Russ, MSW, is a Scarborough-born Afghan man who upholds designation as a Registered Social Worker in British Columbia (BCCSW # 15559) and Alberta (ACSW #16676). He has had over 8 years of experience working in various frontline Social Work and Counselling roles across Canada.
After attaining a Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology at York University, Russ went onto complete his Masters in Social Work at the University of Toronto, specializing in the Human Services and Leadership Management stream at the faculty. Here, he gained a strong understanding of human services governance structures, as well as practica experience in a hospital and courtroom setting that offered supports to offenders with mental health challenges. Russ attained extracurricular certificates in Interprofessional Education and Community Development at the UofT, and simultaneously continued his work at an inner-city shelter as a mental health counsellor.
Alongside the board of directors, Russ founded Shooting Starz to provide psychosocial supports to folks experiencing displacement – with a primary focus on those displaced through the Criminal Justice System. Russ noticed that folks impacted by the court system would seldom find supports rooted in anti-oppressive practice, which would frequently lead to a cycle of shame and unattained goals.
Today, Russ is the lead counsellor at Shooting Starz, focused on meeting his clients where they are, and providing supports with a focus on logotherapeutic (purpose-identifying) and narrative (externalizing our concerns) modalities. Russ aims to continue building Shooting Starz into a community resource for folks experiencing displacement through the criminal justice system, the increasing Class divide, and global displacement as a whole.
