NICE Learning Series

Lauren Clark is a Social Worker at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and has been an active member of the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Team at TOH and with the Champlain Regional MAiD Network since 2016. Lauren is also the volunteer President & CEO of Bridge C-14. In early 2017, she met Jan Ditchfield, the Founder of Bridge C-14 and joined its founding Board of Directors. Lauren is deeply passionate about providing families with compassionate support throughout their journey with MAiD and took over the organization after Jan stepped down from day-to-day operations in June 2019. Lauren holds a Social Service Worker diploma from Lambton College, a certificate in Dementia Studies from Lakehead University, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work from Carleton University. She is a registered Member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) and the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW). Lauren was named as one of the OASW Inspirational Leaders for 2019 for her work with MAiD, has spoken at local, provincial and national conferences, and has been a guest instructor for the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)'s Advanced Practice Gerontological Social Work course for health professionals working in the Sinai Health System. Through her post-secondary education, Lauren developed a strong interest in chronic illness and grief and bereavement. As such, she tailored much of her learning to these areas. Her current positions, at TOH and with Bridge C-14, have allowed her to seamlessly integrate this knowledge into practice, both on the in-patient unit and through her participation in MAiD.