Where Systems Meet Humanity: Alison Albright on Care Work in High-Pressure Systems

I’m joined by Alison Albright, who works in victim services on the front lines of crisis and care. We talk about what the work actually requires, making decisions under pressure, building trust in minutes, and carrying responsibility most people never see.

alison albright

Alison Albright is a registered social worker with nearly a decade of specialized experience directly supporting and advocating for child and youth victims navigating the criminal justice system. She currently leads the Child & Youth Justice Navigation Program at Victim Services Toronto (VST) and is spearheading the development of a first-of-its-kind specialized therapy program for young victims after they’ve testified against their offenders in criminal court—filling a long-overlooked and critical gap in services.

Alison is the founding co-chair of RISE, a next-generation fundraising initiative raising restricted funds to bring this urgently needed post-court therapy program to life at VST. She also co-authored a children’s book—which will be published in partnership with VST—to help young victims better understand the court process. In 2025, Alison was nominated for the Law Foundation of Ontario's prestigious Guthrie Award and received WomanACT's distinguished Children's Champion Award.

Alison holds a Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Social Work from Toronto Metropolitan University. She is recognized for identifying systemic gaps and building innovative, trauma-informed, victim- and survivor-centred initiatives in response. Her work is grounded in a relentless commitment to systems change and to supporting the most vulnerable young people.

You can find more information at: riseforvst.com and instagram.com/riseforvst.