CERTIFIED ADVISORS
MIKE HORNE
Mike Horne has been a practicing massage therapist since graduating from ICT Northumberland College in 2000. Currently he is teaching at Mount Royal University for the massage therapy diploma program and was part of the curriculum restructure back in 2012. Mike had the pleasure of being a lead instructor at 2 of the prominent national private career colleges for massage therapy since 2003, these being ICT schools and CCMH (Canadian College of Massage Therapy). During his time with CCMH at their Foothills campus, part of his responsibilities was to ensure the then new Interjurisdicital Competency profile was embedded in the course curriculum and outlines, this would ensure that the program would be meeting the new national standards laid out by the regulators. Also while at CCMH he was tasked with restructuring the 1000 hour program to ensure clarity of the reduced scope and learning outcomes for that. With his varied past employment and professional affiliations he is currently the Vice Chair for the MTAA (Massage Therapists Association of Alberta) as well as sitting on the Transitional Council for the College of Massage Therapist of Alberta; he is a surveyor for the CMTCA (Canadian Massage Therapy council for Accreditation) and a Certified Advisor for the CMTCA.
CHANDRA KASTERN
Chandra Kastern is a Massage Therapist originally hailing from Northwestern Ontario who is currently living and practicing in Alberta. Keenly interested in advancing the profession of Massage Therapy in Canada, over the years Chandra has made solid contributions to the profession through her time as the President of the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta (MTAA), Chair of the Transitional Steering Committee for Massage Therapy Regulation in Alberta, Chair of the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance (CMTA) and Secretary of the Canadian Council of Massage Therapy Schools (CCMTS). Outside of working in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary practice setting, Chandra has spent significant time supervising, teaching, item writing, curriculum building, developing programming and administrating in private and public institutions that offer Massage Therapy education. Being passionate about quality Massage Therapy care and high standards in Massage Therapy education is what led Chandra to becoming a Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation Surveyor and a Certified Accreditation Advisor.
JEANETTE PLANTE BOUFFARD
Jeanette Plante Bouffard is an RMT, professor, and program coordinator at a French language community college in Ontario. Her knowledge in higher education management coupled with 25 years of expertise as a registered massage therapist inform her multifaceted approach to consultation. By leveraging and championing best practices and the latest methodologies, her solutions foster a culture of quality, and systematizing processes of compliance throughout the accreditation preparation.
Jeanette holds a Bachelor of Science, Diploma in Massage Therapy, and a Teacher Training certificate, with over 20 years of experience in course outline development, delivery, curriculum planning, and program mapping in Massage Therapy. She will advise colleges to identify their unique needs, so they develop strategies to sustain streamlined and successful planning, policy development, and program delivery.
CHERYL RUSSELL-JULIEN
Cheryl Russell-Julien President of Hands on Practical Solutions brings with her over 28 years’ experience in post-secondary education. Cheryl has held senior positions as the Curriculum Manager and then as Director of Health Care for one of the largest Private Career Colleges in Canada. She played an active role in several successful healthcare, legal program accreditations and site visits across Canada. She actively participates as a curriculum reviewer with the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation education review committee. Cheryl also serves as an external advisor to the Board of Directors of Career Colleges Ontario, is a Board Member of the Ontario Dental Assistants Association and has been selected to be a Public Appointee Board member to the Leeds Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit.
Successful accreditation is a process, not an event. It is a comprehensive network of oversight for continuous quality improvement, measurement and monitoring. Such a systematic approach begins with thorough knowledge of each standard, the various methodologies for meeting standards, and the measures that demonstrate standard attainment. As a CMTCA Surveyor and Advisor, Cheryl understands the importance and value that accreditation brings to Massage Therapy programs and the profession. She will advise programs in their efforts to organize, mobilize, measure, report, and adjust for continued success regardless of the stage in the accreditation process.
REBECCA STEELE
Rebecca began her journey in the field of massage therapy 17 years ago after graduating from the Canadian College of Natural Medicine in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Over the subsequent years she has practiced in several provinces in various practice environments. In 2005, she moved to Calgary Alberta, where she runs her private practice, focusing on empowerment of clients with chronic conditions.
When she moved to Alberta, Rebecca expanded her career by including teaching to the mix, first at Foothills College of Massage Therapy and later, Mount Royal University (MRU). Her roles at MRU have included curriculum development, course creation, and practical/theory classroom instruction. She became inspired by massage therapy education, as she has travelled throughout her decade and a half in the classroom. This inspiration has reestablished a love of learning and the development of a growth mindset, which has led her to continue her own education in Educational Psychology at Athabasca University.
In Alberta, Rebecca became involved in the local and provincial massage therapy communities. Through this involvement, she became increasingly aware of the need for regulation of the massage therapy profession in the province. Not being one to sit on the sidelines, Rebecca served on the board of the Massage Therapy Association of Alberta (MTAA) and is currently the vice president position of Alberta Support Council for Massage Therapy (ASCMT).
In the past year, Rebecca has added massage therapy school accreditation to her repertoire. As a surveyor for the accreditation process with the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA), she has the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the education of massage therapists. As well as being a surveyor, Rebecca is approved to be an independent advisor to massage therapy schools preparing for the accreditation process. Both new adventures serve to underscore Rebecca’s commitment to massage therapy.