NOWWHAT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic Care Coordinator
Amanda Blacklock joins our Intake Team with 20 years of front-line experience working with children and their families as a Registered Early Childhood Educator. In her role at NowWhat she supports Milena Romalis on the Intake Team, coordinating services for new clients and helping them navigate their journies.
She is currently pursuing a diploma in Library and Information where she has acquired core skills in information and digital literacy to effectively and efficiently source tools to support the needs of children and families in our community. Amanda enjoys navigating the puzzles life brings us by piecing together stories and problem-solving solutions. She has a passion for supporting child development and promoting children's mental health. She has personal experience in her home managing speech delays, child absence epilepsy (CAE) and anxiety. Amanda spends her free time with her husband, two amazing children, and her dog. They can often be found at a hockey rink, on a ski hill, or at the family cottage.
Job Titles:
- Registered Social Service Worker
Andrea Hertel [SSW] comes to NowWhat with more than 20 years of professional experience. After a successful career in marketing and administration, Andrea has shifted her focus to the enriching field of social services. Driven by a passion for supporting others through challenging life circumstances, Andrea specializes in supporting tweens, teens, and young adults coping with anxiety, low self-esteem, emotional dysregulation, and executive function challenges. Using a blend of motivational interviewing and DBT and CBT-based skills training, Andrea helps to empower her clients to develop social and emotional life skills. Andrea is also an excellent resource for supporting clients through practical skills such as time management, organization, prioritizing, task initiation, focus, attention and motivation.
When she is not surrounded by her wonderful family and friends, Andrea can be found working on a minor home renovation or volunteering with a local non-profit.
Angela Hayes [RECE, CLS, M. Ed.] has spent 23 years in the area of children's mental health and development, the last 10 of which she has been teaching at the post-secondary level. Angela has extensive knowledge of child development and works with parents using a family-focused approach. Angela has a diverse portfolio with a degree in psychology, diplomas in Early Childhood Education, Resource Teaching and Infant Mental Health, as well as being a Child Life Specialist and having a Masters in Education.
Angela supports families struggling with challenging behaviours at home or in school/child care, who have experienced trauma, and/or are striving to enhance the parent-child relationship.
Angela enjoys being at the rink either playing hockey herself or watching her family members on the ice, as well as cooking and trying new foods in her own kitchen or in the community.
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic Care Coordinator
Breanne Schuit [BA, MSc, CCLS] heads up our Child Life team. She is a Certified Child Life Specialist who specializes in understanding the developmental and emotional needs of children aged 0-18 and their families facing illness, trauma, disability, transitions, death, and bereavement. She utilizes therapeutic play, bibliotherapy, art, and other creative modalities to support young people's emotional wellbeing. She obtained her Master's Degree in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care from McMaster University. Breanne's professional experience includes supporting children, youth and teens in the home, community, school, and hospital environment.
Breanne focuses on building a trusting therapeutic relationship with her clients, creating a fun and safe space where individuals can learn to identify and express their emotions in developmentally appropriate ways.
Breanne's approach is holistic and family-centred. She recognizes that healthy parents and siblings of children in distress need individualized support to help them understand and cope with their own experience and often works in partnership with our Parent Coach Rina Rodak.
In her spare time, Breanne enjoys spending time with friends and family, and working on her rural property with her much-loved German Shepherd by her side.
Job Titles:
- Supervising Social Worker
Dana Kalil (BA Hon, MA) began her studies with a bachelor's in Child and Youth Studies and Psychology and then completed her master's degree in Applied Behavioural Analysis, developing her passion for inclusivity and an affirming approach to neurodivergence in her client work alongside solid clinical skills.
Dana has worked for several years as an academic coach for children and teens and brings those executive function skills to her work with neurodivergent clients at NowWhat, both in group settings and in 1:1 support. Dana supports our BCBA, and is well-versed in evidence-based support models. She has a passion for adapting traditional methods to fit the needs of each individual client. Dana also has a background in dance, which she loves to incorporate into her work with clients with ADHD and ASD wherever those passions align.
