About Next Step Residential Services
Next Step Residential Services was incorporated in August 1995, and provides services to individuals in Medicine Hat, Brooks, and surrounding areas.
Next Step Residential Services employs approximately 150 staff in various positions. Our team of professionals assist and support individuals through individualized support plans. We focus on using the individual’s strengths, abilities, and interests to develop plans that suit each person’s needs.
Program Coordinator
Develops a support plan for each individual tailored to their needs. Provides support and guidance to the team working with the individual.
Community Disability Services Worker
Provides direct support services to individuals. Assists in implementing support plans.
Team Leader
Provides direction, support, and coordination of services for staff, individuals, guardians, and families.
Office Team
Brandon Thomas
Executive Director
Brandon has been with Next Step Residential Services from the start. His education background consists of a Bachelor Degree in Community Rehabilitation from the University of Calgary, and he has been working with individuals with disabilities for over 36 years. He is heavily involved in the recording industry and the music scene.
Coreena Thomas
Accounts Manager
Coreena moved to sunny Medicine Hat with her children in 2010. Her family expanded with her marriage and she gained 4 step sons. Her love for people and her outgoing attitude has resulted in her working in the human services field in various positions for numerous years.
When she is not at work Coreena loves to travel and to spend time with her family. You can also find her spending plenty of time in her she-shed either painting or planning parties.
Jennifer Noble
Program Manager
Jennifer was born and raised in Medicine Hat. Jennifer joined Next Step Residential Services in 2016 as a Program Coordinator and is currently the Program Manager.
She attended Lethbridge College where she completed the Therapeutic Recreation Gerontology program. Jennifer has a passion for helping others. As a Recreational Therapist, she acknowledges the significance of leisure and recreation as integral components of health and well-being for individuals.
Jennifer enjoys spending time with family/friends, loves music/attending concerts and loves to travel when she can.
Carrie Uhrich
B.S.W, R.S.W
Program Coordinator
Carrie started her professional career in the Registered Nursing program, but decided to change her interests to Social Work. She has completed her Bachelor Degree in Social Work from the University of Calgary (2013) and is also registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers. Carrie has worked in this field of disability services for 10+ years and brings complex behavioural support experience as both a Team Leader and as a Program Coordinator.
Carrie is an Executive member on the local dart league, as well as a Provincial Director for a non profit organization. In her spare time she enjoys to garden, bake, camp/travel and loves to play board games!
Fadi Shawwa
Program Coordinator
Fadi was born in Kuwait and raised in Gaza City. He has been calling Canada home since 1991. Since then, he lived in Victoria and Edmonton. In 2019, Fadi made a move to Brooks with his spouse and been part of Next Step Residential Services team since Oct. 2020.
Fadi seems to have been born into the Human Service field. Growing up, he spent all his school summer vacation and after school at his mother’s Outreach Program for children at risk and have been working professionally in this field since 1993.
Fadi can be described as passionate, loyal, and loves to have fun at work and socially. You can find Fadi at pretty much every festival and social gathering in Brooks and Medicine Hat. One of his ultimate favorite festival is the Rib Fest in Edmonton.
Alicia Davies
Administrative Assistant
Alicia moved to Medicine Hat from Ontario in 2006. She worked in the food service industry for 17 years and began her journey at Next Step Residential Services on Valentines Day in 2020. She began her career casually as Administrative Assistant and received opportunity to work the position full-time in summer 2022. She loves working in the human services field.
Alicia has been happily married for almost 15 years and has one son and one daughter.
She enjoys spending her time with family and friends, her dogs, attending church, listening to music, playing guitar, and sketching.
Jennifer Bernas
Program Coordinator
Jennifer moved to Medicine Hat recently with her family, she moved here from Ontario where she was born and raised. Jennifer attended Northern College where she graduated from the Social Work Program and Police Foundations Program. Jennifer also attended Canadore College where she took the Indigenous Wellness and Addictions Prevention Program, she has study in addictions counselling, abuse counselling and holistic healing. Jennifer has a range of certificates in Fitness and diet management, restorative care, and many certificates pertaining to being a Fire Rescue. Jennifer worked in Long Term Care for 10 years before starting her career here at Next Step Residential Services. In Long Term Care, Jennifer worked mostly with Dementia patients where she focused on creating plans to maintain their psychosocial wellbeing. In Ontario, Jennifer was also a Firefighter for 7 years which she loved being able to be a first responder in the small town she lived in. Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, physical activities such as Yoga, hiking, and walking her 2 dogs.
NaVee Hopkins
Program Coordinator
NaVee Hopkins has been employed with Next Step Residential Services, in Brooks since December 2020. She started in SIL, then in May of 2022 was hired for Team Lead of Wildrose Group Home and December 1, 2022 she was hired as the Program Coordinator in Brooks.
In October of 2020, NaVee and her husband moved to Tilley, AB from Creston B.C. where she was a contractor with Community Living of B.C. for 20 years providing residential supports to adults and children.
She has enjoyed working her way up through the different opportunities within Next Step Residential Services as a support worker to Program Coordinator and getting to know the many Individuals who live in Brooks or surrounding areas. She is forever grateful to the Individuals she encounters in life who have taught me more about herself as a person, her role as support worker and to remember what is really important in life.
Sashana Henry
HR Admin Assistant
Born in Jamaica and moved to Medicine Hat one year ago. I have an extensive Human Resources and Administrative background from my home country of over 6 years of experience. Since being here, I have volunteered with various organization as I have a passion for helping people. I am very outgoing and loves spending time with my family (husband and two boys). I love to cook, bake, and sew in my free time to help me relax. My hope is to visit every province within the next five years.
Kymberly Canham
Program Coordinator, B.S.W, R.S.W
Kym is a proud mother of 3 children, and she enjoys spending time with them while cooking, playing at the park, watching movies, and going on walks with their dog, Suzie. In her spare time, she also enjoys gardening, yoga, and spinning at the gym. Kym studied Emergency Communications & Response at the Medicine Hat College and graduated from the University of Calgary with her Bachelor of Social Work (2022). Having worked in early childhood education, family support, primary care, and disability services; Kym’s passion is working in the Human Services field.
Kimberly Sloan
HR Manager
Kimberly Sloan leads Next Step’s Human Resources, with responsibility for managing the most valuable assets – our employees.
In her previous role in healthcare administration, she served as the executive director of a supportive living facility, and led her team through the accreditation process, obtaining Accreditation with Merit. Before jumping into Healthcare Administration, Sloan served as administrator to two principles for a high net wealth financial planning / investment firm, where she was instrumental in modernizing the organization’s website and ERP system. In Ontario, Sloan had the privilege of being a front-line worker where she had a rewarding and fulfilling career working as an LPN for ten years.
Sloan holds multiple certifications in Human Resources, business administration and graphic design.