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Rideauwood
Team

Board of Directors

Bruno Carchidi

Board Chair

Martin Methot

Vice-Chair

Brenda Valente

Treasurer

Anderson Joyce

Board Secretary

David Gascon

Colin Wiltshire

Vera Reifenstein

David Hesidence

Nicole Poirer

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Lois Graveline

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Jamie Dunlop

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Jennifer Ellis

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Stephan Desbiens

Senior Leaders

Johanne Levesque

Our service delivery depends on the generosity of our donors.
We ask for your support, so we can reach more individuals and families to support them as they find answers for their substance use, behavioural addictions and mental health issues. Please consider financial donations, sponsorship or volunteering your time.
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Bruno Carchidi

Chair

“My family and friends are extremely important to me. I am grateful that Rideauwood is part of our community and is so deeply dedicated to supporting those in our community. I am honoured to be able to give back in ways that connect so well with my own values.”

Bruno is currently president of Tubman Funeral Homes. He is also Founding Chair of The Unforgettables Fund, active at Toastmasters and a board member of the Ottawa and District Funeral Service Association.

Martin Methot

Vice-Chair

“Rideauwood is a wonderful institution that helped me on my own path to recovery. I have no doubt that it will continue to help many, many others now and in the years to come.”

Martin is a retired executive from Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. He has several years of experience in the non-for-profit sector and brings to the Board a wide range of skills including fundraising, strategic planning and finance. He has been a volunteer since 2013.

Brenda Valente

“Through a professional acquaintance, I had the opportunity to join the Board to provide the knowledge and experience that I have obtained throughout my career as a professional accountant. It is a wonderful experience to be able to give back to a community that I grew up in.”

Since 1998, Brenda’s career has been in public accounting. Brenda obtained my Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2001 and over the years, she has had the pleasure of helping not-for-profit organizations, small business and individuals in areas of assurance, business advisory and corporate and personal taxation.

Anderson Joyce

“I have been active in the community health service sector both as a practising lawyer and as a volunteer. My interest in serving as a Rideauwood director is to provide my skills and experience on a voluntary basis and to learn more about the mental health and addiction field.”

Anderson is a retired lawyer having practised for 38 years with a major Ottawa law firm specializing in corporate/commercial law and not-for-profit law. On retirement David volunteered with Cuso International (formerly VSO Canada) with postings in Namibia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Myanmar and lastly in Vancouver BC. During his time in Ottawa he has been active as a director on several not-for-profit corporations including Rideauwood.

David Gascon

“I’ve had the opportunity to see how Rideauwood changes lives and couldn’t pass up the offer to be a part of its mission. Our clients show the Ottawa area every day that change and hope are possible.”

I’ve lived in Ottawa twenty years and have been involved with the high tech sector over the last nearly ten years. I believe that when a community can support each other’s health great things happen. I’m proud to have the chance to play a part in that at Rideauwood.

Colin Wiltshire

Tresurer

“I volunteer at Rideauwood because it is an organization that makes a difference. Beyond the statistics with evidence of support to individuals and families, I have heard grateful stories from clients that echo the excellent outcome experienced by one of my own relatives.”

Colin is a recently retired management consultant whose experience and qualifications include accounting, internal audit, fraud examinations and risk management. His 35 year career taught him that successful enterprises whether they are government, for profit or not-for-profit, are built on relationships. Rideauwood will continue to expand its many good relationships with support from Colin in maintaining strong financial stewardship and diligent management of risk.

Vera Reifenstein

“I volunteer at Rideauwood because I am passionate about supporting an organization that helped me and my family through a very difficult time. I want to ensure it provides these critical services to others in the community.”

Vera Reifenstein is a passionate and experienced marketing, sales and management executive with 20 years of experience working in telecommunications and defense industries. She has led teams of marketing and product management professionals for the past 15 years managing large scale revenue targets and budgets. She currently works as a Sales and Marketing Director for Saab Canada, having previously worked as a Director of Marketing, Sales and Product Management at Cogeco Connexions, Bell Canada and BMT Fleet Technology.

David Hesidence

“I volunteer as a board member with Rideauwood, because I believe it is uniquely positioned and highly motivated to deliver the exact type of care and advocacy that is needed by those suffering with substance use and mental health issues and their loved ones.”

David is a member of the Senior management team at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
and a director of the Royal’s Pathways to Better Care program which has a LHIN-wide mandate on quality and process improvement across the mental health and addictions system.
David is also a part-time Associate with the Ottawa River Psychology Group providing psychotherapy for those with substance use and mental health issues and their families.

Nicole Poirer

“I joined the Rideauwood Board because I have family members who have been affected by addictions. The cause is very close to my heart.”

