by definition, enablement is the process of allowing, permitting, making able, giving power, making possible, which implies a hierarchical relationship in which the powerful allow opportunities and bestow abilities on the powerless. Therefore, she argued, our commitment to client-centredness conflicts with purpose of enablement. Dr. Whalley Hammell suggested shifting our focus from ‘what can I do for this person?’ to ‘who is this person and what do they need?’ to

promote “a client-centred partnership with shared power”. Dr. Whalley Hammell introduced a Respect Model of Client-centred Occupational Therapy that focuses therapists’ attention on clients’ abilities, strengths, experiences, knowledge and their moral right to make choices concerning their lives, while maintaining a critical awareness of power relations and of cultural humility. Year 2 Student Melissa Paniccia provided a heartfelt response to Dr. Whalley Hammell’s Thelma Cardwell Lecture. Please see the link for the 2013 Thelma Cardwell Lecture and Research Day on our website (http://www.ot.utoronto.ca/research/research_day/index.asp) where you will find Dr. Whalley Hammell’s lecture, the proceedings of the day and wonderful photos of our speakers, award winners and students presenting their work.

Susan Rappolt, Chair

Hear about Angela’s research at the 2013 OS&OT Research Symposium (see below).

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In her welcoming remarks, Dean Catharine Whiteside congratulated our second year students’ on their outstanding research projects. Every year we are more impressed with our students’ research methods, findings and the sophistication of their oral and poster presentations. Almost all of our students this year also presented their research at the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference in Victoria in May, or will be presenting at the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference in London on September. Here is a sample of the 2013 research topics, students and supervisors:

Caregivers and Persons with Dementia: Increasing Participation in Shared Leisure Activities Michelle DiLauro & Amanda Pereira (students) Jennifer Carr (’97), Mary Chui and Virginia Wesson (supervisors)

Living with Episodic Mental Illness: Work versus Benefits Amanda Yaeck & Justin Simon (students) Rebecca Gewurtz Bonnie Kirsh (’77) (supervisors)

The Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy in an Oncology Rehab Program Jaymie Labelle & Tiffany Wu (students), Debbie Hebert, Jennifer Soong (’08), Margaret Lui (’08) & Stacey Marshall (supervisors)

Outcomes in Pediatric Flexor Tendon Injuries Sara Lindsay & Cynthia Ho (students), Emily Ho (’97) supervisor

Screening for Traumatic Brain Injury and Cognitive Impairments in Homeless and At Risk Youth Jade Ryan & Katie Uram (students), Nancy Ennis, Angela Colantonio (’78), Michael Cusimano & Jane Topolovec-Vranic (supervisors)

Leadership in Promoting Diversity and Inclusion

For several years members of the Department have been building tools to promote diversity and inclusion among our students and across society. As part of The Diversity and Inclusion Group, Barry Trentham, Jill Stier, Debra Mosnyk (Cameron), Lynn Cockburn, Anne Fourt, Alim Lalani, Denise Reid, Rebecca Renwick and Ruheena Sangrar have developed a program to support students’ development of cultural competencies among our culturally diverse student body. During orientation, group members lead our incoming students through a cultural sensitivity workshop that highlights cross-cultural communication challenges and builds awareness of how social-cultural location shapes the therapeutic process. In subsequent sessions, the students develop guidelines to support their individual and collective ability to learn from one another about cultural differences, assumptions and health belief systems. The students’ ‘Guidelines for Cross-Cultural Dialogue’ are then disseminated to students and to core and community faculty to be used in classes, placements and in student study groups. The Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Group submission of their novel teaching tool was profiled as part of the 2013 U of T International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) Campaign.

