Allyson Ion

Assistant Professor

Allyson Ion standing and leaning against a door.

[email protected]

Dr. Allyson Ion has multidisciplinary training with a MSc in Health Research Methodology and a PhD in Social Work. Prior to joining Brock University, she had a Contractually Limited Appointment in Social Work at McMaster University, and has worked in community-based HIV services, child welfare, and as part of community-based participatory action research projects. Dr. Ion’s research and practice emphasizes principles of community engagement, equitable partnerships and honouring the wisdom and experiences of children, youth and families who are on the receiving end of health and social services. Dr. Ion’s teaching, research, and practice are guided by critical and intersectional knowledge systems and are grounded in an anti-colonial, anti-carceral and anti-oppressive approach to walking alongside children, youth and families. Dr. Ion is committed to teaching and learning that connects critical theoretical knowledge to applied and real-world contexts such as child welfare.

Research Interests

My program of research is focused on critical social work practice. Specifically, I am interested to examine how anti-carceral, harm reduction, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist perspectives are woven into child welfare practice at the individual provider, agency, and structural/legislative levels. I am keen to work with learners who are interested to collaborate in examining the following topics:

  1. Harm reduction philosophies and child welfare practice:
  • What interventions that enact a harm reduction philosophy have been shown to be effective to promote an anti-oppressive, least intrusive, and family-centered approach in child protection practice?
  • What opportunities exist at the micro-practice, organizational and structural/legislative levels to embed harm reduction principles in child welfare practice? What are the limitations and barriers that hamper these opportunities?
  1. Preparedness for child welfare practice:
  • What are the preferences and needs of the child welfare sector as it relates to the credentials of their employees and the necessary knowledge and skills to function in today’s child welfare sector in Ontario?
  • How can undergraduate training programs such as Child and Youth Studies be optimized to enhance preparedness for critical social work practice, and in particular child protection work?

