An Interview with Andrew Scavarelli

By: Angelica Nuguid

May 2024

Andrew is currently the Director of Ontario Works for the County of Simcoe and he is also Chair of OMSSA’s Awards Committee. Andrew has nearly 15 years of experience in the successful and integrated delivery of municipal social services. He began his career with the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) in 2009, where he held progressive leadership roles, and played a key-role in TBDSSAB’s commitment and transition to an integrated service delivery model. 

Known by his colleagues as an influential leader, strong consensus builder and exceptional communicator, Andrew is a visionary leader who continuously demonstrates his commitment to furthering social and human service integration.

This interview explores his experience working with different communities and his overall experience and contributions to the human services sector.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

OMSSA: You began your career with the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) in 2009 and you are now working as Director of Ontario Works in the County of Simcoe. Having fulfilled leadership roles at both DSSAB and CMSM levels, could you share the differences between DSSABs and CMSMs and the lessons you learned?

Andrew Scavarelli (AS): The main difference is that the 37 CMSMs are upper-tier or single-tier municipal governments, whereas the 10 DSSABsare in areas where there are no regional governments, typically associated with Ontario's north. In terms of lessons learned, I would say that despite the differences as it relates to governance and structure, along with the uniqueness in terms of geographical location and service area, all CMSMs and DSSABs really are similar in that we are working towards a shared vision of delivering social and human services programs and supports to better the lives of all Ontarians. 

An interesting fact that a lot of readers may not know is Ontario is the only jurisdiction in Canada where municipal levels of government deliver social services. In all other provinces and territories, social services are delivered at the provincial level. 

OMSSA: Building on your previous leadership experience, including outside of human services, could you share some insights and skills you’ve acquired with our Members that helped you in your career progression and move into a leadership role?

AS: I actually remember starting my career directly out of university at the Thunder Bay DSSAB. The skills I learned were really obtained from having opportunities for both personal and professional growth within that organization and continue to those same opportunities that I received in my current capacity, both with the County of Simcoe and as a member at large on the Board of Directors with OMSSA. I really contribute a large part of my growth to being my authentic self and simply being present. I genuinely enjoy engaging staff, stakeholders, and I truly believe that relationships based around trust and respect are the foundation of any successful team or organization.

OMSSA: Having served on several human services associations throughout your career, could you elaborate on what inspired your involvement with OMSSA?

AS: Aside from the obvious benefit of increasing my personal knowledge and responsibility across all program areas, the ability to further support opportunities for collaboration and furthering human services integration was very enticing. Additionally, with the many transformation and modernization initiatives across all programs within our sector, I strongly feel we're at a pretty critical juncture in human services delivery in Ontario and felt what better time to join an already established board to further support its Members. 

OMSSA: Reflecting on your career, which one or two accomplishments do you find most significant, and what makes them stand out to you?

AS: That's a great question. I'm a firm believer that in this line of work, achievements are almost always a result of collective contributions, not any one individual effort. With that said, a couple comes to mind. Reflecting on my earlier days with the Thunder Bay DSSAB, I was fortunate enough to be part of a very forward-thinking team. More specifically, we were able to establish a fully integrated service delivery model with initial successes related to the intake and reception roles. This design allowed the team to provide direct support around all program areas, which prevented individuals from having to retell their stories or be redirected to another staff for additional support or programs. 

Any integration initiative comes with a considerable number of complexities and challenges, not to mention the need or the necessity to have staff buy-in, which to this day still stands out to me. To think that Thunder Bay has been fully integrated for over 10 years now while many other municipalities are still working towards this model is a clear testament to the forward-thinking approaches, not only from Thunder Bay's leadership but more importantly, from their frontline staff. They really did set the benchmark in terms of an integrated service delivery model, and I was fortunate enough to be part of that team. 

A more recent example, I couldn't go without sharing the efforts of our current team at the County of Simcoe. To this day, it still amazes me how this group adapted to such considerable change and transformation and what they've been able to accomplish even during the height of the pandemic. From provincial initiatives such as electronic document management and employment services transformation to local initiatives such as co-location opportunities with ODSP, and partnerships with local health teams, the staff at the County Simcoe are truly our greatest asset. There really is no one single achievement with this group. They have and continue to amaze me with their visionary mindset. To say that I consider myself extremely grateful and proud to be part of such a dedicated and compassionate group would be an immense understatement.

OMSSA: Is there any additional information or insights you'd like to share with our members that we haven't covered in our discussion?

AS: Building off of my last response, I think it's important to acknowledge the efforts that all OMSSA Members, regardless of their position or their title, bring each and every day. 
We aren't in the sector for fame or fortune. Nor do we continuously go above and beyond in our respective roles for any personal accolades or incentives. Our work is challenging and often unpredictable. But I do want to extend a sincere appreciation to all OMSSA Members and remind them of the considerable impacts, although not always noticeable on the surface, that they are making the lives of some of the province's most vulnerable residents. Keep up the great work and know your efforts are not going unnoticed or unappreciated. 

OMSSA: Thank you, Andrew.

About the Author

Angelica Nuguid is a third-year Public Relations Student at Humber College joining OMSSA as a Communications Intern as of January 2024.