Joan is a graduate of Memorial University, completing her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1979, and her Bachelor of Social Work in 1981. She completed her Master of Social Work in 1992. She has certificates in Discharge Planning, Leadership Development, Quality Management and Ethics.
Well known in the Social Work community, Joan has experience in clinical practice including Adult and Child Mental Health and Addictions, Family Violence, Oncology, Palliative Care, Dermatology, Medicine, Nephrology, Surgery, Emergency/ Trauma, Women's Health and Child, Youth and Family Services. She has worked in Quality and Risk and in Human Resources –Organizational Development.
She has been involved with several community boards and committees including Canadian Mental Health Association, Addiction Treatment Services Association, PREP and ACCESS. She was a member of the provincial working group for the clinical review 2008 of Child, Youth and Family Services. Joan has presented on various topics including grief and loss, team dynamics, change management and social work practice. Her areas of interest include social work competencies and education, leadership, clinical services, ethics and evaluation.