Publications

Journal Articles

  1.  Greene, S., Vaccaro, M. Bernier, A., Griffith, G., Ion, A., Maurice, R., et al. (2023). “Digging in”: stigma and surveillance in the lives of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who consume cannabis. Critical Public Health, 33(5), 697-708. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2023.2262739
  2. Greene, S., Odhiambo, A., Muchenje, M., Nicholson, V., Shore, K., Hall, R., Nyman, S., Ion, A., Cotnam, J., Frank, P., Dunn, K., Glum, S., Symington, A., Gormley, R., Kaida, A. (2021). “I shall conquer and prevail” – Art and Stories of Resilience and Resistance of the Women, ART and Criminalization of HIV (WATCH) study. Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services, 20 (4), 330-353.
  3. Sunderji, N., Ion, A., Tang, V., Rayner, J., Mulder, C., Ivers, N., & Alyass, A. (2021). Conceptualizing success factors for patient engagement in patient medical homes: a cross-sectional survey. Canadian Medical Association Open Access Journal, 9(4), E1159-E1167.
  4. Kozak, T., Ion, A., Greene, S. (2020). Reimagining Research with Pregnant Women & Parents Who Consume Cannabis in the Era of Legalization: The Value of Integrating Intersectional Feminist & Participatory Action Approaches. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2020.0086.
  5. Ion, A., Greene, S., Sinding, C., Grace, D. (2020). Risk and Preventing Perinatal HIV Transmission: Uncovering the Social Organization of Prenatal Care for Women Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Health, Risk & Society, 22(2), 125-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698575.2020.1760217.
  6. Ion, A. (2019). Keeping secrets, disclosing health information: an institutional ethnography of the social organisation of perinatal care for women living with HIV in Canada. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 22(4), 429-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2019.1604996
  7. Sunderji, N., Ion, A., Zhu, A., Perivolaris, A., Rodie, DJ., Mulsant, B. (2019). Challenges in conducting research on collaborative mental health care: a qualitative study. CMAJ Open, 7(2), E405-E414. doi:10.9778/cmajo.20180172.
  8. Khan, S., Ion, A., Alyass, A., Greene, S., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., Carvalhal, A., Kennedy, V.L., Walmsley, S., Loutfy, M. for the HIV Mothering Study team. (2019). Loneliness and perceived social support in pregnancy and early postpartum of mothers living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. AIDS Care, 31(3), 318-325.
  9. Greene, S., Odhiambo, J., M., Cotnam, J., Dunn, K., Frank, P., Gormley, R., Ion, A., Nicholson, V., Shore, K., Kaida, A. (2019). How Do You Prove That You Told? How Women Living with HIV React and Respond to Learning about Canadian Law that Criminalizes HIV Non-Disclosure. Culture, Health and Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2018.1538489.
  10. Ion, A., Greene, J., Masching, R., Poitras, M., Brownlee, P. St. Denys, R., Greene, S. on behalf of the Stable Homes Strong Families research team. (2018). Stable Homes, Strong Families: Re-imagining housing policies and programs for Indigenous peoples living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Canada. Housing & Society, 45(2), 118-138.
  11. Sunderji, N., Ion, A., Huynh, D., Benassi, P., Ghavam-Rassoul, A., Carvalhal, A. (2018). Advancing integrated care through psychiatric workforce development: A systematic review of educational interventions to train psychiatrists in integrated care. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(8), 513-525.
  12. Wagner, A.C., Jaworsky, D., Logie, C.H., Conway, T., Pick, N., Wozniak, D., Rana, J., Tharao, W., Kaida, A., de Pokomandy, A., Ion, A., Chambers, L.A., Webster, K., MacGillivray, J., Loutfy, M. on behalf of the CHIWOS Research Team. (2018). High rates of posttraumatic stress symptoms in women living with HIV in Canada. PLoS ONE 13(7): e0200526. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200526.
  13. Greene, S., O’Brien-Teengs, D., Dumbrill, G., Ion, A., Beaver, K., Vaccaro, M. (2018). It’s Better Late than Never: A community-based HIV research and training response to supporting mothers living with HIV who have child welfare involvement. Journal of Law and Social Policy. 28(1), 61-80.
  14. Ion, A., Sunderji, N., Jansz, G., Ghavam-Rassoul, A. (2017). Implementing integrated mental health care in ‘real-world’ primary care settings: what matters to health care providers and clients? Families, Systems & Health, 35(3), 271-282.
  15. Greene, S., Ion, A., Kwaramba, G., Lazarus, L., Loutfy, M. (2017). Surviving Surveillance: How Pregnant Women and Mothers Living with HIV Respond to Medical and Social Surveillance. Qualitative Health Research, 27(14): 2088-2099. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732317725219.
  16. Lytvyn, L., Siemieniuk, R.A., Dilmitis, S., Ion, A., Chang, Y., Malgorzata, M.B., Manja, V., Mirza, R., Rodriguez, R., Mir, H., Banfield, L., Vandvik, P.O., Bewley, S. (2017). Values and preferences of women living with HIV who are pregnant, postpartum, or considering pregnancy on choice of antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy [Rapid Review]. BMJ Open, 7(9), e019023. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019023.
  17. Sunderji, N., Ion, A., Ghavam-Rassoul, A., and Abate, A. (2017) Evaluating the implementation of integrated mental health care: A systematic review to guide the development of quality measures. Psychiatric Services, 68(9), 891-898. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201600464
  18. Ion, A., Wagner, A. C., Greene, S., & Loutfy, M. R. (2017). HIV-related stigma in pregnancy and early postpartum of mothers living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. AIDS Care, 29(2), 137-144.
  19. Ion, A. (2016). Examining Privacy Regulatory Frameworks in Canada in the Context of HIV. Healthcare Policy, 11(4), 82-92.
  20. Ion, A., Greene, S., Mellor, K., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., Barry, F., Kennedy, V.L., Carvalhal, A., Loutfy, M. (2016). Perinatal care experiences of mothers living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services, 15(2), 180-201.
  21. Greene, S., Ion, A., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., & Loutfy, M. R. (2016). “Why are you pregnant? What were you thinking?”: How women navigate experiences of HIV-related stigma in medical settings during pregnancy and birth. Social work in health care, 55(2), 161-179.
  22. Greene, S., Ion, A., Beaver, K., Nicholson, V., Derry, R., Loutfy, M.R. (2015). “Who is there to support our women?”:  Positive Aboriginal Women (PAW) speak out about health and social care experiences and needs during pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Canadian Journal of Aboriginal Community-Based HIV/AIDS Research, 7, 3-26. Available at http://www.caan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/PAW-Talking-Back_EN.pdf.
  23. Ion, A., & Elston, D. (2015). Examining the health care experiences of women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and perceived HIV-related stigma. Women’s Health Issues, 25(4), 410-419.
  24. Greene, S., Ion, A., Kwaramba, G., Mwalwanda, M., Caswell, J., Guzha, E., & Carvalhal, A. (2015). “Trust Me, It’s Different”: Experiences of Peer Case Management of Women Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada. Canadian Social Work Review, 32(1-2), 73-93.
  25. Greene, S., Ion, A., Elston, D., Kwaramba, G., Smith, S., Carvalhal, A., & Loutfy, M. (2015). “Why Aren’t You Breastfeeding?”: How Mothers Living With HIV Talk About Infant Feeding in a “Breast Is Best” World. Health care for women international, 36(8), 883-901.
  26. Greene, S., O’Brien-Teengs, D., Whitebird, W., Ion, A. (2014). How HIV-Positive Aboriginal Women (PAW) Talk About Their Mothering Experiences with Child and Family Services in Ontario. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 8(5), 467-490.
  27. Ion, A., Greene, S., MacMillan, H., & Smieja, M. (2013). HSV-2/HIV co-infection, health-related quality of life and identity in women. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 22(3), 123-133.
  28. Ion, A., Cai, W., Elston, D., Pullenayegum, E., Smaill, F., & Smieja, M. (2011). A comparison of the MOS-HIV and SF-12v2 for measuring health-related quality of life of men and women living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS research and therapy, 8(1), 5.
  29. Ndlovu U, Ion A, Carvalhal (2010). “My children & my home”: The most recent and challenging stressors of HIV positive women. Arch Women Ment Health, 13, 215-222.