Our Instructors
Meet the experienced professionals who bring specialized knowledge, practical expertise, and real-world experience to CTI’s training programs.
Practical Expertise. Real-World Experience.
CTI’s instructors bring expertise across mental health, social services, crisis intervention, counselling, harm reduction, leadership, research, and community practice.
Their experience helps translate knowledge into practical skills that participants can apply in their workplaces and communities.
Meet CTI’s Instructors
Explore the experience and expertise of the professionals who deliver Canadian Training Institute programs and organizational training.
Thomas Argueta
Thomas Argueta is a Social Service Worker with more than 12 years of experience supporting youth and adults across treatment centres, foster care programs, schools and community-based youth programs. His work has included supporting people experiencing mental health challenges, autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, addictions and other complex needs. Thomas also has experience in coaching, personal development and youth engagement and works with CTI as a Program Facilitator for the Inspiring Minds Program.
Tammy Bays
Tammy Bays has an extensive background in social work, housing, homelessness and frontline community services. She has worked as an outreach worker, counsellor, training facilitator and supervisor while supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, addictions and domestic violence. Her specialties include crisis intervention, verbal de-escalation, harm reduction, relapse prevention, overdose prevention and frontline staff development.
Nicki Casseres
Nicki Casseres brings more than 35 years of experience in mental health, crisis intervention, counselling, community education and professional training. As Senior Manager of Training and Education at the Gerstein Crisis Centre, she develops and facilitates programs focused on effective mental health crisis response and community support. Nicki is a Certified Trainer in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and safeTALK through LivingWorks.
Kadine Cooper
Kadine Cooper is an award-winning Executive Coach, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, Master Trainer and former Human Resources leader with nearly two decades of professional experience. She has worked with thousands of leaders and professionals across industries, helping individuals and teams strengthen communication, leadership presence, collaboration and professional impact.
Tom Fulgosi
Tom Fulgosi brings more than 25 years of experience in social services, addictions, crisis response and harm reduction. As a Certified Addiction Counsellor, he has worked extensively with people experiencing homelessness, substance use and complex support needs. His experience includes frontline service, case management, staff supervision, Housing First programming and specialized harm-reduction initiatives.
Dr. Maya Obadia
Dr. Maya Obadia is a MINT-certified Motivational Interviewing trainer with extensive experience teaching Motivational Interviewing, behaviour change and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She also teaches research methodology and health behaviour change at the University of Toronto. Her approach combines evidence-informed practice, behavioural science and practical strategies professionals can apply when supporting people through change.
Alison Pais, M.S.W., R.S.W.
Alison Pais is a Registered Social Worker with approximately two decades of professional experience across three countries. She works as a Community Crisis Worker with the Gerstein Crisis Centre and is a certified LivingWorks ASIST trainer. Her areas of experience include suicide prevention, crisis intervention, case management, mental health awareness and community-based crisis support.
Jessica Rumboldt
Jessica Rumboldt is an award-winning scholar whose work focuses on education, community engagement, cultural humility, relationship-building and systems change. Her professional and academic experience includes developing programs, policies, educational resources and learning environments that incorporate Indigenous perspectives and respond thoughtfully to colonization, systemic harm and intergenerational trauma.
John A. Sawdon, M.Sc.
John Sawdon has extensive experience providing professional training to human-service and criminal-justice organizations throughout Canada. His areas of instruction include team building, organizational development, residential and human service worker skills, crisis intervention and prevention, and cross-cultural awareness.
Alan “Butch” Snider
Butch Snider brings more than 35 years of teaching and training experience. His expertise includes crisis intervention, stress management, health and wellness, personal protection, subject control, physical fitness and martial arts. He previously served as a National Master Trainer for verbal and physical crisis-intervention programs within Correctional Services Canada.
Amy Stockwell
Amy Stockwell has more than a decade of experience working in mental health, crisis intervention and addictions counselling. Her teaching includes resiliency and self-care, trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, vicarious trauma and community worker safety strategies, with a strong focus on practical strategies participants can use professionally and personally.
Keith Sweeney
Keith Sweeney is an experienced Canadian Training Institute instructor specializing in verbal de-escalation, crisis intervention, physical self-defence and personal protection. His training approach emphasizes creating a safe, supportive and engaging learning environment where participants can develop confidence in responding to difficult or potentially escalating situations.
Expertise That Strengthens Learning
Field Experience
Instructors bring direct experience from frontline, clinical, community, research, leadership and organizational settings.
Specialized Expertise
Our instructors specialize in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, de-escalation, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, trauma, harm reduction and team development.
Applied Learning
Facilitation is designed to help participants connect course material with the situations, people and challenges they encounter at work.
Bring CTI instructors to your organization.
CTI delivers specialized training for teams working across public, private and community-sector environments.
Connect your team with experienced facilitators.
CTI can help identify training that fits your staff roles, workplace challenges and professional-development goals.
Courses span areas including crisis intervention, suicide prevention, de-escalation, mental health, trauma-informed practice, workplace safety and team development.
Start a conversation about training.
Tell CTI about your organization, your team and the skills you want participants to develop.