Our Occupational Therapists

Jennifer

Jennifer joined the Sahara Rehab team in 2016 with the aim of enhancing function and independence in an individual’s daily life.

She graduated with a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Human Kinetics in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from the University of British Columbia. Her experience in Occupational Therapy includes conducting functional, cognitive, perceptual, motor, and visual assessment/ treatment, wheelchair seating, splinting, and discharge planning from acute care to the community. Jennifer has a basic understanding of Cantonese.

In a short period of time, Jennifer has risen to be a Clinical Supervisor due to her excellent interpersonal skills, strong analytical skills, and her holistic approach. Her exemplary skill set has benefited both her colleagues and her clients. In her spare time, she enjoys playing/watching sports, trying new restaurants, watching movies, reading and travelling as well as spending time with family and friends.

Kevin

Kevin joined Sahara Rehab in 2017 and has a Bachelor of Human Kinetics in Exercise Science from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta. He has practiced Occupational Therapy in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario in both community and hospital settings. For the past several years, he has enjoyed working with seniors who have developmental disabilities.

Kevin enjoys spending time with family and friends. Volunteering has been an important part of his life and an important way for him to give back to the community. He currently volunteers with Corrections Canada.

Kevin is caring and sincere. These attributes, combined with his rich Occupational Therapy experience, allow him to thoughtfully set up, coordinate, and manage his clients’ care. Empowering his clients in taking positive steps to recovery brings him great satisfaction and honour.

Kristen

In March 2023, Kristen joined Sahara Rehab to work in collaboration with community clients to provide client-centred Occupational Therapy interventions.

Kristen graduated in 1996 with a B.Sc. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Western Ontario. Since graduation, most of her 29 years of experience has been working in community-based settings, providing assessment and treatment for individuals who have experienced injury and illness, which have impacted their functional abilities at home and at work.

Kristen has specialized experience in mental health intervention, mild traumatic brain injury treatment, and ergonomics. Throughout Kristen’s career, continuing education has been emphasized and has included formal university coursework, informal mentoring and consultation, and workshops or seminars to build on skills and clinical reasoning.

In her free time, Kristen enjoys exercising, hiking, and spending time with her friends and family.

Cheylene

Cheylene graduated with an MSc in occupational therapy in 2017 from the University of Alberta. She is also a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, certified by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Cheylene joined Sahara Rehab because of her passion for enhancing an individual's physical and mental wellness, in addition to enhancing an individual's ability to independently engage in their meaningful activities.

Cheylene has experience as an occupational therapist working with individuals experiencing signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, adjustment disorder, and substance use concerns. Additionally, Cheylene has experience working with individuals requiring rehabilitation support following a musculoskeletal injury, physical disease, traumatic brain injury, concussions, and chronic pain. Cheylene is empathetic and holistic and believes that collaborating with individuals to establish meaningful goals for rehabilitation can empower an individual to improve their quality of life.

In her free time, Cheylene can be found enjoying the outdoors, reading or playing music, or spending time with family and friends.

Delia

Delia joined Sahara Rehab in 2021 with the goal of helping individuals achieve independence in their daily lives

Delia has over eight years of OT experience working with adults and seniors in the community. She has a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, both from the University of Alberta. She is skilled at providing case management services, hospital discharge planning, home safety adaptations, seating and mobility assessments, cognitive assessments, and dysphagia assessments.

Delia is fluent in both Romanian and Spanish and has basic conversational skills in French and Russian.

Outside of work, Delia enjoys dancing, photography, travelling, diving, snowboarding, cooking, and trying new restaurants.

Lena

Lena has been working at Sahara Rehab since 2016, intending to provide compassionate and professional care for all her clients.

She completed her Bachelor of Science (BSc) and subsequently Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. She enjoys working in hospital settings and is dedicated to mentoring Occupational Therapy students in clinical settings. Working at Sahara Rehabilitation allows her to maintain a firm connection with the rehabilitation community. Lena strongly believes in lifelong learning and actively participates in continuing education courses. She is fluent in Farsi.

Lena’s curiosity in all aspects of Occupational Therapy drives her to promote strong and positive recovery. She enables individuals to partake in all aspects of healing to ultimately resume previous roles while discovering new activities and occupations.

Francis

Francis joined the Sahara Rehab team in 2017 with the goal of helping people achieve independence and regain function while living in the community.

Francis received his Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia and completed his Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Western University. With his background in Kinesiology, Francis has a strong understanding of the importance of exercise to an individual with physical injuries. His work experience as an occupational therapist includes working in an acute care setting and outpatient rehabilitation (primarily stroke), and geriatric mental health.

Francis is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin and is passionate about empowering clients to return to the tasks they enjoy doing every day. He is committed to creating and incorporating treatment plans that clients can follow, thereby building their confidence to return to those everyday tasks.