Paula grew up in a small town called Lafleche south-west of Regina, with her parent and siblings.

Paula started going to university in 2013 but was unable to finish her degree due to her anxiety and depression. She was officially diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2016. However, she was not aware until joining Neil Squire’s Working Together Program that having a mental illness qualifies as a disability.

Paula found out about Neil Squire from her psychiatrist at the Mental Health Clinic. “[I was] feeling hopeless about finding employment, knowing I couldn’t afford to go back to university. I wanted to learn new skills and didn’t want to lose momentum in my search for meaningful employment.”

With Working Together, Paula went through topics including Career Counselling, Career Development, and Wellness for Work. She also worked on her employment documents and interviewing skills with her Job Developer.

With the help of Neil Squire, Paula got the opportunity to be a contributing member of the ALS Society of Saskatchewan (opens in a new window), where she is able to use her skills and abilities in a meaningful way.

Paula was hired under a work experience subsidized contract as a Program Coordinator. She is responsible for basic administration duties, phone calls, organizing and scheduling appointments, organizing equipment and keeping record of its repairs, and more.

Now, Paula is able to work remotely from home during the pandemic.

She is loving being back at work. She adds, “I think it is incredible that the Neil Squire Society wants to help me find work that is a best fit for me. My anxiety and depression wanted me to believe that I would have no chance of getting a job that would be best suited to my abilities, much less jobs that I would not be qualified for.”