About Us

The Centre for Collaboration, Motivation & Innovation was co-founded by Connie Davis and Kathy Reims in April 2012 as a non-profit organization in British Columbia, Canada.

In January 2014 CCMI became incorporated as a non-profit in the United States, and in 2016 CCMI was recognized as a 501(c)3 non-profit in the US.

We are guided by a board of volunteers who are passionate about helping people to make constructive behavioural changes.

Our Mission

To foster empowered partnerships, build helping skills and create responsive systems that improve health and well-being.

Our Vision

To be global providers of excellence in communication skills and strategy development within a supported learning environment.

Territorial Acknowledgement

The Centre for Collaboration, Motivation and Innovation (CCMI) is a remote and distributed workplace. Our team members work on the territories of many Indigenous Peoples across what is now known as Canada and the United States, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

Our team has taken steps to understand territorial acknowledgments and why they matter, while also committing to ongoing learning so that we can be respectful guests in these territories.

We are deeply indebted to those who have stewarded these territories since time immemorial and today. CCMI recognizes the great privilege it is to be able to live and work on these territories. We move forward with gratitude in our minds and hearts.

Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation

Our non-profit is deeply beholden to the traditional holders of the lands we are privileged to call home and we dedicate ourselves to improving our understanding of local Indigenous peoples and their individual cultures, languages and practices.

We strive to foster empowered partnerships, build helping skills and create responsive systems that improve health and well-being. We recognize the current and historical impacts of systemic racism and unconscious bias in the healthcare system and our own organization is actively working to address these challenges through learning & change.

CCMI understands it holds the power to promote culturally safe and healthy environments for all people and recognizes our responsibility to uphold equitable practices that benefit all people, including First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous people or those affected by generational displacement.

We believe that the skills we teach support the outcome of cultural safety. Our content supports person centered skill development and collaborative approaches to care that are consistent with indigenous concepts of health such as inter-connectedness and respect.

Through this statement we commit to holding ourselves accountable for addressing the impacts of historical wrongdoings and fostering healthy spaces for Indigenous people.

Administrative Team

Click on the images below for more information about each team member.

Virginia Preston

Program Support & Skill Development Coaching

Virginia (she/her) respectfully acknowledges that the land on which she lives and works is the ancestral traditional unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan Nation. The Syilx people have lived on this land for thousands of years.

Virginia Preston is a professional counsellor with 25 years of experience in psychology, coaching and psycho-spiritual wellness education. She is a BAP and MI Trainer with CCMI and provides skill development coaching in a variety of content areas. She has a passion for helping people improve their work, relationships and quality of life through learning communication and self-management support skills.

    Sybil Lam

    Program Support

    Sybil (she/her) respectfully acknowledges the land on which she lives and works is the traditional, unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish),  Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and Kwikwetlem (kwikwəƛ̓ əm) Nations.
    Sybil joined CCMI in September 2022. She has working experience in administration support and project management over years and brings a varied work background to the team.

      Janet Cote

      Program Support

      Janet respectfully acknowledges the land on which she lives, works and plays on the Treaty 8 territory, the traditional lands of the Dunne-za (De-ney-za) and Metis people.

      Janet joined CCMI in October 2018 and brings a varied work background in Administration Support, Sales, and Customer Service. She has gained exceptional computer and organizational skills over the years and enjoys a variety of duties that allow her to showcase her talents.

        Denielle Wiebe

        Instructional Designer

        Denielle (she/her) humbly acknowledges that the land on which she lives and works is the unceded traditional territory of the Lhtako Dené Nation

        She is dedicated to partnering with subject matter experts to design and develop learner-centred, performance-based workshop and online courses. She also manages CCMI's learning management system, supporting learners and staff and ensuring the smooth operation of online programs.

          Anna Stankevich

          Program Coordinator

          Anna lives and works in the traditional territory of the Kwikwetlem Nation. Every day she is grateful to live in such a stunning place, surrounded by nature and the history of the people who have cared for this land for generations.

          Anna joined CCMI in February 2024. She graduated with honours in Fundamental and Applied Linguistics. Anna has over 4 years of experience as a Project Manager and Project Coordinator in various industries. Passionate about creating and maintaining systems, she thrives in streamlining complex processes to drive project success.

