Autobiographical Resume

Formal Education

Bachelor of Arts, Major in Psychology
Thompson Rivers University (in progress)

Technical College Diploma in Youth and Adult Correctional Intervention
John Abbott College (2013- 2015)

Informal Education

College Recognition of Acquired Competencies in Special Care Counselling
Champlain Regional College (2018-2019)

Quebec Association of Special Care Counsellors Attestation
June 16^th 2025

Course and Training Certificates:

Professional Development

Social-Emotional Pathways to Wellbeing
Dave Melnick Transforming Trauma Collaborative
March-April 2025, (9 hours)

Inclusive Language in Schools
Wendy Brydon, Speech Pathologist, New Frontiers Schoolboard (NFSB)
February 21^st 2025 

Trauma-Informed Student Support
Sheryl Leigh Ross, Behaviour Consultant, NFSB
February 21^st 2025

Interoception
Dr. Janet Schurman, PhD., NFSB
November 6^th 2023

High-Five – Principles of Healthy Child Development
Deborah Locke, Boys and Girls Club Program Manager
July 9^th 2016

Employment History

Social Work Technician

Heritage Elementary School, Huntingdon, Qc (2021 – 2025)

• Provide counselling to students and when applicable, their families, under the supervision of the school director.
• Teach social skills and emotional regulation tools and techniques to students individually and in groups.
• Write referrals and assist youth and their families in obtaining support from outside resources.
• Plan, create, and implement intervention plans within team of social workers, psychologists, healthcare professionals, and directors
• Intervene when necessary in suicide and at-risk interventions by identifying risk suicide screening protocol, work with mental health resources on support plans. 
• Analyse problems presented by administrator, staff members, or families and participate in and/or conduct research to provide appropriate solutions. Write documentation for court and testify when necessary
• Train and coach other staff members in identifying risk, documenting and reporting to appropriate authorities and organizations.

Notable learning: In this role, I learned to quickly adapt and problem-solve in crisis situations, supporting students, families, and colleagues through trauma and stress. I gained a deeper understanding of cultural, religious, and legal factors, and how childhood experiences affect behavior, health, and academics. Critical thinking became essential as I assessed safety and needs, seeking outside support when necessary. I also learned to model coping techniques professionally and developed strategies for teaching social and emotional regulation to children and families, while practicing these skills myself to manage the stress of crisis support.

Substitute Teacher

New Frontiers School Board, Chateauguay Valley, Qc (2023 – present)

• Teach course material in the absence of the regular teacher
• Manage classroom and ensure a positive and continuous learning environment

Notable learning: Through supply teaching, I enhanced my communication, leadership,  organization skills, and creativity  by teaching various grades and subjects at unpredicted times. Problem-solving and creativity has been crucial for this role as often times, the substitution is a last minute arrangement and preparations are not set for the supply teachers, which can cause confusion, anxiety, and excitement for students and can quickly become chaotic if not managed adequately.

Special Education Technician

Howard S. Billings High School, Chateauguay, Qc (2018-2020)

• Assist in the planning and creation of students individualized education plans (IEP), adapt lessons, assignments, and environment for students accordingly
• Manage a resource room to support students from grades 7 through 11 with their academic needs, exam invigilation, while following their individualized education plans
• Observe, record, and assess success of education plans and modify as needed. 

Notable learning: I enhanced my teamwork skills by managing a resource room with a colleague across opposite shifts. We played a critical role in respecting and implementing students’ IEPs, ensuring their needs were met. Serving students from grades 7-11, including those in adapted classrooms, at a school of about 800 students, I developed stronger organizational, management, and mathematical skills. To run the room efficiently, I created a schedule that balanced drop-ins and reserved group times, prioritizing exam-related support and assistive technology access. I analyzed room usage data to avoid overcrowding while maximizing support for students and teachers

Integration Specialist

City of Chateauguay, Quebec (June- August 2018)

• Work one on one, as well as in small groups, with children experiencing social and emotional challenges
• Intervene with all members of the day program during crises
• Support and coach colleagues who are working with children experiencing higher needs.

Notable learning: As the integration specialist for the city’s daycamp program, part of my role was to guide and support the facilitators working with high-needs children. I learned how to guide other adults working with children by modelling and explaining scenarios and possible reasoning behind the children’s behaviour and crises.

Activity Facilitator

Boys and Girls Club of Cornwall, Ontario  (2015-2017)

• Facilitate positive and educational activities in after school and summer programs for children between four and twelve years old.
• Teach adolescents in “teen program” life skills such as cooking, and assist with homework using programs such as Rogers Raising The Grade.
• Maintain regular communication with parents, coordinators, and management

Notable learning: In this role, I strengthened my communication and organizational skills. I learned to create daily and weekly itineraries, design activities, and group members based on their needs and interests. With strict schedules, I developed activities tailored to the time of day, members’ needs, and the organization’s goals.

