Media releases

• Grand opening set for innovative Brock hub connecting researchers to industry

  Thursday, October 05, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: October 5 2023 – R0089

  Brock University will celebrate its industry connections next week while marking the official opening of its innovative institute dedicated to supporting southern Ontario businesses.

  A grand opening event and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for the Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI) on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. at Inniskillin Hall on the University’s main campus.

  Members of the Brock community will come together with representatives from industry and all levels of government to learn more about the institute and all that it can aid businesses in achieving. 

  The cutting-edge technology adoption centre, which has already begun connecting industry with researcher expertise and state-of-the-art equipment, was made possible by a $6-million investment announced in 2019 by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

  Focused on the health and disease, agricultural, chemical manufacturing and environmental sectors, the VPMI works with a wide range of companies in Niagara and across southern Ontario to address challenges and introduce innovations in industry.

  Speakers at the grand opening will include Lesley Rigg, Brock University President and Vice-Chancellor; Tim Kenyon, Vice-President, Research; Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines; Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre; and Joshua Clarke, Lead Chemist at Destiny Copper.

  What: Grand opening of the Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute
  When: Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m.
  Where: Inniskillin Hall, Brock University

  Media are invited to attend the event and ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the space.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases

• New Brock-CAMH report calls for enhanced mental health, neurodiversity supports for Indigenous communities

  Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: September 27 2023 – R0088

  A newly released report co-led by Brock University and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) aims to create and strengthen supports and services for Indigenous Peoples with neurodevelopmental differences.

  Published this week, Forming the Circle: Report on the 2023 Gathering on Indigeneity, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities & Mental Health, calls for culturally relevant services, enhanced partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations and a national network for knowledge-sharing and advocacy, among other recommendations.

  The report follows a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded event held earlier this year intended to elevate the voices of those with lived experience at the intersections of Indigeneity, neurodevelopmental disability and mental health.

  Hosted at CAMH, the event was facilitated by Associate Professor Kendra Thomson of Brock’s Department of Applied Disability Studies and the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre and Community Support Specialist Louis Busch of the Shkaabe Makwa Centre for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Wellness at CAMH. The event was attended by Indigenous Peoples with lived experience, Elders and Knowledge Keepers and representatives from Indigenous organizations from across Canada.

  The final report reflects the collective findings of Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous allies who participated in the gathering and in the iterative feedback process that informed the report’s development.

  “We need to listen to what people want and need in order to affect meaningful change,” says Thomson. “We heard from people who are labelled with neurodevelopmental disabilities and are Indigenous who don’t often have a voice and aren’t asked about their take on things. We need to listen to community.”

  Busch says many neurodiverse people say they experience “a sense of disconnection, a sense of struggling with their identities and belonging — and that’s obviously compounded by the disconnection that many Indigenous Peoples feel from their culture and the loss of culture brought by colonization.”

  “There is an urgent need to ensure that culturally relevant services and supports are available to Indigenous Peoples with neurodevelopmental differences, that Elders are involved in the various initiatives and programming and that all steps are community-led,” he says.

  The report is designed to be accessible to a wide audience of people with lived experience, family members, clinicians and policy-makers, and features strengths, challenges and recommendations for both immediate and long-term action.

  Leading with strengths is important, says Busch, as one of the key takeaways from the report is the perspective on neurodevelopmental differences in Indigenous communities.

  “We heard repeatedly that children are a gift, and also come with gifts, and that people with neurodevelopmental disabilities come with unique gifts that are often under-appreciated,” he says. “Our discussion showed that prioritizing strength-based approaches and autonomy is important.”

  The report’s short- and long-term recommendations address funding to support land-based learning and community-led programs, improved services through enhanced cultural safety and access and the development of formal calls to action to meet the needs of Indigenous Peoples with neurodevelopmental differences, among other priority areas.

  But the establishment of a National Network on Indigeneity and Neurodevelopmental Disability tops the lists of recommendations.

  “The gathering highlighted that there are many people doing similar work — trying to raise awareness and acceptance and to improve services and, ultimately, quality of life for Indigenous people with neurodevelopmental differences — but we aren’t well connected,” says Busch.

  Thomson says acknowledging and understanding differences is the first step to building the network.

  “Different cultures have different stories and teachings and ideas, and the report shows only a small sample, but we can draw attention to this important intersection of unheard voices and underserved populations,” she says. “We want to start a conversation among people who are working in silos across the country and start building infrastructure to connect people of like interest.”

  As the network grows, Thomson believes the primary goal must be to continue creating opportunities for people with lived experience to share their own expertise.

  Anyone interested in contacting the team is invited to connect via the project website.

  Brock University

  Brock University is a comprehensive institution with rich academic programs and world-class research activity. With about 600 full-time faculty members and researchers, Brock’s robust academic scope offers more than 90 undergraduate and 50 graduate programs. The University’s 19,000 students come from across Canada and around the world. Brock’s renowned student experience is enriched by an emphasis on experiential education, as illustrated by community partnerships, volunteerism and one of Ontario’s largest and most successful co-op programs. Learn more at brocku.ca

  Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

  The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit camh.ca or follow @CAMHnews on X (Twitter).

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209 

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  Categories: Media releases