Charity Hamm
BA Psych, Counsellor, Trained in Therapeutic Play

Charity Hamm is a sexual assault counsellor specializing in the fields of sexual violence, play therapy and criminal justice. She holds a psychology degree from the University of Calgary and completed her certificate in therapeutic play in 2014. Charity believes in supporting her clients where they are at in their healing journey. Charity’s goal is to ideally work herself out of a job – to help her clients develop the tools, skills and strategies to cope with the trauma they have faced.

Charity’s compassion is a driving force in her desire to help all individuals. As a mother herself, she understands and empathizes with the difficulty many of our parents face when they need to use our services for their children. She has worked at CASASC for fourteen years. She has worked in the non-profit sector for over twenty years, helping individual of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. She maintains a close working relationship with the Crown’s office, RCMP, Child Advocacy Centre and a multitude of other supporting agencies.

Charity is currently accepting new clients.

Amanda Kaplan
RPN, Community Outreach Counsellor

Amanda recently joined the CASASC team and is a graduate from the Psychiatric Nursing Program from MacEwan University. She is excited to be part of the Family Intervention and Outreach Programs. Amanda has worked in Acute Inpatient Psych, Geriatric Mental Health, Crisis Response, Short Term Therapy, Assertive Outreach, Home Care, and Forensic Mental Health. Her position as a front-line worker has also given her the knowledge and experience of working with all ages across the life span – a diverse clientele varying from mental, physical and emotional developmental stages.

Amanda describes herself as a lifelong learner and continues to expand her modalities in attachment-base theory and working closely with families, adults and children who have been affected by sexual trauma. She has a passion for helping clients learn to dissect their current concerns and breaking it down into smaller more manageable tasks. She strives to help client’s find strengths within themselves and prioritizing what needs to be done in order to live their best life possible. She has always advocated, had a huge heart for helping anyone in need no matter the circumstances or paths her client has walked.

Amanda is currently accepting new clients.

Mark Ballantyne
BA Soc, Child Counsellor

Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Calgary and is currently completing his supervision hours towards his Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Yorkville University. Mark has twenty years of experience in working with children and youth who have experienced trauma, emotional dysregulation, behavioral health issues and family/personal stress. His use of an integrated approach provides cognitive behavioral strategies, strength based development, play/art techniques and a person centered philosophy allowing for the creation of a safe place to better manage trauma. Mark believes that in creating a strong therapeutic alliance children and families can move forward in their path to healing, and that people have the inner resources to make change. Mark brings that philosophy to individual clients and also with his work in the Sexual Behaviour Support Program focusing on early intervention to sexual behavior concerns.

Mark is an active public speaker providing professionals, parents and children with evidence-based strategies, and knowledge surrounding healthy relationships, coping, trauma, emotional intelligence and positive mental health.

Mark is currently accepting new clients.

Jamie Prowse Turner
PhD, Registered Provisional Psychologist, Therapist and Clinical Coordinator

Jamie has a Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan in cognitive development and a Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling from Athabasca University. She is currently in the process of registering as a practicing psychologist. Her expertise is in the areas of Cognitive Development and Trauma.

She has counselled at CASASC since December 2017 and specializes in adolescents and adults, recent and past trauma, depression, anxiety and interpersonal conflict. Her goal as a therapist is to provide an environment that is safe and comfortable for healing by motivating clients to make changes in their lives to become happier and healthier.

Jamie is LGBTQ+ affirming

Tara-Leigh Blankenstein
RSW, MSW, MALM, Therapist

Tara-Leigh has graduate degrees in Social Work and Leadership and Management with a background in Psychology. Her career has been in forensic psychiatry and corrections providing therapeutic intervention to individuals having perpetrated in areas such as sexual offending, domestic violence and complex mental health. Tara-Leigh has worked with youth through to geriatrics, all genders and in individual and group treatment modalities, and couples support work. Tara-Leigh currently provides therapeutic intervention to survivors of trauma. Her integrative approach is not limited to attachment theory, mindfulness, neurobiology, and a strengths perspective. Her areas of interest are not limited to sexual abuse within religious groups, survivors of torture, male survivors of abuse, institutional/organizational abuse, clinical consultation and supervision.

Tara-Leigh is both a sessional and part-time instructor with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work’s Learning Circles (Edmonton Division) and with Red Deer College’s Justice Studies Program and Social Work Diploma Program. It is her privilege to coach and mentor upcoming practitioners within these faculties as they integrate knowledge into practice with individuals with whom we intersect in our various roles.

Tara-Leigh is LGBTQ+ affirming and accepting new clients.

Sydney Layden
BA Psych, Child and Adult Counsellor

Sydney has a degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from the University of Calgary. She is currently working on her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology through the University of Yorkville. Sydney has play therapy training which she implements aspects of with both children and adults. Currently, Sydney works with children and through play techniques, helps them sort through their trauma narrative in a judgement free environment.

Sydney fosters a therapeutic decision rich environment that promotes children to heal through play. Sydney likes to work with children and families to reach therapy goals and to transition goals to home life. She recognizes the uniqueness of every individual and their story and seeks to serve everyone where they are at. Her goal is to help children live happy lives and to grow up with a full tool bag to take on many different situations.