Mallory Ryan (’11) and Jade Ryan, MScOT Year 2, sisters who have been dancers since they were three, put their knowledge of inclusivity to work when they created Dance Ability, a dance program for children of all abilities. As dance instructors at Dance Elite in Milton, Mallory and Jade designed the Dance Ability to provide 1:1 assistance through a team of volunteers to meet the individual needs of students of all ages, from preschool to young adults. In addition to making the dreams of the children and teens who participate come true, a big part of the program is the training Jade and Mallory provide to their high school student volunteers. Here are a few comments from the volunteers and the dancers’ parents:

“The most important thing that I learned is that the kids aren’t as fragile as they look. They are strong and smart in their own way” - Volunteer

"When [our daughter] was about a year old, they told us she would likely never walk. On her 5th birthday, she danced with her friends! You may never know how much your class has meant to her and to us." Parent

"I just wanted to thank you for teaching [our son's] dance class. He has made so many improvements in his gross motor ability. He loves his dance class and practices his "moves" at home - unlike regular physio. We are amazed at the gains he has made - thank you for this amazing program." Parent

Mallory and Jade were thrilled when Global TV contacted them to showcase Dance Ability on their new program “Walk the Walk” which will air this fall. We’ll keep you posted on the date!

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Announcements:

New Faculty Appointment: With great pleasure we welcome Dr. Nick Reed to our Department as an OS&OT – Bloorview Research Institute Joint Clinical Scientist. As a graduate of both our MScOT program (’07) and the PhD program in the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science (’12), and as a sessional instructor in the Department from 2010-2012, Nick is well known for his innovative research contributions, his engaging teaching style and his ready service to the Department. In his new Joint Clinical Scientist position Nick will continue to build his program of research on return to play, school and other aspects of community integration following concussions. Nick will be working with clinicians at Holland Bloorview to facilitate programs of clinical research to evaluate practices and set practice standards. As clinical research in occupational therapy practices is something that many of our institutional partners aspire to, we will work with Nick to support and advance a model for clinical research among our partner organizations.

2013 Cyclical Program Review – External Review Every five years at the end of the chair’s term, the Department undergoes a comprehensive external review. Dr. Juliette Cooper, University of Manitoba, Dr. Mary Law, McMaster University, and Dr. Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, University of Illinois at Chicago, have received our self-study and will be on site September 26th and 27th. During the two days Drs. Cooper, Law and Suarez-Balcazar will meet with the Dean and members of the decanal team, students, alumni, core faculty, status only and adjunct professors and instructors, chairs of other departments, community partners and Department staff. 2013 Faculty Assembly and Research Symposium Please Mark Your Calendars! Wednesday December 4th 2013

Annual Faculty AssemblySocial and Entrepreneurial Practices of Occupational Therapy:

Forging Beyond Health Care ConstraintsKeynote: Dr. Nick Reed

Clinician Scientist, Department of OS&OT and Bloorview Research InstituteMusic Room Hart House: 2:00- 4:30 p.m.

Faculty Research SymposiumBrain and Mental Health, Human Development, Complex Diseases, and Global Health

Keynote: Dr. Angela ColantonioProfessor, Department of OS&OT, CIHR Chair in Gender Work and Health

Great Hall Hart House: 5:00-7:00 p.m.

The Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is incredibly fortunate to have over 400 status only and adjunct professors and lecturers. We look forward to our Annual Faculty Assembly to share perspectives on new occupational therapy practices and needs for evidence that will shape our educational and research programs. Dr. Nick Reed will share his experiences in setting up a private, uninsured occupational therapy practice to guide children and youth with concussions in safely returning to school, play and sport. Following the Annual Faculty Assembly we will be celebrating Dr. Angela Colantonio’s CIHR Chair in Gender Work and Health and showcasing faculty members’ research in the fields of Brain and Mental Health, Human Development, Complex Diseases, and Global Health.

Thank You In closing, I would like to express the Department’s gratitude to the 96 Alumni who collectively have donated over $15,000 through their annual giving, Alumni Reunion donations, and other very thoughtful gifts this year. Your donations to the Department support our students in four ways. First, your gifts are used to support entrance scholarships to secure the acceptances of our top ranking applicants to the program. We will provide four scholarships to incoming students this fall. Second, your gifts support students in undertaking valuable fieldwork experiences in underserviced settings here and abroad. Over 25% of our students travel outside the Greater Toronto Area and internationally for learning not possible in downtown Toronto. Third, your donations support student travel to conferences to present their research and innovations to national and international audiences. Finally your gifts help us support students who, through unexpected circumstances, find themselves in dire financial need during the program. Your annual giving makes a great impact on the quality of our students’ experiences, and enhances their journey to becoming leaders in occupational therapy.

