Our Team
Who we are
The Compass team are a group of highly trained individuals here to provide support and education on mental health and substance use care.
Dr. Anna Kalenchuk
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr. Anna Kalenchuk is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with the Compass Program at BCCH. She also works for Island Health’s tertiary child and youth mental health and substance use outpatient programs. She previously trained and worked at BCCH in Vancouver where she completed a fellowship in Neuropsychiatry. She enjoyed teaching and is a clinical instructor for UBC where she works with medical and resident trainees.
Carollynn Fong
Youth & Family Counsellor
Daughter of immigrant entrepreneurs, Carollynn was born and raised in the Lower Mainland. Being raised by traditional Chinese parents within predominately White community, Carollynn battled with her sense of identity for many years. This created a passion to create supportive and inclusive communities and inspired Carollynn to obtain her Bachelors in Child & Youth Care. Carollynn’s experience has been in non-profit sector working with disadvantaged communities with children, youth and families. Outside of work, Carollynn enjoys boxing, recreational dance classes and fostering cats.
Dr. Charles Ho
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr. Charles Ho is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who joined BC Children’s Hospital in 2019. He completed his general psychiatry residency at Western University in Ontario and his Child & Adolescent Psychiatry subspecialty training at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Early in his career, Dr. Ho gained experience across various practice settings, including community Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) teams, short-term inpatient stabilization units, and the Adolescent Inpatient Unit at BC Children’s Hospital. He has also served as the Senior Medical Director of the Inpatient Psychiatry programs at BC Children’s Hospital and is currently the Competence By Design Implementation Lead with the UBC General Psychiatry residency program. Through his clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Ho has engaged with inpatient and outpatient programs, supporting the care of children across British Columbia and the Yukon. His experiences have provided insight into the challenges of accessing psychiatric services throughout the province. Dr. Ho is excited to join the Compass team to support community partners in delivering mental health care. His goal is to ensure that providers, even in the smallest communities in BC, have rapid access to psychiatrists or other mental health professionals when caring for young people with mental health concerns. He is committed to supporting community providers in their lifelong professional learning and is enthusiastic about contributing to the Compass team’s mission.
Darla Chorney
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Darla graduated from the University of Victoria with a Masters’ Degree in Counselling Psychology. She has over 23 years of experience across health care and education settings, providing counselling and psychotherapy to children, youth and families. At the core of her work, is a passion for supporting individuals in accessing and developing their internal resources and resiliency, while expanding their learning and building capacity throughout the lifespan. With the varied experience of a generalist, a clinical focus on depression, anxiety, and trauma, alongside an appreciation for the benefits of supportive consultation for practitioners, she joined the Compass Team. Outside of work, Darla enjoys global and local travel adventures, and staying active in mind and body.
Devin Hyde
Program Coordinator
Devin is a Program Coordinator at BC Children’s Hospital, with a strong background in project management. A former patient of the hospital, he is motivated to give back to the system that supported him growing up. Outside of work, Devin enjoys travelling, music festivals, and playing video games. He stays active and is a passionate supporter of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Elizabeth Partridge
Nurse Clinician
Elizabeth Partridge grew up, taught and has practiced in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia after her parents immigrated from England. She is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, having completed her diploma at Douglas College, undergraduate and Masters in Nursing at Charles Sturt University. She has proudly practiced and taught in a diverse number of clinical and environmental settings including providing clinical consultation, teaching in post-secondary degree programs and practicing in Child and Youth Mental Health inpatient and community teams. Most recently, Elizabeth has had the honor to work as a Nurse Clinician at the BCCH Compass Program for almost two years. Elizabeth is an avid reader and learner when she isn’t spending time with her husband and chasing after her children and dog.
Dr. Erin Smith
Psychiatrist
Dr. Erin Smith is a psychiatrist with the Compass program at BCCH and also works at BCWH at Reproductive Mental Health and the Oak Tree Clinic. She completed her general adult psychiatry residency at UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and also completed an addiction psychiatry fellowship at the same institution. Prior to working for Compass, Dr. Smith worked at the Provincial Youth Concurrent Disorders clinic at BCCH. She is passionate about working with people during their pregnancies and in the postpartum period as well as transitional age youth and adults with concurrent disorders and their families. Dr. Smith is also a motivational interviewing (MI) trainer and a member of the internationally regarded organization Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She is a published author in the field of MI as well as the field of addictions and is passionate about teaching motivational interviewing and also lectures on a variety of different topics for medical trainees through her role as a clinical instructor at UBC. Dr. Smith is proud to be part of the collaborative and multidisciplinary team at Compass.
