Conference 2022 Breakout Presenters
Regrouping & Recharging: Gathering to Create Sustainable Change
Breakout Presenters
More bios to be added soon!
| Bernadette Hillier | |
| Bernadette Hillier (nee Custer) is a Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation member who resides at Wekach Lake (near Creighton, SK). Bernadette has 4 daughters and a son along with 18 grandchildren and 6 great-grands. Bernadette is family oriented and enjoys teaching her grandchildren the traditional Cree way of life which includes beadwork, craft making, preparing and cooking wild meat and teaching the Cree language as much as possible. Bernadette has been with the Jonah Sewap Memorial Health Centre in Deschambault Lake, SK which is an extension of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Health Services in Prince Albert for the past 15 years and still enjoys her work as a Mental Health Worker and Social Worker respectively. Bernadette is passionate about finding new and improved ways of reducing violence, through communication, developing partnerships, providing resources/training to educate and bring awareness to whomever is willing to listen and learn, including Elders who are full of life experience and knowledge and so much more. |  |
| Bernadette Wagner | |
| Bernadette Wagner is an award-winning writer whose work has been published in books, magazines, and newspapers, broadcast on radio, TV, and film, and recorded for CD, podcast, and YouTube. She credits her involvement in the progressive feminist community, locally and globally, her twenty-year meditation practice, and her ongoing relationships with other artists as integral to her success. Raised on a farm within Treaty 4 lands, she now lives in Regina, and enjoys spending time in the Qu’Appelle Valley.
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| Cara Fox Cara Fox (she/her), was born and raised in Saskatoon, SK. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Regina. Cara has many years of experience in the field of social work, specifically, and has worked with refugee and immigrant children in school settings, youth living in group homes, the elderly with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and most recently individuals who have experienced intimate partner violence at Family Service Saskatoon. Jody Hanson Jody has been working with Family Service Saskatoon’s Intimate Partner Violence Outreach Program for approximately 6 years. Jody is interested in the opportunities for connection that groups present to IPV clients, as well as figuring out how to improve the delivery and experience of groups. She loves throwing balls to her doggy, Pip, and travelling (when viruses permit). |
Cara Fox (left) & Jody Hanson (right) |
| Crystal Giesbrecht | |
| Crystal Giesbrecht is the Director of Research and Communications at PATHS. Crystal’s
work at PATHS includes designing and delivering training for professionals and conducting research relating to intimate partner violence. Her research is published in peer-reviewed journals and shared with front-line professionals, including PATHS member agencies. Crystal is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Justice Studies at the University of Regina and a member of the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability’s (CFOJA) Expert Advisory Panel. |
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| Curtis Clavelle | |
| Curtis is a collaborative lawyer who joined the bar in 2019 and works primarily in the area of family law. He has conducted research in the area of domestic violence in family law and worked with victims. Curtis has taken domestic violence training through PATHS and has participated in a variety of courses and presentations in this area. |  |
| Fakhra Shahid | |
| Fakhra Shahid is a book worm with a psychology degree who feels passionately about PATHS work to end intimate partner and family violence. |  |
| Jonathan Ballantyne | |
| Jonathan Ballantyne is Woodland Cree from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Treaty 6 Territory. He grew up trapping and commercial fishing with his dad and grandfather. Jonathan is blessed with three children. His first language is Cree; he learned English at school. Jonathan is a traditional knowledge keeper, traditional wood worker and carver, and has knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. He is also a child and family resource person and church lay reader. Over the past 15 years, he has worked as a family support worker, holistic worker, and youth worker, and has led group programs in La Ronge and Deschambault Lake. He is frequently a speaker and presenter in women’s and youth groups. |  |
| Kaitlin Funke | |
| Kaitlin Funke has been with Regina Transition House for a year. She moved from Domestic Violence Counsellor into her current role as Pet Friendly Shelter Coordinator, a role she is excited about having worked with women, children, and pets at risk. As a single mom to a little girl and with a large dog, Kaitlin is aware of the challenges survivors with pets face in accessing housing. While her education was as a paramedic, Kaitlin has worked with many different organizations in the city including Ranch Ehrlo, the Public School Board, YWCA, Open Door Society and KidsFirst. She is passionate about helping her community. |  |
| Karen Wood | |
| Dr. Karen Wood is a health researcher who has maintained a life-long commitment to addressing the factors related to interpersonal violence. Interim RESOLVE SK Academic Coordinator for the past three years, Karen is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology with experience teaching in a variety of related disciplines including Sociology, Social Work, Public Health, and Women’s and Gender Studies and was the recipient of the 2016 RESOLVE SK Excellence in Community Service and Research Award. With over thirty years of experience as a researcher on the impacts of intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, and family violence as a community partner with National and Provincial research networks, and as a direct service practitioner and manager with non-profit organizations that provide services addressing intimate partner and family violence, Dr. Wood continues to feel privileged to explore both the impacts and prevention of violence and abuse for some of the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our communities. |  |
