Social worker champions equity, diversity and inclusion

Celissa Vipond had her eyes trained on Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care even before she started working here.
She grew up in the Midland-Penetanguishene area before studying psychology at Bishop’s University in Quebec. After receiving her degree in 2007, she went on to earn a masters in social work from the University of Toronto, with a specialization in mental health.

“I loved the courses,” she said. “I found it intriguing in terms of how the mind works.”
Vipond’s first job placement at Waypoint was in the Acute Assessment Program, where she met social workers who exposed her to the possibilities in that field.

“Everyone at Waypoint was so welcoming, showing me the ropes right from minute one.”
Landing a summer job as a social-work assistant led to the realization that she wanted to work with outpatients.

Since 2018, Vipond has worked to deliver cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) program, which offers free help for depression, trauma and anxiety-related concerns, and is available through self-referral or primary-care referral.

“I’ve grown astronomically in terms of what I’ve learned,” she said. “The level of knowledge it takes to be a CBT therapist with this program is huge.”

That growth has also included a greater appreciation for the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Vipond won Waypoint’s 2023 Core Value Award for innovation due to her EDI-related work, particularly her efforts to help the OSP program reach those who traditionally face barriers to seeking psychotherapy, which could include Black, Indigenous, francophone or 2S-LGBTQ+ individuals.

“I had a client who was a trans male and another who was non-binary, and that really made me reflect on how we can improve our services for these clients,” she said.

Her thinking mirrored the Waypoint values of caring, respect, accountability and innovation, which go hand in hand with the hospital’s goal of creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued.

She started small, simply adding she/her to her email signature. But she since created social-media channels for OSP, with many of the posts highlighting staff diversity and sharing information about how services have been adapted to meet people’s unique cultural needs.

“Little changes here and there over time allow us to be more sensitive to priority populations.”

While recognition of her EDI work was a great honour, Vipond said she’s most passionate about providing CBT to people with PTSD or OCD.

“I’ve received some appreciation letters — one of them was 10 pages long — outlining how therapy helped change their life,” she said. “That’s meaningful and really motivates you to continue doing excellent psychotherapy.”

To learn more about Ontario Structured Psychotherapy and how to self-refer, visit therapyontario.ca