A social worker from Severn Township is running for a Simcoe County District School Board trustee position in the upcoming municipal election.
Meghan Dunlop, 36, is challenging incumbent Jodi Lloyd to represent Orillia, Ramara and Severn in the Oct. 24 election.
Dunlop has worked as a registered social worker with Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County since 2014. She worked at the organizaton’s various walk-in clinics before transitioning to its partner assault response program as the service co-ordinator.
“We service all of Simcoe County and some of Muskoka,” she said. “I love working there; I have this really fantastic, supportive, client-centred team.”
A graduate of Laurentian University’s social work program, Dunlop, if elected, wants to focus on helping students and staff with their mental health as the world transitions out of the pandemic.
“Some of the other, biggest issues that I see for youth and families in our community, particularly as a social worker, are probably struggles with mental health and well being — for example, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, domestic violence, substance abuse. All of those things were crucial issues before the pandemic, and now we’ve seen these challenges within all of our communities skyrocket,” she said.
Dunlop also highlighted communication with students and parents as a key issue she would like to address.
“I’ve heard folks say (there) is a bit of a lack of communication between school boards, families, and even municipalities. I think it’s something folks are struggling with,” she said. “I would actually be really curious just to hear first-hand from local students what the day-to-day challenges they’re facing (are) as well.”
Dunlop believes her professional experience would translate well to the position of school board trustee.
“I think that a lot of my professional and personal skills actually transfer beautifully,” she told OrilliaMatters. “With my career, working with folks in the community, it involves truly listening to others (and) advocating with them for change.
“It’s all about open and transparent communication … working with individuals and families … but also looking at and seeing the challenges in the broader scope of structural issues.”
Dunlop has deep roots in Severn and has spent most of her life in the area. She is Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop’s cousin.
With a daughter entering senior kindergarten this fall, she cites her educational success and the opportunity to effect change on a broad scale as her key motivations to run for trustee.
“Her education journey and well-being — there’s nothing more important to me than that,” she said. “I really have been feeling that if I can play a role in helping create that well-rounded, supportive sort of education journey for her, then that’s so inspirational.
“Some of my favourite parts of working as a social worker are listening to and engaging with others, and advocacy work, so I really feel like … this position can actually be used and benefit others on a much bigger scale than what I’ve been used to.”
Part of addressing the issues she sees will be identifying gaps in service throughout the school board and improving communications with students, parents and the community, Dunlop said.
“I really want to enhance communication within the community. I truly think it’s so important for all pieces of the puzzle to work together to truly support our students, within the classroom as well as outside of the classroom,” she said. “I would really want to hear the needs from students, families, and even the larger needs of each community, and then from there work together with the board to see what changes can be made on the larger scale.
“I know a lot of the mental health and addiction supports that are there, but I’d really want to find out where the gaps are and look at what we can do to increase access and awareness.”
