Kathleen Guitard
Dartmouth,Canada
Summary
A dedicated team worker with the awareness of the different needs of clients and coworkers and has the keen ability to prioritize. Ensures clients and staff feel heard, seen, and understood through active listening and compassionate treatment.
Overview
3
3
years of post-secondary education
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Justice Support Worker
Honour House, Coverdale Justice Society
01.2025 - Current
- The Residential Justice Support Worker is a key member of the Coverdale Residential Program team, dedicated to supporting girls, women, and gender-diverse individuals involved in the justice system.
- Supported individuals facing poverty, mental illness, addictions, homelessness, and involvement in criminal justice system through assertive interventions in a high-tolerance environment, aiming to break cycles of incarceration and promote healing, accountability, community building.
- Maintained supportive housing facility, delivering comprehensive, trauma-informed, restorative care to residents.
Coordinator For HIFIS (Homeless Individual And Family Information System) for N.S. and PEI
Affordable Housing Association Of NS
04.2019 - 06.2024
- Collaborated with provincial government representatives to create custom database tables, enabling development of provincial aggregated data reports.
- Promoted HIFIS benefits and facilitated orientation for agencies joining the HIFIS network.
- Provided support and training to 350+ end users within 105 service providers across Nova Scotia and PEI.
- Provided technical assistance to users during after-hours shifts to frontline users.
- Developed and implemented custom tables and modules for service providers in PEI and Nova Scotia.
HIFIS Trainer For Nova Scotia- Part Time
Transition House Association of NS (HIFIS)
01.2003 - 04.2019
- Traveled province-wide to train agencies on effective use of Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), enhancing their capacity to support homeless individuals and families.
- Developed training programs for staff and volunteers at a community support organization.
- Facilitated workshops on effective communication and conflict resolution techniques.
- Collaborated with management to assess training needs and improve service delivery.
Women's Counsellor
Bryony House
04.1998 - 04.2019
- Facilitated resident support groups and provided crisis counseling and support to abused women in person and via phone, enhancing emotional resilience.
- Facilitated referrals to local agencies, ensuring women received necessary advocacy and support.
- Coordinated referrals to relevant agencies, offering women vital advocacy support.
- Facilitated approx 800 hours of WORTH 1 and WORTH 2 women support groups.
- Implemented intake database in Bryony House, ensuring comprehensive data collection and management for 30 years of service.
- Implemented an intake database in Bryony House in 2000 that allowed data to be kept and collected for the past 30 years of service.
- Quickly learned new tasks and adapted to changing work environments.
- Displayed respect and friendliness while assisting clients and colleagues.
- Advocated against violence towards women in Nova Scotia, contributing to sheltering approximately 470 women and children and managing 2,500 distress calls annually.
Education
Master Practitioner - Counseling Psychology
Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association
Halifax, NS 05.2004 - 06.2006
Professional Counseling Diploma - Human Services
Counsellor Training Institute of Canada
Halifax, NS 09.2003 - 05.2004
Skills
- Trauma-informed care
- Crisis intervention
- Case coordination
- Community outreach
- Training delivery
- Data analysis
- Problem-solving abilities
- Critical thinking
- Time management
- Multitasking capacity
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Conflict resolution
Timeline
Justice Support Worker
Honour House, Coverdale Justice Society
01.2025 - Current
Coordinator For HIFIS (Homeless Individual And Family Information System) for N.S. and PEI
Affordable Housing Association Of NS
04.2019 - 06.2024
Master Practitioner - Counseling Psychology
Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association
05.2004 - 06.2006
Professional Counseling Diploma - Human Services
Counsellor Training Institute of Canada
09.2003 - 05.2004
HIFIS Trainer For Nova Scotia- Part Time
Transition House Association of NS (HIFIS)
01.2003 - 04.2019
Women's Counsellor
Bryony House
04.1998 - 04.2019