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It has been an exciting six months in the Department of Physical Therapy! The Department has been very engaged on several fronts. For example, The Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program (OIEPBP) has continued to grow and move forward with a very positive energy and focus thanks to the talented team of Sharon Switzer-McIntyre, Cathy Evans, Alison Bonnyman, Martine Quesnel and Nicole Percival. The OIEPBP admission process was very successful, resulting in a 2013-14 class of 23 learners after assessing 42 applicants. They collaborated with the University of Alberta Bridging

Program to implement an admission assessment.

I am delighted to congratulate Dr. Nancy Salbach, who was successful in being awarded tenure effective July 1st. Nancy was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in September 2007. She has a cross-appointment to the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science and is an Adjunct Scientist at Toronto Rehab/UHN and St. John’s Rehab/Sunnybrook. She received her PhD in Epidemiology through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill. Nancy is widely known for her work in self-efficacy related to walking performance for patients with stroke.

The Department hosted their annual Exceptional Achievement and Recognition Awards Ceremony in the winter. These awards provide an opportunity to

acknowledge those who have made outstanding contributions to the Department of Physical Therapy curriculum. We were pleased to recognize over 130 individuals and teams for their outstanding contributions to the Physical Therapy curriculum. The Exceptional Achievement Award winners were: Angelo Papachristos – Practitioner; and Annette Marcuzzi – Professional Development. Congratulations to all the award recipients! The Awards Celebration was followed by a session for the community entitled: ‘Department of Physical Therapy Curriculum Innovation: a Dialogue’. This was an opportunity for the Department to provide an update on one of our Strategic Directions, our curriculum renewal project. Both events were very successful, with 140 attendees for the Awards Ceremony, and over 60 for the Faculty Curriculum session.

Once again, I would like to thank all the individuals who read the Computerized Administered Profiles (CAPS) this year. Thanks so much to the 95 clinicians, 41 faculty and 73 students who helped mark the exams. We couldn’t do it without you!

Visitors to the Department

Representatives from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE) came to visit the Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program (OIEPBP) here in the Department. Our American Colleagues are in the exploratory stages of developing a Program looking to bridge the gap in the non-US trained physical therapist who is seeking licensure in the United States. The contingent had an action packed day of discussion with a variety of OIEPBP faculty and learners. They also observed classes in action and participated in an Information Session for Potential applicants in the evening. The OIEPBP continues to collaborate with our American Colleagues as they develop their framework for bridging in the United States.

Departmental Update: Physical Therapy

Katherine Berg, Chair

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Alumni Spring Reunion

Graduates from years ending in 3 or 8 gathered in the Rehabilitation Sciences Building for breakfast, presentations and a tour of the building in June. There were Alumni members in attendance who graduated up to 55 years ago. This year, the Achievement Awards were presented to Diana Hopkins-Rosseel for Physical Therapy and Bonnie Kirsh for Occupational Therapy. The Invited Speaker was Dr. Stephanie Nixon, Assistant Professor, who introduced us to the far-reaching work of the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation at the University of Toronto. The morning ended with tours of the building led by students which included the labs of Drs. Karl Zabjek and Sunita Mathur.

Awards and Honours:

Congratulations to Nancy Quinn and Shelley Gautier, who were honored with a Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Canadian Paralympic Committee, in partnership with the Government of Canada. Dina Brooks and Roger Goldstein received the 2012-2013 Ontario Lung Association/Pfizer Canada award for research on COPD/Smoking Cessation. Julie Hard and Deborah Kennedy are inaugural recipients of the Distinguished Rehabilitation Science Alumni Awards from McMaster University. Judith Hunter received the Excellence in Interprofessional Pain Education Award, 2013, from the Canadian Pain Society. Kelly O'Brien was awarded a Connaught New Researcher Award in May. Nancy Salbach received a CIHR New Investigator Award. Kara Patterson received the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s “Focus on Stroke Research Scholarship.” Kara also was awarded the 2013 NSD-PFC Research Grant in Neuroscience by the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada from July 1st, 2013 to June 30th, 2014.

