Anti-Black Racism and Allyship - Planting Seeds to Inspire Change

As a registered Occupational Therapist (OT), Patrice has worked with diverse populations in clinical and leadership roles in various healthcare settings in Canada and the USA. Through her lived experiences as a Black woman, she developed a passion for equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism work. This inspired Patrice to complete a diversity and inclusion certificate program to learn foundational concepts.

Patrice has lectured on anti-Black racism and allyship in academic and healthcare settings provincially and nationally.   In January 2021 she founded the Black Occupational Therapists of Ontario Association (BOTOA.ca), to create a safe space for Black OTs to share their experiences, provide mentorship, and engage in outreach initiatives to improve health outcomes in local Black communities.

Patrice holds a master’s degree in teaching health professionals from the University of Toronto (U of T), in addition to a status-only lecturer appointment in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Since 2016, she has volunteered on the executive board for the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation – Trinidad Group at U of T. She also serves on the Equity Perspectives Panel for the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.

In addition to her equity, diversity, and inclusion work, Patrice has a strong passion for cancer rehabilitation. She authored two cancer rehabilitation courses for clinicians and developed an outpatient program for women recovering from breast cancer to address the side effects of their medical treatments. Patrice is also a past Provincial Head of Psychosocial Oncology for Ontario Health and is the only OT to have ever held that coveted position. In the role, she represented eight health professions at clinical tables and promoted greater access to cancer care to reduce health disparities for equity-deserving communities across the province.

Other career highlights for Patrice include being honoured as one of the Top 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women 2022, Canada International Black Woman Excellence’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch 2020, and OT of the Year at the University Health Network in 2017 (an award for which she was nominated again in 2018).