| Laura Zmud | |
| Laura Zmud is the Family Ties Coordinator at the Saskatchewan SPCA. Her work at the SaskSPCA has a focus on the human-animal bond, and the link between animal abuse and human abuse. Laura is a Registered Social Worker; after completing her Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of Regina, she served as the first Jordan’s Principle Service Coordinator for the Saulteaux First Nation Health Centre. Outside of her work at the SaskSPCA, Laura works on a casual basis as a Medical Social Worker at the Royal University Hospital and as a Veterinary Assistant at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre. The human-animal connection and well-being are central to Laura’s professional and personal interests, and remain at the forefront of all her work. |
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| Naz Ghodrati | |
| Naz has over 15 years experience of working in the domestic abuse and violence field in the community sector, and over 5 years of senior management experience in service configurations and delivery in Greater Manchester as a CEO of a comprehensive Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence service and the lead in Domestic Abuse safeguarding and learning, as part of commissioning team in a Local Government sector in the UK. She is currently an independent Domestic Abuse and Violence consultant supporting community sector organizations in developing services to adequately respond to the need of the victims with multiple adversities and disadvantages. Naz works as an independent trainer offering training to government sectors and local authorities in Greater Manchester ( UK), overseeing the implementation of policies, quality of learning, and the delivery of domestic abuse services by multiple service providers to meet the need of the survivors, the victims, and their families. Naz holds an MSc in Social Policy and Domestic Abuse, she is a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), a Social Policy scholar. She is invested in highlighting gaps in creating accessible services for groups and demographics, missing from mainstream government policies. Naz previously served as a Board Member for 2 years in Moose Jaw Transition House, and offered support to various organisations for identifying Honor Based Abuse in young new comers in high schools. |  |
| Sandra Archibald | |
| Sandra Archibald became the Executive Director of New Hope Dog Rescue in March of 2022, her previous roles with New Hope included fostering and volunteering as an adoptions follow up team member. Sandra is dedicated to working in the communities that New Hope is partnered with to increase the human-animal bond and knows that having a loving dog to come home to after a long day is a much needed remedy for many of the pains of the world. |  |
| Shaylyn White | |
| Shaylyn White is an alum of the University of Saskatchewan’s Women’s and Gender Studies graduate program whose thesis research involved examining how queer women construct narrative counterpublics through alternative reading. Their research is informed by queer and critical theory and they are committed to exploring the ways in which gender and sexuality shape everyday experiences. They are currently employed as a research assistant with RESOLVE SK where they had the opportunity to serve as Saskatchewan’s project coordinator on the study Examining the Nature & Context of Intimate Partner Violence in 2SLGBTQ+ Communities. |  |
| Stephanie Taylor | |
| Stephanie Taylor grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, and was inspired to contribute to addressing social issues she saw in her community. She completed the Master of Social Work program at the University of Regina, where her thesis research was titled Violence Prevention with Street Workers: Participatory Action Research with Street Workers Advocacy Project. Stephanie has been practicing as a social worker for over 17 years and in various roles for Child and Family Services, Ranch Ehrlo Society, and as Executive Director of Regina Transition House since January 2017. She also has significant experience in volunteer roles, primarily as a Board member and non-profit advisor. Stephanie is proud of Regina Transition House’s latest expansion to offer emergency pet-friendly shelter spaces. |  |
| Tiffany Paulsen | |
| Tiffany is a collaborative lawyer, arbitrator, and mediator who practices exclusively in the area of family law. Tiffany has been in practice for more than 20 years and has worked with victims of domestic violence and seen first-hand how their experiences are taken into account in the court process. |  |
| Tracy Knutson | |
| Tracy Knutson was raised in rural Saskatchewan and has had the privilege of working in many roles, primarily in the area of community and social development. Through these opportunities, she has learned from the best teachers – the amazing diversity of people in our communities who share the gifts of experience, wisdom and hope. Having worked for over 30 years in community and social development, Tracy brings a wealth of skills, experience and knowledge to her work. Her deep appreciation of the power of relationships and the strength of people to create change is central to her work and life. Tracy is passionate about supporting groups and individuals to create paths to community, connection and wellness through capacity building, hosting, strategy development, coaching and healing practice. |  |
