Valor & Solutions

Sylvie joined Valoris for Children and Adults of Prescott-Russell in August 2000. She was hired to fill the position of Administrative Assistant for a duration of one year, while Valoris was merging services (completed in January 2001). She then worked for seven years in an indeterminate position being part of Valoris’ human resources team. In 2008, she joins the Valor & Solutions’ team as Training Coordinator, providing her expertise in planning training programs for the Valoris staff and other agencies’ staff.

Sylvie studied Interior Design and takes advantage of her talent for the design and implementation of themes of corporate and organizational events. She is versatile and has an innate attention to detail. Providing quality service and meeting the needs of the clients promptly are core values for Sylvie.

Roxanne has studied Public Relations and Communication. She then worked in marketing and communication in the entertainment and hotel industry for the Casino du Lac-Leamy for more than 8 years, where she acquired a vast experience in customer service. She was also fortunate to attend the “Service de rêve” (best service) training offered by KOSE. She joined the Valor & Solutions’ team in August 2016 as a Project Coordinator, where she was able to build on her skills and develop knowledge in the field of human services. The challenges and the variety of projects are what motivates her everyday. She particularly enjoys graphic design and content creation. Her ultimate goals are client satisfaction and success of the events she organizes to meet clients’ needs.

Holder of a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Marketing, Pascale joined the Valor & Solutions team in July 2017 as Project Coordinator. Since her very first experiences in the labour market, Pascale has been interested in developing a career in the field of project management and has completed a university certificate in the field in 2017. She has also recently received the title of Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) from the Project Management Institute (PMI), lead organization in the field of project management. Her professional experiences as a coordinator include communication, marketing, infrastructure, translation and human services projects. This goes to show that project management skills allow qualified professionals to be able to successfully lead projects in many sectors.

Since her arrival at Valor & Solutions, Pascale has collaborated on the development of many events. With her creative and rational skills that she has acquired during her academic and professional experiences, she participates actively to the event management success of the organization.

Joëlle has studied in Lettres françaises, as well as in the field of advertisement and journalism. She started her career at the Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques in Ottawa, to then make her way to work with educational technologies for the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, where she gained vast experiences and a strong passion for design and technologies. Back home, she spent more than 5 years working as a Marketing and Advertising Manager for the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. She is proud to be an ambassador for her region. Having recently worked as an advertising director for a community newspaper, she joined the Valor & Solutions’ team as a Project Coordinator in January 2019.

Proactive, smiling, and determined, Joëlle is known for her leadership abilities, her talents as a communicator and her human values.

Since starting at Valor & Solutions in March 2013, Valérie has held many clinical and administrative positions within the organization. Valérie holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Communication and a minor in Gerontology, from the University of Ottawa.

Valérie currently fills the role of Administrative Coordinator, in which she ensures the smooth operation and the administration of the Ottawa office. She also assists the Director and the Manager of Operations of Valor & Solutions with their daily tasks.

With many years of work experience in customer service, Valérie shows a natural ability to establish interpersonal relationships with Valor & Solutions’ partners and clients. As well, her ability to greet the people coming to Valor & Solutions and to put them at ease instantly is seen in a positive light.

Her enthusiasm for teamwork allows her to bring together the employees of the two offices of Valor & Solutions (Ottawa and Rockland) and to unite them. Valérie is the key person between management and employees, whose role is to inform and guide the employees through the anticipated administrative changes. Her openness and optimism to help others make her always ready to lend a hand to her colleagues who need help.

Since joining Valor & Solutions, Andrée-Michèle has held many positions within the training and event management team as well as within the clinical services team. She holds several post-secondary diplomas and is always willing to deepen her knowledge in the field of developmental disability.

Presently, Andrée-Michèle occupies the position of Intake Coordinator, whose primary role is to initiate contact with the primary care providers of clients referred to Valor & Solutions’ clinical services.

Having grown up close to the social services field and having welcomed many people into her family home, Andrée-Michèle attaches great importance to people’s well-being. Her personal experiences allow her to apply the knowledge gained in her daily work.

