Knowledge Hub Presents
The Knowledge Hub Presents series features information on trauma- and violence-informed research and practice developed by members of the Trauma-Informed Community of Practice in their work related to the Preventing and Addressing Family Violence: The Public Health Perspective (2022-2026) investment of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The series provides a platform for the Trauma-Informed Community of Practice to share their expertise with a larger public audience and encourage knowledge mobilization opportunities. Recordings are available on the website after the live event.
Let's Connect, Share, Learn Together!
Upcoming Events
Date | Time: Wednesday June 25, 2025 | 1:00 to 1:30 pm Eastern Time (ET)
Mothers and children who survive gender-based and family violence may experience mental, physical, behavioural , and relational challenges. Our evaluation explored the impacts of expressive arts-based programming offered by YWCA Toronto, that provides support simultaneously to both mothers and children who have survived violence. This presentation will share perspectives from mothers, children, and group facilitators about the strengths and opportunities that exist in this approach to programming.
By the end of this presentation participants will:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the Sharing in the Healing Journey program's evaluation components.
- Explore the impacts and outcomes of the program from the perspectives of mothers and children.
- Examine the successes, opportunities, and sustainability for such programming in the future.
Presenter
Dr. Stephanie Begun is an Associate Professor and RBC Chair in Applied Social Work Research at the Factor- Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Her research focuses on improving the health and wellness of equity-deserving youth, with particular attention to youths' reproductive and sexual health access, education, and outcomes. Stephanie has been recognized through awards received at academic conferences, including the North American Forum on Family Planning and the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. She is also the co-founder and the co-director of the Youth Wellness Lab at the University of Toronto, a research collaborative that brings together academic researchers, community-based partners, and youth advisors, with a shared goal of improving services and outcomes across multiple intersecting domains by, with, and for youth. Stephanie is also Cross -Appointed Affiliated Faculty with the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, and a Faculty Affiliate with the University of Toronto School of Cities. She was named Director, Social Work Research to the Contraception and Abortion Research Team (CART-GRAC), based out of the University of British Columbia.
Gaja Ananthathurai came into her Master of Social Work program with an interest in being involved in making systemic change and taking action against the social injustices she was seeing in the world around her. However, she was still trying to figure out what was the best route to do that and how she wanted to engage in making the changes she was hoping to see. She was involved in research during her undergraduate degree, namely in mental health and linguistic research, but it wasn't until she took policy and research classes in her social work program that she was able to more clearly make the link on how research informs practice. Gaja found herself soon drawn to social work research as a means of producing the data and reports necessary to provide a strong foundation/knowledge base to inform the advocacy work she was passionate about. Issues that she hopes to positively impact through research include reproductive justice, abortion information and care, gender-based violence, and complex mental health and these intersections with youth, gender-diverse, neurodiverse, racialized, and newcomer populations.
Rasnat Chowdhury is a doctoral student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Arts Psychology degree from York University, and a Social Service Worker Diploma from Humber College. Rasnat’s research interests are focused on the intersection of child welfare and intimate partner violence. Rasnat has worked in child welfare, education, and residential settings, supporting individuals and families with diverse needs. Currently, she works as a research assistant supporting various projects related to child welfare and/or family violence.
This KH Presents will run in English with simultaneous French interpretation
Recordings
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ASTRA: Training in Trauma-Informed Approaches to Perinatal Care. Presented by Marie-Ève Grisé Bolduc, M.Sc. psychoeducation on April 23, 2025.
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Understanding and Evaluating the "Kids' Club and Mother's Empowerment" (KCME) Program: Impacts, Challenges, and Sustainability . Presented by Ginette Landry on March 25, 2025.
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Building Capacity: Interdisciplinary Toolkits and Resources for Gender-Based Violence & Brain Injury Survivors and their Advocates . Presented by Kelsy Dundas, Nikki Plant and Rifaa on February 18, 2025.
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Cross-Sectoral Solutions: Research Insights and Impacts from GBV-BI survivors . Presented by Gifty Asare on February 11, 2025.
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Art and storytelling with families: Sharing our experience . Presented by Fernanda Camejo and Laurence Gauthier on January 16, 2025.
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RISE: Toward Evidence-Based Elder Mistreatment Prevention and Response . Presented by David Burnes on December 10, 2024.
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Navigating Ethical Challenges in Trauma- and Violence-Informed Research: Toward a Training Module for Gender-Based Violence Researchers . Presented by Dr. Robert Nonomura on October 29, 2024.
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We’ve got an app for that! Improving women’s safety, health and well-being with the iHEAL app . Presented by Dr. Marilyn Ford-Gilboe, Dr. Colleen Varcoe, and Dr. Kelly Scott-Storey on April 30, 2024.
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Trauma- and Violence-informed Physical Activity in Motion: An Introduction to TVIPA Online Training Modules . Presented by Dr. Francine Darroch and Gabriela Gonzalez Montaner on March 27, 2024.
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Supporting parents and caregivers to prevent adolescent dating violence through texts, peers, and their environments . Presented by Lianne Lee on March 7, 2024.
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Moving On: Digital Empowerment and Literacy Skills for Survivors . Presented by Dr. Kara Brisson-Boivin on October 25, 2023.
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Developing and Testing a Readiness Tool for Partnerships with Community-Based Projects . Presented by Mary Motz on October 18, 2023.