Board of Directors

Michelle Briegel
President, Advanced Practice Committee

Michelle has been practicing in the field of child and youth care for over 25 years; with front line and management experience in residential services, community programs, treatment programs, and youth criminal justice programs. Michelle is currently an assistant professor at Mount Royal University in the Department of Child Studies and Social Work (Child and Youth Care Major).

Michelle is one of two CYCAA Board Members on the Steering Committee of FACT-AB, guiding legislation and working on the development of the College of Counselling Therapists Registration process. Michelle has been with the CYCAA in the role of Director of Research and Development, developing the online learning program; a member at large, Vice President, and Acting President.

Dana Auger
Member Engagement and Event Committee

Dana was born and raised in Treaty 8 territory in Alberta, and she is an Indigenous Cree woman from Bigstone Cree Nation. In 2022, she completed her degree in Child and Youth Care at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

Dana is passionate about child and youth care and working with First Nations people. After graduating, she worked front line as a child and youth care worker in a residential setting with youth between the ages of 13 and 17. She is currently employed with the Edmonton Catholic School Division as a therapeutic assistant and in my practice, she uses a strength-based approach, a culturally sensitive approach, and a trauma-informed lens.

Dana presented with Asha Kumari, her former practicum supervisor, on the “Truth and Reconciliation Act and Allyship” at the International CYC Conference in Canmore in 2022. She has a lot of compassion for Indigenous peoples since that is a huge part of her own identity, and why she aspires to be an Indigenous advocate & role model.

She is currently expanding her experience in the field so that she can continue to grow as a practitioner. Dana’s long-term goal is to eventually continue her studies and complete a master’s degree. She is honoured to have the opportunity to be a part of the CYCAA board & to represent Indigenous Cree people.

Pennie Sibbald
Advanced Practice Committee Chair

Pennie has been in the Child and Youth Care field for over 30 years, primarily with Hull Services in Calgary. Pennie became a Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellor (CCYCC) in 1996 and has worked in multiple programs, including group care, school, family work, foster care, mental health, and staff development.

In 2007 Pennie became involved with the Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta and since has had several roles, including the Board of Directors, Chairperson of the Advanced Practice Committee, as well as the Alberta representative on the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Care Associations, where she has held positions as Director, Chair of the Communications Committee, Conference Committee member, Vice President, and currently, President.

Pamela Barlow
Member Engagement and Events Committee Co-Chair

Pamela has been in the field of Child and Youth Care since 1992. Her experience has encompassed youth justice, child protection and in recent years, a focus on trauma informed care primarily in foster care. This has included experience in residential services, community programs, and youth criminal justice programs.

She has a passion for working with children, youth and families from a trauma informed lens and supporting complex needs. Pamela has supervised and trained CYC and other professionals; facilitated training and program development.

Aju Varghese
Member Engagement and Events Committee

Aju has called Alberta home since 2016. He was born and raised in India. He started working with children and youth after completing his bachelor’s in Social work from Calicut University in India in 2012. He worked with children in the institutions and worked as a child psychiatric social worker in a hospital-based setting and an HIV/ AIDS project for adults before moving to Canada in 2016.

He completed his diploma in Child and Youth Care from Lakeland College in 2018 and started working in residential care with Catholic Social Services. He moved to High Prairie in 2019 to work at the Government of Alberta Youth Assessment Center as a Child and Youth Care Counsellor. Currently, he works as Child and Youth Care Team Lead at High Prairie Youth Assessment Center, North Region, Children Services, Government of Alberta. Aju now supervises and trains Child and Youth Care Counsellors reporting to him. 

He enjoys working with children on the frontline as it motivates him to learn and sharpen skills to deal with human behaviour and be part of the healing process for children who have experienced trauma in their lives.

Andrea Christensen
Advocacy and Policy Committee Chair, Advanced Practice Committee

Andrea was born and raised on Treaty 7 Territory, in a small farming community. She is of settler heritage with her ancestors being Danish, English and Irish. Even after travelling the world, the prairies have always been home to Andrea.

