Expert Interviews

As part of the research for the film, we interviewed experts and social workers working on the frontlines of mental health, immigrant settlement, and legal advocacy. These conversations provide invaluable insights into the bigger issues revealed by this family story. 

“We live in the world where we are on the verge of a nuclear war, environmental destruction, catastrophic mind control… there is so much pain. The drug that people get addicted to is the biggest painkiller – it’s not a coincidence. We have to address the pain and we are not doing it yet.”

This episode explores the theory that addiction is much more a social problem than an individual disorder. It features Bruce K. Alexander, Ph.D., the author of the book Globalization of Addiction (2008).

“There is lots of epidemiological research showing that first and second-generation immigrants are at a higher risk for psychosis. What we saw is that immigration plays a role, combined with many factors, such as genes and the environment.”

This episode connects the dots between mental health and immigration. It features Dr. Romina Mizrahi, Associate Chair of Research for the Department of Psychiatry at McGill and co-author of the research in 2017 that “finds possible chemical link between migration and psychosis”.

“Our immigration policy and law were bound to a history that understood the phenomenon of immigration in a very problematic way and these kinds of pieces of history are very important in how we understand and how these systems operate, how the mental health system, the immigration system and our criminal justice system operate.”

This episode holds a mirror to the past for a reflection to better understand our present. Featuring Dr. Ameil Joseph, Associate Professor of School of Social Work at McMaster University and author of Deportation and the Confluence of Violence within Forensic Mental Health and Immigration Systems.

How are the immigrants treated differently in the Canadian legal system? What are the thresholds and obstacles for immigrants who want to seek justice?

The experts and social workers working on the frontlines of mental health, immigrant settlement, and legal advocacy continue shedding light on the dark hole existing in the immigration legislation.

This episode features immigration lawyer Lawrence Wong and Leslie H. Morley, senior counsel of refugee law Andrew Brouwer and author Dr. Ameil Joseph.

What does Double Jeopardy mean in the immigration system and how to understand the severe consequences for immigrants?

As part of the research for the film, we interviewed experts and social workers working on the frontlines of mental health, immigrant settlement, and legal advocacy.

This episode on Double Jeopardy features Lawrence Wong, Dr. Rachel Kronick, Leslie H. Morley, Erin Boudreau, Dr. G. Eric Jarvis MD, Antonella Scali, Dr. Ameil Joseph and Andrew Brouwer.

“It’s important that there’s a voice in agency and there’s a narrative in each person’s story. Out of one story, many stories can begin to become important.”

– Dr. Jaswant Guzder

“Only when the community can be activated and facilitated in developing services that meet the needs in a real way, our current mental health crisis will change”

– Dr. Ted (Hung-Tat) Lo

Ahlay Chen
Founder & Executive Director at Community Mental Wellness Association of Canada

Dr. Ameil Joseph
Associate Professor of School of Social Work at McMaster University, author of Deportation and the Confluence of Violence within Forensic Mental Health and Immigration Systems  (2015)

Andrew Brouwer
Senior Counsel of Refugee Law at Legal Aid Ontario 

Antonella Scali
Former Policy Analyst at Schizophrenia Society of Ontario (now Institute for Advancement in Mental Health)

Bonnie Wong
Executive Director at Hong Fook Mental Health Association in Toronto

Dr. Bruce K. Alexander
Creator of Rat Park studies, author of Globalization of Addiction, and Professor Emeritus of the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University

Dr. G. Eric Jarvis, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, Director of the Cultural Consultation Service and the First Episode Psychosis Program at the Jewish General Hospital

Erin Boudreau
Director, Government/Stakeholder Relations & Quality Assurance at Schizophrenia Society of Ontario  (now Institute for Advancement in Mental Health)

Dr. Jaswant Guzder
Visual Artist, McGill Professor Psychiatry active in Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry , former Head of Jewish General Hospital Child Psychiatry Department

Dr. Kenneth Fung
Clinical Director of Asian Initiative in Mental Health at the Toronto Western Hospital; Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto 

Dr. Laurence Kirmayer
MD, world-leading expert on cultural psychiatry, Professor and Director of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry at McGill University, Editor-in-Chief of Transcultural Psychiatry

Lawrence Wong
Immigration Lawyer in Vancouver, British Columbia

Leslie H. Morley Immigration Lawyer in Kingston, Ontario

Dr. Rachel Kronick
MD, Assistant Professor of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry at McGill University.

Dr. Romina Mizrahi
Associate Chair of Research for the Department of Psychiatry at McGill, and lead and co-author of the groundbreaking reach in 2017 that “finds possible chemical link between migration and psychosis”.

Dr. Soma Ganesan
 Psychiatry Fellow in the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, founder and Director of the Vancouver General Hospital Cross-Cultural Clinic, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia

Sunny Wang
Manager of Resource Advancement and Communications, Hong Fook Mental Health Association in Toronto

Dr. Ted Lo
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at University of Toronto, Founding President of Hong Fook Mental Health Association in Toronto 

Dr. Wei-Yi Song
Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Island Health, Clinical Professor of the Department of Psychiatry of UBC, Past President of Canadian Psychiatric Association