9:00 to 9:15: Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

• Dan McCormick, OMSSA President and CAO, Rainy River DSSAB

• Jodi Fox, Integrated Benefits Caseworker, Social Services, Community and Health Services, Regional Municipality of York

9:15 to 10:00: Keynote

It’s long been said that the winners write history. The shared narratives that our societies craft, share and adopt lay the foundations for the political, economic, and policy developments that shape our communities and our lives. The implications of the current pandemic are no different. The groups that set the narratives about what happened during COVID-19, what to do now, and what’s next will have outsized influence on who we hold responsible, who gets help, and what we do moving forward. There is growing recognition that there’s no going back to the way things were. But the changes we see in the post-COVID world will depend on the meaning we make – from what the pandemic meant, to what we did in the face of it, and why, and how we came out of it. Each of these narratives can help set us up for lasting change, or set us back. In this timely keynote, communication strategist Kristen Grimm will explore the opportunities presented by these "narratives in play", including how the human and public services sectors can seize this moment to help craft and define the narratives that shape where we go next. 

Speaker: Kristen Grimm, President and Founder, Spitfire Strategies

In some ways, 2020 was a year of unignorable clarity. The COVID-19 pandemic shone a blindingly bright light on long-standing issues of inequity and exclusion, and the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis ignited massive worldwide anti-racism protests, leading to widespread acknowledgment of the need to end systemic racism. During this session, our panelists will provide advice about how to start the difficult conversations necessary to begin this important work in the human services context, and how we can move from talk to action to implement concrete, meaningful and permanent changes to achieve anti-racist outcomes, and to decolonize human services to ensure all citizens we serve are part of an equity-focused renewal.

Moderator: 

• Cordelia Abankwa, General Manager of Social Services, Regional Municipality of York

Panelists:

• Keith Palmer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

• Waheeda Rahman White, Director of Equity, Diversity and Human Rights, City of Toronto

• Dr. Lisa Richardson, Vice-Chair, Culture and Inclusion, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; and Strategic Lead in Indigenous Health, Women‘s College Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

• Daniele Zanotti, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Toronto

It is well known that social and economic factors have a significant impact on health. Human services supports play a huge role in supporting healthy communities and mitigating health care costs. Despite good intentions, meaningful collaboration and integrated service planning between health and human services has eluded our sectors for decades. Progress has been slow, patchy, limited and relationship-dependent, both in Canada and internationally.

And then, COVID-19 happened. Like a bear and a rabbit suddenly running side-by-side to escape a forest fire, health and human services began to collaborate in many communities like never before. During this interactive session, service system managers and health experts will unpack the lessons of 2020 and strategize about how to build on their progress, and how to seize this opportunity to create lasting collaborative partnerships.

Moderator: 

• Najma Kahiye, Policy Development Officer, Children‘s Services, City of Toronto

Speakers:

• John Riches, MPPAL, Deputy Chief, Regulatory Compliance & Administration, Region of Durham Paramedic Services, Health, Regional Municipality of Durham
• Erin Valant, Program Manager, Affordable Housing & Homelessness Initiatives, Regional Municipality of Durham
• Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Regional Municipality of York
• Mike Nadeau, CAO, District of Sault Ste. Marie DSSAB

9:00 to 9:15: Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

• Dan McCormick, OMSSA President and CAO, Rainy River DSSAB

• Jodi Fox, Integrated Benefits Caseworker, Social Services, Community and Health Services, Regional Municipality of York

9:15 to 10:00: Panel Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic has induced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, with women and vulnerable groups disproportionately experiencing the social and economic effects of the pandemic. The panelists in this session will assess economic conditions and the impacts on clients, communities and service managers, and provide insight into how different levels of government may respond to competing pressures as the recession continues. They will also share their perspectives on opportunities to apply the socio-economic lessons of the pandemic in the context of social policy, service redesign and economic recovery.