Andrea has been working in the field of Child and Youth Care for over 15 years. Her career has brought her to all three coasts in Canada, as well as internationally to Malaysia and Nepal. Andrea has graduated with a degree in Child and Youth Care from MacEwan University and a Master of Social Work – specializing in International and Community Development from the University of Calgary. Andrea’s previous work experience has been predominately frontline in youth residential settings, working with a wide variety of young people. Some of the most memorable moments of her career are from her time in Nunavut working with teenage boys, as a live-in Child and Youth Care Practitioner.

Andrea has always enjoyed sharing her passion and love for the outdoors with the young people she works with. She has created wilderness programs for different agencies and enjoys collaborating with community organizations to break down the barriers around accessibility to wilderness here in Alberta. After leaving frontline work, Andrea continues to stay passionate about connecting young people to the outdoors and is a current board member of Crossing the Divide.

Andrea currently works as an Instructor in the Child and Youth Care program at Bow Valley College in Calgary. She has enjoyed this new learning opportunity and is very excited to share her passion for policy, systems and social justice with the next generation of Child and Youth Care Counsellors.

Arian Sweet
Vice-President North, Bylaws Committee Chair

Arian has been practicing in the field of child and youth care for 15 years; with front-line child welfare experience including management, supervisory and specialized roles in assessment and case management. Arian has experience in residential group care and treatment programs, with Catholic Social Services and Chimo Youth Retreat. Throughout Arian’s CYC career, he has primarily focused his areas of interest in child welfare assessment and intake. Arian has extensive training in forensic interviewing of sexually exploited children, violent risk threat assessment and working with Indigenous peoples. Arian is well known in Treaty Six as an advocate for Indigenous peoples’ cultural values and traditions. He works tirelessly in supporting truth and reconciliation and improving the way child welfare works and supports Indigenous service recipients.

Arian is a Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellor and graduate of two programs from Grant MacEwan University, a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care and a Diploma in Mental Health and Addictions. Currently, Arian is an Associate Director with the Government of Alberta Children’s Services Campus Based Treatment Centers (CBTC). ​Arian’s passion for this work has seen him glean and hone his craft from working in all areas of Alberta learning from Elders, leaders and First Nations community members. Arian has always been known for his exceptional relational skills and practice, as well as, his ability to connect and build relationships by creating great partnerships through solid collaboration and team building.

Arian is honoured to be on the Board of Directors for the Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta and looks forward to moving the Association in the future to support all CYC practitioners in their field.

Salina Paschke
Advanced Practice Committee

Salina was born and raised on Treaty 7 territory in Cochrane AB, where community and connection became integral to her values. She is of German heritage, with her grandparents coming to Canada in the 1960’s and has much gratitude for all that Treaty 7 land offers.

Salina has been in the field of Child and Youth Care for over 17 years; working at Hull Services in Calgary since 2007. She has worked in a variety of programs including therapeutic campus-based care, family work, schools, and currently is the Program Coordinator of a young adult mental health program. She holds a diploma in Child and Youth Care from Mount Royal University and a degree in Child and Youth Care with Distinction from University of Victoria. Salina completed an international practicum in 2007 in Tijuana Mexico, spending time in a children’s hospital.

Her small-town roots influence her values around community, connection and the importance of taking care of each other. She works from a relational and strength-based approach and believes that everyone has unique strengths and experiences to create change in their lives. Understanding the value that strong connection brings to her life, Salina is an advocate for connection, relationships, and wellness and leads her team and program from this lens. Recently, Salina has become a surveyor with CARF International and enjoys consulting and learning from other organizations.

Outside of the office, Salina loves to be in nature, and can be found walking with her dog Nym, taking care of her jungle of houseplants or in the mountains hiking and backcountry camping. In addition, she enjoys knitting and spending time with family at the farm in Sundre AB.

Leah Schmidt
Vice-President South, Advanced Practice Committee

Leah graduated from the Child and Youth Care program at the Lethbridge Community College in 1992. Her experience includes residential group care, alternative junior and senior high school and early intervention and prevention work with the Parentlink Centre initiative.

Currently, Leah is a Programs Manager with McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association in Medicine Hat; overseeing Children’s Services contracts and utilizing her experience to assist with policy revision, service delivery consultation and leadership development. Leah completed her Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University in 2018 and values continuous learning as well as personal and professional growth.

