Dr. Howard Bloom
BA, MEd, PhD
Professor, Honours Bachelor of Counselling Psychology
Email: howard.bloom@georgiancollege.ca
Office: C119-H, Orillia Campus
Biography
Dr. Howard Bloom has been providing services and support to people with special needs for over 30 years. Dr. Bloom completed a master’s degree in applied psychology: special education and adaptive instruction, as well as a PhD in teaching and learning from the University of Toronto.
Currently, Dr. Bloom is a professor at Georgian College in both the Child and Youth Care advanced diploma and Honours Bachelor of Counselling Psychology degree programs.
In addition to his teaching, Dr. Bloom’s current research interests include mental health, therapeutic programming and the provision of services for people with complex special needs.
Teaching and learning is important to me. Spending time in the classroom with students inspires me to be my best everyday. Learning from the students and sharing what I can to help each learner to reach their potential is at the core of my teaching and learning pedagogy.
Dr. Howard Bloom
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Toronto, Toronto ON, 2010
- Master of Education (MEd), University of Toronto, Toronto ON, 2001
- Bachelor of Arts (BA), Carleton University, Ottawa ON, 1996
- Crisis Intervention Certified Instructor, Crisis Prevention Institute
- Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care
- Social innovator and entrepreneur; founded an agency that provides live-in treatment for youth and adults with complex special needs and mental health issues
- Co-founded a summer camp in Muskoka for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities
- Over 30 years’ experience working with youth in a variety of settings including recreational, education and treatment
- Curriculum developer with extensive knowledge in teaching and learning pedagogy
- Trained in cognitive behavioural approaches to address anxiety, and abhorrent obsessions and compulsions
Research interests
- Therapeutic animal-assisted interventions and therapies
- Canine-assisted interventions
- Mental health and wellness
- Crisis intervention
- Staff training
Research projects
- To Live and Learn with Neurological Conditions
- Role: Researcher
- Year funded: 2006-10
- Doctoral dissertation published as a book by Backalong books in 2010
- Community Leadership in Justice Fellowship
- Role: Project Lead and Researcher
- Year funded: 2011-12
- Amount funded: $65,000
- Funded by: Law Foundation of Ontario
- Sweet Charity Canine Ambassador Program, Pilot Project – learning about a canine assisted intervention in the Simcoe County District School Board
- Role: Project Lead and Researcher
- Year funded: 2013-14
- Amount funded: $5,000
- Funded by: Sweet Charity Medical Assistance Dogs
- Outcomes and Experiences of the Sweet Charity Canine Ambassador Program (CAP) – Children and Youth Mental Health
- Role: Project Lead and Co-researcher
- Year funded: 2016-17
- Amount funded: $20,000
- Funded by: Trillium Foundation of Ontario
- Miracles Every Day’: Outcomes and Experiences of the Hope Haven ‘Saddle Up For Success’ Project
- Role: Co-researcher
- Year funded: 2018-19
- Amount funded: $20,000
- Funded by: Trillium Foundation of Ontario
- An Innovative Therapeutic Dog Program: Fostering Mental Health and Well-Being in School Communities
- Role: Project Director and Co-researcher
- Year funded: 2019-23
- Amount funded: $240,000
- Funded by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- Empower Simcoe IPAC (Infection Prevention and Control) Collaboration
- Role: Project Collaborator
- Year funded: 2022 and 2023
- Amount funded: $160,000
- Funded by: Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS)