Spirituality and Ethics in Social Work: Part 2.

R. Dr. Nadia Siritsky, MSSW, SWC, BCC is the Professional Practice and Advocacy Consultant with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. Dr. Siritsky is also an ordained rabbi and board-certified interfaith chaplain and has extensive experience and training in the areas of spirituality and ethics.

Dr. Ifeyinwa Mbakogu is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, Dalhousie University and Chair of the Diversity and Equity Commitee (DEC).

Dr. Mullings is a member of a large extended family, mother of two living Black queens, sister, friend, and second daughter and caregiver of Maddah Mullings, her original feminist. She a Professor of Social Work and Memorial University’s inaugural Vice Provost Equity Diversity and Inclusion. She has demonstrated extensive content expertise in human rights and equity leadership in community-based organizations and academic institutions. Her community-based experience is in hostels, sexual assault centres and child welfare agencies supporting survivors of intimate partner violence and underhoused people and their children. Her interdisciplinary scholarship explores decolonizing post-secondary education, mothering, mental health and wellness, LGBTQ+ concerns, the Black Church, elders, migration and community engagement using critical pedagogies, in particular, anti-Black racism, Africentric theory and critical race theory.

Dr. Heather M. Boynton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. She also has worked in the field of mental health for 30+ years as a Child and Family Therapist, Manager of Adult Services, and a Mental Health Consultant. Her research and teaching interests include spirituality, trauma, grief and loss, posttraumatic growth, child and family mental health, integrative and holistic practices, and interprofessional collaboration and education. She is an adjunct professor in Kinesiology at Lakehead University, Faculty at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and a Member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. She also is the Vice President of the Canadian Society for Spirituality in Social Work, and a Reiki and Feng Shui Practitioner. She co-edited the book Trauma, Spirituality and Posttraumatic Growth in Clinical Social Work Practice to be published in the spring of 2022.

Fatima Rasti is a Registered, mastered prepared Clinical Social Worker (MSW, RSW) who currently working in Mental Health and Addictions with IWK Children’s Hospital, Halifax, NS. She works with children, adolescents, young adults, individuals, and families using a variety of therapeutic modalities approach tailored to the unique social, cultural, and religious values-based needs of each client. Fatima believes that change happens when people are given the support, they need to draw on their own strengths and realize their potential to live fulfilling happy lives. Fatima provides an environment of compassion and support to help individuals and families overcome obstacles to move forward and thrive. She has over 16 years experience working with individuals (including children, youth, and young adults) and families as an agent of support and guidance in a variety of work setting both in non-for-profit and government sector/Health Care Sector. She has been working in a clinical (Health Care) setting since 2010. She has studied many modalities to bring healing to those in need. She is a life, long learner inspired by the abundance of opportunities available to broaden and enrich the lives of her clients. Areas of expertise include: -Trauma informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy working with children and adolescents with the history of trauma including sexual abuse; -Anxiety and depression/self-harm and high risk/suicidal behaviours by using Cognitive behavioural therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy; - Relationship challenges: couples and families (including parent-teen conflict) and parenting support by using Emotionally Focus family therapy; McMaster Model of family therapy; and Emotional Focus Family Therapy and Trans health (WPATH).

Keirsten Wells, Master of Divinity, Priest in the Anglican Church of Canada, Certified Spiritual Care Specialist with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care, and Advance Care Planner with INSPIRED COPD Community Outreach Program at Nova Scotia Health. Keirsten has worked for the majority of her 20-year career as an acute care Spiritual Care Practitioner in hospitals in both Toronto and Halifax. Two years ago, she joined a community health care team which focuses on increasing self-management capacity in persons living with COPD. Keirsten lives with her family in a small coastal village on the edge of Halifax, NS

Major Ian Easter is a Mental Health Chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces. Since receiving his MA in “Counselling, Psychotherapy and Spirituality” from St Paul University, Ottawa in 2015, Ian has worked in Canadian Forces Health Services Mental Health clinics providing Psychospiritual care to Canadian Forces members. Maj Easter’s primary specialty has been treating Moral Injury and Grief/Loss but recently he has been researching treatment methods for Spiritual and Religious Trauma, particularly for the LGBTQ2+ population. Maj Easter plans to release from the military in March 2022 and hopes to move to Nova Scotia to start private practice. He is currently working towards his license as a Sex Therapist and wants to focus on the impact of Religion on sexuality.