            Val Burnett

            Program Support

            Val respectfully acknowledges the land on which she lives and works is Treaty 6 territory, a traditional meeting grounds, gathering place, and travelling route to the Cree, Saulteaux (So-toe), Blackfoot, Métis, Dene (De-nay) and Nakota Sioux (Sue).

            Val is a resourceful and passionate administrative professional who started with CCMI in October 2016. She brings to CCMI her extensive administrative support & technical experience, gained through working with leadership in Northern Health Authority and Alberta Health Services and also from providing internet entrepreneurial support and learning avenues through her own e-business.

              Amelia Pierson

              Program Support

              Amelia lives and works on the unceded traditional territory of the Siksikaitsitapi (the Blackfoot Confederacy of Treaty 7).

              Amelia joined CCMI in August 2023 as Program Support. She has over 8 years of experience as an administrator and training support in the occupational health and safety field. She strives to continue growing and learning both professionally and personally.

                Khushboo Muchhala

                Program Support

                Khushboo respectfully acknowledges that the land on which she lives and works is the traditional territory of the Peoples of the Mississauga's of Scugog Island First Nation, the Anishinabek, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat people and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

                Khushboo joined CCMI in September of 2022. She has a diploma with high honours in Executive Office Administration. Khushboo is looking to apply her administrative skills at CCMI in order to maximize efficiency and productivity. She is always seeking opportunities for growth and development in order to reinforce her skills. 

                  Elena Viau

                  Program Support

                  Elena respectfully acknowledges the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

                  Elena Viau joined CCMI in November 2022. She obtained a Master’s Degree diploma with honors in Linguistics and Translation Studies. She has over 8 years of experience as an administrative and executive assistant in the pharmaceutical field, and mastered an array of skills in project support and client service. She takes great pride in her work and is always looking for opportunities to showcase her skills.

                    Sam Burnett

                    Director of Programs

                    Sam (he/him) respectfully acknowledges the land on which he lives and works is the unceded traditional territories of the Syilx tmix w (Okanagan Nation) and Secw é pemc (Secw é pemc ú l’ecw).

                    Sam Burnett is dedicated to building constructive and collaborative opportunities for growth and development within teams and across organizations. He works with organizations to design skill and capacity building programs that improve their services and functioning.

                    Linkedin profile.

                      Lori Godin

                      Director of Operations

                      Lori (she/her) respectfully acknowledges the land on which she lives, works and plays is the traditional ancestral unceded shared territory of the Sumas First Nation and Matsqui First Nation. These two First Nations are part of the Stό:lō Nation. The Stό:lō people have lived in the Fraser Valley for 10,000 years. As well as the Fraser Valley Metis.

                      Lori Godin is a Registered Nurse with 42+ years of experience in both acute care and the community. She is a Master Trainer at CCMI and coordinates the activities of the Centre for Collaboration, Motivation and Innovation and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.

                        Content Experts and Faculty

                        Becky Lang

                        Becky is a Registered Dental hygienist and has years of experience in clinical practice and community/public health.  She has spent the last 30 years as a Professor of Health Promotion at various universities.  She currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor at Des Moines University Medical School.  She provides motivational interviewing trainings to individuals in health care and human service organizations throughout North America.  She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.  She resides in Des Moines, IA.

                          Sara Schieffelin

                          Sara Schieffelin, LICSW (she/her) lives in Florence, Massachusetts, and respectfully acknowledges this is where the Indigenous communities of the Nipmuc, Nonotuck, and Pocumtuck lived.
                          Sara is a social worker and has practiced in outreach, community mental health, and school settings. She has a private practice, is an associate adjunct facility, practicum faculty advisor, and professional education instructor for the Smith College School for Social Work, and does consulting, teaching, and training. Sara is a Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) member and has taught MI since 2013.

                            Joe Simmons

                            Joe Simmons is a Professional Certified Coach, trainer, and member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, based in New York City. He partners with healthcare and human service organizations to build a team approach to motivational interviewing among clinicians, allied health professionals, and support staff. He also facilitates workshops in English and Spanish on various topics, including healthcare communication, care coordination, mental health, LGBTQ cultural competence, and burnout mitigation. Joe is committed to empowering leaders of underserved populations to collaboratively use motivational interviewing and coaching to promote health and wellness in their communities.