On her own time, Dana loves spending time in the great outdoors, and making delicious food for the people she loves.
Danielle Stam [MSW, RSW] has been working with children, youth, adults, and families since 2005. She is a mother to 3 school-aged children and has both lived and knowledge-based experience working, living with, and walking along-side children and teens who experience the world as neurodivergent and/or are facing a mental health or well-being challenge. Danielle believes strongly in the need for each child, teen, and person to have a space where they feel connected and belong.
She is also an EMDR clinician with training, experience, and expertise treating trauma, OCD, and various well-being challenges in children, teens, and adults. Danielle integrates body-focused and somatic exercises into skills-based work, to support kids with anxiety, panic, phobias, social skills challenges, and more in listening to their bodies and allowing their bodies to tell the story as their most powerful tool. She has a special passion for working with adopted children and children who have experienced adversity of any kind, including early attachment loss.
Job Titles:
- Certified Learning Resource Teacher & Executive Function Coach
Denise Hagger, BA, PGCE (Education) Denise spent 30 years teaching with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board at the Secondary level. She holds a Specialist qualification in Special Education and English and has spent the last 20 years of her career focussing on alternative education and special education as a Learning Resource Teacher, with a range of learners including those experiencing giftedness, ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, and social-emotional struggles. She is an Executive Function specialist who uses a wide range of behavioural and support strategies to assist students to understand themselves as learners, leverage their strengths and find a way around, over and through any challenges. She is also a long-time partner, and mom to a wonderful university student and four adorable four-legged creatures.
Erinn Haughton [PSW] is a full-time coach and communication specialist on the Children's Team. She has extensive experience in supporting individuals with ASD, ADHD, developmental delays, and communication barriers. Erinn's goal is to establish meaningful connections and teach communication skills that can improve the quality of life for her clients and their families. Erinn supports children and teens in our therapeutic day programs as well as in 1:1 sessions. As a loving mother, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets. Erinn is also an art enthusiast who loves to experiment with different mediums, even edible art!
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic & Executive Function Coach
Hayden Guitard [BA Psychology] lends his attention to detail & hard work as well as his therapeutic experience to NowWhat as a Behaviour Coach, Executive Function Coach and Youth Program Facilitator. Hayden specializes in delivering DBT concepts and teaching skills to children and teens in a relatable and enjoyable way as a facilitator in our group programs as well as in 1:1 settings.
In the past, Hayden has worked in respite situations with diagnosed ASD individuals, in multiple children's sports programs and camps, as well as gaining volunteer experience tutoring and mentoring youth in the Hamilton area. Hayden's free time revolves around sports, music and video games as well as pursuing further education in psychology and social services. His passion for athletics, social settings and technology are important shared interests for many of his 1:1 clients. Hayden is originally from the Hamilton area, and during the warmer seasons you can find him enjoying life at the local golf courses and farmer's markets.
Job Titles:
- OCT & Children 's Programming Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Parent Coach & DBT Program Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Supervising Behaviour Analyst ( BCBA )
Kaley Pepin [HBA Psych, M.ADS, BCBA] is a board-certified Behaviour Analyst with 4 years of experience in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and 6 years working with individuals with disabilities. Kaley has worked with in both the private and public sectors and is familiar with a variety of programs available through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) including fee-for-service, urgent response services, foundational family services, and entry to school. At NowWhat, Kaley works closely with our multi-disciplinary team supporting individuals and families with a wide range of diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), cerebral palsy, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Kaley works in both 1:1 and group settings implementing PECS, Proloquo2go, functional communication training, Hanley's Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based training protocol, Hanley's Balance program, and promoting skill acquisition across a variety of domains. Kaley is passionate about taking a holistic approach to ABA and collaborating across disciplines. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, yoga, reading, and spending time with her two cats.
