Collaborators
Carrie Anne Marshall, PhD., OT Reg.(Ont.)
Director, Social Justice in Mental Health Research Lab
Dr. Marshall is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Occupational Therapy at Western University. Her research focuses on the intersection among poverty, homelessness and mental health.
Rebecca Gewurtz, PhD., OT Reg.(Ont.)
Co-Investigator
Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz is an Occupational Therapist and Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Her research is focused on work disability policy, income insecurity and poverty, and employment among people living with disabilities. As part of her program of research, she conducts studies about accessibility and inclusiveness in different types of workplaces, housing and homelessness, and income replacement benefits.
Debbie Laliberte Rudman, PhD., OT Reg.(Ont.)
Co-Investigator
Dr. Laliberte Rudman is a Distinguished University Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. Her research focuses on the socio-political production of occupational, social and health inequities for various collectives, and engages critical qualitative methodologies to inform and enact social transformation to address such inequities.
Abe Oudshoorn, RN, PhD.
Co-Investigator
Having worked as a nurse with people experiencing homelessness, Dr. Oudshoorn’s research focuses on health equity through housing stability.
Roxanne Isard, BA, BEd, MLIS
Librarian
As a Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian my work centres on knowledge synthesis (systematic and scoping reviews) and education. I provide expertise and directly support knowledge synthesis to students, faculty, researchers, and staff, encompassing not only the health sciences faculties, but all faculties. I also provide guidance on the development of protocols, creating, and documenting expert literature searches, validation, and peer review of information retrieval strategies, adhering to reporting guidelines, and advising on standards and methods.
I have been an academic librarian for 15+ years. Previously, I was a Teaching and Learning Librarian for Allied Health and Medicine. Prior to joining Western University, I worked within the corporate environment at the Toronto Stock Exchange, Ontario Securities Commission, and as a Reference Librarian for Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP in Toronto.
I am so fortunate to have become a colleague, collaborator and friend of those on this site. Producing quality review output of systematic and scoping reviews on the topic of homelessness that will benefit the population is a passion of mine.
George Panter
Mr. Panter is an ordained minister of the Third Day Worship Centre in Kingston, Ontario, and a lived experience consultant. Having overcome addiction, homelessness and mental health issues in his own life, it is his passion to meet people's urgent needs and share a message of hope to empower, inspire, and lead people into a greater life.
Lived Experience Consultant
Eric Todd
Lived Experience Consultant
Mr. Todd is an advocate, public speaker and writer who is a survivor of homelessness - a person with lived experience working for a better tomorrow so that others don't have to go through the same trials and tribulations that he did.
River Hill
Lived Experience Consultant
River has had extensive experience in social services both as a client and as a contributor, being involved with various strategic committees and initiatives by using their voice and previous experiences to advocate rights and equality for topics such as lived experience inclusion, homelessness, LGBTQIA+, mental health, disability rights, peer support and transitional aged youth. They enjoy sharing experiences through public speaking, activism, and art.
In their free time they like cycling, reading about theory and learning about various topics, tinkering and repairing electronics, making music, and hanging out with their three wonderful cats.
Brooke Phillips, CYW
Ms. Phillips is a Child and Youth Worker with 20 years of front-line experience working with youth and adults who have experienced homelessness and/or domestic violence. She is coordinating research activities at the Kingston site of the Transition from Homelessness study. Through her involvement in research, she hopes to gather information that will lead to impacting systems meant to assist individuals experiencing homelessness and to gain a better understanding of how to help people experiencing homelessness in the transition to being housed.
Research Coordinator
Julia Holmes, MSc OT, OT Reg (Ont.)
Research Assistant
Julia Holmes is an Occupational Therapist who is interested in the impact of engagement in meaningful activity on mental health and wellbeing and its importance in resiliency and thriving. She has been involved in the Boredom, Mental Health and Homelessness study, the Covid and Mental Health study and the Transition from Homelessness study.
Gord Unsworth, CPCC, MSc, BA
Collaborator
Gord Unsworth is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPPC) who received his certification in 2017 from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) in San Rafael, California.
Gord became a Registered Occupational Therapist in 2007 (College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, Reg. No. G0707075) after receiving his MSc from Queen’s University in 2007 and a BA from Brock University in 2005. Gord has worked as an Occupational Therapist, Professional Practice Leader and Manager in the field of mental health since 2007 and as a clinician has provided individual and group therapy, assessments, consultations, and education. Gord has worked in hospitals and in the community and continues to demonstrate his desire to be a leader in health care.
Gord has also been an adjunct lecturer and clinical supervisor with the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University since 2008 and has recently become a part-time professor with the School of Business at St. Lawrence College (SLC).
Sarah Collins, BA
Collaborator
Sarah is the Program Director for The Salvation Army London Centre of Hope and a Professor at Fanshawe College in the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business. Sarah graduated from King’s University College at Western University with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy in 2007. Sarah has spent the last 14 years working within the Homelessness Sector in multiple positions and is a member of the Steering Committee for the London Homeless Coalition. Through her involvement with many research projects Sarah continues to work towards a better understanding and ways that systems can be improved to ensure that we can see change in our communities so that everyone has a safe space to call home.
Research Coordinators and Assistants
Graduate Students
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Marisa Kfrerer, MSc.
PhD. Candidate;
Student Occupational Therapist
Ms. Kfrerer is a student in a combined PhD./ occupational therapy program at Western University. Her current research interests focus on humour, rehabilitation and health.
Researchgate Profile
Corinna Easton MSc.(OT)
Elham Javadizadeh, MS, OT
PhD. Candidate
Corinna is a graduate of Occupational Therapy interested in social justice issues and the psychosocial determinants of health and occupation. Corinna has experience working in transitional housing settings for people with mental health challenges and in emergency shelter settings. Currently she is pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Dr. Marshall and Dr. Oudshoorn with interests in food security, homelessness and mental health.
Elham Javadizadeh is a student in Health and Rehabilitation Science program at Western University. Her current research interests focus on occupational-based interventions for homeless persons.
PhD. Student
Patti Plett
MOT, OT Reg (AB)
Rebecca Goldszmidt, BSc. (Psychology)
MSc (Candidate)
Ms. Plett is pursuing her MSc under the supervision of Dr. Carrie Anne Marshall and is an occupational therapist interested in mental health, advocacy, and marginalized populations. Her clinical focus is on mental health in the community within the homeless and forensic sectors. She also brings a unique perspective of lived experience with a physical disability, periods of poverty, and experiences of housing precarity. Ms. Plett’s current research interest is experiences of belonging following homelessness.
MSc Student
Rebecca is pursuing her MSc in Occupational Science under the supervision of Dr. Carrie Anne Marshall at Western University. Her current research interests focus on experiences of trauma and homelessness for older adults.