| |
| |
| |
| |
|
Dr . Michael Saini
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. (Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto)
M.S.W. (Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto)
B.S.W. (Social Work, Lakehead University)
BA (Sociology, Nipissing University)
BA (Law and Justice, Laurentian University)
Phone: (416) 946-5027
Dr. Michael Saini’s interests have focused on research, policy and practice with children and families involved with child welfare, family law and alternative dispute programs. He is currently involved in research to explore high conflict divorce and separation, parenting competency after divorce, the intersection of child welfare and custody disputes, and child protection mediation as an alternative to legal disputes within the child welfare context. He has published in the areas of evidence-based custody evaluations, factors of interparental high conflict, the treatment of anger and aggression, judicial decisions of joint custody, and parenting competency post divorce and separation.
For the past 12 years, Dr. Saini has been completing custody and access assessments for the Office of the Children's Lawyer, Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario. Dr. Saini was previously the manager of the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare located at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. He also has experience as a program analyst for the Supervised Access Program, Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, as a child protection worker in Northern Ontario for the Children's Aid Society, District of Nipissing and Parry Sound, as a youth worker for Dilico Ojibway Child and Family Services and as a youth support worker for J.J. Kelso, a secure custody facility for young offenders in Thunder Bay.
Dr. Saini, is also interested in evidence-based practice (EBP), research methods, systematic review, meta-analysis, qualitative synthesis and critical appraisal of qualitative research. He is the previous systematic review specialist for the Canadian Partner of the Campbell Collaboration in the Research Institute for Evidence-Based Social Work at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Dr. Saini is also active in program evaluation of community-based programs for children and youth and he has been involved in program evaluations for a collaborative day treatment, violence prevention program, a community support team and a youth gang strategy initiative in the Durham region.
Dr. Saini teaches Welfare of Children, Research for Children and Families, Contemporary Issues for Children and Families and Evidence-Based Practice. He provides workshops to practitioners and researchers in conducting systematic reviews and rapid evidence assessments, evaluating systematic reviews, meta-analysis and meta-synthesis, using qualitative software, program evaluation and implementing evidence-based practices.
Interests
- Children and families involved with the courts
- High conflict custody disputes
- Child emotional abuse and maltreatment
- Conflict resolution
- Child protection mediation
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Systematic Reviews (meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis)
Books
Saini, M. & Shlonsky, A (forthcoming 2011). Systematic synthesis of qualitative research: A pocket guide for social work research methods. Oxford University Press.
Chapters
Saini, M. & Ma, J. (in press). Culture and parenting after divorce. In Kathryn Kuehnle and Leslie Drozd (Eds). Parenting Plan Evaluations: Applied Research for the Family Court. Oxford University Press
Saini, M , Johnston, J., Fidler, B., Bala, N. (in press). Empirical evidence of alienation. In Kathryn Kuehnle and Leslie Drozd (Eds). Parenting Plan Evaluations: Applied Research for the Family Court. Oxford University Press
Saini, M ., & Léveillé, S. (2011). Researcher –community partnerships: a systematic synthesis of qualitative research (Eds) Léveillé, S., Trocmé, N., Chamberland, C., & Brown, . Partnerships in child welfare research . Toronto: Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare.
Glancy, G., & Saini, M . (2009). Sexual abuse by clergy. In Fabian M. Saleh, Albert J., Grodzinskas Jr., and John M. Bradford (Ed) Sex Offenders: A multi-disciplinary approach to identification, risk assessment, treatment & legal issues. London: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Shlonsky, A., & Saini, M . (2008). Risk Assessment Instruments. In Renzetti, C.M. & Edleson, J.L. (Eds). Encyclopedia of interpersonal violence (Vols. 1-2). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Selected Articles
Mishna, F., Cook, C., Saini, M ., Wu, M-J., MacFadden, R., (2010). Prevention and intervention of cyber abuse targeting children and adolescents: A systematic review to evaluate current approaches . Research on Social Work Practice DOI: 10.1177/1049731509351988. (print version in press).
Mishna, F . , Saini, M ., & Solomon, S. (2009). Ongoing and online: Children and youth’s perceptions of cyber bullying. Children and Youth Services Review doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.05.004 (print version in press).
Saini, M. (2009). A meta-analysis of psychological treatment of anger: Developing guidelines for evidence based practice. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 37(4), 438-441.
Glancy, G. & Saini, M. (2009). The confluence of Evidence-Based Practice and Daubert within the fields of forensic psychiatry and the law. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 37(4), 438-441.
Baines, D., Davies-MacKenzie, J., Saini, M. (2009). Wages, working conditions, and restructuring in Ontario's social work profession. Canadian Social Work Review . 26(1), 59-73.