Karen Lane-Groen (B.A.) has over 10 years of experience working with children of all ages and abilities as an Elementary School Teacher, Director of an international tutoring company, and various other volunteer roles in her church and community. These experiences have shown her the importance of positive and open communication, the struggles of families with children who have special needs, and insights on how to deal with the limitations of doctors, teachers, and schools. Connecting with children in one on one or small group settings is a joy and strength of hers. She is also a mother of 3, with whom over the years she has worked through OT needs, giftedness, ADHD, struggles with executive function, and mental health challenges. At NowWhat, Karen brings all her strengths together to coordinate with clients and manage our accounts department.
Laura Jane came to the NowWhat management team with two decades of experience in all aspects of business development, from administration, strategic planning & marketing to frontline customer service. She has also volunteered over the years with adults with developmental disabilities, in camp leadership for at-risk teens, and in palliative care with those facing life-limiting illnesses. As an avid learner and a parent living in a neurodivergent household, she understands many of the challenges that NowWhat families face. Laura is passionate about connecting people to resources & support that will make a positive and practical difference in their lives. You may find her supporting families through the intake process, collaborating with team members to develop program structure, designing & creating customized resources, and communicating our offerings to the world. In her personal time, Laura loves to take her 3 boys out to hike, bike, and paddle with friends, jam on their various instruments, or curl up on a couch to read together.
Louise Oke (BA, MSc, RP, RMFT) is a Registered Psychotherapist who trained as an individual, couple, and family therapist at the University of Guelph. She is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience working with children, youth, and families in community based, private, and group home settings providing individual and family therapy. Louise is a lifelong learner, both personally and professionally, who sees herself as work in progress. She is a caring and compassionate listener and a resourceful clinician who works hard to understand what is important to her clients and tailors her approach to their unique preferences and needs. Louise is passionate about removing the stigma attached to mental health challenges and strives to help people uncover what matters to them and move their lives in their preferred directions. In recent years Louise has been learning about and incorporating Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in her therapeutic work. Louise is an approved NIHB mental health service provider.
Job Titles:
- Communicative Disorders Assistant
Maria brings a range of experiences to her role, having worked in ECE directly with children, and in healthcare administration before gaining her bachelor's degree in Linguistics, followed by her graduate certificate as a CDA, when she worked for several years providing speech therapy services to children and families in the Toronto area.
At NowWhat, Maria is the first point of contact for families looking for speech support, helping clients get connected to the right services for their needs, and managing scheduling and logistics. She also works directly with clients delivering speech therapy in collaboration with Asia, and enjoys bringing a quiet playfulness to her 1:1 client work and group support.
In her spare time Maria loves to bake and enjoys staying active, playing soccer, and socializing with friends.
Job Titles:
- Registered Social Worker With the Ontario College of Social Workers
Maureen Pangan is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She holds a Master of Social Work Degree from Arizona State University. Maureen has over 10 years of experience working with various age groups and cultural demographics addressing violence, sexual assault, healthy relationships, immigration & newcomers, infertility, and relationship concerns. Maureen has worked with such agencies as Women of Color Network, St. Vincent de Paul, Child and Family Support Services, and Sojourner Centre.
Maureen sees clients of all ages at NowWhat for individual and family counselling, working from a strengths-based approach, and is experienced in several therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Play Therapy, Art Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). Her warmth and ready smile set people from every walk of life at ease as she works with clients in a validating and affirming way to help them find their own version of success. She especially enjoys working with children, employing a creative, artistic, playful approach to connect and engage with her younger clients.
Maureen has contributed to the Social Work community by way of being a Field Instructor for Arizona State University, York University, University of Toronto, Humber College, Centennial College, Seneca College and George Brown College. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at U of T. She currently is the Co-Chair for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services Gang Prevention and Intervention Program Community of Practice Working Group. In addition, she is a Co-Lead for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services: Youth Justice Division Critical Incident Stress Management Team. She is also a member of Ontario Association of Social Work Local Engagement Ambassador & Network for the Peel Region. She has also provided module-based learning and individual counselling sessions to target risk factors for clients referred through the Toronto Anti-Guns and Gangs Unit (TAGGU) Probation and Parole Services, and has facilitated workshops on Anger Management, Intervention and Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Case Notes Writing, and Presentation Skills.
