YOUTH PANEL - Supporting Youth Health: A Community Approach
Thrive - Nicole Deveau, CASEY Coordinator
Thrive Street Reach - Nicole Boggan, Drop-In Team Lead
Jacob Puddister Memorial Foundation - Kelsey Puddister, Director & Counsellor
THRIVE
Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth (CASEY) is comprised of a group of concerned professionals and experiential voices in the community that work together to address issues pertaining to the sexual exploitation of youth. They are the only organization in the province with the mandate of addressing the sexual exploitation of youth. Every young person in our province deserves access to the same quality care after experiencing sexual exploitation, no matter where they reside in our province.
Nicole Deveau is the CASEY (Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth) Coordinator at Thrive. She holds a BA with a major in Psychology and minor in Women’s Studies from MUN and a LLB with a Health Law Certificate from Dalhousie Law School. She has an interest in social justice and has worked and volunteered in many roles which support marginalized people. She started her legal career at the Legal Aid Family and Child Office in HV-GB, has trained as a restorative justice facilitator in NS, and currently volunteers with the St. John’s Youth Justice Committee. She is passionate about the work CASEY does to address youth sexual exploitation in our province.
Nicole Deveau
THRIVE Street Reach is a grassroots outreach service guided by the principle of harm reduction. It has two main components: outreach and individual support. Some unique aspects of Street Reach include the support across 16 & over, the evening drop-in, and the outreach walks. Street Reach supports over 1500 participants annually who count on them for their basic needs, the sense of belonging in our space, and the real support they receive.
Nicole Boggan is a registered social worker based in the St. John's metro area and currently works as the Drop-In Team Lead with Thrive's Street Reach program. In addition to her work at Thrive, Nicole has six years of frontline experience in shelter and housing, harm reduction, and outreach. Additionally, Nicole has experience in non-profit arts administration. Outside of work, Nicole can be found hiding from the snow in her basement, accompanied by her dogs and terrible reality TV.
Nicole Boggan (she/her)
CHOICES FOR YOUTH
Choices for Youth is a professional services, youth-focused, non-profit, charitable organization that creates spaces and conversations, and operates programs and social enterprises to help vulnerable youth secure stable housing, employment, and education while improving health and family stability. With a focus on prevention, intervention, and support, Choices for Youth help youth and their families break cycles of poverty and homelessness and transition to healthy, stable, and independent lives.
Krista Butler is the Director of the Becket Backbone Team at Choices for Youth, leading the implementation of NL’s Integrated Youth Services (IYS) initiative. In this role, she works across government, health systems, community organizations, philanthropy, and youth partners to build a coordinated network of youth-centered hubs designed to make it easier for young people to access the supports they need-when and where they need them. Krista’s work focuses on turning complex, multi-partner ideas into practical, community-driven solutions. She leads the scaling of Becket hubs across the province, guiding partnership development, governance, service design, evaluation, and long-term sustainability planning. Her approach is grounded in youth engagement, collaboration, and a strong belief that services should be shaped by the voices and experiences of the young people they are meant to support. She is deeply connected to the national Integrated Youth Services movement and contributes to pan-Canadian collaboration, research, and knowledge exchange to strengthen youth well-being systems across the country.
Krista Butler
HIGHLIGHT - Peer Support in Action: Addressing Gaps in Healthcare Access
Tiahna Carroll - Thrive Peer Support Worker
Flora Chubbs - The Gathering Place Peer Support Worker
The Substance Use and Addictions Program began as a partnership between Thrive, Stella’s Circle, The Gathering Place, U-Turn Recovery Centre, and Mokami Status of Women’s Council to implement peer support across the province in 2025. Tiahna and Flora will provide an overview of peer support modalities, current barriers to healthcare access for peers, and how peer supporters can work to address these gaps in care. They will share insights from the first year of the program and how peer support can continue as an expansive, impactful, and innovative approach.
Tiahna Carroll (she/her) is a graduate of Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts. She is a dedicated advocate for women's empowerment, with a focus on harm reduction and trauma-informed practices. Tiahna has gained valuable hands-on experience working in community-based organizations where she has contributed to both individual and collective empowerment.
Tiahna Carroll (she/her)
Flora Chubbs (she/her) is an artist, cabinet maker, and harm reduction worker of Inuit and Canadian settler lineages. She is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland where her focus is on the creation of a shared woodshop that supports marginalized makers and empowers community. She is currently a Peer Support Worker through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program.
Flora Chubbs (she/her)