Mishna, F., McLuckie, A., & Saini, M. (2009). Real World Dangers in an Online Reality: A Qualitative Study Examining Online Relationships and Cyber Abuse. Social Work Research, 33(2), 107-118.
Saini, M . (2008) Evidence base of custody and access evaluations, Journal of Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention. 8(1), pp. 111-129.
Regehr, C., Alaggia, R., Lambert, L., & Saini, M. (2008). Victims of sexual violence in the Canadian criminal courts. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 3(1), 99-113.
Saini, M. & Birnbaum, R. (2007). Unraveling the label of 'high conflict': What factors really count in divorce and separated families. Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies Journal, 51(1), 14-20.
Birnbaum, R., & Saini, M . (2007). A pilot study to establish reliability and validity: The Dimensions of Conflict in Separated Families. Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies Journal, 51(2), 23-31 .
Mares, D., McLuckie, A., Schwartz, M. & Saini, M ., (2007). Do Executive Function impairments differ between school and home environments for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder?" The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry / La Revue canadienne de psychiatrie , 52 (8), 527-534.
Gearing, R., Saini, M ., & McNeil, T. (2007). Experiences and Implications of Social Workers Practicing in a Pediatric Hospital Environment affected by SARS. Health and Social Work . 32(1), 17-27.
Saini, M . & Birnbaum, R. (2005). Linking judicial decision-making in joint custody awards with evidence –based practice: It is possible? Canadian Family Law Quarterly , 24, 139-165.
Glancy, G, & Saini, M . (2005). A review of psychological treatment of anger and aggression. Journal of Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 5(2), 229-248.
Brownlee, K., Sprakes, A., Saini, M ., O’Hare, R., Kortes-Miller, K., & Graham, J. (2005). Heterosexism among social work students. Social Work Education: International Journal for Social Work and Social Care Education, Training, and Staff Development. 24(5), 485-494.
Selected Presentations
Saini, M. (2011). Child custody disputes with the context of child welfare. Society for Social Work and Research , 15th Annual Conference, Tampa, Florida .
Saini, M. (2010). What do qualitative studies have to add to systematic reviews: A simple explanation of qualitative research and its use in systematic reviews. Joint Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration Colloqium, Keystone, Colorado.
Wade, A., Cargo, M. & Saini, M . (2010). Systematic reviews and information retrieval: planning and implementing a database search. Joint Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration Colloqium, Keystone, Colorado.
Cargo, M., Thomas, J., Saini, M ., Rogers, P. & Hannes, K. (2010). Why did it only work for that group of people or in that context? The contribution of theory, context, process and implementation in systematic reviews of effectiveness. Joint Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration Colloqium, Keystone, Colorado.
Lach, L., Saini, M ., Bailey, S., Cimino, T. (2010). Systematic review methods for observational studies: Challenges and solutions. Joint Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration Colloqium, Keystone, Colorado.
Saini, M . & Birnbaum, R. (2010). Making social science make sense: Understanding research and how to apply it. Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (Ontario Chapter) 2 nd Annual Conference. Toronto, Ontario.
Martin, L. & Saini, M . (2010). Common myths and misconceptions about children in family law: Thoughtful involvement of children’s interests in collaborative law. Ontario Collaborative Law Federation Biannual Conference, Burlington, Ontario.
Saini, M . & Redmond, M. (2010). Social work practice, divorce and separation: Bridging a major life transition. Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work Education , Montreal, Quebec
Saini, M. & McLuckie, A. (2010). Detaching from high conflict divorce: Adult Attachment, emotional coping and co-parenting. Association of Family Conciliation and Court 47 th Annual Conference, Denver Colorado.
Newman, J. & Saini, M. (2010). Judicial decision-making of supervised access orders in child custody disputes: patterns of court orders. Supervised Visitation Network, Annual Conference, Denver Colorado.
Saini, M . (2009). Parenting profiles in high conflict divorce . Association of Family Conciliation and Court 46 th Annual Conference, Children Courts and Custody: Back to the Future or Full Steam Ahead? New Orleans, Louisiana.
Saini, M (2009). Parent efficacy and conflict post separation/divorce: Building on parents' strengths to reduce children's exposure to emotional harm Society for Social Work and Research , 13th Annual Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Assessment Tools :
Saini, M. , Fidler, B.J., Freeman, R., Gertner, E., Popielarczyk, L., Radovanovic, H., and
Birnbaum, R. (2005). Dimensions of Conflict Measure. Unpublished manuscript.
Saini, M, (2008). Quality and Rigor in Qualitative Research Form. Unpublished manuscript.