Primary Investigator:

Dr. Judy Gillespie is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of British Columbia. She holds a Masters of Social Work and a PhD in Urban Planning. Her research and teaching interests are primarily in the area of child welfare and include the role of community and it’s physical, social, political infrastructure in children’s well-being. This research has led her to partnerships with Aboriginal multi-sector collaborations and fostered her interest in methods of evaluation for such initiatives.

Co-Investigator:

Dr. Jason Albert is Director of the School of Indigenous Social Work at First Nations University of Canada. He is of Cree descent, originally from Sweetgrass First Nation, but currently registered with Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. He holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Calgary and a PhD in Social Work from Memorial University. His research examines Indigenous Social Work Administration, with a particular focus on Indigenous Leadership, Management, and Organizations.

Graduate Research Assistants:

Charlene Bruce completed a Masters of Indigenous Social Work through First Nations University of Canada and is a registered social worker with the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers. She is a Mental Health Therapist/Domestic Violence Counsellor and Aboriginal Life Skills Coach and Stress Management Practitioner. She is from the Muskowekwan First Nation and currently resides in Regina.

Shelaine Grant completed a Masters of Social Work through the University of British Columbia and is currently practicing in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia as a child and youth mental health intake and assessment clinician with Island Health Authority. 

Tanya MacKeigan is completing a Masters of Social Work at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. Her research focuses on disability and sexuality through a feminist, critical disability lens. Her interests are in community development and participatory research.