CHARLOTTE AKUOKO-BARFI

Charlotte Akuoko-Barfi has over 30 years of professional and community work experience. Her professional expertise and interests are in:

• Dispute Resolution

• Advocacy

• Family and Group Counselling

• Child Protection

• Project Management

• Teaching and Training Social Workers

Charlotte Akuoko-Barfi has worked in various managerial capacities in the child protection and welfare system of Ontario, Canada for over 27 years. Highlights of these include: Child Protection Supervisor; Supervisor, responsible for chairing, mediating and facilitating Family Centered Conference at the Catholic Children Aid Society of Toronto’s Agency’s East Branch as well as providing leadership in the area of project management.

Charlotte is currently involved in a novel program for dispute resolution in the child welfare system. In this program, she facilitates child protection mediation (Family Centered Meeting) in which immediate families, extended families and community members are brought together to as an alternative to the traditional legal dispute settlement approach used in the child welfare system.

In addition to her professional experience, Charlotte has been actively involved in the community. She sat on the Board of Aisling Centre for Children and Families, chaired the National Council of Ghanaian Canadians for a number of years and facilitated several community-based workshops on the effect of family violence on children. She has also made numerous presentations to the community on the Ontario Child and Family Services Act dealing with suspected child abuse and child maltreatment.

Charlotte graduated with BA and MSW from the University of Toronto and since 2011, she has been a part-time lecturer at Ryerson University, School of Social Work.