Personally, Maureen values precious time with her children and grandchildren and loves spending time rejuvenating in the great outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Clinic Director & Founder
Job Titles:
- Lead DBT Facilitator & Therapeutic Coach
Nigel Applewhaite [BA (Hons.) Psychology] lends his irrepressible energy & enthusiasm as well as his widely varied therapeutic experience to NowWhat as a Therapeutic Coach, Executive Function Coach and experienced DBT program facilitator. Nigel specializes in delivering DBT concepts to children and teens in relatable and enjoyable ways as a facilitator in our group programs as well as 1:1. In the past, Nigel has worked in recreation therapy with seniors suffering from dementia, assisted in running supported conversation groups for individuals with aphasia, and worked in rehabilitation therapy within the ABI population. Nigel's free time revolves around sports, recreation and music, as well as pursuing further education in the social work field. His passion for athletics and understanding of that world is an important shared interest for many of his clients. He is a regular at the gym, and during the warmer seasons you can find him running and mountain biking various trails in the Hamilton area.
Job Titles:
- Neurodivergence Specialist & Founder
Rina Rodak [B.A. M.A Applied Ethics] has more than 20 years of experience as an educator, curriculum developer, school administrator, and advocate for children and their families. Rina is an ADHD, ASD & Executive Functioning specialist with advanced training in the Ross Greene method of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), DBT and DBT-C, SibShop™ sibling support workshops, and UCLA PEERS social skills training for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other social challenges, as well as challenges related to sex & gender identity. Rina is a sought-after Parent Coach, Counsellor, and family strategist, trained in SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions). She can maneuver through educational, medical, and therapeutic systems while managing delicate social and cultural expectations with sensitivity and respect. Her approach emphasizes individualized learning styles, conflict resolution, multi-disciplinary collaboration, and applying out-of-the-box thinking to help people problem-solve through complex challenges. She specializes in applying practical Executive Functioning and DBT strategies to real-life situations, as an adult ADHD & Executive Function coach, facilitator, and consultant. She also provides practical communication and relationship strategies to couples who are living with neurodivergence. Rina is the mom of three busy teenage boys who eat a lot of food, make a lot of noise, and use a lot of Wifi. She brings her personal experience in managing Aspergers, Anxiety, ADHD, giftedness, and Learning disabilities within her household.
Robert Tansley [RSW, MSW, HBSW] is an experienced clinician who has worked with individuals, couples, families and groups for over 35 years. He worked for several years under the supervision of renowned ADHD specialist Dr Kenny Handelman, developing a niche in this area. Robert enjoys being part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing services to children, teens and adults living with such diagnosis as depression, anxiety, addictions, ADHD and personality disorders. He is authentic in his value for family in its many forms, and his commitment to healthy resiliency through intimacy. As well as providing therapy directly, Robert is a trainer, educator and mentor. Robert has trained in Strategic Family Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy; Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Dialectic Behavioural Therapy. Believing change is the rule not the exception, Robert harnesses the energy of change using it to assist individuals and groups achieve their goals.
Robert considers his role as a husband, father and grandfather as his most important in life. He has also coached sports at a high level and understands the pressures faced by high performance athletes, he is a published local author, and once upon a time he owned a coffee shop!
Sadie Lantz [RSW, BSW] is a passionate and enthusiastic therapeutic coach, counsellor, and DBT program facilitator at NowWhat. She brings an inclusive, strengths-based, and holistic approach to her work with children and youth, both when facilitating groups and when working with individual clients. With a background in community counselling, Sadie focuses on accessing strengths and providing individuals and families with tools to help navigate and manage their challenges. Sadie incorporates several treatment modalities into her practice including CBT-informed, DBT-informed, and Narrative Therapies.
