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Research project empowers parents with cognitive challenges

Durham College’s (DC) Social Impact Hub is at the forefront of a groundbreaking community-engaged research project designed to identify gaps and determine how to improve support for parents with cognitive challenges.

Research shows that while many such parents are able to hold jobs and live independently with minimal support, the average global rate of custody removal for those that become parents is significantly higher than any other group of children.

“Parents with cognitive challenges should not have to prove themselves capable of parenting and yet, they do,” explained Amanda Cappon, DC faculty member who led the project with DC faculty member Kay Corbier. “They are held to a level of scrutiny higher than any other parent, which was the motivation for this project – to challenge the stigma of being a parent with cognitive challenges and mitigate trauma to families.”

The project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF), brought together a wide network of collaborators, including the Starfish Parent Support Program, the Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham Children’s Aid Society, Lake Ridge Community Support Services, and Brock University. Students from DC were hired as research assistants, gaining hands-on experience in community collaboration and applied research while contributing to positive social impact.

Raising Resilient Families: Empowering Parents with Cognitive Challenges highlights the importance of early intervention, community collaboration, and support systems rooted in respect and dignity, influencing lasting change that promotes the well-being of families and prevents unnecessary disruption.

At the heart of the project was a deep commitment to amplify the voices of parents with cognitive challenges, ensuring their lived experiences shaped the project at every step. The multi-phase project included:

  • Interviews with parents and service providers to identify barriers, strengths and gaps in support.
  • Training to over 30 staff from local service providers in the evidence-based Step-by-Step Parenting Program, developed by team member Dr. Maurice Feldman, to build awareness of the unique needs and challenges of parents with cognitive challenges and enhance their skillset for supporting them.
  • Collaborative sessions with parents and service providers to design supports, such as a post-birth plan and parent support group model.

The Raising Resilient Families Final Report identifies the need for systemic change — enhanced supports for parents, tailored training for service providers, and policies that reduce bias and promote equity. The project team will actively share the knowledge gained from this project over the next few months, aiming to spark further conversations and actions that will positively impact practice and the lives of families in our communities.

“The role of parents is critical, as they have the ability to quite literally shape future generations,” said Deanna Cooper, Research Associate and DC Alumni. “As individuals with cognitive challenges embark on their journey of becoming parents, we’re committed to improving the individualized support they may need to foster a safe and healthy environment for their children.”

Alumni of Distinction’s Surviving Addiction docuseries returns with help from Social Impact Hub, DC community

For Durham College (DC) Alumni of Distinction Chris Cull, the second season of his Surviving Addiction docuseries has been a true team effort.

With funding from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation and Mitacs and invaluable support from DC’s Social Impact Hub, the new season launched on YouTube on July 18. It consists of six episodes, with a new one premiering every Friday at noon.

Like the first season, the new episodes explore the different perspectives of those touched by addiction, from those in recovery to the family and friends who support them and the doctors who treat them.

“There are so many different dynamics to how substance use and addiction can affect somebody. Everybody’s journey is very different,” said Cull, who shared his own story of overcoming opioid addiction in the series’ first instalment. This season, subjects include a young man who overcame addiction as a teenager, a woman who held her family together in the face of her partner’s struggles, medical professionals at CAMH and Lakeridge Health, and more.

“The essence of the series is education through storytelling, and to try to help the broader public have a better understanding of substance use and addiction and see a little bit of themselves in the stories that they’re watching.”

To tell those stories, Cull had the support of Social Impact Hub Project Coordinator Sara-Ruth Allen and Faculty Project Lead K. Jennifer Bedford, as well as two DC students; May Friedman (Photography) and Hrithik Udani (Video Production). Over two long days of filming and weeks of post-production work, the DC contingent brought their experience and expertise to the process of delivering six impactful and educational episodes. Their tasks included conducting and filming interviews, shooting B-roll, editing the footage and more.

“Surviving Addiction is more than a docuseries—it’s a model for work-integrated learning in action. It gives solid footing for our students to go out into industry and succeed. It allows them to see how a real production works, not just in a classroom, but in real life,” explained Bedford, who teaches in the Faculty of Media, Art and Design. “A project like this has social impact, and I’m extremely pleased that we can offer students an opportunity to learn how they can make a difference within the world through their storytelling.”

Working on the series as a Social Impact Hub project lead was a valuable opportunity for Bedford as well, giving her the chance to exercise and hone the production skills she teaches in the classroom.

“It keeps me fresh; it keeps me relevant. I think that’s incredibly important to demonstrate to students who are coming to Durham College – that our faculty are the best, and this is one of the reasons why.”

As the season unfolds, the hard work of Cull, Bedford, the students and everyone else who had a hand in the project will shine a spotlight on emotional and inspiring stories that will make a difference.

“People connect emotionally with stories,” said Cull. “You can throw data on if you’re looking at overdose deaths and how many happened in the last month, and that’s a number on a screen. But if you take one of those numbers and tell the context and story behind it, then people get interested.”

Silent Voices heard at Durham College

A powerful new documentary made its debut at Durham College (DC) this month.

Silent Voices sheds light on the critical issue of mental health in Black communities by telling the stories of six individuals from different age groups and walks of life. In emotional interviews, they share their experiences of the racism and systemic barriers they’ve faced in their lives. Stories like these often go unheard, which is reflected in the name of the film.

It was a passion project for Dr. Crystal Garvey, a Faculty Member in the Nursing – Collaborative Bachelor of Science (BScN) program at DC, who co-produced it with Visual Redux with in-kind work from Vanceworld Media.

On March 6, the documentary premiered during a special event at DC’s Centre for Innovation and Research (CIR) that also included a panel discussion with mental health professionals.

“It was overwhelming, in a good way,” said Garvey of the event. “I’m just grateful and humbled that it was well received. It’s very important to have the community come together, because I’m sharing their voice.”

Borne out of a desire to bring awareness to Black mental health, the documentary was produced over the last two years with the support and insights of Garvey’s DC colleagues.

The completion of the documentary dovetailed perfectly with Garvey’s role as lead researcher of a project at the CIR’s Social Impact Hub; ‘Bridging the gap: Developing Culturally Responsive Mental Health Care with and for Black Communities.’ Last year, the project received a $360,000 federal grant from the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF), funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

“This is where preparation met opportunity, because I had this documentary sitting on a shelf, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it, but I knew that I wanted to spread awareness,” she said. “When we launched this research project about Black mental health, it was the perfect opportunity to use this piece and platform to bring awareness. That’s how this event came about.”

Attendees from DC and the wider community filled the event space at the CIR, including Mojgan Rezvani, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Speaking before the screening, she set the stage for the impactful documentary and credited Garvey for the passion and commitment that made it possible.

“This is more than just a film. It is a testament to the lived experiences, the systemic challenges and the strength found in sharing our stories,” she said. “Dr. Garvey is the visionary behind this project, driving its creation, shaping its impact, and ensuring that black mental health is not only acknowledged, but actively prioritized. Through this powerful documentary, we explore the deep intersections of culture, race and mental health, conversations that are too often left unheard.”