Monday, November 20, 2023
Allied health professionals are vital members of the healthcare team, working collaboratively to provide comprehensive patient care. From physiotherapists to medical laboratory technologists, they play diverse roles in rehabilitation, diagnostics, support services, and more.
At HSN, we have nearly 1,100 allied health professionals. All week long, we are shining a spotlight on their exceptional work, starting with staff members Kailie Arnold and Laura Johnson from our mental health programs.
Kailie Arnold
Child and Youth Counsellor
My name is Kailie, I was born and raised in a small farming town down south and moved to Sudbury to attend the child and youth care program at Cambrian with a specific interest and passion for children’s mental health. I have been fortunate enough to experience all the sectors of the child and youth care scope including child welfare, residential, detention, education and mental health. I have been able to experience many different situations within the last 5 years in the field, all of which have made it clear to me that advocating for children and their mental health is and has to be a priority.
As a Child and Youth Counsellor (CYC) on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program (CAMHP) unit, my role is to provide support to youth by teaching strategies that help manage difficult or big feelings. We also provide programming on individual stressors, run therapeutic groups and support youth with 1:1 counselling which helps with the flow of the unit and keeps a therapeutic environment.
Laura Johnson
Mental Health and Addictions Worker
My name is Laura Johnson, I was born and raised in Sudbury, I have a deep-rooted love for our community as well as a personal and professional passion for Addiction Support work and Harm Reduction advocating in Sudbury and Health Sciences North.
Originally, my interest and professional commitment to this area of work comes from personal experiences of witnessing the devastating effects of addiction on my friends and family. In the last few years, being on and off the front line of the opioid epidemic has only strengthened my commitment to ensuring addiction treatment maintains social awareness and has a place in health care.
In my role as Addiction Worker on AMU, I use holistic, trauma informed care to form and maintain healthy relationships with individuals seeking support and treatment related to substance use and complex medical needs.
Working collaboratively with a patient's health care team, including nurses, doctors and social work, our setting provides space for growth and inclusivity to positively impact and support a patient's goals. This can include treatment planning, general wellness, connection with community partners, substances use treatment, harm reduction philosophy, and navigation around the system, which may have been historically stigmatizing.
