Master of Ceremonies

J’lyn Nye

J’lyn Nye is an award-winning journalist who worked in television and radio in cities across Western Canada for 35 years. In late 2023, she turned off the microphone and set her sights on a new challenge, taking on the role of Director of Marketing and Digital Media for the Edmonton Police Service.  J’lyn has been a longtime supporter of those in uniform and Wounded Warriors Canada.

J’lyn is the Honourary Colonel of 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron with the RCAF and Patron of the Edmonton Garrison Military Family Resource Centre. She was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2022 and received the Queen Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2023 for her steadfast commitment to the military and veteran community.

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Plenary Speakers

Scott Maxwell

Executive Director
Wounded Warriors Canada

Scott is a dedicated public servant, mental health champion, and not-for-profit leader.

Scott’s unique experience intersects public policy, national and provincial government, and non-profit business strategy and development.

His passion for those who bravely serve Canada stems from his high school friend, Trooper Darryl Caswell, from Bowmanville who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on June 11, 2007.
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As CEO of Wounded Warriors Canada, the country’s largest non-profit mental health training and counselling provider for Veterans, First Responders and their families, Scott successfully transformed what was a local volunteer-based initiative into a national organization that provides support to over 30,000 trauma exposed professionals and their families each year.

Scott has been awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medallion and the King’s Coronation Medal for Service to Canada.

Alison Cocking BSc. PT, M.Ed.

Managing Director
Insight Health Solutions, Trillium Health Partners

Alison Cocking is a strategic healthcare leader who serves as Trillium Health Partner’s Managing Director, Insight Health Solutions, one of Canada’s largest hospital-based disability management third-party programs. As a senior leader in the healthcare sector, Alison has over three decades of experience leading high functioning teams and programs in their delivery of impactful value-based quality services. The ability to financially contribute Insight’s profits to the hospital’s programs and services to help create a new kind of healthcare for a healthier community, is what drives and inspires her. Alison is a UK-trained Physiotherapist with a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Toronto. An avid kayaker, hiker, traveler and general enthusiast of the great outdoors, Alison’s goal is to have visited 100 countries by 2045.

Dr. R. Nicholas Carleton Ph.D., R.D. Psych

University of Regina

R. Nicholas Carleton, Ph.D. is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and a registered clinical psychologist in Saskatchewan. His work is focused on supporting the mental health of first responders and other public safety personnel. He has published more than 270 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters exploring the fundamental bases of anxiety- and trauma-related disorders. He has completed more than 500 national and international conference presentations. He also serves as an active member of several national and international professional associations. As principal or co-principal investigator he has been awarded more than $72M in competitive external funding. He has received several prestigious awards and recognitions, including induction to the Royal Society of Canada’s College and as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and he was awarded the 2023 Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Mid-Career Award and the 2020 Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research. He is principal investigator for the RCMP Longitudinal PTSD Study (www.rcmpstudy.ca) and the associated extension study for Saskatchewan public safety personnel (www.saskptsistudy.ca), and co-investigator on the Federal Internet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for public safety personnel (www.PSPSNET.ca).

Dr. Tim Black PhD, R. Psych.

National Clinical Director
Wounded Warriors Canada

Dr. Tim Black, R. Psych. is the National Clinical Director for Wounded Warriors Canada. During his more than 20-year career as a tenured Associate Professor at one of the top graduate counsellor education programs in the country, Dr. Black has been a researcher, clinician, program developer, program co-founder, and clinical supervisor specializing in group counselling approaches for working with Trauma Exposed Professionals (TExP) and Trauma Exposed Family (TExF) members. As National Clinical Director, Tim supports and oversees the development and delivery of WWC’s group counselling programs in Canada, as well as WWC’s TExP education and training programs, alongside an extensive team of dedicated mental health professionals committed to serving the needs of TExP and TExF communities.

Dr. Nadia Aleem

Psychiatrist, MD, MHSc CCFP, FRCP
Mental Health Lead
Insight Health Solutions, Trillium Health Partners

Dr. Nadia Aleem initially worked as a Family medicine Doctor and Addictions Physician prior to retraining and starting her work as a Psychiatrist. She is currently the Mental Health Lead Physician at Insight Solutions, Trillium Health Partners and was formerly the Medical Head at the Work Stress and Health Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Nadia works exclusively in the field of Occupational Psychiatry, specializing in disability management and providing consultation and education on workplace mental health policies. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and provides education seminars to organizations and medical training programs across Canada.

Vikki Madden, MSc (OT), OT Reg. (Ont.)

Occupational Therapist, Psychotherapist
FunctionAbility Rehabilitation Services

Vikki Madden is a registered Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist providing direct therapy services as well as Psychotherapy clinical supervision at FunctionAbility Rehabilitation. Vikki has over 20 years of experience supporting individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, brain injury, chronic pain and addiction. Vikki has completed an Honors Bachelors of Science degree from McMaster University and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Western Ontario. She has completed advanced training and certification in several areas including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Chronic Pain management, mindfulness-based interventions motivational interviewing and addictions counselling. Vikki is currently an adjunct professor for the school of Occupational Therapy at McMaster University and the University of Toronto. Vikki has significant experience working with the first responder population who are struggling with work related emotional health issues. She uses recovery principles and Psychotherapy modalities to support clients in their recovery journey and to enable function in day-to-day life. In her role as a Psychotherapy Clinical Supervisor, Vikki supports the growth and development of fellow OT’s who are developing their psychotherapy practice. In this role, Vikki provides 1:1 support and mentorship as well as facilitates group supervision and provides regular education sessions on a variety of OT psychotherapy interventions for supervisee’s.