Eshlyn Reddy
Administrative Assistant
Eshlyn studied Sociology with a focus on Philosophy at the University of British Columbia from 2013 to 2018. For the past three and a half years, she has worked as an administrative assistant at BC Children's Hospital in the Healthy Minds Centre. Eshlyn is passionate about growing in her career and looks forward to advancing in the future. Outside of work, she enjoys making jewelry, watching true crime documentaries, and indulging in her love for Cactus Club's dirty fries.
Helen Kennett-Bacon
Nurse Clinician
Helen is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, working with children with mental health concerns and their caregivers for 20 years. Prior to working in Compass, Helen was the Nurse Clinician in ADHD Provincial Program for almost 10 years. Helen graduated with a Masters of Education in Contemplative Inquiry and Approaches to Education from Simon Fraser University in 2017. Helen is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, recently graduating from the 2 year MMTCP program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She is a member of the advisory council at the Centre for Mindfulness at BCCH and enjoys providing mindfulness classes for healthcare providers. Originally from Yorkshire, England, Helen moved to Vancouver 15yrs ago with her husband who is also a nurse. She enjoys cooking new recipes and makes a great Yorkshire Pudding. She loves fashion, art, knitting and being creative. Helen completes the Sudoku in the New York Times everyday. Most of all, she loves spending time with her husband and their French Bulldog, Dave.
Jena Mekhlis
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Jena graduated with her MA in Counselling Psychology from Adler University in 2006. She has over 14 years of therapy experience working in a variety of health care settings including providing supervision to Master of Arts in counselling psychology students. Over the years, Jena has been trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities to support clients struggling with management of depression, anxiety, infertility, grief, parenting, complex trauma, ADHD, chronic pain and couples/family stress. Prior to joining Compass team, Jena worked as a parenting coach with the BC Confident Parents; Thriving Kids Program as well as providing clinical assessments, and coordination for physicians and dentists at the physician health program of BC. Jena's primary goal is to help guide clients into their own healing path from a strength based philosophy and truly believes that clients are the true experts of their journey. Her goal for therapy begins from the building of a strong relationship based on empathy, trust and openness to address clients needs. She enjoys fostering communication based on a collaborative team spirit to ensure all areas of support are addressed. Outside of work, Jena enjoys spending quality time with her husband, cuddling with her 8 year old daughter and havapoo puppy Coco.
karina czyzewski
Social Worker
karina is a settler of French & Slavic descent originally from Ottawa, which is on unceded Algonquin territories. They have been an uninvited guest on the stolen territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for the last 11 years. They are a registered clinical social worker (RCSW #12616) with an additional MA in Anthropology & Indigenous Health. They have been working in the mental health and substance use field for over a decade in direct service (traditional social work and clinical counselling), research, consulting, education and community organizing. They are passionate about youth mental wellness, substance use destigmatization, critical health research and gender-affirming care. When not working, they can be found dancing, reading, cycling or enjoying some vegan treats.
Kate Cheung
Nurse Clinician
Kate was born in Hong Kong and moved to North Vancouver when she was young and grew up with the North Shore Mountains and trails at her back door. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She focused her career at BC Children’s Hospital and has worked in the various mental health programs offered at the Healthy Minds Centre since 2009. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her young son and family, travelling, watching movies and shows, reading and discovering new and exciting places to eat at.
Dr. Marcia Santiago
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr. Marcia Santiago completed her residency program at the University of Saskatchewan and a subspecialty in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at McMaster University. Over the past five years, she has successfully operated a remote child psychiatry clinic serving the province of Prince Edward Island. This innovative approach has allowed her to reach children and families in need of psychiatric support, regardless of geographical barriers. This work emphasizes the importance of collaboration with local community members, including school counselors, principals, and other stakeholders. In addition to her professional pursuits, she is a proud mother of two children. As an enthusiast of attachment theory, her personal experiences have significantly deepened her understanding of the complexities of parenting. She finds it particularly challenging to raise children in a digital age, where they are drawn to online interactions over genuine, face-to-face connections. While aware that effective parenting requires a diverse set of skills, one should always be reminded that love is all we need.
Ouni Liao
Nurse Clinicians
Ouni (rhymes with "Pony"), who uses she/her pronouns, is a settler of Chinese ancestry who grew up on the stolen and occupied lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She has worked in various nursing roles within the mental health programs at BC Children's Hospital since 2018 and recently completed her Master of Public Health at the University of British Columbia. She is passionate about equitable child and youth mental health promotion. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, trying new crochet projects, and travelling.
