2023 Policy Conference



2023 Policy Conference

OMSSA hosted 360 human and public services leaders from across Ontario for our in-person 2023 Policy Conference held on November 30th and December 1st in Toronto, Ontario. 

Thank you to all of those who presented, moderated, attended, engaged, and helped make the Conference a success. Our Conference provided the opportunity to bring human services leaders and policy experts, together with provincial leaders, stakeholder organizations, and other subject matter experts with the goal of discussing policy priorities into 2024 and beyond.

Over two days, our 2023 Policy Conference focused on strategic conversations about the policy priorities into 2024 and beyond. This includes key issues such as: social services provision, supporting human services delivery, creating pathways between housing and mental health supports, a human rights approach for municipalities, responding to human trafficking, housing solution lessons, harm reduction in a social services context, developing local solutions in employment services transformation, changing the narrative on homelessness, special needs resourcing, EarlyON, the social determinants of mental health. 

Please see a list of approved resources to share with attendees and members. OMSSA will add approved presentations and resources when they are received. 

Full Program Details

Thank You to Our Sponsors






Resources

Please note: OMSSA will share speaker resources once we have permission to do so. 

Welcome Reception: No More Poverty Strategies: Tangible Approaches to Improving the Loves of Our Most Vulnerable

For any questions and further conversation, please email solutions@davispier.ca. 

Day 1 Closing Plenaries: Systemic Anti-Black Racism by the Numbers: Implications for Social Service Providers

Breakout C: Changing the Narrative on Homelessness: Addressing NIMBYism and the Criminalization of the Unhoused

Breakout F: The Ontario Human Rights Commission: A Human Rights-Based Approach for the Municipal Services

Breakout G: Building Responses to Human Trafficking: Improving Support, Coordination, and Training

Breakout H: Developing Local Solutions in the Employment Services Transformation

Breakout I: Special Needs Resourcing in Children's Services: Assessing Opportunities and Charting Paths Forward

Day 2 Closing Keynote: Counting Costs of Mental Health: Looking Upstream at the Social Determinants of Mental Health



Thank You to Our Planning Committee

  • (Chair) Tod Duncan, OMSSA

  • Tanya Antoniw, City of Windsor

  • Sutha Balasingham, City of Toronto

  • Doug Ball, OMSSA

  • JJ Blower, Parry Sound DSSAB

  • Chelsea Combot, Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres

  • Mina Fayez-Bahgat, County of Simcoe

  • Christie Herrington, OMSSA

  • Michael Jacek, AMO

  • Rob Kirsic, OMSSA

  • Laura LePine, County of Renfrew

  • Jennifer McPhee, Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres

  • Janel Morrison, Region of Peel

  • Naama Ofrath, City of Toronto

  • Jessica Rapcewicz, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSSAB

  • Nalisha Sankreacha, OMSSA

  • Darryl Wolk, OMSSA

Policy Conference Photos

Please see below a small selection of photos from the 2023 Policy Conference.


Welcome Reception presentation provided by Mike Davis of Davis Pier


Opening Remarks provided by OMSSA Vice-President Stella Danos-Papaconstantinou to open Day 1 of the 2023 Policy Conference

Paths and Perils: Social Services Provision in the Year to Come

Laura LePine, one of our Patti Moore Human Services Integration Award recipents, providing remarks

ADMs in Dialogue: Supporting Human Services Delivery in Ontario

Counting Costs of Mental Health: Looking Upstream at the Social Determinants of Mental Health


Breakout A: Part Technical, Part Getting Things Done: Housing Solution Lessons from Sault Ste. Marie and Niagara


Breakout C: Changing the Narrative on Homelessness: Addressing NIMBYism and the Criminalization of the Unhoused


Breakout H: Developing Local Solutions in the Employment Services Transformation