Sydney is LGBTQ+ affirming and accepting new clients.

Lysylle Del Rosario
MC, Therapist

Lysylle graduated with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. She worked in various capacities with children, women, victims of human trafficking, persons with developmental disabilities, immigrants and refugees. She is a strong advocate for people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities. She is an active council member of the Immigrant Advisory Council of Red Deer since 2016.

Lysylle’s experiences with vulnerable populations and spirituality are her greatest motivation in joining CASASC. She uses narrative, attachment, family therapies and various emotion regulation strategies such as mindfulness, art and journal writing among others. She explores adverse childhood experiences in dealing with trauma with clients and how to heal from its’ impact in their lives and adult relationships. Her goal is to meet clients where they’re at, honour their experiences, journey with them and hope that they reach their full potential.

Lysylle is accepting new clients.

Dwayne Merceus
BSc Psych, RSW, Adult Counsellor

Dwayne recently turned a new chapter in his life and joined the CASASC team. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Burman University and graduated from Red Deer College in the Social Work Program. Dwayne believes in empowering individuals to recognize their skills and strengths. He works within a collaborative process between himself and the individual, utilizing each other’s knowledge to solve many different concerns. His experience as a front line worker has given him the knowledge of working with various populations.

Dwayne strongly values contributing to a healthier, resilient and safe life within the community. He focuses on Solution-focused Theory which helps individuals find ways of using their strengths to confront problematic situations and identify the contextual factors that might be influencing individual behaviour. This moves the focus away from dysfunction and toward manageable, short-term coping mechanisms.

As a naturally driven and passionate individual, Dwayne is committed to providing his knowledge, tools and support to others in the best form possible. He has a passion for fitness, playing basketball and food. Dwayne is dedicated to his work with adults and will utilize his skills to best contribute to the ongoing success of the individuals.

Dwayne is accepting new clients.

Ben Dunlop
BA Psych, KIP Project Lead

Benjamin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Calgary and is currently completing a Master of Education – Educational Psychology in Applied Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Saskatchewan. He has experience in advanced research methods and program evaluation. As a member of both the Canadian Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association, Ben works to incorporate best practices into new program development at CASASC.

Ben has called Red Deer home for the past five years and after a year with CASASC as a program consultant, he is proud to serve as Project Lead for the Youth and Child Kinship Intervention Program (KIP). As Project Lead, Ben oversees the outreach and counselling members of KIP as they provide community support and therapeutic services to local Indigenous youth and their families. As the first project of its kind in Alberta, Ben is excited to begin a new chapter for CASASC, himself and the community.

Nancy McGuffie
Dipl. Rehabilitation, Community Outreach Specialist, KIP Project 

Nancy successfully graduated from RDC ‘s Community Rehabilitation program and has a Diploma in Accounting, a Certificate in Addiction Studies, Palliative Care and various other training certifications.

Nancy’s training in the human services field initially began in Red Deer when she volunteered for CASASC’S support line and then to Fort McMurray where she worked with Child Protective Services. She has been in many different support roles since and now finds herself back where she began – working with CASASC, but this time being a part of a new Indigenous support program (KIP).

Nancy self-identifies as Indigenous and is excited to learn and work with the surrounding communities.

Nancy has always called Red Deer home. She is excited to begin a new chapter with CASASC, herself and the community.

Bailey Martineau
Dipl. Early Learning and Child Care, Educator

Bailey graduated from Mount Royal University with an Early Learning and Child Care diploma. As an early childhood educator, she worked for nine years at a preschool. Bailey is also a certified kids yoga teacher and opened her own business where she taught children the basics of yoga in a fun and high energy environment.

Bailey’s certifications and specializations include: Early Childhood (Level 3), Ages and Stages certification, Little Warriors certification and High Five Principles of Healthy Development. Bailey is a member of the CASASC public education team. She facilitates the No Secrets program for kids Grade 5 to Grade 8. She is a Trained First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse.

Kailee Mears
BA Soc, Educator

Kailee has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Calgary. She has over four years of experience in the human services sector through volunteer experiences around Red Deer and Calgary. Kailee has been a SART team member and remains a volunteer on the help line. Before joining CASASC, Kailee was an educational assistant at the elementary level with Red Deer Public School District for two years.

Kailee is certified in ASSIST suicide prevention, Non Violent Crisis Intervention, AHS Trauma Informed Care and AHS Mental Health for Educator topics regarding sexuality.

Kailee is passionate about working with children, women, LGBTQ+, and Indigenous populations. Her pronouns are she/her.

Carlia Schwab
BA Psych, Community Support Services Coordinator

Carlia comes new to the CASASC team from her work as a Master Trainer with violence and abuse prevention education of the Red Cross. Her professional background also includes working as an Education Assistant with youth experiencing barriers and with disabilities, working in youth homes and with Alberta Education, and on a fun note working at the Sylvan Lake Library.

