This project has hosted webinars since 2012 to promote learning, information sharing and to stimulate conversation on topics that we hope are relevant to your practice. Many of the archived webinars are part of the former project, the Refugee Mental Health Project. Since September 2017, webinars have encompassed the expanded scope of newly-arrived immigrants and/or refugees.
Our webinars are one-hour sessions that include a 30-minute presentation by professionals in the settlement, social or health services sectors followed by a 30-minute question and answer session where we encourage you to ask questions, pose scenarios and to generally discuss your practice with these experts in the field.
Upcoming webinars
Identifying and addressing economic abuse
With Lauren Parcher, Registered Social Worker
and Nichola Williams, Human Resources & Project Manager | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leade
Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EST
Register here
Description
Economic abuse is a form of control that limits a survivor’s financial independence and self-sufficiency, creating significant barriers to safety and recovery.
Join Nichola Williams and Lauren Parcher from the Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE) to explore the tactics of economic abuse, its intersection with other forms of abuse, and the short- and long-term impacts on survivors.
Participants will also learn about specific challenges faced by newcomer survivors, best practices for supporting survivors, and practical tools such as safety planning and screening for economic abuse.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:
- Define economic abuse and identify its various forms, including economic control, exploitation, and employment/education sabotage.
- Recognize the systemic barriers that prevent survivors—especially newcomer women—from achieving financial security and independence.
- Apply trauma-informed and survivor-centred approaches to supporting survivors experiencing economic abuse.
- Identify where to access relevant resources and supports for survivors of economic abuse.
About the presenters
Lauren Parcher (they/them) is a Registered Social Worker with CCFWE. As a queer settler and member of the disability community, they are dedicated to fostering emotional safety for survivors of gender-based violence.
Lauren holds a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Engagement from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Social Work from Carleton University.
With over eight years of experience in frontline services, survivor advocacy, and community engagement, Lauren has worked in gender-based violence shelters and the child welfare system, supporting individuals and families through complex transitions.
They also have extensive experience in research and project management, focusing on survivor-centred, anti-oppressive, and intersectional approaches to social work. Their recent collaborations include working with the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women and the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre on anti-violence initiatives centred on 2SLGBTQ+ communities and survivors of human trafficking.
Nichola Williams (she/her) is an experienced Human Resources (HR) Manager and Project Manager at CCFWE, with a background in HR, Project Management, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). With over four years of experience in HR leadership and project execution, Nichola has successfully led initiatives that enhance employee engagement, streamline HR operations, and align talent management with business objectives. She is skilled in policy development, workforce planning, and change management, ensuring that HR processes are both effective and equitable. Her ability to oversee projects from inception to completion enables her to drive meaningful improvements within organizations.
As an HR Professional, Nichola is committed to ensuring workplaces are not just diverse, but truly equitable and inclusive. She actively promotes initiatives that support underrepresented employees, break down barriers, and create cultures of belonging. Through her leadership, she continues to contribute to building workplaces that foster collaboration, innovation, and long-term success.
Looking in and Reaching out: An organizational and network approach for advancing equitable outcomes
With Sadora Asefaw, Executive Lead, Reconciliation and Equity, United Way Greater Toronto and
Jessica Kwik, Director, Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (United Way Greater Toronto)
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 (1:30 - 2:30)
Description:
Join us for an engaging and action-oriented webinar exploring how United Way Greater Toronto is driving equitable outcomes—both internally and across the sector.
This webinar offers the following:
- Concrete examples of an organizational approach to advancing equity
- Strategies for collaborative work across partner organizations and stakeholders/rightsholder to drive equitable outcomes
- Approaches to develop accountability measurements through key performance indicators
In honor of Black History Month, the session will feature Black-focused initiatives.
Presenters:
Sadora Asefaw joined United Way in 2022 as the inaugural Executive Lead, Reconciliation and Equity. She guides the development and implementation of United Way’s key performance indicators (KPIs) for reconciliation and equity. The purpose of the KPIs is to make United Way an equitable funder, fundraiser and achieve equitable outcomes for communities.
She works collaboratively with community leaders, United Way network of agencies, community foundations, subject matter experts, government and corporate partners to advance mutual reconciliation and equity goals for systems change.
Before joining United Way, Sadora’s career focused on championing the needs of the communities she serves, from critical research on care pathways for Black children with disabilities and their families, to designing engaging workshops on topics like deconstructing power and privilege. Sadora’s strategic approach and persistent efforts drive transformative change from a place of authenticity, love, and intention.
Jessica Kwik is the Director of the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG), the local immigration partnership project for Peel region, serving Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga.
PNSG is a project of United Way Greater Toronto (UWGT) funded by Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada, the Region of Peel and UWGT. PNSG engages local partners to collectively support newcomer settlement and inclusion
Jessica has an educational and work background in applied health sciences, environmental studies, mental health promotion and settlement supports. She holds a Master of Environmental Studies with a focus on traditional food knowledge of immigrant households and their contribution to healthy communities.
Prior to joining PNSG, Jessica supported the development of equity approaches at Peel Public Health and as part of the COVID-19 response. She is experienced in building sustainable partnerships that support concrete positive social, environmental and economic outcomes.
Webinar recordings
Now online:
Understanding Developmental Trauma
With Dr. Debra Stein, Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Garry Hurvitz Sickkids Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH)
Description
Developmental trauma describes the effects of chronic and cumulative exposure to traumatic situations through a child's early years and is an important concept when working with newcomer children, youth and families who face adversity.
Developmental trauma describes the effects of chronic and cumulative exposure to traumatic situations through a child's early years and is an important concept when working with newcomer children, youth and families who face adversity.
Children with developmental trauma often have complex mental health presentations, as symptoms and impairment can occur across many diagnostic and functional domains.
Children with developmental trauma often have complex mental health presentations, as symptoms and impairment can occur across many diagnostic and functional domains.
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the different effects of chronic interpersonal trauma on the developing child
- Understand the concept of developmental trauma as a helpful framework for clinicians
- Learn ways to build safety and trust in children's relationships and promote healing.
About the presenter
Dr. Debra Stein is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Garry Hurvitz Sickkids Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH), with a clinical focus on newcomer children, youth and families. Dr. Stein has more than 20 years of experience working with the refugee population in Toronto, formerly with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and now as part of her role at CCMH, where she provides consultation on concerns of resettlement and acculturation. An Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, she has lectured on various aspects of refugee mental health, to a wide range of audiences in the school, settlement and mental health sectors. She currently acts as a Subject Matter Expert for online courses offered by CAMH’s Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project.
Archive:
Note that webinar recordings contain the presentation of the topic only; the question and answer session is not recorded.
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Specific populations and issues
These webinars highlight strategies for supporting particular immigrant and refugee groups, or highlight specific issues in supporting immigrant and refugee mental health. -
Support and treatment considerations
These webinars will focus on specific considerations for providing effective treatment to recent immigrants and refugees. -
Successful or promising practices
These webinars outline innovative and unique approaches/programs for supporting the mental health of newly-arrived immigrants and refugees.
