Angela Taylor is Inspire Community Outreach’s Chief Executive Office (CEO) and Founder. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. She has her Post Bacc in Education, focusing on inclusion, and a Masters in Disability Studies from the University of Manitoba.

Angela has extensive experience with youth with various neurological differences, including trauma and autism. Throughout her career she has gathered valuable experiences through working with families with the Manitoba Government, caring for high risk and high needs youth and children, working as a Clinical Case Manager, and volunteering with agencies in Winnipeg and British Columbia.

Angela raises 4 children and celebrates psychological, cognitive and neurological differences within her family. She says her children have been her best teacher, and support her to learn about how each of us need additional support at different times in our lives, to use our gifts and talents to grow.

“I dreamt of a better way to support my community. As a child growing up in care, my mother struggled with mental health issues and end up taking her own life. As I heard other people’s experiences, I heard my own experience. Resources are still missing, even for my own family.

I wanted children and families to feel respected, right when they walked in the door. Cared for, not Stigmatized. So they feel they can talk openly about challenges they face, because we all have challenges within our own families.

This is the foundation: Respect. Empowerment and Coaching, because we’re not the problem, we are enough.”

Life Experience

Angela grew up as a child with invisible disabilities, raises children with disabilities and complex needs and has been supporting families that include children with disabilities for nearly 2 decades.

Angela spent much of her childhood in formal and informal foster care, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was raised by a mother and father who experienced addiction and mental health concerns, and has firsthand experience growing up within trauma and abuse. She uses this experience in connecting with youth and families who experience hardship and attachment disruption.

Her ability to understand neurodiverse children, and caregivers who struggle to connect due to their own trauma has come directly from her lived experiences. Angela was diagnosed with complex needs as a child, and now lives with several neurodiversities including ADHD, Anxiety disorder, dyslexia and residue from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and attachment disruption. She continue to consider these a blessing in that every brain difference provides a gain in other areas, like creativity, innovation and connecting and offering compassion to others.

Clinical Experience

• Nearly 20 years supporting community members in social services.
• Creation of unique programs and education supports, to address the needs of those in our community, who remain under-served.
• Proficient at programming development, training, advocacy, and as a community and information liaison, including psychoeducational, customized, and therapeutic art, among others.
• Researcher, writer, curriculum developer and facilitator for best practice programming and support for individuals of all abilities.
• Extensive skill in strength-based support, including personal and professional experience with both children and adults with multiple diagnoses, including developmental, neurological, physical and psychological, including marginalized and vulnerable individuals from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Strong communication skills; routine verbal and written communication with community members, co-workers, staff, volunteers, supervisors/board of directors, and various levels of government and organizations.

Training

• Masters of Disability Studies, 2019. Thesis: Adaptation of Family Centered Practice for families that include children with diverse needs.
• Modified Interaction Guidance Training, November 2018-Current
• 2 day Cognitive Behaviour Therapy certificate, October 2018
• Attachment Training 1&2, September and October 2018
• Yoga certification, January 2018
• 4 day certification program for Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting, 2017
• 2 day Counseling certificate program, CTRI, August 2017
• Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education, focusing on Inclusion and counselling at the University of Manitoba, 2016.
• Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology, minor in Sociology at The University of Manitoba, 2006.

Additional Training/Workshops: FASD, Cultural Diversity, Conflict Resolution, Social Role Valorization, Breaking Barriers, Dealing with Interpersonal Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Family Systems Interventions Training Program, Non- Violent Crisis Intervention (Incl. After the Crisis), PATHs, Challenging Behaviour, Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Mental Health First Aid, Coaching For Confidence, Positive Mental Health.

Employment History

Executive Director and Founder, October 2013- Current
Inspire Community Outreach
Leading paid and unpaid staff, offering advocacy, counselling, clinical consultation and assessment, consultation to many leading organizations and boards, grant writing, research, program and curriculum development, facilitation of programming, training, workshops, teaching, collaborative outreach and liaison work with youth, families, community members and professionals.

Therapist and Trainer, January 2018 - Current
Aulneau Renewal Centre
Providing therapeutic support to children, youth, and adults, offering specialized support for those who are neurodiverse. Training for caregivers and service providers, including Supporting Exceptional Children.

Clinical Case Manager, October 2010 – August 2012
New Directions
Assessment and review, clinical consultation, management of staff, supportive services to foster parents, biological families and youth, counseling, training and support services, training, teaching, team liaison, work with various levels of high needs population with multiple diagnoses.

Financial Specialist for Employment Income Assistance (EIA) and Resource Assistant for Children’s Special Services and Supported Living, January 2007 – October 2010
The Manitoba Government
Supporting Downtown Point Douglas area in financial management, assessment and review of services, counselling, communication with staff, clinical supports, case managers, and participants. Participants often highly marginalized with multiple barriers: economic, neurological, and developmental, psychologically.