Amber Skoczek
Member Engagement and Events Committee Co-Chair

Amber obtained her Diploma through Mount Royal College in 2002 where she began her work in various frontline settings working mainly with youth as a support worker to support them in preparing for transitioning into adulthood.  As Amber continued to develop her practice as a Child and Youth Care Worker, she obtained her Degree in Child and Youth Care through the University of Victoria in 2015. She became a Certified Child and Youth Counselor in 2016.

Amber recently completed her Master of Social Work with a Specialization in Trauma Informed Care at the University of Calgary in 2021 and currently works within her own private practice where she supports individuals through evidenced-based therapies such as EMDR, IFS and Trauma-Informed Yoga.

Robyn Graham
Member Engagement Committee

At a young age Robyn’s compassion, creativity, enthusiasm and volunteerism in working with youth sparked as she became a Brownie and Pathfinder leader with the Girl Guides of Canada. In 2009 Robyn completed Katimavik, a 9-month long volunteer program. This challenge allowed her to see a world of opportunities, see the beauty of Turtle Island, meet lifelong friends, volunteer, and learn the skills needed to guide her toward becoming a well-rounded CYC practitioner. In 2018 Robyn became a MacEwan Ambassador. She helped out at school events, and in the community and led tours for prospective students. In 2019 Robyn completed her Child and Youth Care degree at MacEwan University and in 2020 became certified.

In 2018 she and her peers were given the opportunity to take on tasks that helped organize the CYC Provincial Conference at MacEwan University (Treaty 6 territory). Robyn attended the International CYC Conference in South Africa in 2020 and the National Conference in Canmore AB. (Treaty 7 territory) in 2022. These events further inspired her passion for her chosen field and the ambition she’s had to learn and work alongside young people. Her volunteer involvement, past practicums, dedicated instructors and the growing CYC community continue to be influential pieces throughout her journey.

Currently, Robyn works at Catholic Social Services in a semi-independent living program. She works with youth ages 16-22, who are working towards autonomy as they grow through life’s turning points and eventually age out of Government care. Along with furthering her experiences on the front line, she also plans to work towards getting a master’s degree. Robyn is humbled to have the opportunity to serve on the CYCAA board and is looking forward to the new and exciting experiences it will bring.

Matthew Halton
Member Engagement Committee

Matthew Halton (M.Ed; CCYC) is an Edmonton-based Child and Youth Care practitioner with extensive and diverse experience in the CYC sector. With a rich background spanning community, residential, school-based and CYC Leadership work, Matthew brings a wealth of practical experience to his role as an Assistant Professor in Child and Youth Care.

Throughout his career, Matthew has remained dedicated to enhancing the quality of CYC education and practice. Inspired by ‘real world stories’, he infuses his teaching with insights garnered from direct service delivery and supervision. Matthew’s pedagogical approach revolves around illuminating the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Child and Youth Care practice; he is deeply invested in exploring the occupational aspects of CYC work, ensuring that students are equipped with a robust practice framework as they embark on their professional journeys.

Key practice and research areas are the application of theory and developmental frameworks to practice; restorative culture, resilience theory, power dynamics and de-colonial issues within social services and education. Matthew advocates for humility and a holistic understanding of CYC, recognizing that education is merely a starting point for practitioners and emphasizes the crucial role of mentors and supervisors in shaping competent professionals. Matthew is a founding member of the Edmonton Child and Youth Care Community of Practice, demonstrating his commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the CYC community.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Matthew is a musician, an avid hiker and a devoted father of three, a role that further informs his perspective on youth development and care. His multifaceted approach to CYC, blending scholarly inquiry with real-world application, underscored his unwavering commitment to fostering positive outcomes for children, youth and families.

Penny Thwaites
Office Administrator and Front-End Developer

As both the Office Administrator and Front-End Developer, Penny brings together technical expertise and a personal touch to ensure the seamless operation of CYCAA’s office and website. With over 40 years of experience across public and private sectors, she’s skilled in website development and maintenance, technical support, administration, bookkeeping, and customer service. Penny is the main point of contact for the office, providing support and guidance to Board and Committee Members while assisting CYCAA members with membership and certification requirements.

A Colorado native with a fascination for accents, Penny humorously found herself acquiring one after a move to Canada. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, gardening, exploring her artistic side, playing D&D, and spending quality time with her husband.