Drawing on evidence-based DBT skills-training, Sadie regularly incorporates mindfulness concepts, distress tolerance skill development, social and interpersonal practices, and emotional regulation strategies into her work with children and youth. Outside of work, Sadie enjoys hiking and strolling through Hamilton's forest trails, writing songs on her guitar, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic Care Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Occupational Therapist
- Registered Occupational Therapist, Psychotherapist
Sarah Darmanin [BASc Child Youth & Family, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)] is a Registered Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist, with a background in early childhood development and extensive experience working with adults, children, and families with mental illness, functional challenges, and neurodiversity. Sarah comes to our organization with her BASc from the University of Guelph, and her Masters in Occupational Therapy from McMaster University. Sarah believes that all emotions, including those that are unpleasant, can be adaptive and helpful for our long-term goals and personal growth, when we work to understand and learn from them. Sarah has a passion for helping others identify their strengths, and validate their own emotional experience in order to build healthy coping strategies to manage and respond to overwhelming emotions. Sarah also works to help others identify and address barriers to their daily functioning, to increase their participation in the activities that are important to them. Sarah's approach is informed by her training in Developmental Theories, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Outside of work, Sarah loves to tap dance, read, play the piano, spend time with her friends and family, and go on hikes with her friendly dog, Rosie Roo.
Job Titles:
- Supervising Social Worker
Sarah Milmine [RSW, MSW] has been working within the helping profession for over twenty years with a strong focus on the well being of children and their families. She utilizes a number of evidence informed approaches in her practice that include CBT, DBT, Trauma Informed, Narrative, Strengths-Based and Solution Focused therapies. Sarah has been a formal trainer through the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Society's and a part of the Social Work teaching team at McMaster University.
The focus of her work has largely surrounded Children's Mental Health and how to establish creative treatment plans that incorporate the child's natural and professional support systems. In addition to this Sarah has experience dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, PTSD, divorce and separation.
Sarah enjoys using tools like art, movement and animals to help engage the clients she works with to build and sustain change. She currently has an Old English Sheepdog Puppy named Bandit who is working towards his therapy dog certification and can often be found in her office at NowWhat.
Sarah has been afforded the opportunity to work alongside the Indigenous Community in her career and has experience with Indigenous Alternative Dispute Resolution, Talking/Healing Circles, and treatment plans that utilize the medicine wheel as a guide.
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic Care Specialist & OAP Programming Manager
Shannon Osunde [RECE] is a therapeutic care specialist with over a decade of experience supporting children and families with a range of developmental, behavioural, social-emotional, and neuro-cognitive challenges. Shannon has been with NowWhat since the early days of the clinic; she has been instrumental in developing and running therapeutic children's programs for the past five years. She takes a whole-family approach to case management, building individualized plans for neurodivergent children and their families that include mental health support, communication and behavior strategies, organization strategies, practical life skills, time-management techniques, and structured routines to remove functional barriers to success and help families uncover their child's best potential. She has earned Diplomas in both Marketing and Early Childhood Education from Mohawk College and is a fantastic mother to her elementary-aged son.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Occupational Therapist
Steven Azzopardi is an Occupational Therapist Assistant who has worked extensively with a diverse population, bringing over a decade of OTA experience providing service in rehabilitation and hospital settings. Additionally, his expertise extends to community settings, where he has provided home-based services to individual clients, addressing a broad spectrum of physical, cognitive, developmental, and emotional goals.
As an OTA on the OT team at NowWhat, Steven works closely with our Occupational Therapist Sarah Darmanin to support clients in building skills that promote function and independence in whatever their context is, targeting a wide range of goals such as fine and gross motor skill development, self-care and hygiene routines, executive function and personal organization, accessing leisure and play opportunities, balance and coordination, sensory challenges, and so much more - Steven's goal is to find the way to put the ‘fun' in function as he supports his clients. Steven works well with clients of all ages, approaching his client work with warmth, humour, and professionalism.
Outside of work, Steven's passion for music is evident through his 100+ collection of vinyl records, and he enjoys spending time at the cottage, engaging in activities such as hiking, swimming, paddle boarding, and kayaking.
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic & Executive Function Coach
Job Titles:
- Therapeutic & Executive Function Coach