17th Annual Meeting May 5-6, 2006 Bayview-Wildwood Resort

The Sparrow Lake Alliance would like to acknowledge and thank The Provincial Center of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO for their financial support of the SLA Annual Conference held May 5-6th 2006, held at the Bayview Wildwood Inn.

The encouragement and the support of the Centre for Excellence was instrumental and enabled the Sparrow Lake Alliance – a completely voluntary organization – to provide a top quality conference, sharing the issues of children and youth mental health with over 100 participants from across the province.

The Sparrow Lake Alliance is also pleased to announce that Dr. Ian Manion, Executive Director of Operations at the Centre of Excellence, will join the Steering Committee for a two-year term beginning in September 2006. We look forward to Dr. Manion’s contribution and forging greater links across our membership to better address mental health issues in Ontario.

		THEME: “Creating the Schools We Want for Our Children: A Community Responsibility”

This year's annual conference consists of presentations that focus on how safe and caring schools can be created for our children and youth.

Broad concern for international competitiveness has led to a renewed focus on academic achievement and public accountability by educators.  At the same time, there has been widespread concern about school violence, bullying and school drop outs. Changes in society and families are producing pressure for schools to do more to foster academic and life success.  How can we, as a community, use our resources, our values, and the evidence of research, to create the school culture that our children and youth require to be successful?

Dr. Bruce Ferguson
Director, Community Health Systems Resource Group
The Hospital for Sick Children
"Schools That Make Our Kids Successful"

		Download Keynote Address (40KB)
		Download Slides (515KB)

Dr. Bruce Ferguson is the Director of the Community Health Systems Resource Group at the Hospital for Sick Children. He is also a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Public Health Sciences and a member of the Graduate Faculty at the University of Toronto. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology at Monash University in Melbourne Australia following B.A. and M.A. degrees at Queen’s University. Dr. Ferguson taught psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa for nearly two decades before moving to health care. His published research is in the area of developmental psychopathology with a focus on the disruptive disorders of childhood. He has been a Visiting Scientist at the Biological Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States. His work in the Community Health Systems Resource Group focuses on creating and implementing systemic models for children’s success and improving services for children and youth at the community level.

Presentation Summaries

Dr. Linda Baker
Executive Director, Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System, London ON

“Panel on Integration of Services”

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Dr. Linda Baker is presently the Executive Director of the Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System. She is an adjunct professor in both the Department of Psychology and the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Baker is on the Board of Directors for the Sexual Assault Centre of London and on the Editorial Board for Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Her current research focus is on children affected by violence. Most recently, she co-edited Protecting Children from Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention, and co-authored Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and its Effects on Children and Helping Children Thrive: Supporting Woman Abuse Survivors as Mothers. Dr. Baker has developed provincial training initiatives for children’s mental health, early childhood education, youth justice, child protection, and anti-violence agencies. She has been invited to speak and facilitate workshops in her areas of expertise in Canada, the United States and Great Britain.

John Liston
Interim Executive Director,
Children's Aid Society of Oxford County

“Creating the Schools We Want for Our Children: A Community Responsibility”

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John Liston is an expert in the area of child welfare response to allegations of child sexual abuse. For the past 20 years, Mr. Liston served as the Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex, overseeing the provision of a full range of child protections services including child abuse services, adoption, foster care and the operation of six group homes. Mr. Liston began his career in social work as a front-line child protection worker in Toronto, later becoming Executive Director of the Big Brothers of Metropolitan Toronto. In 1978, he was named Assistant Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto until 1985. Mr. Liston has served on many committees and task forces related to social work and child protection. While in London, he held the post of President of the Board of Directors of King’s College of the University of Western Ontario. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario, a Master’s degree in Social Work from Carleton University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from York University.

Sally Potts
Principal, Simcoe District School Board

“Bridging the Primary Years to Compass: Bringing Community, Families and Schools Together”

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Sally Potts is in her fourth year as the principal of Harriett Todd Public School. Harriett Todd is a wonderful school with many challenges. With the team support of various community agencies, school board and school council, they have made a number of significant changes with their school community. Sally has two teenagers and a husband who keep her grounded. She has taught all elementary grades, worked in special education, taught in England, been a consultant, a librarian and a vice principal. Sally has presented at a number of conferences. She comes from a family that is passionate about public education.

TOPIC: “Updates”

	The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO Dr. Ian Manion
	Children in Limbo Task Force Dr. James Wilkes
	SLA January 2006 Symposium Report Graham Clyne

	Download “Update: The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO”
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		Download Slides (458KB)

	Download Summary “Update: Children in Limbo Task Force”
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	Download “Board Governance and the Integration of Services for Children and Youth”
		Download Report (458KB)

TOPIC: “Life in the Fast Lane: Change in the Ministries Vision, Current Activities and Future Plans”

Judith Wright
Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Judith Wright was first appointed Deputy Minister in February 2005. Prior to this appointment she was ADM at the Ministry of Education, Strategic Planning and Elementary/Secondary Programs division. Judith has served as ADM in various ministries including the Ministry of Community and Social Services, Strategic Planning & Policy Division from 1992, Ministry of Environment & Energy, from 1994 -1997 and Ministry of Health, from 1997 – 1999. She has also worked as Executive Coordinator for Social Policy at the Provincial Cabinet Office. Judith started her public service career working for a number of departments with the federal government.

	Download “Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services: Overview”
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		Download Slides (177KB)

Dr. Ben Levin
Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Education

Dr. Ben Levin was appointed Deputy Minister of Education for Ontario in the fall of 2004. He holds this position on leave from a Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy at OISE/University of Toronto. From 1999-2002 he was deputy minister of Advanced Education, and deputy minister of Education, Training and Youth in Manitoba. He held other senior positions in the Manitoba government in the 1980s. His academic career includes a number of positions at The University of Manitoba where he received some $1 million in research funding. He is the author or co-author of about 100 articles in academic, professional and popular publications, and of 4 books, the most recent of which, Governing Education, was published by University of Toronto Press in 2005. He has extensive international experience in education policy and is a frequent speaker at national and international events. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, Harvard University, and the University of Toronto.

	Download “The Ontario Education Agenda”
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