Return to Work: A Broad Picture: Work Wellness Institute Conference Series

Associate Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University

Rebecca Gewurtz, PhD

Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and completed a collaborative program through the CHSRF/CIHR in Health Services and Policy Research. Dr. Gewurtz’ research focuses on work disability policy, income insecurity, and employment among people living with disabilities, with a focus on mental illness and other episodic disabilities. She has been examining the experiences of various stakeholders including people with disabilities, service providers, co-workers and employers as people with disabilities are hired and accommodated in diverse workplaces, as well as the impact and coordination of income security benefits. She has been involved in large partnership projects that include diverse community collaborators such as employers, non-profit social service organizations and government agencies. She has experience with participatory action research and co-designing solutions to complex workplace problems. Her recent work includes a focus on measuring accessibility, the experiences of people transitioning from homelessness to being housed, and the process of negotiating workplace accommodations. She has also been examining the impact of physical distancing policies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income households.

Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Trent University, Registered Kinesiologist, College of Kinesiologists, Ontario and Disability Management & Professional Development Consultant, Lifemark Health

Fergal O'Hagan, PhD

Dr. Fergal O'Hagan is a Registered Kinesiologist, academic and researcher. Fergal completed a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education (Saskatchewan, 1984), Masters degree in Adapted Human Biodynamics (McMaster University, 1987), Ph.D in Exercise Science (University of Toronto, 2009), Post-graduate Diploma in Work Disability Prevention Research (Universite de Sherbrooke, 2011) and postdoctoral fellowship (Social Science and Humanities Research Council CURA program). Having practiced in the field of occupational rehabilitation with a range of clinical populations for 25 years, he successfully developed and managed rehabilitation programs for acute and chronic disability. He is presently on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Trent University. O’Hagan’s research focuses on psychological and social process affecting work disability and the reintegration of workers following sickness absence.

Lawyer, Kent Employment Law

Stephanie Cousineau, PhD

To Stephanie, a problem is an opportunity for change and growth. She is genuinely interested in how people live and work, and has spent her career helping others envision and create meaningful employment experiences – previously, as an academic and career development coach, and now, as an employment and human rights lawyer. Tenacious and committed, Stephanie readily champions her clients’ causes. She is comfortable in the courtroom, but truly values resolving disputes creatively and collaboratively, supporting employers and employees as they deal with their workplace challenges. A background in Aboriginal law has given Stephanie particular insight into the employment-related legal issues her indigenous clients face. She is a straightforward communicator; her goal with every file is to translate the sometimes-intimidating, often-confusing language of law into something clear and coherent, accessible to each client. Stephanie has lived in four countries, speaks three languages, and has two orange cats. A movement and outdoor sports enthusiast, she recently – and very happily – traded her Rocky Mountain existence for a water-based, Coastal life on Vancouver Island.

Work Wellness Institute Membership!

Annual Individual Membership $250