Stories and Personal Experiences
A panel of first voice speakers and social workers sharing reflections on the impact of microaggressions.
Dennis Adams, RSW
As Executive Director/Chief Harmony Officer of LOVE Nova Scotia, Dennis combines his skills in non-profit management with over 30 years’ experience working with youth in Nova Scotia. In addition to working at LOVE for over 20 years, Dennis has served youth within regional school boards, large health centres and private practice. Well connected and respected in the community, Dennis’s commitment to LOVE has contributed to his receipt of a YMCA Peace Medallion Award and the Ronald Stratford Memorial Award for outstanding contributions in social work in our province.
Ayeshah Ali, SWC
Ayeshah is currently working at Alice House as a case manager. A first generation Canadian, she was born in Montreal, Quebec and spent her childhood there before moving to Nova Scotia in her teens. She now has a bachelor's degree in psychology and in social work, and will be graduating with her master's in social work this spring.
Advocacy has been a huge part of Ayeshah’s personal and professional life, as “multicultural” society has a long way to go to make both society and the profession of social work more inclusive. She approaches practice through an intersectional anti-oppressive lens, and is interested in highlighting the experiences of Muslim people living in the West after the events of 9/11, and the real implications Islamophobia has on all levels of society.
Aliyah Campbell, SWC (she/her)
Aliyah is the outreach social worker for the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW). She is registered with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers and holds various Council and committee roles. Aliyah's goal is to implement equitable and culturally responsive changes in programs, services, and resources delivered to African Nova Scotians and other marginalized communities.
In Carleton University's Master of Social Work program, Aliyah has gained a strong appreciation of African Nova Scotian history and Africentric social work practice, thanks to the teachings of Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard. Aliyah's areas of interest include health equity, policy advocacy, and program planning. In her role at ABSW she provides provincial leadership in services to the African Nova Scotian community, which includes Africentric intervention, individual counselling, youth programs, family support services and community initiatives.
Chris Cochrane (she/her)
Chris is a Trans Black activist and public speaker. She speaks and educates about her lived experience through her intersectionality . Chris works toward creating spaces for QTBIPOC people, as well as working with 2SLGBTIQIA+ youth to ensure those spaces will be upheld for years to come. Currently she is the Support Service Educator for The Youth Project. Chris also sits as the Vice Chair of Halifax Pride where she uses that platform to ensure equity for all of the the community ,while focusing on our marginalized and racialized communities .She is also known as her drag persona Elle Noir where she as fierce on stage as she is in her activism.
Prasanna Kariyawansa (he/him), RSW
Prasanna is a social worker on the IWK Health Trauma Informed Care Team. For the past six years he has worked in the role of a program educator helping professionals at IWK Health and community partners to integrate the principles of trauma informed care into their daily practice. What he enjoys most about his current role is the dedicated focus on both clients and care providers. His personal experiences as a first generation Canadian and private work with not-for-profit organizations influence his work. Prior to his current role, Prasanna worked in the IWK MHA Program as a youth care worker supporting paediatric clients, their families and care providers in various care areas. In his personal time Prasanna enjoys time with his family, practicing mindfulness and wilderness camping.
Michelle LeBrun, RSW
Michelle is a Mi'kmaw clinical therapist with a private practice. Her area of specialty is Indigenous mental health, trauma and crisis. She regularly facilitates workshops and consultation around decolonization and cultural safety/inclusiveness. She is a direct descendant of Indian Residential Schools, and is passionate about supporting survivors, families and communities.
Likda Morash
Likda is a dynamic community practitioner in Mi'kma’ki where she is completing her MSW at Dalhousie University. Likda is currently working with the Department of Community Services in the Inclusion, Diversity, and Community Relations Division, where she is focused on the development and implementation of an anti-Black racism strategy for the wider department and its service users. Following a 10-year career in the field of child and youth care work, Likda’s praxis is rooted in transforming spaces through centring first voice in discussions, applying an Africentric lens, and bringing a chair to table.
Rae Paul, SWC (they/them)
Rae is a butch, trans and queer person of Indian-Guyanese and Sicilian descent. As the BIPOC Community Engagement Coordinator at the Youth Project, they aspire to connect with, and create affirming spaces for 2SLGBTQIA youth. Born and raised in Tkaronto (Toronto), they completed their BSW at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021. They recently made their home in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of Mi’kma’ki. They enjoy experimenting with new recipes, growing veggies in their garden, playing hockey and going on hikes with their dog, Bauer.
Dr. Sherri Tanchak, RSW
Sherri s a mental health clinician and sessional instructor with the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary and School of Social Work, Dalhousie University. Her focus for clinical practice, teaching and research includes anxiety, depression, intimate partner violence, and occupational stress injury and trauma. In 2020, Sherri completed her PhD in social work with a research focus on workplace bullying, trauma and recovery within the social work profession.
Dr. Baiju P. Vareed, RSW
An assistant professor at the School of Social Work at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada, his interests include auto ethnographic research on post colonialism. He has experience in a number of areas including community engagement, gender and development, domestic violence and social work philosophy.
Amanda Wilneff (she/her/hers)
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at Dalhousie University. Amanda has over a decade of experience working in community as a support worker, group facilitator and organizer within and beyond Turtle Island. Her work is grounded in a Romani worldview and centres on cultivating relationships of reciprocity and co-creating the conditions for transformative change. Amanda brings her knowledge in critical perspectives of social work, anti-oppressive practice and anti-racism to her efforts to dismantle and rebuild social work education.