Making Connections in CRHESI

The Centre for Research on Health Equity and Social Inclusion (CRHESI) is driven by connections with our membership and the community. As such, we are dedicated to meaningful engagement within and across these networks. We believe that the best way to support an environment that is conducive to innovative and influential research is to help facilitate connections that matter.

We want to sit down with you to learn about the specifics of you work and to understand your areas of interest. Meeting with you and other researchers and community partners enables us to find correlations, parallels and complementary overlaps between your work and that of other members.

Here’s a little video to describe our strategy for helping new CRHESI members make meaningful connections within the network:

makingconnections

Meet CRHESI: Abe Oudshoorn

Abe Oudshoorn is Assistant Professor in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University, the Department of Psychiatry Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Associate Scientist with Lawson Health Research Institute. Having worked as a nurse with people experiencing homelessness, Abe’s research focuses on health, homelessness, housing policy, and poverty. Outside of the University, Abe has the privilege of chairing the London Homeless Coalition, is a board member with the United Way of London & Middlesex, and sits on the Mayor’s Advisory Panel on Poverty.

Meet CRHESI: Melanie Katsivo

Melanie Katsivo is Research Officer and Adjunct Research Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, where her interests and work are focused on innovative and disruptive approaches to dealing with factors that deter the enjoyment of acceptable levels of good health and overall wellness by individuals in communities. Melanie uses a gender- and human-rights framework to interrogate socio-cultural determinants of wellness.

Meet CRHESI: Carri Hand

Carri Hand is Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University. Carri’s research explores physical, social, policy and cultural contextual factors that impact social connectedness, social inclusion and participation in occupations among older adults — all to inform the development of innovative strategies to promote inclusion of older adults in community life. Carri collaborates with community organizations and community members, focusing on vulnerable older adults who may be experiencing poverty, disability, or social isolation. Her current work explores the complex ways in which neighbourhoods can support social connectedness and inclusion; how primary care and neighbourhoods can be integrated to support inclusion and participation; and measurement of meaningful outcomes in primary care as a basis for addressing health inequities.

Louise Pitre on Coffee, Leadership, and Power

Louise Pitre, the Executive Director for Family Service Thames Valley, and member of the Governance Board for the Centre for Research on Health Equity and Social Inclusion, was recently profiled in the London Free Press.

Coming Out Over Coffee, a program of Family Service Thames Valley, is a growing and successful initiative. The program gives clients a safe and confidential place to discuss issues related to sexual orientation. But despite its success, Pitre does not want to take the credit for what the program has accomplished. As she tells the London Free Press, leadership means relinquishing power and decision-making to people who have the perspective, experience, and knowledge to create something new.

Coming Out Over Coffee has been nominated for a Pillar Community Award, in the community-impact category.