Department of PT students and faculty won several awards at the Ontario Physiotherapy Association’s (OPA) Annual Conference, and the Canadian Physiotherapists Association (CPA) this spring:

CPA:People’s Choice Poster Award (3rd Place): Maegan Bell presented the poster on behalf of her group which included MScPT 2012 graduates Lindsay Bays, Kaitlin Turner, Clara Oi Yan Lai, and Carmen Lau Martine Quesnel: Silver Quill Award for Best Student Paper Published in Physiotherapy Canada 2012: The Ann Collins Whitmore Student Competition: Sachi O’Hoski presented the poster on behalf of her group which included MScPT 2012 graduates Taimoor Tariq Agha, Sachi O’Hoski, Bonnie Winship, and Lauren HerridgePhysiotherapy Foundation of Cda Award – the Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship: Brenda Mori

OPA:Special Award for Professional Contribution External: Jo-Anne Howe, LecturerSpecial Award for Professional Contribution Internal: Maria Lung, PhD studentSpecial Award for Students: Ali Hassan, Second Year Student1st Prize Poster: Michelle Duong; Deepti Singh; Dr. Dina Brooks 2nd Prize Poster: Presenter - Maria Lung; Authors - Jenna Beatty, Sara Brown, Erika Bates, Tara Cameron, Manuel Gomez, Maria Lung, Katherine Berg 3rd Prize Poster: Brenda Mori, Charlotte Anderson

Rehab RoundsPlease join us for the new season of Rehab Rounds which is held the first Thursday of each month at noon at 500 University Avenue. To view upcoming dates please visit our website at http://www.physicaltherapy.utoronto.ca/.

To understand faculty categorization click here for an article on the topic.

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&PT/OT Alumni Evening

COME OUT AND SUPPORT US

3 Course Dinnerand

World Renowned Show with Magical and Meaningful Memories

$75.00 / pp by cheque to Diane Gasner by Oct 1, 2013 722 - 80 Front Street East Toronto, M5E 1T4

Friday, October 25, 20136:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.Famous PEOPLE PlayersDinner Theatre343 Evans AvenueTorontofree parking or TTC access

RSVP: Alumni Office 416 978.1820 or ptotalumni.facmed@utoronto.ca

Click Here to check out a You Tube video of Rick Mercer at the Famous  People Players theatre - he loved it!

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CONTINUE TO VISIT US ON OUR WEBSITE

Stay tuned for web-site revisions and easier access but for now we are the

P & OT Alumni Association

www.ptotalumni.utoronto.ca

To read present and past issues of UPDATE on-line

BOOKMARK THE ABOVE WEBSITETO FIND US EASILY EVERY TIME

You can also find us on Facebook! Check either place regularly for updates and highlights!

Alumni Profile Update: Shelley Gautier

CAN YOU IMAGINE, AN INSTRUCTOR WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE A CANADIAN PARALYMPIAN … and a recipient of the DIAMOND JUBILEE MEDAL, awarded by the Canadian Paralympian Committee in partnership with the Government of Canada. So, lots has happened since Shelley returned home from a successful London Paralympics. After a short and well deserved break she was back training indoors and then at Christmas off to Florida for outdoor training opportunities. With her new Lemond Trainer, Shelley is training five days a week, working on sprints, basic endurance and muscular endurance. Results are looking good for the 2013 Para-cycling Road Season which has officially started with a P1 race in Greenville South Carolina, the road course for the 2014 World Para-cycling Championships

Somehow when in town, Shelley fits in a teaching schedule of one or two days a week at the University of Toronto, Department of Physical Therapy. Her teaching is a critical part of the Disability Course and the Neurological curriculum, focusing on ABI. Shelley says “it is very important to be an elite who is into her sport and is also one who helps out other people. I am grateful for the help I receive and I have found ways to use my knowledge and skills to also help people”. Shelley would be thrilled if you visited her BLOG, http://roadtolondon2012.wordpress.com to follow her training season and time trials in preparation for the Rio Olympics.  Come 2016, we will be cheering from afar.

Shelley Gautier receives Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award

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Student Updates These last few semesters have been fun and exciting for

the OT students. While trying to maintain some work life balance, 3 OT dragon boat teams practiced once a week after placement to train for the dragon boat festival held at the Toronto Island. The training paid off with one boat securing the 3rd place spot within their heat! While the other 2 teams had the chance to beat their own personal bests! There have been a variety of social events including our annual semi-formal, potlucks and pub nights to foster those lasting connections within the student body.

