Derek Chechak, PhD, RSW, is a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), a Sessional Instructor with the Schools of Social Work at Memorial University, the University of Windsor, and King's University College at Western University, a Registered Social Worker (RSW), and a member of the Standards of Practice Committee at the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). He earned a BA, BSW (Hons.), and MSW degrees from King’s University College at Western University, a PhD from Memorial University, and a Certificate in Labour Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.

As a mental health clinician, Dr. Chechak worked at the intersection of healthcare and law in forensic and assertive community treatment programs. As a social work practice leader and organizational consultant in the employee assistance industry, Dr. Chechak worked with employers across sectors including municipal government, emergency health services, insurance, post-secondary education, manufacturing, technology, food production, and public utilities. Working closely with leaders and human resource departments, he provided group training, conducted workplace violence assessments, advised on team-based conflicts, and supported staff experiencing mental health crises.

Dr. Chechak is a recognized scholar with an extensive body of work including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and applied research reports. His publications focus on community-based interventions, case management, program evaluation, and implementation science, with contributions on assertive community treatment, the opioid crisis in Canada, professional dissonance, workplace violence, employee assistance programs, and the use of geographic information systems for social work planning and community development.

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