Staff Profiles
Executive Director
Shelley Svedahl, MA, COML, BA Bilingual
Shelley Svedahl is an innovative, high-energy professional who creates strategic alliances to support organizational development and business initiatives. Shelley has a deep commitment to creating positive change for grieving families of missing and murdered persons. She understands the dynamic role of navigating organizational change, balancing fiscal realities with limited resources, and responding to the needs of clients. Her strength is in creating client-centred programs that respond to the changing environment so that people can participate in programs no matter where they live. Shelley holds a Masters Degree in Communications and Leadership from Gonzaga University, has held a leadership role in the health and education sectors throughout most of her career, worked in the charitable and non-profit sector and provided consulting expertise on numerous Indigenous projects for the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, First Nations University of Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Health Canada, the Ministry of Health, and individual Indigenous Nations.
Phone: 306-523-2782
shelley.svedahl@caringheartssk.ca
Director of Education
Dwayne Yasinowski
Dwayne Yasinowski is an experienced educator, coordinator and facilitator with a passion for helping struggling families cope with grief and loss. Dwayne works with professionals, volunteers, Indigenous groups and organizations around the province to enhance their capacity to provide grief and trauma services. Dwayne is highly respected and valued in his field having presented over a hundred education and training sessions to over 9000 professionals and volunteers on “grief and bereavement”, “trauma”, “trauma informed care”, “intergenerational trauma”, and “self-care and resiliency building”. Of note, in January 2016 Dwayne was a member of the Caring Hearts team sent by the Ministry of Community Justice and Victim Services to respond to the school shootings in La Loche, to work with families, youth and front-line professionals. Dwayne is the lead on the Caring Hearts Missing Persons and Caring Hearts Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls projects.
Phone: 306-523-2786
dwayne.yasinowski@caringheartssk.ca
Elder
Lorna Standingready
Lorna is a direct descendent of one of the negotiators, Ka-na-hah-cha-pay-o (Skillful Archer) of Treaty 4 and great niece of Chief Peepeekisis, son of Ka-na-hah-cha-pay-o. Lorna is a ten-year Indian Residential School Survivor and attended three Indian Residential Schools in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She was also a foster child in Froude, Saskatchewan. Lorna has been a volunteer with over forty community organizations including the John Howard Society, Regina Anti- Poverty Ministry and The Regina Action and Education on Child Hunger (REACH) and a board member on different organizations at the provincial and federal level. She recently received acknowledgement for twenty years of volunteer work from REACH, in addition to receiving the Saskatchewan and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Awards. Lorna holds a Business Administration Degree from the University of Regina in 2000 and is a life-long learner. Lorna raised six children and a grandson and has 23 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
MP Counsellor/Group Counsellor
Susan Kamuti-Gaitho, MSW, RSW
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Education Consultant
Duane Bowers,LPC, CCHt
Duane T Bowers is a Licensed Professional Counsellor and Educator. Duane’s specialty is working with survivors of traumatic death and suicide, which includes providing support to families of abducted, missing, exploited and murdered children. As an educator, Duane teaches seminars nationally, internationally and regionally on dying, death and grief, as well as trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and traumatic loss. In September 2001 Duane responded to the Pentagon immediately following the terrorist attack on September 11th, providing support to rescue and recovery workers.
Program Assistant
Chantelle LaRoque
Chantelle La Rocque graduated from the University of Regina in April 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Sociology and a certificate in Law and Society. Her knowledge is focused on contemporary Indigenous justice and cultural sensitivities.
Chantelle has done previous non-profit work through an internship and volunteer work and believes that community programs are vital to the functioning of society. Chantelle is excited to continue working on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls project and to continue learning from Elders in Saskatchewan.
Group Facilitator, Curriculum Development
Stacey Mustatia, B.Ed, Wellness for Life Accreditation
Stacey Mustatia is a Life Transitions Coach and Consultant, launching her business Wellness for Life in this Covid year, 2020. Her career experience has been as a teacher, High School Principal, Career and Employment Counsellor, Mental Health Therapist and as a Director in Recruitment and Retention. Her vast experience in working in education, healthcare, government and non profit sectors has given her in depth understanding of systemic challenges faced by individuals to obtain the supports they require. From corporate board room to First Nation’s reserves, Stacey has assisted groups and individuals to set and achieve goals, facilitating harmonious outcomes and succinct vision statements. Stacey loves the challenge of creating tailored programming for groups and businesses to educate, support and effect change in clients. Her love of and interest in people from all walks of life makes her an engaging and motivating facilitator. She is particularly skilled in assisting clients in understanding what it is that they want, providing empathetic support while challenging individuals to speak their truth, so that they obtain their goals and create the life that they want to live.
She is a Mother and a Grandmother of two engaging little girls, whom indulge her with the gifts of playfulness and humour, so important in the “heart work” that Stacey does.