About the Evolve Program
What we do
Mentorship, counselling, & trauma-informed care.
Supports Available
Participants in the Evolve program can access a variety of services including:
- Connection to community resources, including those that support basic needs (such as housing, food security, income support, etc.)
- Support understanding and navigating systems (justice, health, housing, social assistance, etc.)
- Mentorship and relational support (talking to people who’ve gone through similar experiences)
- Personal and family counselling
- Culturally-informed support
- Strategies to support mental health
- Addiction support
- Employment and educational support
- Crisis management
- Connection to leisure and recreation services
- News and media literacy
The Evolve program also helps participants access and navigate bureaucratic support systems such as financial assistance, employment support, child welfare services, legal aid, and the justice system.
Responding to Hate-Motivated Violence
- whose actions or beliefs are getting in the way of making meaningful connections and reaching their life goals (these actions/beliefs may include extremist ideologies, conspiracy theories, grievances, involvement with groups that justify violence, etc.)
- who have been affected by hate incidents or crimes
Evolve Program Staff
The Evolve program uses a relationship-based service model and trauma-informed care. Our multi-disciplinary team includes clinical professionals, case workers, and specialized mentors. Our mentors include two former members of the far-right movement and an Islamic scholar. The intervention team uses their collective experience and knowledge of local services to:
- assess needs, risks, and protective factors;
- plan and deliver intervention services; and
- mobilize necessary resources for program participants.
Meet some of our experienced and skilled practitioners
Executive Director
John McCoy
Dr. John McCoy is the Executive Director of the OPV. In addition to this role, he is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta and a Senior Research Affiliate at the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security & Society (TSAS). McCoy has worked as a consultant in the Middle East, North America, Europe and the Caribbean and with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (RCMP-INSET), specifically as an instructor on the Counter-Terrorism Information Officer (CTIO) course. McCoy has represented Canada and the OPV at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, G20 and the General Assembly of the United Nations. He has more than forty publications on the subjects of violent extremism, and integration, including op-eds, policy papers, academic articles and books.
Consultant
Navaid Aziz
Navaid Aziz is a Canadian Muslim public figure with a diverse academic and social background, who supports the OPV’s intervention, engagement and research activities. He is currently focused on the education and integration of Muslim youth, with the hopes of eradicating radicalization. He was raised in Montreal, Quebec where he completed a diplome d’etudes collegiales in commerce and social sciences from Champlain College (2000) before heading to the Islamic University of Madinah where he completed an Associates Degree in Arabic Language and Literature (2003) and a Bachelors in Islamic Law (2008).
Upon returning home to Canada, Navaid began teaching for Al-Maghrib Institute. He has since transitioned to their Director of Public Relations and Student Affairs. During this period, he volunteered as the Islamic Editor for Little Explorers Magazine and began his work as a youth and family counselor. It was also during this time that he established himself as a sought after public speaker. He has lectured across four continents and eighteen countries thus far.
In 2012 Navaid moved to Calgary, Alberta to become the Director of Religious and Social Services for the Islamic Information Society of Calgary, a position he currently holds. In Calgary his youth counseling work extended further to include helping in the mitigation of criminal radicalization. This included the implementation of civic engagement opportunities for Muslim youth. Among the programs started were youth groups, volunteer programs at the local shelters, community cleanups, and tree planting days. In 2015 Navaid became the first ever Muslim chaplain with the Calgary Police Services. Through his involvement with CPS he consulted in the development of their renowned ReDirect program.
Lead Caseworker
Laura Stolte
Laura is a caseworker with the OPV’s EVOLVE program and is working on completing her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work at the University of Calgary. Laura has worked with children, youth, and families since 2011, focusing primarily on adolescents struggling with homelessness, addictions, and mental health challenges. Working from a strengths-based and relationship-centered approach, Laura aims to meet people where they are currently at, and aims to empower individuals and families in accomplishing their self-defined goals.
Program Director
Peter Smyth
Peter Smyth, MSW works with the OPV as the EVOLVE program’s Senior Interventionist, having recently retired from the High-Risk Youth Services with Alberta Children’s Services in the Edmonton region. From 2005 to 2012 he was the supervisor of the High-Risk Youth Unit. Peter has been a social worker for almost 30 years and has developed a practice framework that incorporates non-traditional intervention methods. He provides consultation, training and workshops on engaging and working with youth, and understanding youth through an attachment, trauma and brain development lens. Peter is a co-founder of the Old Strathcona Youth Society in Edmonton and instructor at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work, Central and Northern Alberta Region and MacEwan University. He has authored a number of book chapters and articles, and in 2017, he published his book High Risk Youth: A Relationship-Based Practice Framework.
Clinical Psychologist
Farzad Zare-Bawani
Dr. Zare-Bawani is a practicing Forensic Psychologist who works as a consultant with the OPV. Since 2014, he has taught as an Associate Professor of Psychology at Concordia University of Edmonton where he chairs the interdisciplinary research cluster on youth mental health and leads forensic psychology training and research. Dr. Zare-Bawani has served as a forensic psychologist with Federal and Provincial Governments for more than a decade, working in maximum security institutions, with gang members and violent, dangerous offenders. In this role he managed the process of reintegration of offenders with parole and law enforcement agencies. In his career as a forensic expert, clinician, researcher, and educator, he has focused on promoting public safety by building bridges with communities from north African and Middle Eastern communities, and indigenous peoples of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Research & Intervention Specialist
Bradley Galloway
Brad is currently working as a case worker with the Evolve program at OPV, where he assists individuals who are exiting extremist lifestyles.
