Recipient of the 2020 HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR

Anna Marie Batelaan

Nominated For: HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR

Anna Marie is honoured to be nominated for the 2020 Awards of Excellence in Brain Injury Rehabilitation in the area of Hospital Social Worker of the Year. Anna Marie has been a Social Worker for the past 24 years and worked the past 20 years at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Canada’s largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital. Throughout her career at Holland Bloorview she has worked as a Social Worker on the Brain Injury Rehab Team, first working with outpatient clients and their families and more recently working with clients and families throughout their rehab journey (inpatient, day patient and/or outpatient). She provides counselling support, resource connection and brain injury psychosocial education to her clients and families in individual, family and group settings. Anna Marie works closely with a dedicated interdisciplinary team to provide the best possible care for clients and families living with the effects of an acquired brain injury and is privileged to see many of her clients and families grow and develop and move forward with their lives in so many positive ways. Anna Marie is inspired by the resiliency of both clients and families and is honoured to be a small part of their journey forward in life. Anna Marie is recognized and known for her passion, advocacy, support and compassion to the clients and families she works with.

While at Holland Bloorview, Anna Marie has participated in many cross-organizational committees and projects including writing Social Work Standards of Care for letter writing, reporting to children’s aid, working with suicidal ideation, and responding to the death of a client. She was on the expert panel for the development of the Brain Injury Family Intervention – Adolescent version (BIFI-A). She has more recently been involved in a committee with Advancing Pediatric Stroke Guidelines at Holland Bloorview and a consultation panel for the review of the SibKit for siblings. She has been involved with the roll-out of the Family Needs Questionnaire – Paediatric version. Anna Marie is the Health Care Professional Ambassador for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. Anna Marie is the representative for Project Sunshine Canada, a non-profit organization that provides free social, educational and creative programs to children and families with medical challenges. Anna Marie has engaged in actively promoting the wellbeing of professional caregivers at an organizational level through her active participation in the Holland Bloorview employee mental health committee. Anna Marie has collaborated, co-created and co- taught many Mindfulness and Compassion offerings to various populations, including healthcare colleagues, students, and family caregivers both in organizations and in the community. Anna Marie has facilitated a number of Mindfulness Meditation groups in a hospital setting including a weekly Inpatient Parent Group, a weekly Staff Mindfulness Group, a monthly Parent Talk Group, workshops on self-care to outpatient families and for the past three years she has co-facilitated Mindful Self-Compassion Program for staff. She was interviewed in 2018 by BLOOM parenting kids with disabilities magazine: being kind to yourself makes you a better clinician. Anna Marie also teaches Mindfulness at The University of Toronto in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Continuing Education Program as well as being an advisory council member in that program.

Anna Marie is the recipient of numerous staff and client nominated awards in the areas of compassion, excellence, courage and resilience as well as quality of care, respect, information sharing and partnership. Anna Marie has been acknowledged by U of T’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work for her long-standing contribution as an MSW Field Instructor. Anna Marie is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Over the years, Anna Marie has presented at many ABI conferences locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. Anna Marie is a member of INSWABI, International Social Workers working with Acquired Brain Injury and has hosted many international visitors over the years. Anna Marie, along with her wonderful colleagues, was recognized in 2018 as developing a Leading Practice by Health Canada for her work with Helping Hand Camp (Modified Constraint Induced Training for children and youth with ABI). Anna Marie was one of two recipients of the 2018 Excellence in Interprofessional Education Award through the Holland Bloorview Teaching and Learning Institute for her work with a dedicated colleague in bringing Mindfulness and Compassion based practices to U of T healthcare students.

Anna Marie has a Bachelor of Science double major in Psychology and Sociology from UofT (1989), her Bachelor of Social Work with distinction from York University (1995) and her Master of Social Work from UofT (1996). Anna Marie has extensive experience in healthcare and working with vulnerable populations. She is a registered member in good standing with the Ontario College for Social Workers and Social Service Workers and a member of the Ontario Association of Social Worker (OASW). She is a member of OASW’s Social Work Leaders in Healthcare. She is Co-Chair of the Social Worker Practice Council at Holland Bloorview for the past 8 years.