Nicole is the founder of NP Consulting; a resume, recruitment and interviewing service firm. Her background includes Executive Search, Learning & Development and Operations. Prior to this, Nicole was the Vice-President and Shareholder of Renaud Foster Management Consultant which was purchased in 2014 by Odgers Berndtson.

Lois Graveline

“Volunteering with Rideauwood as a board member gives me great pleasure and tremendous feelings of pride. To be able to assist their efforts in helping people in need is an investment of time and talent that to me, is worth every minute.”

For over thirty years Lois has worked alongside some of the most amazing local, national and international charitable organizations. Throughout this humbling journey, she has helped build strong and sustainable fund development and community engagement programs while helping others with strategic planning and rebranding exercises. As an independent consultant and founder of Harmonia, Lois hopes to continue improving the environment for philanthropic giving in Canada.

Jamie Dunlop

“I joined the board out of recognition of the important work done by Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services and hope to lend energy and experience to doing what I can to support those who offer support to those in need.”

Jamie Dunlop is a 24 year veteran with the Ottawa Police Service. Prior to a career in policing Jamie served as a Youth Crisis Counselor. Through these roles and personal experience, Jamie understands how addictions of any sort can lead to greater challenges in a person’s life and often affect the greater family unit.

Jennifer Ellis

“I want to be a part of a team that builds people up and supports them to live fully. As a nurse, I’ve seen how addictions affective lives, but have also seen the impact of lives improved”.

Jennifer Ellis is the Director of Quality and Safety at CHEO, where she has oversight for programming as well as operational services enhancing safety. Jennifer is an advocate for putting “Safety First” and is an experienced administrator who has worked in health care, policy, research and quality improvement. Jennifer lives in Ottawa with her husband and three children, and volunteers to support the health and wellness of her community.

Stephan Desbiens

“Rideauwood has an exceptionally talented and dedicated professional staff and amazing team of volunteers who work in our community. My first hand experience at Rideauwood, along with my passion to help those in need made it easy for me to want to give back to our great community by volunteering here. I am truly honoured to be a member of the Board of Directors at Rideauwood.”

Originally from Gatineau and raised in Ottawa, I have worked as a Portfolio Manager and Financial Planner for over 20 years. I am currently a Partner with Exponent Investment Management Inc. in Ottawa. Away from work, I like to play various sports and am very fortunate to be active in my kid’s lives. I have enjoyed volunteering in youth sports and animal causes for over 30 years.

Johanne Levesque

‘’I am deeply inspired by the courage and resilience of the people we serve and proud to be part of the team of dedicated Board members and compassionate professionals that support them as they move forward in their journey and achieve their health and recovery goals’’.

Johanne is a health and social care leader whose commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families in this community has served as a backdrop for her professional and volunteer activities for over thirty years. She has successfully delivered on diverse mandates and always with the same set of values – a systems thinker, focused on building compassionate, effective health care services that always put the needs of clients and families at the center.

Important Notice to Clients About Coronavirus

Our world has changed over the past few days with the accelerated response to the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and, more recently, in Ottawa with yesterday’s new directive from the  Medical Officer of Health. As of Sunday March 15 (yesterday), Ottawa Public Health is asking all residents to stay in their homes unless necessary. The Medical Officer of Health specified that this is not to discourage people from being outside, but to discourage people from going into other locations or being within 2 meters of other people that are not living in your home. The purpose of that is to reduce the speed at which the virus will spread, limiting the burden on the health care system.

 

Here at Rideauwood, we are activating the following plans to support the evolving situation:

  • All group programs are being put on hold until further notice
  • Individual counselling services, normally offered in person will be offered via telephone or OTN, (a secure videoconferencing option). As such a staff person will be in touch with you to inform you of this change.
  • If you are a youth or a young adult wanting to access the walk-in service please call us at 613-724-4881.  Your call will be redirected to the appropriate person.

 

If you are registered in an upcoming group or have an appointment and have any questions, please call us at 613-724-7881.

 

FEELING UNWELL?

  • If you are sick, stay at home if possible
  • If you have:
  • Returned from international travel or to a Canadian province with established local transmission and are displaying symptoms associated with COVID-19, including fever and/or new worsening cough.
  • Had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days and are displaying symptoms associated with COVID-19 including fever and/or new or worsening cough.

 

Please go immediately to the COVID-19 Assessment Centre located at the Brewer Arena, (151 Brewer Way) open daily from 9a.m. to 8 p.m.)

 

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HEALTHY

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you have just washed your hands.
  • Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue or into your arm, not your hand.  Also, make sure to wash your hands afterward.
  • Avoid visiting people in hospitals or long-term care centres if you are sick.
  • Get your flu shot if you haven’t already done so.

 

For more information about COVID-19 click on the links below:

 

Other links that may be helpful: