Leadership
Salim he / him
MBA, B.Sc. OT
Managing Director
Salim completed his B.Sc. in occupational therapy in 1998 and in 2002 he earned the designation of Certified Work Capacity Evaluator through RMA. He also holds an MBA from the UBC Sauder School of Business. Salim's clinical expertise includes Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE), Return to Work Rehabilitation (RTW), Ergonomics, Home Health and Community Activation for clients with orthopedic, general medical and mental health conditions.
Salim has worked in home, community, clinic and workplace settings assisting clients funded by insurers, lawyers and employers. He is a Supreme Court recognized expert in FCE and a WCAT recognized expert in Ergonomics. His contributions to the OT profession include service as a board member for the BC Society of OTs (now CAOT-BC) and more than a decade of voluntary work for CAOT leading initiatives to advance the standing of private practice OT in BC. From 2010-2020 Salim served as the lead clinical instructor for the UBC Master of OT program Vocational Rehabilitation module. In this role he redeveloped and refocused the curriculum to align with current evidence and provided foundational instruction in FCE, RTW rehabilitation and workplace disability prevention. His teaching contributions were recognized with a Clinical Faculty Appointment by the UBC Faculty of Medicine in 2013 and he currently serves as an advisor for the program. In 2012, Salim was recognized by Business in Vancouver as one of BC’s Top 40 under 40. As the Managing Director for Community Therapists, he is responsible for working with leadership to improve service quality and outcomes, liaising with funders and developing strategic opportunities and partnerships.
Linda
BSR. OT
Founder
Linda founded CTI in 1989 after over 13 years of experience in the public sector in long term care and mental health services. She was an early pioneer in the private practice industry working closely with insurers and other funders to establish a scope of work for OT that recognized the diverse skills of OTs and their ability to add value for all rehabilitation stakeholders.
Linda was able to leverage her early success in clinical practice to develop Community Therapists into a burgeoning practice. She created systems and protocols for effective service delivery in a variety of clinical areas including brain injury rehabilitation and Functional Driving Evaluation. For over 3 decades she contributed her expertise to advance the interests of private practice OTs in BC and she was a founding member of the BCSOT Business Relations Advisory Committee (now the CAOT-PPBN). Linda has also shared her expertise through numerous board membership terms including the Canadian Mental Health Association, The Arbutus Vocational Rehab Society and through an advisory role with CAOT’s Workforce Planning group. She is a Supreme Court recognized expert in Occupational Therapy and in 2008 was honored by the British Columbia Society of OTs (now CAOT-BC) with the Leadership Award for contributions to the occupational therapy profession in BC. Linda retired in 2021, 32 years after founding Community Therapists. Her legacy of accomplishment and innovation blazed a path for so many therapists and her leadership fostered a practice that has helped thousands of British Columbians live fuller and more meaningful lives.
Sue
B.Sc. OT
Director of Clinical Services
Sue obtained her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy in 1988 from the University of Alberta. Prior to joining CTI, she worked in both in-patient and out-patient settings in neurosurgery, psychiatry and orthopaedics within the public sector. Since joining the practice in 1993, Sue has focused her clinical work in the areas of home health, brain injury and driver rehabilitation. She was a co-developer of the Functional Driving Evaluation protocol with Linda Hirsekorn and leads the Driver Rehabilitation practice at CTI.
Sue is a Supreme Court recognized expert in Functional Driving Ability and a recognized expert on driving-related human rights cases. She has been retained by ICBC to provide consultation to the ICBC Driver Training & Certification program and Regulated Driver Programs and her work with the Ministry of Transport in Ontario helped define provincial guidelines for assessing driver’s with disabilities. She has co-published 2 research articles on the use of virtual reality technology in driving evaluation and has provided presentations on Driver Rehabilitation and Brain Injury treatment for many educational conferences including the International Conference on MTBI. Sue has also served as the lead instructor for the Driver Rehabilitation module for the Occupational Therapy program at UBC from 2001 to 2011. Sue oversees Service Coordination, Kinesiology/Rehabilitation Assistant services and all Community Based OT services. In collaboration with the director team, Sue ensures CTI services meet regulatory, funder and evidence-based standards.
Monita
B.Sc. OT
Director of Clinical Practice
Monita completed her B.Sc. in occupational therapy in 2003 from the University of BC. Her clinical experience spans both public and private sector contexts in Canada and abroad. Her practice areas include home health, brain injury, vocational rehabilitation, driver rehabilitation and medical legal services. In 2008, Monita earned the designation of Certified Work Capacity Evaluator, through Roy Matheson and Associates.
Monita has also been accepted as a subject matter expert in Ergonomics for the Worker's Compensation Appeal Tribunal.
Outside of Community Therapists, Monita has served as a clinical instructor with the UBC Master of OT Program Vocational Rehabilitation course since 2017 and was designated lead clinical instructor in 2020. Monita provides graduate training in RTW rehabilitation services, Job Demands Analysis and Functional Capacity Evaluation. In June 2020, in recognition of her teaching, Monita was awarded a Clinical Faculty appointment by the UBC Faculty of Medicine and subsequently in 2022, she was promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor. Monita is an active member of the CAOT-BC Private Practice Business Network and contributes to provincial initiatives to support access to and working conditions for occupational therapists in BC. Monita engages with other professional associations' leadership to address industry changes and challenges. Monita's dedication to rehabilitation quality assurance ensures clinical service delivery meets both client needs and funder standards.
HELEN
B.Sc. OT
Clinical Practice Manager
Helen graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa in 1983. She has over 30 years of experience and has worked in a community setting for over 25 years in the areas of home health and brain injury.
Helen served for 7 years as COTBCs Chair of the Standards Committee as well as 2 years on the Board and Inquiry Committee. She was also a member of the working group on the Development of Guidelines for Incapability Assessments for the Office of the Public Guardianship and Trustee. In 2007, she was recognized as an expert in occupational therapy by the Supreme Court of BC. Helen is a member of the CAOT-BC, participates in the practice leadership group and maintains membership in WFOT. She provides Home Health and Community Brain Injury services in Burnaby, Vancouver, New Westminster and the North Shore.