Gillian Szollos

Baby Freindly Inititive Assessor Candidate

About

My knowledge, education and experience coupled with my genuine passion for working with families in the childbearing years makes me a visionary asset to a multidisciplinary team looking to promote family wellbeing from preconception to the early years. • Excellent communication skills • Extensive knowledge of project management and evaluation • Extensive experience in training and program design and delivery • Significant experience in reproductive health and health promotion with childbearing families • WHO Baby Friendly Initiative assessor candidate ( 2/3rds completed) • Strong leadership and teambuilding skills • Experience in cultivating collaborative community partnerships • Experience in writing successful grant proposals • Strong public speaking skills Community Engagement includes participation on may local, regional and provincial committees including: Assessment and Client Satisfaction with Breastfeeding Workgroup (Champlain and South East LIHN) Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program Family Advisory Committee community health representative Member of Ontario Populations with Lower Breastfeeding Rates advisory committee Ontario representative for the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses; Advocacy and Health Policy Committee Initiated and saw to fruition breastfeeding drop ins in partnership with Ottawa Public health Initiated inter professional collaborative agreement between midwifery practice and CCHC Ontario Women’s Health Network Leadership training Level 1-3 Health and Social Services Advisory Committee for the City of Ottawa Montfort Hospital Quality Control Group Conference speaker

Country

Canada

City

Ottawa

Industry

Non-profit Organization Management

Skill

Health Promotion, Project Management, Management, Public Relations, Public Health, Community Health, Community Outreach, Community Development, Public Speaking, Maternal-Child Health, Health Advocacy, Lactation, Team Leadership, Teaching, Workshop Facilitation, Grant Writing, Fundraising, Concept Development, Advisory Boards, Employee Management

Experience

Baby Freindly Inititive Assessor Candidate

Breastfeeding Committee for Canada

2013 - Present · 13 yrs

Ongoing training

Health Promoter/Family Support and Community Worker

Carlington Community Health Center

2011-4 - Present · 15 yrs 6 mos

Duties include: Working with marginalized families many of whom are new Canadians, facing multiple barriers to health care, education, housing, and food security to improve social determinants of health. Develop opportunities to foster civic engagement. Develop professional competencies around child development, infant and maternal mental health and put those competencies into practice through casework. Build community partnerships to foster support. Responsible for developing and executing community development initiatives including breastfeeding promotion and Lifecourse strategies for preventing childhood obesity. Responsible for grant writing and program design and management for breastfeeding education programs in the community for populations at risk for low breastfeeding rates. Individual client advocacy and casework. Inter professional collaborative care involving numerous community stakeholders; Lead on WHO BFI (Baby Friendly Initiative).

Researcher/Writer

Health Nexus Santé

2015 - 2016 · 1 yr

Researched and wrote case example resources about breastfeeding campaigns and educational strategies to support breastfeeding. Monthly meetings to discuss progress. Collaboration was required with other writers on the project. Interviewing public health workers, mothers and family members. Condensing and formatting information to be presented in an effective way for health care providers across the province.

Program Manager Birth and Parent Companion Program

Mothercraft Ottawa

1999 - 2011-4 · 12 yrs

Accountable for the planning, evaluation and administration of the program in accordance with policies and procedures. Recruited, trained, supported and provided direction and performance review to a large group of volunteers who were matched one on one with a marginalized client who was either pregnant or parenting ; maintained regular contact with the parents, volunteers, community agencies and support people. Planned and implemented appropriate support programs and activities; participated in new program development; Developed and implemented the outreach plan; Participated in the formulation and implementation of the approved annual program budget; identified funding opportunities and prepared proposals. Responsible for ongoing program evaluation; capacity building; communications; and community liaisons, while functioning as a member of a team. Participated in the development and subsequent management of a successful social enterprise. Facilitated the creation and funding for two much needed weekend breastfeeding drop ins. This position also involved significant contact with vulnerable and marginalized clientele, refugees and newcomer families and required excellent communication skills, crisis intervention skills, and knowledge of resources available to women, children and families in Ottawa.