Familylinks, Inc.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT! Breann Farrier is a School-Based Therapist and has been with Familylinks for almost five years. In this role, Breann provides individual and group therapy during the school day. Breann also collaborates with school personnel to ensure clients receive services that best support them. Breann enjoys building rapport with students and working as part of a team to problem-solve additional ways to provide positive support and interventions. In her free time, Breann enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking her dogs, and doing yoga and water aerobics.

CLIENT CORNER! Gavin* came to Familylinks’ Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) clinic with speech delays. Gavin would often simply walk away after finishing a meal or activity, leaving peers and family members confused and wondering whether he would return. After working closely with members of the ABA team over several months, Gavin finally verbalized, “All done,” before leaving a task one day. This behavior was heavily reinforced, and Gavin has continued to use his words more than not. *Names and images do not represent actual clients of Familyinks.

Thanks to everyone who supported Familylinks at this year’s Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community. Whether you walked, donated, or did both, your support helps us continue providing vital services to our community. If you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, there is still time. Visit https://secure.walkforahealthycommunity.org/p2p/location/394070/en-CA until June 30th to make your charitable gift.

Familylinks’ Open Access model helps remove barriers to completing assessments for both mental health and substance use. Each Tuesday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 pm. and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., you can complete a walk-in assessment at our locations on Banksville Road and Shady Avenue. For more information, call 866-583-6003 or visit www.familylink.org/behavioralhealth

CLIENT CORNER! Adam* was diagnosed with severe mental and physical health conditions at a young age. His parents were able to secure behavioral health support for Adam; however, as he grew, it became increasingly difficult for Adam’s parents to transfer him from vehicles to his wheelchair. This began to affect Adam’s ability to attend social functions and peer group meetings. With the help of Familylinks’ Supports Coordination team, Adam was finally connected to a funding source that would pay for a new transfer lift for the family vehicle. With the new equipment, Adam’s family reports that he is attending more social activities than ever! *Names nd images do not reflect actual clients of Familylinks.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT! This week’s spotlight combines a shout-out to our Boys’ Shelter staff and to our TELUS Health volunteers. Earlier this month, our staff led the volunteers on a tour of the program and spoke with them about its successes and the impact it has had on the young adult residents. Later, our staff members worked with our volunteers on a project to beautify the property, which had been damaged by a water main break. Thanks, TELUS Health, for another successful volunteer project, and thanks to our staff for hosting them.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Nicole Castelli is Familylinks’ Human Resources Assistant and has been in this role for seven months. Nicole supports onboarding new team members, tracks employee clearances, and puts together the monthly newsletter. Nicole enjoys being a resource for employees and helping them with human resources related questions so that everyone feels supported and set up for success. In her free time, Nicole enjoys attending concerts, crafting, and baking. Nicole is also a dedicated WNBA fan and is anxiously awaiting the start of this year’s season.

CLIENT CORNER! Bernadette* had trouble expressing herself in social situations, which made it difficult for her to form peer relationships. As a teenager, this social anxiety made it difficult for her to focus on her schoolwork. After deciding to pursue therapy, Bernadette chose Familylinks as her provider. She worked closely with her therapist, attending sessions twice a week throughout the rest of high school. Bernadette later reached out to her therapist to let her know that she was a member of several student organizations and was maintaining passing grades while in college. *Names and images do not reflect actual clients of Familylinks.

This year Familylinks is proudly participating in the Highmark Walk for Healthy Communities. We are excited to be a part of this event and to help promote our services and those of other organizations that provide mental and physical health care. We hope you will consider joining our team or making a donation by visiting https://secure.walkforahealthycommunity.org/p2p/location/394070/en-CA. Your support will help ensure that we can continue providing essential services to our community members.

Familylinks is hiring for a variety of positions across our programs. By joining the Familylinks team, you receive competitive compensation as well as generous benefits that include three weeks of PTO in your first year, free vision and dental insurance, monthly allowances towards medical insurance, and more. Please visit www.familylinks.org/careers to view all available opportunities.