                              Verna Burden

                              Verna Burden, MS, RD spent the first part of her career in nutrition research.  But after a workshop on Motivational Interviewing (MI) in 2001, she began shifting her focus to working with groups and individuals on making habit changes.  The core principles of MI struck a deep cord with Verna.  Since that time she has applied this approach in employee wellness programs, group facilitation, individual health coaching, and health promotion research.  She joined the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers in 2006 and has worked with a wide variety of organizations and professionals in learning and applying MI.  Whether in a workshop or in one-to-one coaching, Verna’s favorite thing is to witness a practitioner having an “a-ha” moment of how to make MI strategies and principles their own.

                                Lynn Sones

                                Lynn respectfully acknowledges that since she lives and works in Ottawa it is the traditional unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin People. The Algonquin People have inhabited and cared for these lands long before today. We take this time to show our gratitude and respect to them, and to the land for all that it provides us.

                                Lynn Sones has worked within the Social Services sector for over 40 years. The primary focus of the last 21 years has been working within both a Mental Health and Addictions community based treatment program and an agency that solely provides Motivational Interviewing training, coaching, coding and consulting. She received certification with Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and MITI Coding. Through her continuum of experience she has maintained focus and practice of Motivational Interviewing. She has committed herself to life long learning and development.

                                  Ariel Singer

                                  Ariel (pronounced R-E-L) has over a decade of experience working on health promotion and health system redesign, primarily with safety net health care organizations in Oregon and across the United States.   Her areas of expertise include patient-centered communication, bi-directional primary care and behavioral health integration, and value-based payment and care transformation. Ariel has an MPH in Health Promotion, and draws on many professionals skills in her work, including quality improvement, facilitative leadership, visual thinking, human-centered design, and popular education.  She is a faculty member in the Parsons School of Design Continuing and Professional Education certificate program in Human-Centered Healthcare.

                                  Ariel learned motivational interviewing while working as a health coach at a worksite wellness program developed at the Oregon Health and Science University; she has since trained hundreds of professionals from a variety of disciplines in motivational interviewing and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. Over the last five years, a major focus of her work has been leading the development of Empathic Inquiry, a guidance model for patient-centered and trauma-informed social needs screening in health care settings.

                                  Empathy is her North Star and she is passionately committed to rehumanizing healthcare, for both patients and the workforce.

                                    Teresa Donegan

                                    Teresa respectfully acknowledges the land on which she lives, works, and plays, the unceded traditional territories of the Eno, Tuscarora and Occaneechi peoples (band of the Saponi nation).

                                    Teresa Donegan is a Clinical Psychologist with experience in practicing psychotherapy, teaching, and research. She was a professor in both psychology and health care programs for 31 years. She started training and consulting in motivational interviewing in 2012. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainings (MINT). She is co-founder of the MITI Fidelity Forum. She moved to North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to the ocean and dolphins.

                                      Lourdes Rodriguez

                                      Lourdes is a Licensed mental health counselor with 7 years of post graduate experience. She is passionate about helping people change the patterns in their life that they want to change. She works primarily with substance use disorders and eating disorders in her private practice.
                                      She was introduced to MI in 2014 where she learned to use the skills in parent groups to facilitate change. At this time, she learned how to use MI, co-trained, and used a coding system for treatment integrity and research reliability. Since then, Lourdes has been a coauthor of many research projects involving MI for parents and teens with ADHD. In 2018, Lourdes was invited to attend the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) Training for Trainers (TNT). Since becoming a MINT member, she has worked with many graduate students as a supervisor and uses MI coaching and coding as a teaching tool and has continued to work on several research projects, one of which includes the design of a coding system for MI.
                                      Lourdes is passionate about facilitating learning and empowering individuals in the helping and health professions.

                                        Carol DeFrancesco

                                        Carol DeFrancesco, MALS, RDN has been an active member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since completing her training for new trainers (TNT) in Quebec City in 2000 . She teaches a 12-week course in motivational interviewing to graduate level nutrition and nursing students. Carol also teaches a course in Sports Nutrition.  She has 30 years’ experience in teaching, conducting health promotion research and clinical work, counseling patients in chronic disease prevention and lipid disorders.  Carol directs health promotion research studying motivational interviewing, stress and mindfulness with wildland firefighters, long-haul truckers, bus operators, correctional and police officers and sport teams. Carol is works closely with Denise Ernst on her MITI (Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity) coding team and is also trained in the MICA (Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment) coding system.  Carol has developed and facilitated hundreds of tailored motivational interviewing workshops for doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers, behavioral health clinicians, social workers, psychologists, health coaches, and sports coaches and provides training for trainers in evidence-based practices. Carol was a trainer for MINT sponsored TNT in New Orleans 2018, Tallinn, Estonia 2019 and support trainer for the virtual TNT in 2020.

