Born and raised in the Yukon, Annette has dedicated her 25+ years in social work in the Yukon. She has worked in, developed, and lead systemic change among government organizations. She aligns herself with others who have similar dedication and passion to improve the circumstances for others. From clinical casework to senior leadership and now Yukon’s Child and Youth Advocate, she is an example of how social work ethics and values inform work at both the individual and the structural levels.
In addition to serving individual children and youth, and overseeing a small and hardworking group of staff, under Annette’s leadership the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office has worked to establish systems and processes for conducting systemic reviews of issues facing children in the Territory. In Spring 2019, Annette and her team published the findings of a review into the territorial group home system, and in Jan 2020 the Office announced a review into barriers to school attendance. Annette’s approach, either in her systemic or her individual advocacy work is always child and youth focused, centering the voices of young people in every stage of the process.
Annette’s social work education is from Red Deer College and the University of Calgary and she has instructed courses, and supervised practicum students, in the BSW program at Yukon College. We feel that Annette’s commitment to the values of the profession represents the essence of distinguished service.