Alberta Council of Disability Services: External Consultants

The following consultants have experience working with the developmental disability and community rehabilitation communities within Alberta on a variety of special projects. Some specialize in activities such as plain language, meeting facilitation, training, research or evaluation. Others provide a wide range of organizational supports. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

K. K. Biersdorff Consulting

Contact: Kathleen Biersdorff, Ph.D.

23 Harvest Oak Gr. NE, Calgary, AB T3K 3Y2

Phone: (403) 226-0585; Fax: (403) 920-0586

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: http://www.kkbiersdorff.ca

Kathleen provides a broad range of services to promote organizational excellence and innovation in the business, non-profit and public sectors. These services include research, writing and editing, public relations, staff development seminars, course development and trainer mentoring, strategic planning and meeting facilitation, policy development and human resource support. Kathleen has over 30 years of experience in research and communication with a variety of stakeholders from people with intellectual disabilities to policy-makers.

Center Point Facilitation

Contact: Tammy Ouellette, HSA Associate

PO Box 21404

Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6W7

Phone: (780) 296-0223

E-mail: [email protected]

Website:www.mycenterpoint.ca

Contact: Tammy Ouellette, HSA Associate

PO Box 21404

Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6W7

Phone: (780) 296-0223

E-mail: [email protected]

Website:www.mycenterpoint.ca

Centerpoint Facilitation Inc. specializes in training, facilitation and consultation. We work with businesses and individuals using person centered approaches to increase productivity and quality of life in the workplace and at home.

Professional Development & Workshops

-          Team Building

-          positive & Productive Meetings

-          Person Centered Supervision

Facilitation

-          Visioning & Strategic Planning

-          Organizational Retreats

-          Community Consultation

Direct Planning in Person-Centered Approaches for:

-          Older people

-          People with short or long-term health issues

-          End of life planning

-          People with developmental disabilities

-          Any life situation in which planning and support is required

For Person Centered Workshops or other facilitating services, please contact Tammy Ouellette.

CLR Consultants Inc.

Since 1998, CLR Consultants has been providing website and learning solutions to organizations that serve people with disabilities. The Comapany maintains relationships with a diverse group of external consultants, from both academia and industry. This ensures a uniformly high level of competence is available when providing the following learning solutions and other services.

            Curriculum design   

            Course creation       

            Mobile learning        Rapid course creation

            Course conversion    Localization

            Blended learning      Instructor-led training

            LMS & learning portals        Moodle

Focused Leadership Group Ltd.

Contact:  Brad Kotowich, Principal

Office:  (780) 417-3037

Cell: (780) 983-4965

Email: [email protected]

www.focusedleadershipgroup.com

Brad continues to enjoy a strong connection to the field of Disability Services (since 1997) providing senior leadership, training and consultation services to more than 45 organizations across Alberta and  Saskatchewan.   Based in Sherwood Park, Focused Leadership Group Ltd. was established in 2004 and works with organizations across all sectors.    With a wide array of tools, knowledge and exemplary practices from numerous clientele, Agencies in the Disability Services Sector can benefit from the following services  (but not limited to):

-          Leadership Development & Coaching

-          Foundations of Leadership ( 3-day intensive course) targeting Practitioner level staff all the way to Executive Directors

-          Planning Strategically

-          Team Development (experiential and classroom)

-          Conflict Resolution

-          Change Facilitation

-          Retreat & Process Facilitation

-          Organizational reviews

-          Human Resource support

Brad has been a featured presenter at the ACDS Spring Conference for several years as well as SARC’s Annual Conference.

Gateway Association

Gateway Association is an organization that works with individuals who have developmental disabilities as well as their families. Gateway envisions a community where all children grow within a family; all children learn together in neighborhood schools; all adults work at real jobs in the community; all adults will have a real home and real friends; and all people are valued, contributing members of their communities.

Mission: Gateway is a family resource centre that provides education, family support and mentorship. It is our mission to assist the community to understand intellectual disabilities. Vision: Having an intellectual disability doesn’t define or limit who you are. All individuals can live, work, love and play as valued and respected members of a community

Family Support

Helping families by providing them with the information they need to support their loved ones who live with an intellectual disability www.gatewayassociation.ca/

Mentorship

Families moving forward together one step at a time. http://familiesforward.ca

Education and Awareness

Empowering families with knowledge so they can help their loved ones achieve authentic lives. http://www.gatewayassociation.ca

Employment

We Belong is a unique approach to employment. Our job is to learn about a business, identify its needs, and fill those needs in creative ways. Our goal is to find businesses a good employee — someone who will bring value to the business with his or her skills and passion, enhance workplace culture, and contribute to the bottom line. http://webelong.ca/ Explore inclusive hiring.

Chris MacFarlane, Ph.D.

Contact: Chris MacFarlane

Possberg & Associates Ltd.

112 Hawkfield Cr. NW, Calgary, AB T3G 1Z5

Phone: (403) 241-2220

Cell: (403) 554-7220

E-mail: [email protected]

Naslund Consulting Group

Contact: Karin Naslund

Box 1887, Camrose, Alberta T4V 1X8

Phone: 780. 373.2114

Fax: 780.373.2113

E-mail: [email protected]

            [email protected]

Web sites: NCG www.naslundconsultinggroup.ca

Karin worked 15 years as an executive director of an organization serving people with developmental disabilities. NCG provides a variety of services including facilitation of meetings and planning retreats, organizational support and development (organization reviews, surveys, human resources, conflict resolution, etc), and training. Our training courses are offered across Alberta and Saskatchewan, and we also tailor them to meet specific organizational needs. Our signature courses are The Great Supervision training series (developed by Paula MacLean) and leadership development.

VECOVA

Contact: VECOVA

3304 - 33 Street NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A6

Phone: (403) 284-1121; Fax: (403) 289-6427

Web site: http://vecova.ca

The VECOVA Research Department works in partnership with the community on projects that enhance the lives of people with disabilities and the services that support them. Their work includes exploring cutting-edge practices in order to implement new service directions, program evaluation and plain language translation, to name but a few. VECOVA is affiliated with the University of Calgary.