is an Associate Professor and graduate chair in the School of Social Work at McMaster University.  She teaches in the areas of social policy, poverty and homelessness, theoretical tensions in social work and research methods.  Her practice background includes more than a decade of experience in social policy research, analysis, and advocacy at both the community and the national level. Her research focuses on the impact of public policy on the lives of marginalized groups, with a particular focus on the systems that are in place to address poverty and homelessness.  Her current projects include an exploration of Ontario Works from the perspective of case managers and the role of youth homelessness in chronic adult homelessness. 

is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at McMaster University. She brings almost 20 years of social work practice and ongoing activist work with people labeled with intellectual and developmental disabilities to her research and teaching activities. Her other current research projects include an exploration into the use of city space by people with intellectual disabilities; parenting with an intellectual disability; friendship experiences of youth with intellectual disabilities; and cinematic representations of intellectual disability. Incorporating inclusive research methodologies, her research also explores how inclusive research is facilitated by arts-informed methods. She is also the parent of two daughters with intellectual disabilities.

is a PhD candidate in School of Social Work at McMaster University. Prior to returning to school, she worked for more than a decade as a front-line worker in the emergency and transitional shelter systems in Toronto. She has also worked on a number of homelessness and supported housing focused community-university research initiatives. Along with Becky Idems, Tina works most closely with the Hamilton partners of the Partnering for Change project.

is a PhD candidate in School of Social Work at McMaster University.  Since 2002, she has worked in a variety of front-line and community development settings serving individuals experiencing homelessness and precarious housing.  Becky’s research and evaluation work are focused on making programs and services more relevant, equitable, and accessible to the people who use them. Alongside Tina Wilson, she works most closely with the Hamilton partners of the Partnering for Change project.

is a recent graduate of the B.S.W. program at McMaster University. She has experience working with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, youth at risk, and in child welfare. Her interest lies in working with a diverse group of people to gain further experience in examining social justice issues. Katie is the Research Assistant for the Hamilton site of the Partnering for Change project.

has a MSW from Wilfred Laurier University. She worked with children and young adults labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities as a coordinator of services in the child welfare sector for a number of years.  She is presently focused on supporting mental and emotional health in marginalized individuals through the promotion of creativity/arts based community interactions.  She facilitates writing groups for elderly women and a drama group for adults with intellectual disabilities.  With the support of a government grant, she provides workshops that demonstrate the neuroscience and brain benefits of creativity in older adults.  Shawne is the Research Assistant for the Toronto site of the Partnering for Change project.