Genevieve Bernardo, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Occupational Therapist, Manager of Clinical Services, Clinical Lead for RTW Programs
FunctionAbility Rehabilitation Services

Genevieve Bernardo is a registered Occupational Therapist and Manager of Clinical Services at FunctionAbility Rehabilitation Services. She is also the Clinical Lead for Return-to-Work programming and supports OT psychotherapy program development across the practice in Ontario and BC. With over 20 years of OT experience, Genevieve began working in inpatient rehabilitation, treating individuals affected by a variety of neurological impairments. Following the transition to private community-based work, Genevieve has focused on assessing and treating clients with a spectrum of traumatic brain injuries, multiple orthopaedic injuries, and complex mental health with trauma-focused needs resulting from motor vehicle collisions, workplace incidences, and other personal injuries and conditions. Over the last 9 years, her clinical practice has shifted to focus on mental health and psychotherapy, providing direct assessment and treatment primarily with first responders and veterans, addressing the functional impact on quality of life and return-to-work. She has completed continuing education in several areas including: Neurodevelopment Treatment, Concussion Management, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Coaching for Return to Work. She uses her varied skill set and knowledge to manage complex caseloads and clients’ recovery, with the goal of restoring and enabling function and engagement in their daily lives. Similarly, she supports therapist teams in the quality of their practice.

Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli, PhD

Professor and Research Chair: Safety, Security, and Wellness
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli is Professor (PhD) and Research Chair in Safety, Security, and Wellness, at Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Fisheries and Marine Institute. The winner of the 2023 International Corrections and Prison Association’s Research Excellence Award and the Canadian Sociological Association’s Angus Reid Applied Researcher Award, Ricciardelli was also elected to the Royal Society of Canada and is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Her research centers on evolving understandings of gender, vulnerabilities, risk, and experiences and issues within different facets of the criminal justice system and among mariners. She has published 17 books, 285+ journal articles and 70+ chapters all in the areas of police, firefighting, correctional workers, public safety communicators, and criminalized persons, and wellness – broadly defined. As a sex and gender researcher, her interests lay in the social health, identity construction, and lived experiences of individuals. She leads a longitudinal study on the mental health and well-being experiences of correctional officers employed by Correctional Services Canada.

Dave McLennan

President, CEO
Boots on the Ground Peer Support for First Responders

Dave is a retired police constable having served over 30 years with Peel Police in Ontario. Dave is the founder and president of Boots On The Ground – Peer Support For First Responders. Boots On The Ground provides 24/7 peer support to all First Responders across the province of Ontario including Police, Fire, EMS and Corrections and Nurses. Boots On The Ground serves both sworn and civilian members of all services including serving and retired members.

Dave has answered hundred of calls on the peer support help line and he has intervened with many suicidal callers. He has seen first hand the effects of stress and trauma and has regrettably lost too many First Responder friends and colleagues to suicide. He has witnessed countless others struggle as they face the impacts of trauma, stigma, and reprisal. His continued call to serve has led to the path as Founder and President of Boots On The Ground, making suicide awareness, prevention, and intervention a priority for our anonymous peer support program run by First Responders, for First Responders. With 181 volunteers working the phone lines 24-7/365 and four trainers in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Boots On The Ground is passionate about creating safer communities for First Responders.

Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos, PhD
Principal Investigator & Director
PSPNET

Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Regina and Founder of PSPNET, a national service delivering internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy to public safety personnel across Canada. Her research focuses on developing, evaluating, and implementing accessible, scalable, evidence-based digital mental health interventions.

She has secured over $60 million in funding and published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the CPA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Profession, as well as the Leadership and Translational Research Awards from the International Society for Internet Interventions. In 2025, she was named Canadian Global Ambassador for the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies. She is a Fellow of both the Canadian Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies and the Canadian Psychological Association.

Steve Farina

Steve Farina is a retired Fire Captain whose 32-year career in the British Columbia fire service shaped him into one of Canada’s most trusted voices in First Responder mental health, resilience, and peer support. Beginning in 1992 as a Paid-on-Call firefighter in Langley Township and later serving with Coquitlam Fire Rescue from 1997–2025, Steve spent more than two decades supporting members through Peer Support and CISM teams, where his ability to show up authentically during crisis, transition, and recovery became a defining part of his leadership.

As Executive Vice President of the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, Steve championed province-wide initiatives in psychological health and safety, occupational wellness, and legislative advocacy. He represented the BCPFFA on the WorkSafeBC-chaired BC First Responder Mental Health Committee, helping advance meaningful improvements in how First Responders are supported throughout their careers.

Steve is also a co-founder of the Blueprint First Responder (Firefighter) Resiliency Program, a groundbreaking cohort-based mental wellness program launched in 2017. He helped shape the program’s early development, recruited participants, secured seed funding through successful WorkSafeBC grants for the first 10 pilot cohorts, and promoted the program through speaking engagements, including for Movember Canada. Today, he continues this work as a peer support facilitator for U.S. Firefighter pilot programs funded by Movember USA, expanding the model across borders.

Although retired from active service, Steve’s commitment to First Responders and Veterans remains central to his mission. He serves as a Director with the Legion Veterans Village Research Foundation, and as an Advisor to Roots to Thrive and Diversified Rehabilitation Group, guiding cutting-edge approaches to trauma recovery, psychedelic-assisted therapy, moral injury, and community-based healing.

His contributions have been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025), a Certificate of Commendation (2025), and the CIPSRT Champions of Mental Health Award (2022).

In the classroom, Steve brings a grounded, relational, and deeply human teaching style, shaped by decades of frontline experience, system-level leadership, and thousands of conversations with First Responders navigating trauma, grief, moral injury, and return-to-health. Retirement has simply opened a new way to serve: building systems, communities, and programs that support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.