Featured Speakers

The fundamental finding from three decades of research on desistance from crime is that positive change is not only possible but probable. Although this finding is now so well known as to be common-place, the implications of this for both criminal justice practice and social scientific theory are profound, as first established by David Matza. This talk will interrogate the roles of stigma and labelling in the (in)justice process and how science is impacted by these dynamics.

To meet the needs of our profession and community we need to diversify the voices and perspectives of those in our field. Irrespective of what we do in psychology, this requires a conscious and continued effort to elevate voices that have been marginalized and to sustain the experience of belonging across the career lifespan.  Mentorship is essential. In the field of psychology most of us work with students and early career colleagues. Many of us define ourselves as mentors, but few of us are specifically trained in mentorship, and are being intentional about this role. Mentorship is its own competency which is distinct from supervisor, leader, or consultant.  In psychology, it is crucial that we critically evaluate current mentorship practices and examine the ways in which existing paradigms fail to support marginalized members of our profession. For example, as a collective body and as individuals, how and to whom are we providing access to mentorship opportunities?  Speaking from different perspectives, we will open the discussion about different ways we can be intentional in mentorship from an understanding of intersectionality and positionality.

Alejandra Botia, University of British Columbia, Student Representative on the CPA Board of Directors

Farena S. Pinnock. PhD., C.Psych, Clinical & Neuropsychologist

Komal T. Shaikh, Ph.D., C.Psych., Baycrest Hospital, Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health

Kerri Ritchie, PhD., CPsych. The Ottawa Hospital, President, CPA

Deaf (DHH) Persons in the Justice System

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) persons face formidable barriers in achieving equitable access to the criminal justice system in Canada. The issue of fitness or competence to stand trial poses many unanswered questions. DHH persons who do not have a “standard” sign language such as ASL or LSQ, and who are part of marginalized communities, face significant challenges in accessing the justice system. In need of special attention are DHH persons recently arrived from different countries, DHH from bilingual backgrounds such as ASL/LSQ, and especially DHH persons who are Indigenous. I will present my involvement in selected cases (from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, and Nunavut) involving serious criminal offences such as sexual assault, murder, and child pornography to illustrate critical issues connected to mental health and fitness assessments. I conclude that much more can be done to provide appropriate assessments and sign language interpretation, and that new strategies should be developed to improve understandings about deafness for all stakeholders. There is a clear need for major reform of the Canadian justice system, including changes to the fitness section of the Criminal Code itself. As well, structural changes to the management system should be carried out in the areas of policing, the courts, corrections, and community reintegration after incarceration.

James (Jamie) MacDougall is recognized as one of Canada’s leading researchers in the field of deafness, and he is highly valued as a committed advocate for the needs and rights of all Canadians with disabilities. Jamie received the APA Larry Stewart Award for Distinguished Contributions in Psychology and Deafness, and he was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame for his work in the field of rehabilitation and disabilities. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2010. Jamie grew up in Ottawa, Ontario in a family with Deaf parents.

This address integrates evolutionary, biological, psychological and cultural perspectives to suggest that (1) the brain’s most important job is efficiently regulating the body; (2) the brain achieves this regulation by predicting (not reacting); and, (3) predictive regulation creates every action you take and every experience you have, including every instance of emotion.  Understanding how the brain achieves predictive regulation sheds light on why an emotion, such as fear, is not a singular, innate event, but rather is a flexible, biological grouping of diverse, instances that are constructed to fit specific situations.

Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists worldwide for her research in psychology and neuroscience, having published over 270 peer-reviewed scientific papers.  She has received numerous awards, including a Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research from the US National Institutes of Health, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, Mentor Awards from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Barrett is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies. She has testified before the US Congress, is the Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at MGH, has served as president of the Association for Psychological Science, co-founded the Society for Affective Science, and actively engages in informal science education for the public via popular books, articles and public lectures. She has authored two best-selling popular science books, How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain and Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain. Her TED talk has been viewed more than 6.5 million times to date. Colleagues have called Dr. Barrett "the most important affective scientist of our time" and “the deepest thinker on [the nature of emotion] since Darwin.”

TBA

Dr. Ciann L. Wilson is an Associate Professor in Community Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University. Dr. Wilson has extensive experience in consulting, advocacy and community development related to Black and Indigenous health promotion and brings expertise in developing intersectional, anti-racist evaluation frameworks. Dr. Wilson’s interdisciplinary research program addresses the multi-faceted and complex drivers that impact the overall health of racialized and Indigenous communities. Her research program consists of community-based research (CBR) projects that utilize evidence-based, art and media-based approaches to elucidate community perspectives on their own health, and engage communities in evidence-based interventions that have local specificity and relevance.

Beverly Keeshig-Soonias is Anishinaabekwe, has a law degree and is a registered psychologist. She has a unique combination of life experience, theoretical background and personal attributes. She is an Indigenous woman and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. Her parents and family members are survivors of Indian residential schools. Beverly has extensive knowledge about wahkotowin (the business of being related), the intergenerational trauma and systemic effects of the Residential School Experience, family systems, adolescents, addictions, and the power of healing. She has worked with adolescents and families since 1995 at Oskayak Treatment Centre and for community agencies.

Over the years Beverly has been involved in the Indigenous community and in the multi-cultural community in Central Alberta serving on community boards such as the Red Deer Native Friendship Centre, Central Alberta Diversity Association, the Community Housing Advisory Committee, and as an ongoing volunteer and a community Elder.