Aisha has been passionate about supporting vulnerable populations for over a decade. Her undergraduate degree in International Development led her to advocate for refugees diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In Denver, Colorado, she created a program to link refugees to community mentors who could walk alongside them as they began immersing themselves into their new life. Afterwards, Aisha pursued a master’s degree in Conflict Studies at the University of Ottawa. While completing her studies, she worked as a support worker for individuals living with a developmental disability. Many of the people she supported were also battling post-traumatic stress disorder, which led her to learn more about trauma-informed care. After graduating, she began working at Valor & Solutions. Since her employment, she has cultivated an interest in the role of mindfulness within the healing process. In 2015, she became a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor. She incorporates yoga-based practices in many of her intervention plans to support individuals in their journey to overcoming trauma-based anxiety, depression and anger. Aisha believes in the power of community inclusion because every individual has the right to access the “Good Things of Life” (Wolfensberger, 1998).

Reference: Wolfensberger, W. (1998). A Brief Introduction to Social Role Valorization: A High-Order Concept for Addressing the Plight of Societally Devalued People, and for Structuring Human Services. (3rd ed.). Syracuse University, New York: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership and Change Agency.

Shaylee joined the Valor & Solutions’ clinical team in 2015 in the role of Intake Coordinator, and became a Clinical Coordinator in 2018. In the past few years, she has also been broadening her skillset through direct clinical support. Shaylee is an active participant in community committees and forges strong relationships and partnerships with community stakeholders. She works collaboratively with agencies in order to improve efficiency and service outcomes. Shaylee believes that every person should be a valued member of society and be treated with respect. She has always been very passionate about enhancing people’s lives and assisting them in reaching their full potential. Shaylee has a great deal of experience in customer service and relations, as well as in administrative and clerical work. Prior to joining Valor & Solutions, she was working with youth presenting with substance use and addiction, as well as behavioural and concurrent mental health disorders. She is currently working towards getting her Skills System Certification. Shaylee holds a degree in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Ottawa.

Erin graduated, with honours, from the Developmental Services Worker program at Algonquin College and has a postgraduate diploma in Social Science - Human Services Counseling from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

Erin is passionate about supporting individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in finding their voice. She has worked in the disability sector for over 20 years, providing support to those with highly complex communication needs. Upon return to Ottawa, Erin worked as an Independent Planning Facilitator guiding individuals, and their allies, to achieve their ambitions by creating their own pathway in the community.

Erin has a unique ability to see people’s strengths and build connection and rapport with their surrounding networks, even during life's most challenging moments.

Liz has been a member of the Valor & Solutions’ team since 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Bishops University, a BSc in Nursing from the University of Ottawa, and an MSc in Nursing with a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate from the University of Ottawa.

Liz’s experience with adults with developmental disabilities comes primarily as direct support staff at various agencies across the city of Ottawa. It was in this capacity that she developed an interest in pursuing nursing with the hope of improving health care delivery to this population in the future. Her clinical interest is in the impact of exposure to trauma on individuals with developmental disabilities and a dual diagnosis.

Liz’s nursing experience includes working in the Intensive Care Unit, acting as a Consultant to the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) of Health Canada; working at the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Center; and as a Clinical Educator at both the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College.

Daniel Fukumoto is a Complex Support Coordinator who works with adults with developmental disabilities who present with challenging behaviours and complex needs. Working collaboratively with their network of supports, he strives to provide everyone with the skills needed in order to flourish in meaningful activities. Daniel holds a B.A. in Psychology from Houghton College, a Master’s in Counselling and Spirituality from Saint Paul University and is in the process of becoming a licensed Psychotherapist. Daniel’s approach to working with individuals and their supports is grounded in evidenced-based theories such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Collaborative Problem Solving, and The Family Systems modality. Daniel uses the DBT-informed emotion regulation skills training curriculum, The Skills System, to work through challenging experiences with clients. Daniel’s clinical experience comes from working in various capacities with both adults and children with dual diagnosis and developmental disabilities since 2009. Daniel’s other clinical experience comes from front line work which he pulls from to inform his present work.

Daniel believes that everyone has strengths and gifts to offer their community and strives to empower individuals to explore what the unique qualities are that they possess. Daniel works to build the confidence of adults and their supports in their abilities to ensure that they are set up for success.

Karla has pursued her passion of working with people with developmental disabilities and their networks of support for over 15 years. She is dedicated to promoting full citizenship for people by supporting them to advocate for themselves while building a community that welcomes all. Karla has experience in developing collaborative partnerships between families, community members, and specialized services, with the goal of improving access to supports and creating a good life for people in the community where they live. Karla is committed to the philosophies of Social Role Valorization (SRV) and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and seeks strength-based solutions to complex challenges.

Karla holds an Honours degree with a major in Linguistics and a double minor in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Toronto. She also completed a certificate in Teaching Effectiveness from Humber College.