In addition to all these leisure occupations, students have also been able to demonstrate their productivity during the Thelma Cardwell research day. Research themes ranged from assessment to maintaining professional development. OT2 students were given the opportunity to showcase their hard work over the past year to a variety of faculty, staff, clinicians and students with an interest in occupational

Hello from the 2013-14 Physical Therapy Student Council!

Since being elected in July, this year’s council has been hard at work planning the orientation of the incoming class of 2015.  We are very excited to introduce the first year students to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and the beautiful city of Toronto.  This year features a tour of Toronto, a trip to a Blue Jays game, and a day on Toronto Island.  We are looking forward to the many events we have planned for this year and getting more involved in the community to promote the profession of Physical Therapy.

therapy. The long hours, sweat and tears that the OT2s put into their projects paid off as the day was a great success! The OT1’s will definitely have some great learning and inspiration to look forward to as they venture on to their second and final year!

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2014 PT and OT Spring Reunion of Classes ending in 4 or 9

 Saturday, May 31st - Breakfast at 9.30 AM followed by the Annual Meeting, Presentation of the Alumni Awards, Guest Speaker and tours of the Rehabilitation Building at 500 University Ave.

In addition, UofT will be holding many other events from May 20th to June 1st. 

Further information will be forthcoming. Start making arrangements for your class to attend. To contact the PT and OT Alumni:

Email: ptotalumni.facmed@utoronto.ca Phone: (416) 978-1820

Spring Reunion 2013

Saturday morning, June 1 at 500 University, exciting home of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, well attended by the 6T3ers who were impressed by the building, its programs and scholarly activities.

Followed by a celebratory lunch.

We were pleased to be able to contribute to the REUNION CLASS CHALLENGE to raise funds for student scholarship and research.

!!We will be back!!

COULD WE IMAGINE … 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

FOR THE CLASS OF 6T3

A CHANCE TO REMEMBER AND TO CELEBRATE

WE WERE THERE IN FULL COLOUR

To advertise for your own

class reunion please

submit your request to

ptot.update@utoronto.ca

or place a notice on the

Alumni’s Facebook page.

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2013 Alumni Achievement Awards Recipients

Biraj Khosla, Bonnie Kirsh, Diana Hopkins-Rosseel, Diane Gasner

Diana Hopkins-Rosseel is a 1982 graduate of the U ofT Physical Therapy program. She has a an MSc. In Rehab from Queen’s University.

Immediately after qualifying as a Physiotherapist Diana’s experience has included many years working as a as a full-time staff physiotherapist, and running her own Cardiac Rehab Centre in Kingston for eight years. Her career in teaching full-time at Queens University began in 1989 as a Lecturer, through to Assistant professor in 1994, Associate Professor in 1999, and Professor since 2011. Throughout her years teaching at Queens University Diana has continued to work at the Hotel Dieu Hospital on a casual basis which she does to this day.

Diana’s multiple education-related initiatives in Physical Therapy and Rehab have led her

students to describe her as an educator, clinician, scholar and a mentor. Since 2002 Diana has Chaired the Canadian Physiotherapy Associations’s Cardiorespiratory Division. She has done so while focusing intensively on evidence-based methods for behaviour modification in physical therapy; research in cultural competence, and interprofessional education which she has also presented on at the provincial & national Physiotherapy Associations as well as World Confederation of Physical Therapy Conferences.

It is important to point out that Diana was well ahead of her times in her passion for interprofessional education which she has championed since 1989. Her achievements include research published in peer reviewed journals, two books, innumerable presentations, workshops, and seminars. She presented at the Society for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education focusing on key issues in education; innovative educational environments, independent learning practices

PT Award Recipient

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and entry-level competency in Physical Therapy programs. In doing so Diana has not only inspired and led her students but also made a major impact on the Physical Therapy profession through her support of practice standards and presenting at research-based symposia. Diana has won many awards and honours including those from the Hotel Dieu Hospital, University of Western Ontario, Queens University as well as the Ontario Physiotherapy Association.

