Dedicated Team
Paul Obermeyer
RN
Treatment Consultant,
The Residence
As the Treatment Consultant for The Residence at Homewood, Paul brings over 25 years of mental health and addictions experience and is the client’s initial contact to explore the benefits the program can offer. With extensive experience in emergency psychiatry, Paul will help assess individual treatment needs and goals to facilitate a seamless admission into the program. As the former director, Paul is well suited to answer any questions clients have about the program and what to expect during their stay.
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DR. BEN MCCUTCHEN
Chief of Psychiatry
The Residence
Dr. Ben McCutchen is Chief of Psychiatry for The Residence, Ravensview and Workplace Mental Health. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and completed both his undergraduate medical degree and postgraduate psychiatry training at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. He is the current Academic Lead for Homewood Health Centre / Waterloo Regional Campus, and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University.
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DR. KAM BALCHAND
Psychiatrist
The Residence
Dr. Kam Balchand is a psychiatrist at The Residence. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He completed an undergraduate medical degree at the University of Toronto, postgraduate psychiatry training at the University of Manitoba, and a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at Yale University.
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Dr. Rachel Lyon
C.Pysch
Psychologist and Clinical Lead,
The Residence
Dr. Rachel Lyon is a Clinical Psychologist and a Registered Member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Ryerson University and completed her residency training at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in the Borderline Personality Disorder Clinic and Psychological Trauma Program. Before joining The Residence as a staff psychologist, Dr. Lyon worked within the Eating Disorders Program and was the Psychology Discipline Lead at Homewood Health Centre. In her role, Dr. Lyon will be supporting the interdisciplinary team and overall model of care at The Residence.
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Emily Logan
Senior Manager,
The Residence
Emily Logan is the Senior Manager for The Residence at Homewood. She received an Honours B.A. in Health Studies from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Emily began her career at Homewood in 2020 as the Service Liaison for The Residence before being promoted to Operations Manager in 2022. In her current role as Senior Manager, The Residence at Homewood, Emily oversees all operational aspects of The Residence and is dedicated to providing a professional, supportive, and positive environment for all clients and staff.
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Sonia Waters
RP, ICADC, BA
Addictions Counsellor,
The Residence
Sonia brings 17 years of experience to her role as Addictions Counsellor at The Residence. She supports clients’ personal recovery by creating and guiding them through a continuum of care that combines program services to meet their specific needs. Sonia uses a variety of approaches and techniques to help people achieve and maintain sobriety while focusing on living their lives today. Sonia is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), an International Certified Alcohol & Drug Counsellor (ICADC).
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Monika Grau
RP, BA, DTATI
Psychotherapist – Art Therapist
The Residence
Monika Grau is a Registered Psychotherapist and Professional Art Therapist. She has worked in the field of mental health at Homewood Health Centre for more than 25 years. Throughout her career, Monika has demonstrated proficiency in both individual and group therapy settings, specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and crisis management care.
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Michelle Munroe
MSc (OT), OT Reg. (Ont.), Psychotherapist
Occupational Therapist,
The Residence
Michelle is an Occupational Therapist, a profession that empowers people experiencing mental and physical health challenges to overcome barriers in their everyday lives so they may regain meaningful purpose and experience life again to the fullest.
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Kyla RENAUD
MSW, RSW, Psychotherapist
Social Worker,
The Residence
Kyla Renaud is a Registered Social Worker whose work at The Residence at Homewood includes delivering a range of modalities of treatment including cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive processing therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing. As a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Kyla’s Master of Social Work studies focused on the care and support of individuals, families, and groups with a special interest in working with the young adult population.
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Lisa Vanderloop
Psychotherapist (Qualifying),
The Residence
Lisa Vanderloop holds status as a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist. She achieved her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Nipissing University, a Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of Waterloo, and a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. Lisa’s areas of expertise include crisis intervention, mood disorders, and addictions.
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Kaela Clark
Service Liaison,
The Residence
Kaela is The Residence team member that brings it all together. She comes to us via The Homewood Health Centre, where she spent three years mastering healthcare based customer service. Kaela also brings to The Residence an extensive background in various service industries as well as the ability to establish strong working relationships with co-workers and clients.
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Loriann McAlpine
RPN
Registered Practical Nurse,
The Residence
Loriann has been a nurse for 33 years and has worked at Homewood for 20 years. She brings extensive experience to The Residence. She has worked in Homewood’s Eating Disorder Program, PTSR program, Crisis and Comprehensive Psychiatric Care. Her knowledge background encompasses CBT, DBT, and crisis intervention. Loriann’s focus is to support clients in optimizing their treatment experience at The Residence. She works collaboratively with the treatment team to help clients succeed with their goals.
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Catherine Bowmaster
House Matron,
The Residence
Catherine brings 11 years of professional housekeeping experience from the Homewood Health Centre. She works closely with residents and management to ensure an orderly and peaceful home-like environment. Catherine’s attention to detail is evident and both clients and staff appreciate her “white glove service” attitude.
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Chris Seftel
M-CPT, SSC, CNC, FMS
Strength and Conditioning Coach,
The Residence
Chris provides evidence based personalized programming incorporating researched based outcomes for exercise, mental health and Functional Movement / Capacity Screens. Chris has a holistic approach to exercise and draws on over 20 years of experience working with a wide range of clients from professional athletes to individuals with various physical and mental health needs. Chris is lifelong athlete and considers himself a student of the human body’s potential.
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MARK DUNDAS
Executive Chef,
The Residence
Mark Dundas is a professional Red Seal Chef who attended culinary college in Saskatchewan. For 18 years, Mark apprenticed and worked at the “Castle in the Rockies,” the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Mark’s true passion is food, and he is dedicated to inspiring the people around him to enjoy all aspects of food as much as he does! Mark likes to ask these types of questions: where does the food come from? Is it organic? Are the ingredients ethically sourced? These are the questions that drive Mark’s passion.
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MICHELLE NOGUEIRA
RSSW, CAC ii, CPGC, IGDC
Addiction & Recovery Management Specialist and Digital Lead,
The Residence
Michelle Nogueira is The Residence’s Addiction & Recovery Management Specialist and Digital Lead. Her primary role is in the Recovery Management Program. This aftercare role is a perfect fit as she has been intrigued with relapse prevention throughout her career and has proclaimed that “Relapse Prevention is the cornerstone of Addiction Counselling.”
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CHRISTINA KOVACS
MSC OT
Recovery Management Coordinator,
The Residence
Christina is an Occupational Therapist and the Coordinator of the Recovery Management Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from the University of Guelph and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from McMaster University. Christina has worked in the Recovery Management Program since its inception and has driven its implementation and growth. Understanding challenges and co-creating solutions underpins Christina’s passion for working with clients and ensuring quality programming and care.”
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JULIA BURKE
Recreation Therapist,
The Residence
Julia Burke is a Recreation Therapist for The Residence at Homewood. With enhanced experience working in acute and forensic mental health, Julia follows a client centred, evidence based approach with emphasis on client’s strengths. As a Recreation Therapist, Julia works collaboratively to focus on systematic goal directed interventions intended to involve clients in activities that restore and foster growth.
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