School of Social Work Alumni

Shaun Ouellette Shaun is a three time graduate of the University of Windsor with two of those degrees being his BSW and MSW from the School of Social Work. Upon graduation with his BSW, Shaun started working at the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society and spent 5 years there as a Family Services and After hours worker. During much of this time, Shaun also worked part-time for the Community Crisis Centre at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital and was one of the first staff hired for the mobile crisis team at its inception.

From there he took a residential substance abuse counsellor position in Detroit Michigan and within 6 months was managing the program. After a couple of years Shaun went back to working in Windsor where he was the Manager of Social Work Services for a local non-profit organization called Drouillard place. Because of various funding cutbacks his position was reduced to half time and he then transitioned to working full-time at Windsor Regional Children’s Centre while keeping the part time position at Hotel-Dieu. While working for RCC Shaun started the MSW for Working professionals program. During this time the Hospital’s in Windsor underwent a ‘realignment of services’ which resulted in having to let go of the Community Crisis Position and keeping the Regional Children’s Centre position. Once his MSW was completed there was some job ‘bumping’ at the hospital and Shaun made the decision to try something radical and he was offered two exciting opportunities 1) Work as a Social Worker at a brand new hospital in the country of Qatar in the middle east. 2) Move to the Northwest Territories for a management position for the Government in the Department of Health and Social Services.

He decided on NWT and lived on a remote aboriginal island village called Fort Simpson for 4 years. He then moved to Winnipeg, MB to be with his partner that he met in the NWT (who coincidentally grew up in Windsor 10 min away from each other and they never met until NWT). In Manitoba Shaun was the manager and clinical services lead for social work in the Department of Psychiatry at Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre. Shaun and his partner were offered some positions in Ontario one was in Attiwapiskat and the other back home in Windsor Ontario working for a local Family Health Team. They chose to move to Windsor and while working for the FHT Shaun also started his private therapy practice.

In the 4 years since being back in Windsor Shaun has transitioned from being an OASW board member, to Vice-President and now to the Local Engagement Ambassador Position (formerly called President of the Southwestern Branch of OASW), his private practice has flourished and he focuses on trauma work and in the clinical supervision of other Social Workers. Shaun’s therapy practice was the Business of the month in January 2021 for BizX Magazine, he has been nominated for various community awards. Shaun is grateful to have found his way into Social Work and enjoys giving back to the profession that has given him so much. As a public speaker he has presented at a number of organizations across the province and virtually. He enjoys engaging with newer social workers and talking about the profession and is happy to talk with anyone who has any questions about social work, their future/career or private practice aspirations.