                                          Christina Southey

                                          Christina is facilitator, teacher and coach focused on assisting individuals and teams to deepen their own knowledge and ability to apply improvement principles.  She works alongside teams to support them in creating the best possible experience for those they work with and serve using a collaborative approach.

                                            Audrey Waldman

                                            Audrey respectfully acknowledges that the land on which she lives and works is within the ancestral homelands of the Narragansett Indian Tribe. The Narragansett Indian Tribe, whose ancestors stewarded these lands with great care, continues as a sovereign nation today.

                                            Audrey Waldman has her Master's in education and over 30 years of experience in the mental health field. She has been training people in Motivational Interviewing for the past 15 years and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. She is passionate about teaching Motivational Interviewing and supporting people to develop their skills.

                                              Cheryl Martin

                                              Cheryl respectfully acknowledges that the unceded and traditional land on which she lives, works, and plays is the territory of the Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations Confederacy. She acknowledges settler privilege and seeks to more deeply understand the impact it has on the land and Indigenous peoples.

                                              Cheryl Martin has a BSN in Nursing, MA in Psychology and over 43 years of experience as an RN. Her nursing experience includes 13 years in surgery and medicine as well as 30 years in behavioral health. She earned a Trauma Certificate from the University of Buffalo, School of Social Work and is also a Master Certified Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor. She has been a member of Motivational Interviewing Network Trainers (MINT) since 2004. Cheryl has 15 years of managerial experience guiding and caring for both adolescents and adults on a substance use disorder rehabilitation unit. She has coached and supported the Monroe County Nurse Family Partnership as they seek to build trauma responsive and motivational interviewing skills that strengthen new mothers’ parenting and enhance infant/toddler health and development.

                                                Jordan Windsor

                                                Jordan Windsor is a certified chronic care professional, a registered health coach, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She is an experienced MI coach and coder who has worked on multiple national-level MI training initiatives and is skilled at adapting MI concepts to practice. Proficient in multiple coding systems, including the MITI and MICA, Jordan truly enjoys mentoring clinicians as they develop their MI skill-sets.

                                                  Maureen Gecht-Silver

                                                  Maureen Gecht-Silver is an occupational therapist and a medical educator.  She has worked as an occupational therapy clinician, educator, and researcher in community-based settings and in primary care.  Maureen has been training health professionals and community health workers in motivational interviewing for over 10 years and continues to be passionate about enhancing learners’ skills and growth. She was an Assistant Professor in Clinical Family Medicine and Occupational Therapy at University of Illinois Chicago and currently is Adjunct Faculty in Occupational Therapy at DePaul University and a consultant in the Chicago area.  She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. In her spare time, she loves walking her dog Nori, trying a new recipe, and gardening.

                                                    Brent Anderson

                                                    Brent Anderson is currently a Practice Coach with the Indiana State Department of Health working in the Division of ChronicDisease, Primary Care, and Rural Health. As a Practice Coach he provides hands on, on-site, technical assistance to Primary Care teams across Indiana facilitating practice transformation work and conducting quality improvement with health system teams. Prior to joining ISDH Brent worked for several years in the Supplemental Educational Services arena implementing QI with standardized testing focusing on selected schools within districts around the State. Brent worked in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industry most of his career in sales and sales management. He has many years of experience working with provider teams and health systems in a number of states over his career. Additionally, Brent is a certified Brief Action Planning (BAP) trainer.

                                                      Brittany Godin

                                                      Brittany Godin is a professional who worked in the Canadian Corrections field for over 15 years and for the Centre for Collaboration, Motivation, and Innovation (CCMI). She believes in socially responsible practice with the focus on integration, innovation, and embracing diversity. She aims to impact our communities in a healthy and positive way. Brittany has been an educator and facilitator in several programs throughout the years, and is an active member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). Brittany is also a contributing member of the Professional Development Committee at the MINT and continues to train learners across various professions in MI skill development. Brittany supports and invites people to deepen their own MI journey hoping to impact those they work with in a more meaningful way.

