Pomeroy brings valuable lessons into the classroom about mental health, life, and working with youth and first responders
When a person in crisis reaches out to a social services professional, it’s typically because they are experiencing some of the worst days of their lives. For University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) instructor Danielle Pomeroy, as that professional, this means providing a safe space to make a positive difference in that person’s life for a brighter future.
Pomeroy has taught in the Community Social Services (CSS) program for several years, bringing diverse career experiences into the classroom to prepare students for a dynamic career in the social services. She’s passionate about mental wellness, working with youth, emerging adults, frontline workers, and the justice system, and she’s deeply dedicated to improving the lives of others.
“I really like trying to be that person for someone in a moment that they need it. And I like being able to help people with the capacity for change. That’s something that really drives me,” she said.
Pomeroy’s journey toward this meaningful career involved self-reflection and learning. After attending high school in Burlington, Ont., she took a gap year to explore her interests before enrolling at George Brown College in Toronto to study in a social services program, with a focus on working in the criminal justice and addictions fields. During this time, she had the opportunity to complete numerous field placements and gain experience working in the field (something that Guelph-Humber also offers students), building up her resume while exploring the field.
“Those placements were such a good opportunity for me to learn what I didn't want to do. I'm very grateful. I also learned what it was I really wanted to do. And early on, that's where I started to create a path for myself in merging together social work and criminal justice,” she explained, emphasizing her interest in working with youth.
After college, she went on to obtain her Bachelor and Master of Social Work, and other certificates that expanded her knowledge within the field. Pomeroy loves learning and places great value in constantly expanding her mind — in fact, she added that she’s almost always taking some sort of continuing education, whether that be a micro credential, a course, or training.
Pomeroy’s professional pathway led her to York Detention Centre, a youth detention centre in Toronto, as well as with Central Toronto Youth Services. Her CV also includes working with the Halton Regional Police Service as a social worker for nearly 12 years, operating her private practice, and teaching at Humber Polytechnic, in addition to later becoming a Guelph-Humber instructor. And throughout this journey, she remained inspired by her role model – her mother, a single, hard-working parent, who modelled compassion and patience and the unwavering ability to advocate for her clients and patients in health care.
For the last five years, Danielle was working as a co-investigator in an innovative research project: “Developing a Best Practice Model for Mental Health Crisis Care: A Community-Engaged Approach.” This award-winning research looks to enhance education and response efforts for emergency service workers like paramedics, 911 dispatchers, police, hospital emergency department personnel, etc., to conduct groundbreaking, life-saving research about mental health crisis response.
“In the work that I've done on the frontline, from working in detention centres, to working with the police working with youth who are in unspeakable conditions, being in situations hearing and witnessing some profound things and trauma, you have to be careful about not only confidentiality, but also the impact that sharing could have. I can't share most of what I have seen and heard with family, friends, and a partner because I know it could be traumatizing to them,” Pomeroy said.
Shining a spotlight on first responders’ mental health matters greatly to Pomeroy because she understands that some professionals feel stigmatized by their suffering. Her goal is to remove that stigma.
Through her work on the frontlines, helping people who have experienced unspeakable situations and trauma, she knows it takes a toll on first responders – and oftentimes, they carry the weight of that pain silently, to avoid bringing it home to their loved ones.
“Working with first responders also means understanding the work culture, and of course, understanding how to respond to people who are dealing with prolonged exposure to things, people continuing to go back into various stressful or traumatic situations and recognizing the impact that can have on families as well,” she shared.
Taking mental health and wellness into account is a major component to the social services and her work. During a time in her own life where she was facing burnout, Pomeroy, a yoga enthusiast, decided to take a six-month sabbatical to travel to Bali for four weeks, where she completed her teacher training for yoga. Off the mat, in the classroom and in the field, she applies yoga’s teachings – the mind-body connection, grounding oneself, mindfulness, breathwork, and more. This is why she calls this training “one of the most valuable teachings” she’s done.
And at the heart of her work, Pomeroy wishes for no one to ever feel alone and that anyone suffering can feel connection, whether it be to another human, to nature, to faith, etc. In fact, if she had a superpower, it would be to allow others to feel this. She wishes she could allow all people to know how important they are in this world.
“I feel that too often, we wait until someone has passed away or when someone is unwell to tell them all the amazing things and impacts they’ve made,” she said. “If people could know the impact they've made in our lives, I think that could change people's wellbeing to know they make a difference and change the world. Too often, we wait until it’s too late.”
This semester, you can catch Pomeroy teaching two courses: CSS*3030 Spirituality in Social Work Practice, and CSS*3040 Counselling: Advanced Practice.
Starting Fall 2026, CSS will be called Social Services and Well-Being Studies (SSWS). To learn more about this exciting update, click here.
