| Job Title: | Probation and Parole Officer |
| Employer: | Ministry of the Solicitor General |
| Grad Year: | 2008 |
| Degree(s): | Bachelor of Arts Honours |
| Major(s): | Criminology and Criminal Justice, Psychology |
| Expertise: | Community Safety/Correctional Services |
| Industry: | Community Safety/Correctional Services, Public Safety |
What makes you a good mentor?
I am excited to start mentioning in a new capacity. I am passionate about my career and love to share that with students and colleagues. Currently I am a peer mentor at work and have also had the pleasure of supervising a number of university placement students. I find working with students very rewarding. I love hearing the perspectives of students and watching them move toward their personal employment and educational goals.
About Lyndsey Fortin
I graduated from Carleton in 2008 with an honours in Criminology and a minor in Psychology. I began my career as a Probation and Parole Officer as a summer student, which enabled me to transition into my career relatively shortly following graduation. Probation and Parole has been a very rewarding career, one that has encompassed continued learning and growth as well as enabling me to pursue my own passions.
A majority of my career has been spent working with a vulnerable and transient clientele who present with diverse needs. The role of probation is not solely enforcement focused as I am often advocating for my clients and seeking better ways to assist them. Working with innovative peers, we created “the shelter team”, as a means of better serving our homeless clientele. This team has evolved over the years and has been recognized for its efforts to limit breaches of probation and build relationships in the community.
In 2015 I had an opportunity to travel abroad and took a three-year leave of absence. During my leave I explored other careers and found myself in a role as an event planner and community engagement facilitator. I have applied many of the skills I learned abroad as an active member of a wellness committee. The job of a Probation Officer can be very stressful so wellness is a very important component to creating and maintaining work life balance.
I have a history of volunteer work in different capacities in the city and while living abroad. In the past I have worked with Ottawa Police in running a program for parents about drugs, I have been a guest speaker at different universities and programs in the city as well.