                                                        Bruce Hobson

                                                        Bruce Hobson is a grandfather and refocused family physician with a passion for adult education empowered by technology. He’s involved in a number of provincial programs, projects and initiatives and works to connect, collaborate and coordinate the many things happening in the health care learning environment.

                                                          Sebastien Payan

                                                          Sebastien Payan is a nurse educator specializing in harm reduction, substance use and sexual health. Originally from France, he has been working in Canada since 2007. As a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, he is devoted to improving communication in health care focusing on a person and family-centred approach.

                                                            Jenny Spring

                                                            Jenny Spring is a counsellor, clinical social worker, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.  She is passionate about person-centred care and collaborating around change for individuals, families, programs and organizations.

                                                              Christina Clarke

                                                              Christina Clarke BSc, MHA,  is an experienced quality and change management consultant, dedicated to helping improve systems. Believing better is always possible, she is keen to support clients to create and deliver a vision, context, and pathway for change and improvement. A natural coalition builder, she approaches her work collaboratively and with a unique blend of analytical and creative process.

                                                                Amy Shanahan

                                                                Amy Shanahan, a consultant in Pittsburgh, PA, acknowledges the ancestral lands of the Seneca, Adena culture, Hopewell culture, and Monongahela peoples, joined later by refugees from tribes displaced by European colonists. She pays respect to the Elders and their communities past, present, and future.

                                                                As a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, Amy specializes in training individuals and teams in Motivational Interviewing. In her role as a leader and administrator in hospital- and community-based programs for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders, Amy has overseen various system-wide projects. These initiatives focus on enhancing skills and implementing evidence-based practices across organizations.

                                                                Amy's expertise lies in supervision, leadership, change management, and implementation science. She underscores the significance of creating environments that foster openness to learning, curiosity, and driving improvements and change.

                                                                  Ali Hall

                                                                  Ali Hall (JD) is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and an independent consultant and trainer. Ali currently serves on the MINT Board of Directors as Vice Chair and leads MINT committees overseeing professional skill development for MI practitioners and trainers. Ali served as a Lead Trainer for the International MINT Training for New Trainers (TNT) in Warsaw (2019), New Orleans (2018) and Berlin (2015). Ali has designed and facilitated more than 2500 Motivational Interviewing (MI) workshops for criminal justice professionals, social services providers, behavioral health clinicians, social workers, psychologists, health care practitioners, health coaches, and psychiatrists, and provides training for trainers in evidence-based practices.

                                                                  Ali regularly provides MI coding training, coding services and skill development coaching, and provides consultation to systems for establishing communities of practice and for effective, sustainable MI implementation. Ali is a co-developer of the Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment (MICA), a coding and coaching tool for MI skill improvement.

                                                                    Margarita Avitia-Das

                                                                    Margarita respectfully recognizes and honors the original peoples of New Mexico. The indigenous peoples, past and present, that have protected and stewarded these lands since time immemorial. The 24 tribes of New Mexico, comprised of Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo nations, continue to guide and inspire our work protecting our shared natural heritage.

                                                                    Margarita Avitia-Das is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of New Mexico, she is a bicultural/bilingual woman with over 17 years of experience working with underserved and vulnerable populations from different backgrounds and lifestyles in the areas of mental health and healthcare. She specializes in the area of addiction treatment as a Behavioral Clinician. She is a proud member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. She believes as an MI facilitator and coach in empowering and uniting diverse communities through Motivational Interviewing, behavioral health training and education. 

                                                                      Mike Hindmarsh

                                                                      Mike Hindmarsh is a healthcare quality improvement expert with 25 years of system design experience.  Mike has worked with over 100 systems in Canada, the United States and internationally.

                                                                        Dr. Damara Gutnick

                                                                        Dr. Damara Gutnick is an internist with a special interest in depression and collaborative care for chronic disease. She is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health and Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.  She is also the Medical Director of the Montefiore Hudson Valley Collaborative where she leads healthcare transformation efforts toward Value Based Care for medicaid patients as part of the NYS Delivery System Redesign Incentive Payment Program.

