Team members listed in alphabetical order by surname
Chris Barker - Videographer & Editor
Chris Barker currently has the privilege of living and working on
Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh territory. He grew up
on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Nlaka’pamux, Stó:lō, and
Stz’uminus people. He is a Camera Operator and Drone Pilot based out of Vancouver. Chris specializes in documentary-style filming and has worked on a number of local and international television shows. He is humbled and proud to lend his skills to this important cause.
Michelle Danda - Producer & Contributor
Michelle currently has the privilege of living and working on Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh territory. She is a Registered Nurse and a parent of 4 kids. She graduated from the University of Calgary in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology. She completed her Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Calgary (Accelerated Track) in 2008. She holds a Master of Nursing degree from Athabasca University (2012) and a Master of Psychiatric Nursing degree from Brandon University (2018). She is also a PhD Candidate at the University of Alberta. Over her 13 year career she has practiced in mental health and substance use in both Calgary, AB and the Lower Mainland, BC. Her nursing practice is guided by social justice, patient empowerment, and compassionate care. Her research focus is on the history of mental health nursing in BC and intersections of the caring and coercive practice.
Victoria Grayson - Contributor
My name is Victoria, named after my English great grandmother who we called “grandma flowers” when I was growing up on treaty 7 territory (Calgary, AB). Most of my ancestors came to this land as colonizers from England, Ireland, Scotland & Germany. My grandfather on my mother’s side comes from 5 generations of Red River Métis who worked for the Hudson Bay Company. I am grateful to now live on Nex̱wlélex̱m, unceded Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) territory also known as Bowen Island, BC. I'm on a path of healing my subconscious and conscious beliefs in order to better love myself and others. I do this through relationships with plant, animal and human kin. My nursing experience has included orthopedics, cardiac surgery, CVICU, ICU and currently substance use/mental health/HIV care.
"We're all just walking each other home" - Ram Dass
Jessica Key - Producer & Contributor
Jessica is a citizen of the Musgamauk Dzawada’enuxw nation and also of British heritage. She currently lives and works in the traditional and unceded homelands of the Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh people. She is a Registered Nurse with a clinical background working with youth with concurrent mental health and substance use challenges. She is also a graduate student in the Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of British Columbia where her research area is Indigenous youth mental health and wellness,especially in relation to connection to land and culture. Jessica’s nursing practice is rooted in cultural safety, antiracism work, and social justice.
Claire Pitcher - Producer, Contributor & Editor
Claire is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Alberta (2009), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2011) and a Master of Science in Nursing (2017) from UBC. She is also a UBC School of Nursing Adjunct Faculty member. She has worked in the areas of public health, sexual and reproductive health, vaccine research, clinical teaching, and youth concurrent disorders. Claire is a descendant of English and Irish settlers who settled on Beothuk and Mi’kmaq territories, respectively. Claire currently lives on Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh territory. Claire is committed to applying an anti-racist and anti-oppression lens to every aspect of her personal and professional life while also acknowledging her ongoing process of learning and unlearning as it relates to addressing the ways in which she, as a descendant of White settlers, has benefited from and been complicit in upholding racism, discrimination, and oppression throughout her life.
Jasmine Symonds - Contributor
Jasmine practices as a Registered Nurse and has spent the majority of her nursing career working with marginalized communities. Jasmine is currently working in Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions as well as Urgent Primary Care. Jasmine completed an associates degree of Arts and then went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Jasmine is passionate about serving oppressed communities and strives to provide safe and positive healthcare experiences. Jasmine is also passionate about working from a strength based and trauma informed lens. Jasmine has goals to advance her career and looks forward to adding to her studies in the near future. In her spare time, Jasmine enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family. Jasmine is multiracial black woman of West African, Western European and Indigenous ancestry. Jasmine lives on the unseeded territories of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation).
Sheryl Zentner - Contributor
Sheryl is a mental health and substance use nurse and has been practicing in Vancouver, BC, for the last 21 years and has experience in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Emergency Department Mental Health Triage, Community Forensics, and is now practicing in the DTES. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Health Leadership and Policy with a focus on Clinical Education. Her current area of research is the effects of mindfulness on the burnout levels of nurses, and she aspires to help develop programs for nurses that focus on resilience and self-care. Sheryl’s lifelong goal is to continue to learn and re-learn what it means to be an effective nurse and happy human and convey that impactful nursing isn’t just about clinical skills but also a love for oneself, clients and the community.
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