- Details
- Published: 25 May 2021
My name is Laura Griffin (They/them), and I am the new Education Outreach Coordinator for the Summer. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology from Memorial University of Newfoundland. I am a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work program from Ryerson University. In addition, I will be starting the Master of Social Work program at Wilfrid Laurier University starting in September. My social work practice aligns with anti-oppressive, anti-racist, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and feminist work.
In 2019, I took a class called “Gerontology: Critical Issues and Future Trends.” As someone who grew up in an aging province, Newfoundland Labrador, I came to Ontario with the hopes to develop new ideas and approaches on how to better the lives of our aging population. Applying an aging perspective, this course exposed me to new learnings on how to improve and implement Social Work practice that address abuse, trauma and barriers to well-being in older adults. But it became much more than that, it exposed me to the importance of palliative care, housing and health care accessibility. Understanding abuse and the prevention of abuse is of the utmost importance in Social Work practice. We are often the frontline for the prevention, safety and wellbeing for our aging service users. The Gerontology courses I mentioned earlier were where I first learned about the many networks, organizations and agencies working towards creating, providing and supporting a better and safe society for our aging population. I am honoured to hold a position with the Canadian Network of the Prevention of Elder Abuse who, in a beautiful community, work towards this mission and goal.