Intern Educator (Youth Worker)

Batshaw Youth and Family Centers / Department of Youth Protection, Montreal, Quebec (2014-2015)

• Organizing intervention groups for youth in group home settings to teach them self-care basics, social skills, and emotional regulation.
• Providing direct care to youth in group-home, institutional, and locked-unit settings, Intervene promptly and effectively during a crisis.
• Assisting youth in their client-specific recreational, therapeutic, and educational programs, including but not limited to, overcoming addiction, anger management, family reconciliation, and receiving an education.
• Observing and documenting potential concerts, writing daily log reports for each client, participating in weekly staff meetings and presenting weekly reports on clients.
• Assisting families in meeting their personal and court-ordered goals through regular meetings and therapeutic programs. 

Notable learning: I learned how the Youth Protection Act and Youth Criminal Justice act are applied within the system as well as outside of the system. I enhanced my critical thinking skills and maturity as there were daily crises and situations that required thoroughly thinking through the situation in order to make very difficult decisions. I learned a lot about my own limits and how to address them as I worked through interventions with highly traumatized children and their families.

Volunteer Work

 Literacy Night, Heritage Elementary, Quebec (2024)

• Assist in organizing community event to promote literacy in young children and families. This includes regular meetings with committee leading up to event, distributing roles, planning purchases for event, and decorating venue.
• Prepare readings of my book Anna-Lee and Her Anxiety to participating community members

Notable learning: I developed my verbal and modeling skills by reading my published book to community members and families, teaching anxiety-management tools at a child-friendly level. Along with organizing the event, I set up emotion-based stations with activities like breathwork, social skills games, and calming techniques for families to practice between readings.

Donation collecting, organizing, and distributing, Heritage Elementary Qc (2021- 2025)

• Observing and documenting potential needs of students and organizing solutions for them and their families
• Organize and discretely distribute clothing, hygienic, and toy donations to students and families who have requested support or accepted offer.
• Reach out to local public health and school board nurse to obtain feminine-hygiene products for students in need

Notable learning: I improved my communication and organization skills by coordinating donation collections and reaching recipients. I created posters and social media posts to engage both donors and recipients. I also met with students and families to assess their needs, organized donation lists, and used monetary donations to purchase necessary items for distribution.

Santa’s Street Hockey Challenge, Cornwall Optimist Club, Ontario (2016)

• Assist other volunteers and local police officers in setting up event by installing tables, tents, and fences.
• Assist with monitoring teams of children participating.

Notable learning: Participating in a tradition in a community that was new to me at the time, required that I step out of my comfort and expand my community engagement and teamwork. It showed me how the community fosters relationships between its youth and local police services through a fun and engaging event.

Nova Health West Island, Beaconsfield, Quebec (2015-2016)

• Organizing physically and intellectually stimulating activities for older adults in day program
• Aiding member with limitations complete program activities, including assisting members with physical impairments.
• Accompanying members on daily walks, planned activities, and day trips. Assisting them with movement, hearing, or understanding when necessary.
  
  Notable learning: Working with older adults, I learned the importance of integrity and improved my risk-management skills. Many members needed physical and cognitive support but struggled to accept it. I became better at assessing risks in their activities and offering support only when necessary, rather than automatically stepping in.

Old Brewery Mission, Montreal, Quebec  (September 2014)

• Assisting team in soup kitchen to serve hundreds of Montrealer’s in need of a warm meal
• Assisting in organizing and cleaning up after meal, and quick rotation of people entering and leaving the dining area
  
  Notable learning: In this role, teamwork was crucial for efficiently serving hundreds of Montrealers. I assisted with the organization of roles within the team, ensuring smooth coordination between cooks, distributors, and servers. If one member fell out of sync, the flow would break, and meals wouldn’t be delivered on time. The experience also deepened my awareness of my own privileges and helped me better understand systemic issues like homelessness and food insecurity.

Interests and Additional Experiences

Reading (1997 – present)
I have always been passionate about reading, particularly psychology, social work, poetry, and fiction.

Notable learning: Over the years, I’ve developed the discipline to research independently and enrolled in a college program in Special Education to enhance my skills as a school employee and mother to a child on the autism spectrum. I continued to pursue opportunities to learn new information and skills by enrolling in online courses related to mental health, child development, and support services through independent study.

Music (2020 – present)
Music has been a lifelong passion, and during the Covid pandemic, I self-taught myself piano through tutorials and jamming sessions with my musician brother.

Notable learning: Learning music involved applying mathematical skills, recognizing number patterns, and practicing timing through fractions to follow rhythms and patterns.

Writing (2005 – present)
Writing became a therapeutic outlet during my adolescence. I ran a blog in high school, and in adulthood I published a collection of poetry, a guided journal, and a children’s book on anxiety management.

Notable learning: Publishing my work enhanced my numeracy and organizational skills as I researched costs, distribution, and royalties to make informed decisions on pricing and materials.

Travel (2023 – present)
Traveling has become a passion since I had the opportunity to explore different cultures and ways of life.

Notable learning: Planning trips taught me budgeting, currency comparison, and organizing necessities, while enhancing my leadership skills as I managed the itinerary and shared my knowledge with my travel companions.

Do It Yourself Projects (2016 – present)
I enjoy engaging in DIY projects, from art and science experiments with my children to home improvement projects.

Notable learning: These projects honed my budgeting, measuring, and design skills. I’ve also learned to accept mistakes and grow from them, refining my problem-solving abilities