                                                                        Linkedin

                                                                          Dr. Heather Gainforth

                                                                          Dr. Heather Gainforth is an Assistant Professor at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, BC, Canada. Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar and an ICORD Principal Investigator. Her academic training in Health Promotion, Knowledge Translation, and Behavioural and Implementation Science has fostered her belief research is not complete until it has real world impact. Her research aims to close the gap between spinal cord injury research and practice by examining knowledge translation – the act of moving research evidence into the hands of research users. Her systems-based research is grounded in behaviour change theory and techniques and is guided by strong collaborations between researchers and communities.

                                                                            Board Members

                                                                            Jane Davis-Moore

                                                                            Jane's extensive background in management, from leading as a regional retail manager overseeing numerous locations to transitioning into healthcare practice management in Canada, has always revolved around the power of collaboration. In the healthcare realm, Jane managed a collaborative care practice alongside a family doctor and later served as a practice coach for an optometrist. However, it was her personal journey with Meniere's disease and autoimmune ear disease that solidified the importance of collaborative care in her life. Navigating her own health challenges highlighted the critical nature of patient-caregiver relationships, and Jane has dedicated herself to championing collaborative and interactive healthcare, both in her professional endeavors and personal advocacy.

                                                                              Shawn Smith

                                                                              Shawn Smith is a Master Trainer and a facilitator for Chronic Disease Self-Management programs in Washington and California. Shawn has expertise in self-managing his condition of Pulmonary Fibrosis and Hypertension on a daily basis, and is currently on the waitlist for a double lung transplant through the University of Washington.

                                                                                Alexx Kennedy

                                                                                Alexx (she/her) respectfully acknowledges the land on which she lives and works is the unceded traditional territories of the Syilx tmix w (Okanagan Nation) and Secw é pemc (Secw é pemc ú l’ecw).

                                                                                Alexx is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Manager in BDO's CFO Services business line. Alexx worked in several sectors including municipal government, healthcare, technology, and automotive, learning the intimate details of how Finance and Accounting departments are run. In pursuit of her designation and to expand her industry sector experience, Alexx moved into public practice where, for three years, she specialized in audit, servicing BDO's clients across different industries.

                                                                                Alexx has had the chance to gain an array of accounting knowledge including financial reporting, multi- currency translation, payroll, consolidation, and financial planning & analysis. She enjoys taking the skills she has learned over her career and using them to help BDO's CFO Services clients.

                                                                                Alexx is a quick learner, a passionate accountant, and takes pride in any project on which she works. She enjoys working as part of a team, collaborating on new ideas, and broadening her knowledge base.

                                                                                  Alifa Khan

                                                                                  Alifa is a passionate patient advocate who embraces the core principles of patient and family involvement in all aspects of the patient experience. She currently engages as a patient and family member in various organizational and systemic initiatives across the health care landscape.

                                                                                    Kryštof Ekl

                                                                                    Kryštof has always been interested in skills, tools and systems that can help him and others learn and perform better. That’s why he pursued education in adult learning and HR management, and worked as an instructional and learning designer.
                                                                                    Currently, he’s on a solopreneur path as a Notion designer & productivity coach. He sees this as a step to develop both his entrepreneurial skills through working on his business, and his understanding of management and organizational processes through working with clients.
                                                                                    However, Kryštof’s long-term goal is to use these learnings to become an organizational designer, helping organizations become places that foster their members’ well-being and growth, including that of their rationality and wisdom (as opposed to focusing simply on marketable skills). To that end, he’s always learning about his two core interests: self-managed organizations and wisdom cultivation, which is also why he was happy to become a board member of a self-managed organization like CCMI.

                                                                                      Dr. Chris Rauscher

                                                                                      Dr. Chris Rauscher worked as a hospital and community pharmacist and then went on to medical training with Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine qualifications. His main clinical practice has been in the community with the frail elderly with multiple chronic health conditions.

                                                                                      He has always worked in three streams: clinical, multi-disciplinary team development and systems development. In the early 2000s, he started to work with the Ministry of Health and the Health Authorities on developing systems for chronic disease management. This encompassed policy and systems framework development and guidelines and training module development through the BC Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee and the Doctors of BC, working on a research to practice information translation approach.