Diana’s sharp professional focus integrates knowledge and theory with practice because in addition to teaching Diana has continued doing clinical work for the past 31 years even while teaching full-time . Diana has brought the experience of her diverse professional roles to bear on direct service benefitting and making meaningful difference to clients’ quality of life.

Diana’s work as a clinician and business owner has been her impetus to create and teach a course at Queen’s University titled “Business Practices in Rehab”. Among those Diana has included to teach this course are experienced clinic owners, accountants and bankers. Thereby helping students develop a combination of both clinical skills and business training. Aside from research, and articles Diana has shared her unique perspective as a clinician, researcher and educator in book chapters, a book titled: “Business in Clinical Practice: How to Get There from Here” which was published in 2007 and subsequently as lead co-author on a second Book titled “Your Clinical Practice – Being the Best There Is”.

Today adding to Diana’s many awards and honours, it is our pride and privilege to present her with this year's Alumni Achievement Award for Physical Therapy.

Writing this speech about Bonnie’s career and achievements has been a daunting task. Because her achievements are very extensive and wide-ranging. From all perspectives whether direct-service, research, or academia Bonnie’s career has focused on improving the

lives of people living with mental illness. Bonnie is a true exemplar of acting local and impacting global because she studied at UofT as an undergraduate, a graduate student, and now as faculty member; being in Toronto and with her teaching, research, advocacy and leadership making an impact well beyond Toronto.

She began her career working at the Clarke Institute, (now part of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in it’s Work Adjustment Program counselling individuals with mental illness who wanted to return to work. And then moved on to her role as a community OT while also becoming a clinical associate at UofT. It was these experiences which laid the foundation for her research and advocacy to follow. Bonnie recognized the enormity of the challenge of persons with mental illness returning to work because of the stigma that haunts mental illness. But Bonnie also knew that that walls turned sideways can become bridges. Since then Bonnie has focused her sustained endeavours at all levels to improving the lives of people living with mental illness.

As clinical associate Bonnie felt the pull of academia and completed her PhD in Applied Psychology, studying factors that promote and impede work for people with mental illnesses.

Bonnie’s research has since focused on community and work integration for persons living with mental illnesses. When I said Bonnie’s work has been extensive and wide-ranging, I was referring to her investigations of critical components of community support programs, studying the impact of workplace cultures on mental health, examining employment outcomes associated with models like supported employment. In addition Bonnie also focused on the mental health of injured workers. Her current work is testing programs aimed at reducing stigma in workplaces. She has received funding from Tri Council granting agencies, the Canadian government, the Ontario Mental Health Foundation and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, amongst others. She has published numerous articles, reports, and book chapters on the topic, spoken and

OT Award Recipient

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advocated for those with mental illness on various forums, in the media and otherwise.

Bonnie’s past experience as a clinician, and her research focus on mental health has led governments and policy makers to consult her on employment and disability policies for people with mental illnesses. In fact Bonnie is the only OT on the Mental Health Commission of Canada since its inception five years ago. The commission recently rolled out it’s national strategy for mental health in Canada, just earlier this year.

Aside from Bonnie’s research on employment and stigma, Bonnie has brought her OT perspective to the largest project on homelessness in the world – which involves five Canadian cities, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton. Over 2,000 Canadians in these five cities were randomly assigned to either an experimental intervention, called Housing First, or to treatment as usual. The recent 2013 federal budget referred to this study in its commitment to devoting $119 million annually over over five years to the problem of homelessness in Canada.Bonnie has also continually maintained her commitment to her students as she has taught

and supervised countless students in their coursework, research projects and doctoral dissertations and through her mentorship has contributed to increasing research capacity in the area of mental health and most importantly, has enlightened and inspired her students to promote meaningful occupation for people living with mental illnesses, addictions and homelessness.

If I were to talk for another few hours I could still not do justice to Bonnie’s work, though I would like to add that in the areas of administration and advocacy, after stepping down from her role as interim Chair of the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy she has continued as the Vice Chair of the Department from 2009-2012.

It would be a futile effort on my part to go into the innumerable research grants Bonnie has been awarded but Bonnie was honoured to receive the Excellence in Peer Mentorship Award in 2008.

