CoRE Partners with Leading Occupational Health Experts to Foster Recovery in the Workplace

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13th, 2025
Calgary, Alberta – The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence is pleased to announce a research partnership with occupational health experts Dr. Charl Els and Dr. Sebastian Straube, who are leading a team to develop a series of best practice guidance documents to foster sustained recovery in the workplace.
Alberta typically has one of the highest employment rates in Canada, especially among those aged 25-54, a group significantly impacted by mental illness and addiction. Over the past few decades, the burden of mental illness has increased, impacting workplace performance, productivity and safety, while also resulting in an ever-growing surge in occupational mental health disability claims.
“Most cases of mental illness and addiction go unreported and untreated, increasing risk and safety concerns,” said Dr. Els. “Given the vast majority of people with mental health concerns, or who use drugs, remain employed, the workplace offers a valuable setting to address these issues,” added Dr. Straube.
Dr. Els and Dr. Straube will inform their approach using the same methodology for their distinguished 2018 position statement on the implications of cannabis use for safety-sensitive work, endorsed by the Occupational Environmental Medical Association of Canada (OEMAC), an organization that supports professionals taking affirmative measures to ensure health and safety in the workplace, given the critical nature of safety-sensitive work.
A series of position papers will be produced by Dr. Els, Dr. Straube and their team over the next year, on topics ranging from supporting recovery friendly workplaces, recognizing and addressing impairment, increasing resilience, confronting burnout and overdose prevention.
Biographies of the OHS team are included in a backgrounder. For media inquiries, please contact the communications lead below.
About CoRE
The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) is a Crown corporation established by the Alberta government and based in Calgary that empowers decision-makers with data and evidence to support people with mental illness or addiction in their pursuit of recovery. CoRE advances its work through system level applied research and evaluation; comprehensive data and analytics; expert advice and clinical guidance; and leadership and collaboration to enable the best possible outcomes for Albertans. With objectivity and a commitment to real-world impact, CoRE guides government, healthcare communities, and global leaders toward effective recovery-focused mental health and addiction services.
Media Contact:
Katy Merrifield
Executive Director, Communications and Engagement
Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence
Phone: (604) 868-0424
Email: katy.merrifield@recoveryexcellence.org
Backgrounder
Dr. Charl Els
Dr. Charl Els is a fellowship-trained addiction psychiatrist and occupational physician. He is actively involved in civil forensic and clinical practice on a part-time basis and contributes to research in his field. Dr. Els previously held the position of Assistant Registrar at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed technical papers and textbook chapters, served on multiple ministerial committees, and held roles on the Health Research Ethics Board and the Alberta Review Board. Dr. Els is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, and the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre. In 2023, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award for his contributions to mental health in Alberta.
Dr. Sebastian Straube
Sebastian Straube holds degrees in Medicine and Physiological Sciences from the University of Oxford, where he also completed his DPhil (PhD). He began his career with clinical work and research at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals before joining the University Medical Center Göttingen (Germany). There, Dr. Straube completed his Habilitation (German postdoctoral qualification) and his postgraduate medical training in Occupational Medicine. In 2014, Dr. Straube joined the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta. He was appointed Division Director for Preventive Medicine in 2016 and promoted to Full Professor in 2019.
Dr. Marie Durnin-Goodman
Dr. Marie Durnin-Goodman is a dual-licensed addiction medicine specialist and occupational physician, practicing in British Columbia and Alberta. She holds a PhD and MD from the University of Calgary and additional certifications in addiction and occupational health, including CCFP(AM), cISAM, and FASAM. Since 2008, she has focused on addiction medicine, with a specialization in occupational health since 2012. Certified by Canadian, American, and International Societies of Addiction Medicine, she has served as a Medical Review Officer since 2013. Dr. Durnin-Goodman co-founded the Alliance Clinic in 2010 and has been a staff physician at the Orchard Recovery Centre since 2009. She is also a clinical instructor at the University of British Columbia and co-directs Precision Medical Monitoring Ltd. Since 2012, she has provided chronic pain and addiction consultations for WorkSafe BC and serves as an expert witness in the BC Supreme Court.
Dr. Paul Farnan
Dr. Paul Farnan brings over 30 years of experience in addiction and occupational medicine, focusing on shifting from managing addiction deficits to building strengths that foster sustainable recovery. He is board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine, serving as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Farnan has developed and delivered programs to help employees and employers manage disability associated with addiction and complex medical conditions. He has conducted independent medical assessments and treatment recommendations for thousands of individuals, with a focus on those in safety-sensitive roles. Co-author of the Position Statement on the implications of cannabis use for safety-sensitive work (2018), Dr. Farnan is dedicated to advancing recovery-oriented approaches that prioritize connection, hope, and empowerment. His recent work emphasizes natural recovery and the critical role of workplaces in supporting individual recovery journeys.
Dr. Barry Gelinas
Dr. Barry J. Gelinas, MD, DC, is an advisor to the AMA Guides Editorial Panel, providing global insights on the adoption and implementation of the AMA Guides internationally. He is the Co-Author-Editor for the musculoskeletal chapters—covering the upper limb, lower limb, spine, and pelvis—in the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, with contributions to both the 2024 and 2023 editions. A past president of the International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators (IAIME), Dr. Gelinas is an IAIME Fellow and an active faculty member teaching the Sixth Edition of the AMA Guides. He also holds the IAIME Certified MedicoLegal Evaluator (CMLE) designation and AMA Guides Impairment Rating Certification.
Dr. Julian Somers
Dr. Julian Somers is a licensed clinical psychologist and addiction specialist, serving as a Distinguished Professor at Simon Fraser University. With 37 years in clinical practice and research, he has led innovations in harm reduction and recovery across the lifespan. Dr. Somers has designed and directed major initiatives to address addiction in urban, rural, and remote communities, focusing on high-risk groups such as youth, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those involved with courts and corrections.
Dr. Ray Baker
Dr. Ray Baker is an experienced consultant, educator, and clinician with over 30 years in occupational addiction medicine, including patient care, medical education, and forensic expert work. Since 2016, he has focused on coaching and consulting for individuals and organizations moving towards community-based, recovery-oriented care. Dr. Baker served as an expert consultant to Alberta’s Mental Health and Addiction Advisory Committee, supporting the province’s transition to a Recovery Oriented System of Care. In 2022, he published Recovery Coaching Knowledge and Skills, a training manual now used by organizations training over 200 recovery coaches. In November 2022, the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine awarded Dr. Baker the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2024, he consulted with the Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute to develop the American Recovery Ready Workplace Certification process.
Dr. Anna Noga, PhD
Anna Noga received her PhD in the Department of Biochemistry, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Pediatrics, both at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Since then, her work has included science outreach, non-profit administration, diversity and inclusion in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), teaching, knowledge translation, and project translation. Dr. Noga’s broad research experience spans from basic biomedical sciences to implementing and evaluating outcomes in real-world settings. She also has expertise in simplifying complex scientific and medical information and effectively communicating it to a variety of audiences.
Riley Stewart-Patterson
Riley Stewart-Patterson graduated from University College London in 2023 with a Master of Science in Population Health, earning distinction. She previously completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Health Studies at Queen’s University. Riley’s academic journey has been complemented by practical experience in health promotion and policy analysis. Her research includes a graduate dissertation exploring the experiences of Black men in prostate cancer care, as well as independent projects supporting survivors of sexual violence and promoting physical activity during COVID-19. She has contributed to the healthcare field as a research assistant at various institutions, including Vancouver General Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital.
Share this Post