                                                                                      Chris has led a number of projects related to chronic disease management and self-management support as well as medication management, mainly directed at family physicians. These projects have included implementation and outcomes evaluation. Leveraging his experience in developing chronic disease management health systems, Chris was a member of a Canadian team that supported the development of such systems in Kazakhstan in 2015, with the team including members from CCMI.

                                                                                        Liz Sajdak

                                                                                        Liz has over 17 years clinical experience in the UK National Health Service ranging from a registered nurse to Public Health Practitioner. The latter role was part of a national project to develop the role of health visiting to focus more on public health. While working in this role she was also a member of the Professional Executive Committee of the Primary Care Trust, whose role was to direct and guide the clinical work of the Trust. Liz also collaborated with health and social service colleagues to plan and submit a bid for integrated services for Sure Start, aimed at improving the health and well-being of families and children, in partnership with local residents that was successful.

                                                                                        Her role as a Service Development Manager in Primary Care consisted of working with specialists and providers in primary care to provide appropriate clinical care closer to patients in their home and local clinics. Liz also led the design and application of an organizational performance management framework for North Stoke Primary Care Trust (PCT) and was the Lead commissioner for the PCT on the implementation of a new general medical contract within GP practices. The commissioning role was used to implement modernization and promote the use of best practice and evidence based medicine thereby raising standards of care through commissioning of family practitioner services.

                                                                                        Liz gained experience in Canada through working in the PEI health department as program analyst and, later, as a Project Manager at the Department of Wellness in Nova Scotia. She also worked as a consultant at The Quaich working with NGOs. More recently Liz has worked as a volunteer on the Quality Committee of Casey House in Toronto.

                                                                                          Co-Founders

                                                                                          Connie Davis

                                                                                          Co-Founder

                                                                                          Connie Davis, MN, GNP, BC (retired) considers starting CCMI as the highlight of her career in health care. CCMI brought together her passion for quality improvement, enhanced practitioner skills, participation in research, and the inclusion of citizens in system design. The only way to end a fulfilling career is to have worked with the amazing and dedicated team at CCMI.

                                                                                            Kathy Reims

                                                                                            Co-Founder

                                                                                            It has been an honor to be a small part of the founding and growth of CCMI. The organization has evolved to be a trusted source of valuable training and has served to attract a wonderful diversity of talented individuals. My hope is that CCMI continues to shine brightly for many years to come. I am especially grateful to have been able to work with Connie Davis. Connie’s vision and dedication inspired CCMI. I’d like to think that my moral support, external perspective and expertise provided some wind beneath her wings.

                                                                                              Holacracy

                                                                                              CCMI uses a governance tool called Holacracy to help organize our team. Holacracy is a method for structuring the organization with a clear way of defining roles and accountabilities and a structure for sharing that information across the team.  The philosophy of Holacracy is that individuals and teams in organizations should be empowered to self manage their own work. This is different from a traditional hierarchy where roles are often governed “from above”. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to us at info@centrecmi.ca or check out some information on the Holacracy website: https://www.holacracy.org/what-is-holacracy

                                                                                              Featured Clients

                                                                                              Northern Health Authority, BC

                                                                                              Person-Centred Family-Focused Care training workshops for inter-professional teams.
                                                                                              Web-based training and organizational agreement for face-to-face training.
                                                                                              Coaching and certification in Brief Action Planning.

                                                                                              Ministry of Health & ImpactBC, BC

                                                                                              Creating a sustainable approach to Brief Action Planning in British Columbia.
                                                                                              Working with five regional health authorities in a Train-the-Trainer program.

                                                                                              Ministry of Health & Doctors of BC Specialist Services Committee, BC

                                                                                              Innovation lab to develop approach for screening, Brief Interventions and referral to treatment for specialist physician practices.

                                                                                              California Quality Collaborative

                                                                                              Partnering with Patients: Motivational Interviewing, Brief Action Planning and Shared Decision Making.
                                                                                              A 2 year effort to build capacity in support of primary care: learn more.

                                                                                              PhD Research Candidate, Ontario

                                                                                              Brief Action Planning included in research by doctoral candidate studying peer support and training for spinal cord injury.

                                                                                              Methodist Medical Center, Illinois

                                                                                              Primary care, community and pediatrics targeting obesity prevention. Train trainers, standardized patients and coders for research project.

                                                                                              The BETTER 2 Study for Prevention in Primary Care, Canada

                                                                                              Brief Action Planning for Prevention Practitioners (study interventionists) across Canada.

