About the Faculty

Lessons from researchers and practitioners reveals that head knowledge is not necessarily practice knowledge. Therefore although organizations and individuals may receive professional training to help them best support complex populations, this training does not always translate to a shift in their practice.

Professionals without Parachutes® is a dynamic team that engages individuals in the development of teams of support for vulnerable and complex populations. Through shared understanding and goals we can achieve collaboration that leads to success. Our team supports and participates in a large number of organizations, teams and research projects, giving us the ability to provide interdisciplinary, personalized training which helps to move beyond our professional barriers.

 

Jacqueline
Facilitator

Jacqueline Pei (R. Psych., PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. Also a practicing Registered Psychologist for the past twelve years, Dr Pei began her career as a criminologist and forensic counselor working with incarcerated youth. Motivated by this early work, she returned to academia to study youth at risk, child development, and neuropsychology, leading to her current focus on interventions for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Building on her work with various community and government agencies, Dr Pei currently leads the Intervention Network Action Team (iNAT) for the Canada FASD Research Network a role that facilitate the link between research, policy, and practice.

Tracy
Facilitator

Tracy Mastrangelo began her career in the social work field focusing on working with high risk youth in both assessment and treatment facilities.  Currently, Tracy is the Provincial Co-ordinator of the Wellness, Resiliency and Partnerships (WRaP) program. WRaP is an innovative program that aims to provide relationally based supports to students of vulnerable populations with a focus on FASD through a Success Coach model. Tracy also supports several FASD and education initiatives in the province including as Chair of the Northwest Central FASD Network. 
 

Cheryl
Evaluation Lead

Cheryl Poth (PhD, CE) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and a faculty member of the Centre for Applied Research in Assessment and Measurement in Education (CRAME) at the University of Alberta. Dr. Poth began her career as a classroom educator and later as a program evaluator working with partner communities across diverse contexts both internationally and within Canada. Extending a focus on enhancing learning environments, her current work takes place within three contexts: organizations, classrooms, and clinical settings. Her projects examine a range of issues concerned with developing and implementing innovative programs within dynamic situations using a variety of research approaches including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research designs. As the co-founder of The Alberta Clinical and Community-based Evaluation Research Team (ACCERT) along with Dr. Jacqueline Pei, together with faculty and graduate students, ACCERT specializes in community-involved program evaluation and applied social research with a focus on building capacity both within our university-based team and with the clients and stakeholder organizations we work with.