Dr. Priya Watson
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr. Priya Watson is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with the Compass Program at BCCH. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Watson has published articles, books, and online courses on the subjects of trauma, culture, psychotherapy, and continuing professional development. She has a particular interest in childhood trauma, and collaborating with front-line care providers to provide trauma-informed care to children, youth and their families.
Robelle Salvador
Nurse Clinician
Robelle is a daughter of parents who originated from the Philippines. She has had extensive experience working within the field of child and youth mental health. In particular, she has worked at BC Children’s Hospital as a psychiatric nurse clinician, in emergency, consultation liaison psychiatry, and LINK. She has also worked as a front line nurse in BCCH adolescent psychiatry, CAPE and child psychiatry units and at the Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre. She is passionate about holistic health, spirituality, earth-based healing practices, and Buddhist philosophy. Furthermore, her hobbies include paddle boarding, gardening, meditation, and spending time with her two dogs and husband.
Dr. Roberto Sassi
Psychiatrist in Chief, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr. Roberto Sassi is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Associate Professor (Partner), Head of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the UBC Department of Psychiatry, and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. He graduated from medical school at the University of São Paulo, Brazil in 1996. Dr. Sassi completed his residency training in adult psychiatry at the University of São Paulo as well as at the Massachusetts General Hospital / McLean Hospital, Harvard University, in both adult and child & adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Sassi has a PhD degree from the University of Sao Paulo, with a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroimaging at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, where he worked on magnetic resonance imaging investigations on bipolar disorder. Prior to joining UBC, Dr. Sassi held faculty appointments at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, FL and at McMaster University, in Hamilton, ON
Dr. Robin Friedlander
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Robin Friedlander is a Clinical Professor and Director of the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Program in the Dept. of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is past head of the Neuropsychiatry clinic and currently leads the SIB clinic at BC Children’s Hospital. Dr Friedlander trained in medicine and psychiatry in South Africa. Since moving to Vancouver, BC in 1993, clinical, academic and teaching pursuits have been in the field of Developmental Psychiatry.
Ruby Cagara
Nurse Clinician
Ruby moved to Vancouver from Toronto to start her nursing career. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Psychology and Human Biology: Global Health and from Queens University with a Bachelor of Nursing Science. She has worked at BC Children's for most of her career and has experience working bedside on the Child Psychiatry Unit and the Specialty medicine unit and as a Psychiatric Nurse Clinician with the Emergency team and the Consult Liaison team. She is passionate about building capacity and supporting care providers caring for youth with mental health concerns. In her spare time, Ruby can be found reading books, baking, spending time with her family, traveling or camping.
Sonja Sinclair
Program Director, Outpatient Child & Youth Mental Health Programs
Sonja has a Bachelor’s in Child and Youth Care and a Master’s Degree in Human Security. Currently Director of the Outpatient Psychiatry Department at BC Children’s Hospital, Sonja previously worked within a variety of roles supporting vulnerable populations with challenges related to mental health and substance use, including supporting children, youth and families, individuals living in conflict zones, individuals struggling with homelessness in the Downtown Eastside, and adults with mental health issues involved with the criminal justice system. She has worked with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Children and Family Development around Provincial initiatives to improve responses and supports for families affected by mental health and substance use issues with an emphasis on whole family supports, recognizing the intergenerational nature of these concerns. Outside of work, Sonja can be found horseback riding and jumping or curled up with a good book.
Dr. Susan Baer
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Susan Baer is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with the Compass team. She was born in the US and grew up moving around the US and other countries before settling in the beautiful traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, where she raised her two children. She has worked at BC Children’s Hospital since 2004 in clinical and administrative roles. She is proud to have helped found the Compass team in 2018 and is passionate about increasing access to mental health supports for children and youth across BC. She has particular interests in anxiety and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her favorite part about working on Compass is collaborating with community providers across the province as well as working with the multidisciplinary Compass team. Outside of work, she loves all outdoor activities, particularly backcountry adventures with her two dogs.
Trish
Nurse Clinician
Trish has been working as a psychiatric nurse at BC Children’s Hospital since 2004, and one thing she's learned is that no two days are ever the same—something she really enjoys. For the last 11 years, Trish has also been working in Nunavut, where she has developed a new level of resilience ... (If you can survive those winters, you can handle just about anything!). When not at work, you’ll likely find Trish paddleboarding, hiking, camping in her vintage trailer and fostering animals. Right now, Miles is her sidekick, a sweet street dog from Bali ... he is still getting used to Canadian cat culture.