Michelle Forsythe

20+ years experience working exclusively with First Nations and Inuit in Child and Family Services departments. 
I am First Nations and have developed an expertise working with Indigenous families, children and individuals. 
I have spent my career working on reserve and also in Nunavut. I am truly passionate about working with my fellow indigenous people and helping in any capacity. 

I have spent my career offering culturally appropriate social services to Indigenous people while focusing on trauma informed care  

I have 15 years field experience and 7 years supervisory experience. 
I have experience working in highly politicized environments and experience working under pressure. I worked for 3 First Nations communities from 1997-2012 and for the Government of Nunavut in 2016-2019. I absolutely loved working in Nunavut and truly hope to return soon. I worked as Community Social Service Worker in Arctic Bay but experienced difficulties as the sole caregiver to a sick family member that subsequently passed away. I really miss the work I did there and the people. I made many friends there and would be thrilled to reconnect with them. Nunavut is my favourite place to have worked and Arctic Bay ended up feeling like home.   I have experience doing presentations and group therapy. 
I am highly adaptable and can fit into any community and can quickly establish rapport even under sometimes difficult circumstances. 
I worked as a consultant and created the framework for funding and the implementation of First Line Services in my own First Nation community. 

I decided to go to school when I ended up a struggling single mother at age 21. I attended school close to home so that I didn’t have to leave my children behind. 
I completed my 2 year Social Service Worker Diploma. We also had the option to complete a type of double diploma by taking extra classes each semester for NatIve Studies.  I completed the Native Studies and Social Service Worker in 2 years.