About us
Vision
Healthy self-determined communities in the North.
Mission
Continuum North supports individuals, families, communities and governments to actualize education and health outcomes that are equal to their aspirations, goals and rights. Our services are client led, strength based, comprehensive and, delivered through an interdisciplinary team of education and health professionals and researchers. We will continually advance, innovate and decolonize our practices through partnership with one another and with the people we work for.
Our commitment to the North
Continuum North is committed to providing service to Northern Canada, prioritizing communities experiencing unmet needs. Continuum North is based on Chief Drygeese territory, the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the North Slave Metis.
Our values
Respect
Learning from the people we work with and the people we work for.
Place
Context matters - your community, your culture, your family, your stage in life.
Voice
Clients lead the way.
Connection
A process; not a product.
Equitable Access
Access to the services you want, need, and have a right to.
Founders
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Shayla Richards, MEd, R.Psych
(she/her/hers)
Shayla is Metis from Treaty 8 territory and now calls Yellowknife her home. She is an Educational Psychologist registered in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Shayla has a Master of Education in School and Applied Child Psychology from the University of Calgary. Prior to partnering with Kaitlynn to found Continuum North, Shayla worked in various roles and in various settings, spanning research, clinical, family, government and school settings.
Shayla is passionate about advancing and challenging the profession of Psychology to be responsive to the people it serves. She is an active participant in the Association of Psychologists of the Northwest Territories (APNWT) and the Indigenous Peoples Chapter of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA).
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Kaitlynn Dewhirst, MSc OT, DSc RHL (c)
(she/her/hers)
As a settler guest, Kaitlynn has been privileged to work in the North since 2015.
Kaitlynn has a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT) and has enjoyed work in clinical and non-clinical roles across multiple agencies and departments, and is excited to transition into private practice as a founding partner of Continuum North Comprehensive Education and Health Services.
Kaitlynn is Doctor of Science candidate in the Rehabilitation and Health Leadership (DSc RHL) program at Queen's University, her doctoral research is on integrated service delivery and organizational change.
She also serves as the National Board of Director for the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) representing the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut.