In June 2014, we completed a new strategy to Promote Healthy Youth Relationships in Alberta to Prevent Domestic Violence. This initiative utilizes a multi-dimensional approach to address barriers and enablers to building healthy youth relationships at multiple levels, including individual, family, organizational and systemic. In essence, it is tailored to anyone with the potential to play a role in supporting youth to be in healthy relationships and reduce the incidence of bullying, dating and intimate partner violence.

At the helm of our healthy youth relationships strategy is Dr. Suzanne Zwarych. Suzanne’s role is the Provincial Director of Promoting Healthy Youth Relationships to Prevent Domestic Violence which is a partnership project between Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence and CAMH Centre for Prevention Science, funded by the Government of Alberta – Human Services. She has 25 years of administrative and teaching experience in rural and urban settings in Saskatchewan schools and six years of experience implementing prevention programing across North America. Suzanne completed her Ph.D. in Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan, researching student attachment to school in secondary schools. If you would like to learn more about the strategy, Suzanne can be reached at: suzanne.zwarych@ucalgary.ca or by phone: (587) 832-0630.