With over 10 years of experience in the field and a commitment to ongoing education, Amanda Gelinas brings a wealth of knowledge to students in our Addiction Worker program. After completing a Mental Health and Addiction Worker program, Amanda began working in an inpatient dual diagnosed Children’s Treatment Centre where she did assessments and treatment planning with children and their families. After a few years, she wanted to explore and experience the addiction side of her field. She was then hired on as an Addiction Worker in a Withdrawal Management Service and has been in that role for the past 10 years. In addition to teaching and working in the field, Amanda is also pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work. 

Her passion for the field of mental health and addiction, her empathy, and her commitment to helping clients and others learn about addiction led her to her field, and the opportunity to share knowledge about a subject she is so passionate about eventually drew her to teaching. Because she still works in the field, Amanda is able to draw on relevant and up-to-date information and trends in the classroom. Her experience, both in the field and her lived experience, also allows her to better communicate concepts and topics to her students so that they can continue to learn and grow. 

To be a good Addiction Worker, Amanda says students need to be compassionate, understanding, empathetic, and non-judgemental. They also need to be a good listener and have strong interpersonal communication skills. She says that students need to show compassion and empathy to their clients. While everyone makes mistakes, Amanda says it’s important to treat them as an opportunity to grow, as one can always learn from their mistakes. She also sees the field as on that will change in the next few years, especially as there is more research done with regards to harm reduction approaches and a lessening stigma around addiction.