Brad is also a Case Manager with Life After Hate where he works in the same servicing American clientele. He also provided research assistance on a number of projects that are funded by Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (TSAS). Brad has also served as a consultant for Google, Moonshot CVE, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), among others. His primary research interests include right-wing extremism and terrorism, preventing and countering violent extremism, and the roles of former extremists in combating violent extremism.
Research & Intervention Specialist
Lauren Manning
Lauren is a former extremist who denounced hatred and has since partaken in initiatives to facilitate the disengagement of members of hate groups, including working with Life After Hate in the United States. At age 17, she joined the white power movement after the death of her father. She spent several years in the movement before making the conscious decisions to leave due to the murder of another member, sobriety and gaining critical thinking skills. Lauren and her mother, Jeannette Manning, recently co-authored the book Walking Away from Hate.
Project Coordinator
Yasmine Behiry
Yasmine Behiry, Project Coordinator at the Organization for the Prevention of Violence, leads strategic initiatives aimed at youth violence prevention. Yasmine brings a wealth of knowledge to her role and holds a Bilingual Honours BA in Sociology, a certificate in Public Policy Analysis and Migration and Refugee Studies from York University, and a diploma in Social Service Work from George Brown College. She also holds a part-time professorship at Mohawk College and is a Certified Nonviolent Crisis Intervention trainer. Yasmine was acknowledged by York University for her exceptional contributions as a field instructor and received a commendation for her impactful community work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evolve Caseworker
Chinonye Ilupeju
Chinonye Ilupeju, Evolve Caseworker at the Organization for the Prevention of Violence, is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals and families through comprehensive support and intervention. With a focus on family systems and support, Chinonye has spearheaded culturally sensitive and collaborative programs. Her background in counseling and experience in child protection enrich her understanding of family dynamics. She focuses on understanding the impact of extremism on family dynamics, developing intervention and prevention programs, and investigating trauma and resilience among family members. Chinonye is also deeply invested in empowering families and preventing radicalization within communities through diligent documentation and collaboration with professionals and agencies.
Evolve Caseworker
Ciara Middlebrook
Ciara Middlebrook is a dedicated Caseworker with the Organization for the Prevention of Violence. She employs a client-centered and trauma-informed approach to empower individuals toward positive change. With over five years of experience as a social worker and counselor, Ciara has worked extensively with adult survivors of abuse, violence, and complex trauma, addressing issues such as grief, anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation. Currently a Master of Social Work student and a Licensed Practical Nurse, Ciara brings a unique blend of skills and knowledge. Her expertise in navigating complex systems and understanding the physiological manifestations of illness makes them a valuable asset in providing comprehensive support to clients. She is also actively involved in the Moonshot project, which aims to connect people to supports and services through online ads. Ciara is committed to making meaningful contributions to research and projects aimed at promoting mental health and well-being in communities.
Evolve Caseworker
Nuha Dhooma
Nuha is a dedicated Caseworker and social advocate pursuing a Master of Social Work with a clinical specialization in Community Informed Health and Well-being at the University of Calgary. She focuses on tailored interventions through relationship-building and referral connections. Nuha is involved in community engagement projects like the Hate Crime Series, developing educational webinars on hate crimes, hate incidents, and extremism. As the Founder and Director of the Salaam Project, she champions Canadian-Muslim alliances and meaningful connections among diverse communities. Nuha is passionate about mental health advocacy, anti-racism work, and community development, and she promotes social justice and well-being for all.
Evolve Caseworker
Morgan Parker
Using a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practice framework, Morgan is deeply passionate about working with those who have been marginalized and oppressed in our communities. Morgan’s previous social work experience includes practicing within the housing, criminal justice, sexual violence prevention/awareness, and addiction/mental health systems in Alberta, Canada, and Ireland.
Morgan is committed to a lifelong process of learning and unlearning as a way to unpack harmful colonial systems of oppression in our communities. She is dedicated to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and 94 Calls to Action on a personal and professional level. Currently a Masters of Social Work student in International Community Development at the University of Calgary, she has been involved in research surrounding the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our health care systems, as well as how to implement the 94 Calls of Action into social work education. Morgan was additionally a member of the City of Calgary’s Affordable Housing Task Force and strongly advocates for social justice, safety, non-judgement, and accountability in the social work profession.
Clinical Social Worker
Debbie Johnstone
Debbie is a Registered Clinical Social Worker with a Masters degree in Clinical Social Work and a Bachelors degree in Criminology. Authorized to provide counselling services in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Clinical experience working with complex cases and mandated client populations. Trained in various therapeutic modalities, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy
(ART), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Several years’ experience working in various roles within the criminal justice system, holding frontline roles in both community and institutional corrections. Have provided program and policy analysis at the senior level of criminal justice administration, including provincial policing and therapeutic approaches to justice. Attained provincial certification as a threat assessor in the fields of targeted and intimate partner violence.
Evolve Program: The First Two Years
After three years of program development and two years of operations, we are proud to share our data and findings from the Evolve intervention program. The Organization for the Prevention of Violence (OPV) holds a commitment of openness and transparency to the communities we serve. This is the impetus for the “First Two Years” report, which tells a complete story about our operations: who we aid, the services we provide, and an honest account of our successes and challenges.
