Sept. 6, 2019
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – World Suicide Prevention Day is held every year on Sept. 10 to raise awareness about suicide and support suicide prevention efforts.

Wilfrid Laurier University has many experts available to speak about mental health and related topics.

Renee MacPhee, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, is an expert on the health and wellbeing of paramedics, with an emphasis on occupational injury and mental health. She is the associate scientific director and a researcher with the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment, which brings together researchers and stakeholders to improve the health of Canada’s public safety personnel.

Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy is an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work. He is an expert on community mental health, especially mental health and stigma in immigrant communities and treatment options for individuals with mental illness in the community. Prior to joining Laurier, Mfoafo-M’Carthy served as a social worker, assisting individuals with serious mental illness and HIV/AIDS, as well as youth in conflict with the law. Contact: 519.884.0710 x5238 or mmfoafomcarthy@wlu.ca.

Amy Milne-Smith, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of History, is an expert on the history of mental health, particularly in Victorian Britain and Europe. Milne-Smith is available to comment on the history of stigmas about mental health, the rise and fall of the asylum, mental health and crime, and the evolution of diagnostics and military mental trauma. Contact: amilnesmith@wlu.ca.

Jennifer Lavoie, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Criminology, is an expert on mental health, policing, de-escalation, violence and victimization. Her current research explores how police officers and mobile crisis teams respond to mental health crises in the community. Contact: 519.756.8228 x5366 or jlavoie@wlu.ca. Read about Lavoie’s work helping police respond to people with mental health issues.

Danielle Law, associate professor in Laurier’s Youth and Children’s Studies and Psychology programs, is an expert on cyberbullying, associated mental health concerns and responsible Internet use. Law’s research examines how children and adolescents develop cognitively and socio-emotionally as they interact and socialize using various technologies. Contact: dlaw@wlu.ca or 519.756.8228 x5552. Read more about her research.

Michael Woodford, an associate professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, is an expert on the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ2S+ youth. Woodford’s research explores how discrimination can increase LGBTQ2S+ youth's risk for poor mental health and other negative outcomes, as well as the factors that can foster resilience to discrimination. He’s leading the Thriving on Campus Study, a province-wide survey exploring the experiences, mental health and academic success of LGBTQ2S+ university students in Ontario. Contact: 519.998.4514 or mwoodford@wlu.ca.

Carolyn FitzGerald, assistant professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Education, is an expert in mental health in education. FitzGerald’s research focuses on ways educators can offer effective programs to support the development of inclusive classrooms for Ontario’s children and youth. FitzGerald is also the coordinator of Laurier’s Mental Health Issues in the Classroom certificate. Contact: cafitzgerald@wlu.ca or 519.884.0710 x4198. 

Maritt Kirst is an assistant professor in the Community Psychology program at Laurier and an assistant professor (status-only) at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She is an expert in mental health, addictions and homelessness, with a particular interest in making community-based health care and social services more accessible to vulnerable populations. Contact: mkirst@wlu.ca or 519.884.0710 x3077.