Moderator: 

• John Michael McGrath, Digital Media Producer, Current Affairs and Documentaries, TVOntario (TVO)

Panelists: 

• Mitchell Davidson, Executive Director, StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy

• Armine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers

The pandemic has caused significant economic impacts and increased the need for timely critical supports. As part of the Social Assistance Recovery and Renewal Plan, the Province is working with municipal partners to reduce administrative hurdles and paperwork, so front-line staff can focus on supporting people. The system needs to evolve quickly to support vulnerable Ontarians as they navigate unprecedented challenges and to act as an enabler to get people back to work and economic recovery. COVID-19 has also highlighted the critical importance of evolving how the Province and municipalities work together to define problems, design and test solutions, and implement together. 

In this session, the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services will provide an overview of the emerging vision for Social Assistance Recovery and Renewal currently in development with municipalities, focusing on early action to transform Ontario Works intake and situate other system transformation agendas – including service modernization and Employment Services Transformation – within this new context. Municipalities involved in developing and testing the new centralized, risk-based approach to Ontario Works intake will share their perspectives on the approach, the co-design process and initial experience with implementation.

Speakers:

• Nelson Loureiro, Assistant Deputy Minister, Social Assistance Policy, Planning and Innovation, Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
• Polly Smith, Director, Employment & Social Services, Municipality of Chatham-Kent
• Jeff Degagne, Manager of Income Support and Stability, District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board
• Erica Brimley, Human Service Manager Of Ontario Works, Healthy and Safe Communities, Ontario Works, City of Hamilton
• Margo Bohemier, Ontario Works Site Supervisor, Social Services Department, County of Renfrew
• Santina Macri, Senior Manager, Program Delivery Support Branch, Employment and Training Division, Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
• Alissa Savage, Senior Manager (Acting), Employment Services Transformation Unit, Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

With the recent announcement of the $1 billion Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI), municipalities, non-profit housing providers and Indigenous organizations are working quickly to prepare project plans and applications for modular, converted or rehabilitated housing initiatives, to provide deeply affordable housing under expedited timelines for those who are in severe housing need, at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.

This session is designed to support service managers currently preparing applications under the RHI Projects Stream. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation will speak to the application process and prioritization criteria to provide you with the information you need to prepare the strongest application possible. Next, the City of Toronto will share early insights, learnings and advice on pursuing modular and other rapid supportive housing projects, from getting up to speed on modular best practices, to managing approvals and public dialogue under tighter timelines. Participants will also have dedicated time to ask key questions as they continue down the path towards modular and rapid housing.

Speakers:

• Lance Arnold, Senior Specialist, Rapid Housing Initiative, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

• Abigail Bond, Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, City of Toronto

In this session, panelists will provide an overview of Quebec‘s universal child care program, summarize the research about the impact of the program on parents and children, and participate in a moderated Q&A.

Moderator:

• Luisa Artuso, OMSSA Board Member and Director of Children's Services, Wellington County

Speaker:

• Dr. Catherine Haeck, Associate Professor, Economics Department, University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM); Invited Researcher at the Quebec Inter-University Centre for Social Statistics; Research Fellow at the CIRANO Research Centre; and Affiliated Researcher for the Education Policy Research Initiative. 

• Marie-Claude Lemieux, Director, Public and Government Affairs, Association Québécoise des Centres de la Petite Enfance (AQCPE).

The concluding session of the conference brings Deputy Ministers together at the end of a challenging but game-changing year to discuss the future of public service and provincial-municipal partnerships. The panel of Deputy Ministers will reflect on the lessons of 2020, and offer insights for current and emerging leaders about how municipalities can remain value-added partners in the years ahead, and what kind of partners they want their ministries to be.

Moderator:

• Cordelia Abankwa, General Manager of Social Services, Regional Municipality of York

Panelists:

• Kate Manson-Smith, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing 

• Janet Menard, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

• Nancy Naylor, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Education 

• Richard Steele, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care