Community Engagement
Introduction
Community Members of the DET OHT are persons who have had experience as a patient/client, family member, and/or caregiver, receiving health and community services in the Downtown East Toronto.
Community members play a key role in influencing, developing, and collaboratively designing a wide range of community and health initiatives, programs, services, and policies of the DET OHT. They bring forth an objective and balanced approach to patient, family, and caregiver perspectives and experiences. They work in partnership with the Core Group (board members), Community Advisory Council, Community Engagement Working Group, and other DET OHT initiative-focused working groups.
Our work for the DET community members is guided by Patient, Family and Caregiver Declaration of Values for Ontario.
Community Advisory Council (CAC)
The CAC collaborates closely with the DET OHT Core Group, member organizations, and the regional community to ensure that the development of a sustainable and patient-focused health care system is based on the lived experience of the Downtown East community members.
CAC advocates for fair and equitable representation of the patient’s voice, aligned with the DET OHT principles: respect and dignity, empathy and compassion, accountability, transparency, and equity and engagement.
Leadership
Chair
Sophia Morgage assumed the role of chair in January 2024. As one of the earliest members of the DET OHT, she played a key role in its foundational development. She co-founded the CAC and led the creation of its structure, terms of reference, and recognition framework. Morgage has also been instrumental in onboarding and training new community members, providing guidance to ensure their successful integration.
Among her many contributions, Morgage co-designed and guided the Community Members’ Engagement Survey, which evaluates the engagement experiences of community members involved in DET OHT projects.
Her passion for social and community support work began at Progress Place, a mental health, community, and wellness centre in Toronto, where she served as a peer support worker on the warm line. She holds a college diploma in social service and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from York University.
Co-chair
As a proud representative of the Indigenous community, Holdsworth is deeply dedicated to promoting Indigenous education and empowering her community. She and her family are active members in their community, responding to the needs as they present themselves.
Over the years, Holdsworth has embraced various roles, including mother, nurse, frontline worker in a residential facility, spiritual advisor, and medical advocate. She has also provided life coaching and mentorship for several years. Holdsworth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing through a collaborative program between Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa.
In her role as vice-chair, Holdsworth will support the CAC chair by fostering inclusive dialogue and ensuring diverse perspectives are heard and valued.
Our Community Members
Jo-Anne Kennedy
The newest member of the CAC, Kennedy brings with her the academic training in teaching and counselling as well as lived experience in navigating mental health support and services.
Kennedy is committed to supporting members of her co-op, particularly seniors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a significant role in organizing vaccination clinics within the co-op, making it more convenient for members to get vaccinated.
In August 2024, the co-op will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Aging in Place (AIP) Committee, which Kennedy founded and remains actively involved in. The AIP Committee supports, educates, and advocates for the seniors in the co-op.
Beyond her contributions to the AIP Committee, Kennedy takes on other volunteer roles within her community and co-op. She is also one of the dedicated gardeners maintaining the beautiful gardens that surround the co-op.
Kennedy hopes to bring the same passion and energy to her contributions with the DET OHT.
Kelly Simpson
Simpson has been a member of the CAC since 2022, and contributed to its variety of projects. From a young age, she has been driven by a desire to make a difference in the world – one small step at a time. Her passion shines brightest in supporting the community through healthcare journey, where she believe even the smallest efforts can lead to meaningful change.
Simpson strongly values the healing power of humor and contagious nature of laughter. She takes pride in organizing health fairs “packed with more snacks than a child’s birthday party” and advocating for mental health awareness as part of her commitment to serving the community. For Simpson, improving healthcare goes hand-in-hand with fostering joy, supportive connections, and empathy within the community.
Madina Rod
Rod is an active community member in the Downtown East Toronto. Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, she is committed to advocating for health equity and culturally safe care for people who identify as women, particularly those who are immigrants and refugees.
Currently, Rod volunteers with health and community care organizations, using her experience to help others navigate the healthcare system. Additionally, she is an active member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council of St. Michael’s Hospital’s Academic Family Health Team.
Prior to this, she has served as a member of the Speaker’s Bureau at United Way Greater Toronto, where she contributed to initiatives addressing youth unemployment and poverty in the Greater Toronto Area.
Maryanne McMullen
McMullen is a dedicated community advocate and project manager. She focuses on supporting individuals facing deep poverty and barriers to accessing health and community care services. In particular, she is committed to addressing homelessness and mental health challenges through her roles with the Ontario Health Advisory Committee and the Ontario Health Committee.
In 2023, McMullen joined the City of Toronto’s Housing Access Committee as an advisory member. Here, she helps integrate Ontario Health’s efforts with the City’s responsibilities, drawing on her lived experience to contribute to policy discussions and initiatives that impact the community.
Her professional background also includes project management roles at Rail, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, and TD Bank.
In addition to her advocacy work, McMullen is a musician and songwriter. She uses music as her voice of advocacy.
Sunil Vakil
Vakil attended Trinity College at the University of Toronto, where he specialized in econometrics. He is a researcher specializing in econometrics, with a focus on Bitcoin and blockchain. A former owner of an Italian café and grocery store, he is now developing a blockchain start-up.
In addition to his professional pursuits, Vakil has served on the Board of Directors for the Toronto-Centre Rosedale Conservative Party. He was also a member of the 51 Division Community Police Liaison Committee. In his free time, he enjoys unwinding with a game of Dungeons and Dragons.
Join the CAC
Preferred skills for CAC members include:
- Lived experience of receiving health and community services
- Living and/or receiving care in the Downtown East Toronto
- Prior experience of co-designing and advising on health and community care projects
- A passion for improving health and community care.
To apply to the DET OHT CAC, kindly complete this form.
In Conversation With Our Community Members
Sophia Morgage – Co-Chair, Community Advisory Council and Community Engagement working group of the DET OHT.
Veronica Snooks – Former Member, DET OHT Community Advisory Council and Mental Health and Addictions Working Group