She brings with her skills in community and program development, prevention education training and curriculum development, organization and school capacity building, team leadership and development and much more. She is very excited to be joining the CASASC leadership team as the Coordinator of Community Support Services and is looking forward to working with the unique and highly skilled teams and individuals of the organization.

Sadia Khan
Community and Court Support Program Lead

Sadia has worked in various positions responding to disclosures since 2010. Currently, Sadia works at CASASC as the Community and Court Support Program Lead. She provides support in a non-judgmental setting to empower individuals to make informed choices to ensure their well-being and comfort throughout the difficult process regardless whether they choose to report or not.

Sadia’s experience in her current role is of understanding, building and making the connections of sexual violence that takes various forms. She is privileged and humbled to be in this position and looks forward to making relationships and connecting with people. Sadia helps to address many of the fears and dispel myths about the criminal justice process which is essential to a survivor’s willingness to participate. She is a certified facilitator for the First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training through AASAS and has completed the Court Preparation and Court Accompaniment Training.

Sadia is deeply invested in serving the community. She is passionate about connecting people of all backgrounds – women, men, gender non-conforming people, indigenous and immigrants, of diverse faiths, abilities and ages. Sadia continues to embody these principles to amplify voices using education, mobilization, dialogue, engagement and collective action.

Sadia is accepting new clients.

Patricia Arango
Executive Director

Patricia was born in Colombia and is a psychologist with a Masters’ Degree in Social and Community Psychology. She has dedicated her life to helping others. In Colombia, she created a non-profit assisting women, kids and undeserved people. She was an Advisor to the Colombia Human Rights President and National Director of Indigenous Communities and Education. Upon her arrival in Canada, she became a Registered Psychotherapist where she focused on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Solutions Focused Therapy.

In 2014, Patricia accepted the role of Executive Director for CASASC, where she continues to successfully tackle challenges. She has proudly implemented preventative programming, including the No Secrets program, the #iRespect campaign and the Family Intervention Program. She also initiated the text/webchat option of the 24 hour help line.

Patricia works tirelessly for her community and has proven to be an exceptional leader, pioneer and innovator with a devoted compassion and empathy for those in need.

Kanwal Khan
MHRM, Human Resource Specialist

Kanwal was born and raised in Pakistan and moved to Canada in 2015. She recently moved to Red Deer from Winnipeg with her family to fulfill the responsibilities of her new role as Human Resource Specialist at CASASC and is very excited to call Red Deer her new home.

Kanwal holds Master’s in Human Resource Management and has more than 7 years of all-around experience in the field of human resources. She has worked in banking, telecom, education and not-for-profit sectors.

She considers herself a people person and loves working with the most valued asset of the organization i.e. the human asset as she believes that happy employees deliver positive results. Kanwal also believes in empowering employees and making them feel supported and valued at workplace.

She is looking forward to adding value to the organization and serving the community by utilizing her diverse cultural and professional experience that she has gained over the years in Pakistan and Canada.

Cathy Schelske-Bluett
Administrative Assistant

Cathy was born and raised in Southern Alberta. She moved with her family to Red Deer in 2010. Her professional background is in administration and accounts receivable in the private sector. She has been a volunteer board member with the Red Deer Community Band Society since 2015. Cathy thoroughly enjoys supporting other non-profit organizations in Red Deer along with the Royals membership. She is a new member to the CASASC admin team as is truly honoured to put her skills to work in support of the larger community in Central Alberta. She is excited to join the team and expand her awareness of the services and supports the Centre offers the region.

Erin Willmer
BA Psych, Crisis Program Team Lead

Erin is a graduate from the University of Calgary with a degree in psychology. After spending seven years at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary as a Medical Laboratory Assistant, Erin decided to switch gears and return to Central Alberta to pursue a career in the helping profession.

While gaining experience in the event industry as well as the private educational system, Erin joined the CASASC team in 2018 on a volunteer basis. She became a part of the administration team in early 2020 and is excited to expand her knowledge and improve her skills in a new environment. She is currently the team lead of the in-hospital support team (SART) and the volunteer program.

Alyssa Shackleton
Intake Support Worker

Alyssa is currently in the last year of her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from Athabasca University. She has been a part of the team since July 2020 where she started as a summer student and has since then taken on the Intake Support Worker role within the organization. Alyssa is also a volunteer on the helpline.

Before pursuing psychology, Alyssa was attending school to be a dental hygienist, but found her true calling after taking a few psychology classes at Red Deer College. Alyssa is very passionate about her work and enjoys helping guide those in need of support. She strongly values the not-for-profit sector and believes that everyone should be able to have someone by their side through their healing journey, regardless of their financial situation.

Alyssa is a trained First Responder to Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse and holds an AHS Trauma Informed Care certificate.

Brittany Phillips
Dipl. BAD, Administrative Assistant

Brittany has completed her Diploma in Business Administration with a focus in accounting. She is currently working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Red Deer College. She sits on the Donald School of Business School Council to provide support and input from a students’ perspective. She joined the CASASC team in July 2020 as a summer student and has since continued to provide administrative support. Brittany is a volunteer on the 24-hour Help Line. She is looking forward to continuing to work for a non-profit and expand her knowledge and skills.