Samantha has been with Newgate 180 for over six years working with families and individuals through the first year of recovery in her role as a Relapse Prevention and Continuing Care Counsellor, Family Support Facilitator and through delivering psychoeducation and group therapy during residential treatment to clients and families of Newgate. Previous to her work at Newgate, Samantha worked in the child welfare field working with adolescents in foster and group care. Samantha has experience in the domestic violence sector and has participated in student placements in federal correctional facilities.

Samantha is a graduate of the Community and Justice Services Worker program at Loyalist College and has a Post-Graduate Studies Certification in Victimology from Algonquin College. These educational components qualify Samantha to work with those who are vulnerable across many populations including victims of crime and circumstance, trauma, domestic violence survivors, those with addictions and those experiencing homelessness. Samantha is a Certified ARISE Interventionist (CAI) utilizing ARISE Comprehensive Care and Invitational Intervention.

“One of the many reasons that I love working at Newgate 180 is because we take care of the whole family system. Not only do we actively plan and consult with the person in treatment, but we also work with their family, their employer and sometimes even their friends. We provide education that helps the support network to better understand addiction and the struggles their loved one experiences. We provide tools to better assist their loved ones and themselves and resources that can further the healing process. What we recognize is that addiction is a family disease, and as the loved one recovers, the family must also make changes in recovery to foster resiliency and strength for all within the family system.

I am fortunate to work with individuals with varied lived and professional experiences that allow us to work together for a multidimensional and comprehensive approach. My colleagues at Newgate 180 bring unique specializations but meet commonly in their empathy, compassion and integrity in helping those seeking recovery to move forward. Continuing education is such an important part of staying current in addiction treatment, and I am fortunate to work in an environment where we are encouraged and supported in further learning opportunities and attendance to weekly webinars pertaining to addiction, trauma and counselling.”