On this note I have to say it is our a high privilege and honour to add to Bonnie’s many awards and honors by presenting her with this year’s Alumni Achievement Award for Occupational Therapy.

The Alumni Achievement Awards continues to applaud Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy graduates who have made an exceptional contribution as a member

of each of our professions. The award acknowledges a diversity of achievements in Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Scholarly Activity within the clinical,

community, or academic environments; Therapeutic Practice; Education at any level; Administration and Political Advocacy.

Please continue to support the Alumni Achievement Awards by making a nomination! You can find information on how to make a nomination on the last page.

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Call for Clinical Instructors: IMAGINE (Interprofessional Medical and Allied Groups for Improving Neighbourhood Environment) is an interprofessional, UofT student-run community health initiative aimed at promoting and providing health care, and is looking for registered physiotherapists for its clinic to supervise students on a 1:1 basis. The IMAGINE clinic is a primary health care clinic that serves marginalized populations in Toronto. The clinic is staffed by students and preceptors from various disciplines, including social work, nursing, pharmacy and medicine. A document describing the extent of services provided is available upon request. Great opportunity to serve the community and gain teaching experience. For more information please visit http://www.torontomeds.com/imagine/.

Announcements

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If you’d like to make a gift, please visit the Rehabilitation Sciences Sector’s online giving page (donate.utoronto.ca) to make a donation to either Physical Therapy or Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Funds raised are used to support students through bursaries and scholarships and also to fund travel to national and international conferences and clinical placements.

Would you like to reconnect with classmates or would like a class list to help with reunion planning? Contact Morgan Tilley, Alumni Relations Coordinator at (416) 978-3588 or morgan.tilley@utoronto.ca for advice and assistance with your reunion activities.

Also, as an alumnus or alumna of the University you have access to a wealth of benefits through the Alumni Relations Office.

You can:

- Access U of T’s vast library resources

- Attend University, Faculty and Department events

- Join our recreation and athletics facilities

- Get a UToronto alumni email address

- Join the Faculty Club- Access Financial Services- Access the Alumni Travel

ProgramIf you would like more information, please contact medicine.alumni@utoronto.ca or call 416-946-0542.

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Dear Alumnus:

The Alumni Achievement Award was established in 1995, and awarded first at the AGM in June 1996. The Award acknowledges graduates who have made an exceptional contribution as a member of the Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy professions. Alumni or members of the public may nominate a University of Toronto graduate in Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy for this award. The year 2012 marked the 17th anniversary of the Achievement Award.

Beginning in 1996 an award has been made to one alumnus from Physical Therapy and one alumnus from Occupational Therapy each year. The areas of achievement for consideration for this Award are based on achievements in any three of the following categories:

• Scholarly Activity in clinical, community, or academic environment • Therapeutic Practice• Education (of PT/OT students, (at university or college level) health professionals, general public• Administration• Political activity and advocacy for the profession of PT/OT.

The Achievement Award Committee will contact all nominators to acknowledge receipt of nominations. The Selection Committee may contact nominees to obtain additional information related to their nomination. Please include phone and/or email contact information of the nominee in your nomination. A CV and/or comprehensive information providing specifics of the nominee’s achievements is REQUIRED to give the Achievement Award Committee a more complete idea of the nominee.

If you require assistance in completing a nomination, or have additional questions please contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.

All information provided will be used exclusively for Award determination purposes.

To contact us or forward nominations:

Alumni Achievement AwardPT & OT Alumni AssociationUniversity of Toronto500 University Avenue, Room 161Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7

Phone: 416-978-1820 ptotalumni.facmed@utoronto.ca www.rehab.utoronto.ca

AWARD NOMINATION FORM

NOMINEE Name________________________Address:_________________________________________________________________________Telephone:(H)_________________(W)________________________E- mail: ______________________Year of Graduation_____________PT_________ OT_____________

The Nominator should describe the outstanding contributions in each category checked, in a covering letter. The more comprehensive the information the better.

NOMINATOR Name________________________Address:_________________________________________________________________________Telephone:(H)_________________(W)________________________E- mail: ______________________

Scholarly ActivityTherapeutic PracticeEducationAdministrationPolitical Activity/Advocacy