REICHERT AND ASSOCIATES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Analyst
Amanda holds a Master of Science in Public Health from McGill University, and a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University. She recently completed a Project Management Certificate from Simon Fraser University, and has completed several workshops on the topics of data visualization and transformative evaluation.
Prior to joining the team, Amanda worked for the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) on the Evaluation and Impact Analysis team where she led the development and implementation of cross-cutting evaluations and analyses on MSFHR's impact as a health research funder.
Amanda has health promotion experience working for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay, which serves Cree communities in Northern Quebec. She also previously worked in HIV and Hepatitis C coinfection research for the McGill University Health Centre.
Amanda is currently supporting the evaluation of several primary health care initiatives around the province. She is passionate about improving the use of research evidence in policy and practice to improve health.
Outside of work, Amanda loves to try new food, journal, spend time with her grandmother, and watch her backyard hummingbirds.
Cory has a Master of Arts in Political Science and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, both from Simon Fraser University. She is an alumna of the SFU French Cohort Program in Public and International Affairs, where she had the opportunity to study political science in French throughout her undergraduate degree and participate in an exchange program in France.
Through her education and a placement at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, she found a passion for how responsible social research has the capacity to advance justice for marginalized groups. Her graduate research examined how gender and race impact political candidates' media coverage in Canada, mixing quantitative and qualitative methods.
Cory is currently supporting the evaluation of a mental health promotion program and a teen dating violence prevention program for francophone youth in BC, as well as a mobile outreach unit serving vulnerable populations on Vancouver Island.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research and Evaluation Analyst
Dr. Stephanie Knaak comes to the Reichert & Associates team with a strong academic background and over 20 years of experience in the research and evaluation field. She holds a PhD from the University of Alberta and is trained in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research. She also has expertise in scale development and validation. Her areas of specialty include mental health and substance use, harm reduction, workplace mental health, and stigma reduction.
As a part of the Reichert & Associates team, she is currently involved in the evaluation of the scale up of the CBT Skills Groups Program Initiative and was instrumental is developing an anti-discrimination framework as part of the evaluation of the provincial overdose emergency response. Some of Stephanie's other work includes establishing the evidence base for the effectiveness of BC's Adult Mental Health PSP Program (including international adaptations and implementations in other Canadian jurisdictions), Fraser Health Authority's Trauma and Resiliency-Informed Training (TRIP) program, The Working Mind (TWM) workplace mental health training, as well as research on the implementation and design of successful anti stigma initiatives and training.
Stephanie is considered an international expert in the field of mental illness and substance use related stigma and stigma reduction. In recent years she has published over 35 academic articles specifically on stigma reduction and related topics. In 2020, she was invited to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in Vienna to consult on the development of international guidelines for the reduction of stigma in the context of substance use. She is a member of Health Canada's Stigma Stakeholder Working Group and is regularly solicited as an expert content advisor for training programs aimed at mental health and substance use stigma reduction. She also holds adjunct professorial appointments at the University of Calgary and the University of Manitoba.
Stephanie divides her time between Calgary, AB and the beautiful BC Interior. She loves travelling and the outdoors. She is also a devoted student of yoga, and recently completed her meditation teacher training certification.
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Analyst
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Analyst
Emma has a Master of Economics from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in Economics and Public Policy from the University of Ottawa. A placement at the Public Health Agency of Canada introduced her to the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships in fostering change at the community level which steered her economics research in the direction of education and health programs. Her work in academia focused on the statistical analysis of targeted interventions for university retention and the impact of the built environment on health. In Ottawa, Emma also volunteered with non-profits involved with city planning and advocacy for transportation equity.
Emma is currently working on the evaluations of multi-year mental health promotion and teen dating violence prevention programs for francophone youth across the province, initiatives led by the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC, and a mobile outreach unit pilot for vulnerable populations on Vancouver Island. She is passionate about data and its power in driving the implementation of evidence-based programs in communities. Emma also recently redesigned our website!
In her free time, Emma enjoys dancing ballet, watching stand-up comedy and cooking new recipes. A new Vancouverite, she's been enjoying exploring the city and already feels right at home.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research and Evaluation
Job Titles:
- Senior Research and Evaluation Analyst
Lisa has a Master of Public Administration degree and an Honours B.A. in Political Science, both from the University of Victoria. She has hands-on experience working across for-profit, non-profit and government sectors, focusing on intergovernmental relations and international development.
Lisa is currently working on Primary Care Network evaluations across the province, a 3-year evaluation of the Community Action Initiative Community Counselling Fund and several other health-related projects. Lisa is passionate about ensuring equitable access to health and social services for vulnerable populations and has experience with large-scale, multi-year evaluations as well as those that are more short-term and project based.
Prior to joining the R&A team, Lisa worked for an international eye care charity supporting the elimination of avoidable blindness in low-income countries. She worked with local teams across Asia and Africa to conduct field research, develop M&E programming and secure funding. She has also been published on the topic of gender inequity and financial sustainability of eye health programming and continues to support ongoing research.
Outside of work, Lisa is an avid hiker and loves to travel. She has trekked in Nepal, India and Kenya and her wish list is ever growing!
Olivia Sue has a Master of Public Health from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Arts and Science, with specializations in psychology and neuroscience, from the University of Guelph. As a practicum student, Olivia Sue supported an evaluation that intended to assess how a community health centre's volunteer program could better meet the needs of newcomers.
Olivia Sue is currently supporting projects including evaluations for Primary Care Networks across BC and the Community Action Initiative's Community Counselling Fund.
In her spare time, Olivia Sue enjoys reading, baking, and exploring new places to eat.
With an academic and community agency background, Stephen has more than 20 years of experience in conducting program evaluations and providing research services to non-profits and government organizations. Stephen has worked as the principal investigator on nearly 200 evaluations and research projects, in a variety of areas ranging from primary health care, harm reduction, education and training, seniors and dementia, health promotion, wellness, poverty, community impact studies and Indigenous healing. Utilizing both a developmental and participatory approach, Stephen has worked in diverse settings across the country, conducting both formative and summative evaluations and research as well as the design and implementation of complex measuring tools. Some of Stephen's current work includes the evaluation of the Provincial Emergency Overdose Response, Nurse in Practice initiatives as well as new primary care initiatives such as Urgent and Primary Care Centres and Primary Care Networks.
In the past, Stephen has been a sessional lecturer in the Office of the First Year at the University of Regina and has guest lectured in a variety of university departments and conferences on topics including racism and social policy. Stephen is a current member of the Canadian Evaluation Society and has previously served on the Society's local chapter executive. Stephen is an adoptive parent and currently volunteers as the Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Adoptive Families Association of BC and current Director with Sea to Sky Community Services.