Meet the Team: Family Resource Network
In a new installment, we highlight Stoney Health Services’ teams and the friendly faces behind our programs.
We continue the feature of our growing Family Resource Network led by program manager Ellen Thuringer. The Family Resource Network team includes Amanda Goodstoney, Laura Gray, Laura Allan and Pamela Olver who all specialize in a range of early childhood education areas and offer programming that is centered in Stoney Nakoda traditions and cultural practices. The Family Resource Network welcomes all Stoney families and encourages them to reach out for further details.
Amanda Goodstoney, Family Support Worker
Amanda Goodstoney is a member of Stoney Nation and speaks the Stoney language. She has three wonderful children and lives in Mînî Thnî and enjoys attending powwows, listening to music, reading books and enjoying nature and the traditional harvest season.
Amanda has worked for several years with families and other agencies coordinating community educational programs. In her current role as a family support worker with Stoney Family Resource Network, Amanda provides families and caregivers mentoring and support services with a goal to enhance parenting skills. She is trained and certified in the three different parent resources programs - Nurturing Parenting Model, Triple P Positive Parenting Model, ASQ, ACEs - The function and development of the Brain.
She is comfortable teaching traditional parenting lessons with young parents and caregivers, and facilitates a variety of Community Educational Programs on topics such as, adverse childhood experiences, building positive relationship with your children, positive communication skills, budgeting and meal planning.
Laura Gray, In-Home Family Coach (Home Visitor)
Laura Gray is our In-Home Family Coach (home visitor) at the Stoney Family Resource Network.
She draws upon a strong background in counselling, child development and family crisis support and has previously worked in the areas of homelessness and family placement.
She's a deeply passionate advocate for families with a mission is to empower each family by building a supportive relationship that enables them to nurture their children to realize their full potential.
At home, she's a mom to three kids, and three fur babies and lives in the Cochrane area. She came to Canada from the UK in 2011 with her family. When she's not working or being the 'taxi Mom', she enjoys being with friends, hiking, biking, camping or diving into a good book, indulging in arts and crafts. A new paddleboarder, she's set a goal of paddling home from work, at least once next year.
She's thrilled to be a part of the Stoney Health Services team and creating space and a nurturing environment where families can thrive.
Laura Allan,
Early Years Facilitator
(ON PERSONAL LEAVE)
Laura Allan, BCST, ELCC rejoined the community last year when she started working as an early years facilitator with the Stoney Family Resource Network. Previously she worked as the director of Wesley Childcare. In her role, she advocates and facilitates the importance of early childhood education and healthy child development for Stoney families.
Laura is available to offer support in any of the following ways:
Pamela Olver, Headstart Teacher
Pamela Olver is a true outdoors woman! Whether it’s sitting around a fire, cooking a feast outdoors or foraging, spending time in the great outdoors is what occupies Pamela's time and energy when she’s not at work. You might also catch her heading out on a canoe trip in northern Saskatchewan with her husband and two kids or see her riding by on her bike, skis or snowshoes nearby her home in Cochrane.
Pamela recently started as a early childhood facilitator with Stoney Health and claims to be most excited about her role because of a pure love of working with children and a passion for empowering and supporting families.
She has a strong background in early childhood education and in particular working with at-risk moms, especially teens. She also is an experienced doula. Her skills and talents are welcome in the community as she looks to support and work with local moms on their path as parents.
