OPA Breakout Community Psychiatry Advocacy Award
This award is supported by the Council of the Ontario Psychiatric Association. The OPA Breakout Community Psychiatry Advocacy Award recognizes contributions to the profession of psychiatry and to the public by a community psychiatrist engaging in grassroots advocacy in their local area. It is expected that candidates have not previously had provincial or national level recognition for their advocacy work. The successful candidate must spend a majority of her/his time engaged in delivery of clinical services. The award is open to OPA members who have been engaged in advocacy work through one or more of the following areas: clinical care, education, and administration.
OPA Breakout Community Psychiatry Advocacy Award Winner (2018)
The OPA Council is pleased to announce the winner of theOPA Breakout Community Psychiatry Advocacy Award -
Dr. Michaela Beder
Advocacy is the foundation of Dr. Beder’s work as she is driven to improve the lives of individual clients and the broader political and policy landscape. Dr. Beder uses her skills as a psychiatrist to engage in collaborative work and to provide an evidence-based lens to the social issues that impact the individuals she serves. Her advocacy work has focused on a few main areas including immigration detention, poverty and homelessness, and access to healthcare for people without immigration status.
Dr. Beder completed her Bachelor of Arts (2004) at Mount Allison University, her Doctor of Medicine (2008) at McMaster University, her Residency in Psychiatry (2013) at the University of Toronto, and a Fellowship in Public Psychiatry (2014) at Columbia University. Currently, Dr. Beder is a Staff Psychiatrist (2014-present) at St. Michael’s Hospital and a Lecturer (2015-present) in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Additionally, as the Advocacy Lead for the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry (2015-present), Dr. Beder has led advocacy initiatives and mentored residents. Her clinical work is with people who are marginalized, including refugees, and with an ACT team that serves many people who experience homelessness. Her career to date has focused on improving the lives of people who are most disadvantaged in society.
The OPA Breakout Community Psychiatry Advocacy Award is supported by the Council of the Ontario Psychiatric Association. This award recognizes contributions to the profession of psychiatry and to the public by a psychiatrist engaging in grassroots advocacy in their local area. The award will be presented to Dr. Beder at the OPA AGM on March 23, 2018.
