Lorinda Strang Executive Director As the Orchard's Chief Executive Officer, Lorinda oversees all daily operations, ensuring the quality of care and treatment provided at the Orchard is of the highest caliber. Lorinda utilizes her personal experience with addiction and recovery to convey strength and hope to clients and their families. She is committed to the Orchard's community of recovery and is a powerful advocate for the addict who still suffers. "What we strive for," she says, "is for clients to leave treatment at the Orchard ready to live life, feeling emotionally strong, personally accountable, and excited about ongoing recovery. At the core of our beliefs and values is our absolute conviction that all clients can succeed."

Cassidy McDonald General Manager Cassidy McDonald, our general manager, supervises client care at the Orchard. Her number one priority is to ensure that clients' needs are being met. She holds honours degrees in both the Liberal Arts and Psychology from Simon Fraser and UBC respectively. Cassidy brings her own positive experiences from recovery, and has combined that with 11 years of helping people with addictions. Her best work is with clients who are treatment-resistant and those who suffer from chronic relapse. Cassidy has also worked with youth in the criminal justice system and with addicts in the Vancouver Downtown East Side. She is both practical and empathic in her day to day relations with clients. Seeking to understand them as individuals, she is committed to establishing an environment where they are inspired to get their lives back on track.

CLINICAL TEAM

Dr. Patrick Fay, MD, Bch, BAO, LMCC, ASAM, ECFMG &, Flex (Clinical) Wash. State Orchard Physician Bringing to the Orchard extensive experience in the addiction field, Dr. Fay heads up our medical team. Dr. Fay was a founding physician of the Vancouver Detox Centre. He provided psychiatric services to Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services South Team as well as serving as an emergency city-wide on-call physician for almost 20 years. His caseload included treating co-occurring disorders, unipolor and bipolar depression, psychotic illness and addiction. He was a founding member of the Advisory Committee on Opiod Dependency of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (1989-2001). ACOD advises the College on addiction issues, educates physicians on addiction and administrates the methadone program of BC. He is also Pacific Region Advisor to Correction Services of Canada on methadone delivery and addictions. We are fortunate to have a physician with such a wide-ranging medical background in addiction at the Orchard.

Daryl Samson, M.Ed. Program Director Daryl specializes in the assessment, treatment, intervention and monitoring of addictive disorders and chemical dependencies. He has the unique combination of educational, professional and personal experience to relate with individuals who suffer from addiction. Daryl has fourteen years experience in this fascinating and rewarding field. Daryl credits Dr. Ray Baker of Healthquest as a mentor who influenced the approach he utilizes when interacting with the addicted and their loved ones. Modeling balanced recovery and instilling hope in those whose hope has gone is Daryl's passion.

Addictions Counselors:

Carrie DeJong, MC Carrie has a Master of Counselling degree. She brings expertise in working with clients who have experienced the impact of trauma and substance abuse as well as other patterns of compulsive self-defeating behaviours. She also specializes in working with clients who struggle with anxiety. She provides tools to manage anxiety and works with individuals to help them understand the impact of their personal trauma. Carrie is dedicated to helping clients identify and explore the life issues that often lead to using drugs and alcohol as a means of coping.

Roy McKinley, BGS, ICADC Roy McKinley's expertise lies in working with clients to discover their purpose and meaning in life and recovery. Roy has a great deal of experience working with clients who have complex issues, including those diagnosed with concurrent disorders. Roy spent several years working with people incarcerated in the BC Correctional System. He is a member of the Canadian Addiction Counselors Certification Federation, and consistently aids clients who may need extra motivation to press on in their recovery. Roy utilizes his personal experience in addiction and recovery and plants seeds of hope and personal responsibility. Roy came to recovery late in life exemplifying that it's never too late to become a fulfilled, healthy human being.

Joey Marcelli Joey is a certified anger management/conflict resolution facilitator who has extensive experience in working with complex problematic substance use and non productive communication. He also assists clients in dealing with relationship challenges and other issues that can impede recovery. Knowing first hand the struggles of addiction, Joey empowers and motivates his clients to develop more effective problem-solving strategies making it possible for them to begin a life free from substance abuse. Joey says, "Digging in deep, and allowing my clients to have self awareness and make some changes in their life is my primary goal."

Additional Holistic Contractors:

Rev Shelagh MacKinnon, B.A., M.Div Spiritual Director Shelagh has been a part of the recovery community since her ordination as a Minister in 1980. She took training with SADAC in Saskatchewan, and has been active with people in recovery as a spiritual advisor and support. Shelagh talks about Spirituality and other topics at the Orchard Recovery Center with experience, humor and inclusiveness. She works at The Little Red Church in the Apple Orchard on Bowen Island.

Jan Parker Qigong Instructor Jan is a gifted teacher who guides our clients through the beauty and grace of Qigong (Qi = vitality, energy and Gong = practice, cultivate) five mornings a week at the Orchard. Jan began her adventure with Taijiquan in 1985 after her first year of recovery. Jan is very involved in several martial arts organizations including the National Women's Martial Arts Federation. Jan has been honored by PAWMA in September as the 2004 Martial Artist of the Year.

Suzan Wood, B.A., S.O.Y.A., IYTA Yoga Meditation Instructor Suzan brings passion, commitment and delight, along with 28 years of experience, to every yoga class she teaches. Suzanne helps our clients discover the benefits of deep relaxation, stretching, strengthening and breathing once a week. As well, Suzanne leads clients in guided meditation, encouraging them to reconnect to their higher selves and achieve a deep sense of calm.

Mary Letson, BCRPA certified PT, BA Hist, BA Cmns Personal Trainer A fitness professional since 1984, Mary brings a valuable balance of experience, wisdom and enthusiasm to her training sessions. Mary is trained in OSTEOFIT, a course in osteoporosis and fall prevention offered through BC Women’s Hospital. As well, Mary is ACE trained as a Clinical Exercise Specialist.

Consulting Physicians
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