                                                                                              First Nations Health Authority, BC

                                                                                              Stepped-care Self-management Support and Brief Action Planning.

                                                                                              San Mateo County, California

                                                                                              Total Wellness Project: Training professionals and peers of a county mental health system in Brief Action Planning.

                                                                                              Selected Publications & Presentations

                                                                                              Gutnick D, Reims K, Davis C, Gainforth H, Jay M, Cole S. Brief Action Planning to facilitate behavior change and support for self-management. JCOM 2014;1:17-29. Download

                                                                                              Reims K, Gutnick D, Davis C, Cole S. Brief Action Planning: A White Paper. Download

                                                                                              Cole S, Davis C, Cole M, Gutnick D. Motivational interviewing and the patient-centered medical home: A strategic approach to self-management support in primary care (chapter) in Steidl J (ed.) Transforming patient engagement: Health information technology and the medical home. Patient-centered primary care collaborative, 2010.

                                                                                              Cole S, Gutnick D, Davis C, Cole M, Reims K. Brief Action Planning (BAP): A self-management support tool in Bickley L. Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 11th edition. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia 2013.

                                                                                              Cole S, Bogenshcutz M, Hungerford D. Motivational interviewing and psychiatry: Use in addiction treatment, risky drinking and routine practice. FOCUS 2011; 9:43-54.

                                                                                              Davis C, Gutnick D, Reims K. Motivational Interviewing for better partnerships. Institute for Healthcare Improvement International Summit, March 9, 2014.

                                                                                              Davis C, Brief Action Planning, American Pediatric Association, Hawaii, January 6th and 8th, Honolulu, HI.

                                                                                              Davis C, Brief Action Planning (1 day workshop), BETTER2 Prevention Study, September 17, 2013, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada.

                                                                                              Davis C, Domes A. Motivational Interviewing (2 day workshops) Alberta First Nations Home & Community Care, Edmonton, AB, June 2013.

                                                                                              Gutnick D, Cole S, Davis C, Reims K. Motivational interviewing for the busy clinician (workshop) American College of Physicians, San Francisco, CA, April 2013.

                                                                                              Davis C, Gutnick D, Reims K. Motivational Interviewing for Busy Clinicians (full day minicourse). International Summit on Office Practice and Outpatient Settings, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Glendale, AZ, April 2013.

                                                                                              Davis C (1.5 day workshop) Brief Action Planning & Motivational Interviewing: A Focus on Change. North West Local Health Integration Network, Thunder Bay, ON, March 2013.

                                                                                              Davis C and Godin L. (2 day workshops) Stepped-care Self-management Support, First Nations Inuit Health, Nanaimo and Kamloops, BC, September and October 2013. Davis C, Brief Action Planning (full day workshop). San Mateo County Total Wellness Project, San Mateo, CA, April 2012.

                                                                                              Davis C, Gutnick D, Motivational Interviewing for Busy Clinicians (full day minicourse). International Summit on Office Practice and Outpatient Settings, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Washington DC, March 2012.

                                                                                              Davis C. Stepped-care Self-management Support (1.5 day workshop). Pic River First Nation, ON, February 2012.

                                                                                              Davis C. Patient Self-management (full day workshop). Practice Support Program, General Practice Services Committee, Vancouver, BC, November 2011.

                                                                                              Gutnick D. Brief Action Planning for Motivation. WellMED, November 2011.

                                                                                              Cole S, Gutnick D, Davis C. Web-based, interactive self-directed program for learning Brief Action Planning. Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers Forum, Sheffield, UK September 2011.

                                                                                              Cole S. Grand Rounds. North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, June 2011.

                                                                                              Cole S. Grand Rounds. Hofstra University School of Medicine, June 2011.

                                                                                              Cole S, Gutnick D, Davis C. Motivational Interviewing for Behavior Change in the Medical Home (Full day minicourse). 12th Annual Summit on Primary Care Office Practice. Institute for Healthcare Improvement Minicourse, Dallas TX, March 2011.

                                                                                              Davis C. Motivating clients to be more involved in their care (Invited keynote) and Comprehensive Motivational Interventions (workshop). Home and Community Care Annual Conference, First Nations Inuit Health, Saskatoon, SK, November 2010.