TRIEC Council Members

Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
Represented by Debbie Douglas, Executive Director

The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) was formed in 1978 to act as a collective voice for immigrant serving agencies and to coordinate responses to shared needs and concerns.

OCASI is a registered charity governed by a volunteer board of directors. Its membership is comprised of more than 170 community-based organizations in the province of Ontario.

The Mission of OCASI is to achieve equality, access and full participation for immigrants and refugees in every aspect of Canadian life.

As a council of autonomous community-based agencies which serve the immigrant communities of Ontario, OCASI asserts the right of all persons to participate fully and equitably in the social, cultural, political and economic life of Ontario.

 

Debbie Douglas is the Executive Director of OCASI. Debbie has spent the last 15 years working in the non-governmental sector in direct service organizations as a manager/director and as a consultant. As a consultant Debbie designed and delivered anti-oppression workshops for a wide range of community based organizations, post-secondary institutions, hospitals, community health and legal centres, police services and arts organizations. As well, she worked with community based service agencies on organizational development and change including policy and procedures development. Debbie currently sits on the management board of CERIS - The Ontario Metropolis Centre, and co-chairs the national working group on immigration and settlement at the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR).