Rachel Edwards

Rachael is a grateful guest on the traditional and ancestral lands of Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy with the Siksika, Piikani, Kainai Nations, the Dene of the Tsuut’ina Nation and the Îyârhe Nakoda of the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley Nations as well as the Metis Nation Region 3 (Calgary). Rachael acknowledges that treaty relations have not been respected or honoured and works daily to restore good relations.

Rachael has spent the last 14 years working as a nurse in community health, infectious disease, clinical education, and shelter/street outreach programs practicing a harm reduction philosophy of care. With extensive experience in program development, clinical teaching, and community engagement, Rachael is highly respected in her field of practice. Rachael was integral in the development and implementation of end-of-life care programming for vulnerable populations through the Calgary Allied Mobile Palliative Program (CAMPP), and most recently with the Assisted Self Isolation Site in response to the COVID-19 pandemic response for people who use substances and are experiencing homelessness. Rachael is a tireless advocate for low-threshold service provision, in the hopes of eliminating barriers for people who traditionally experience challenges in accessing health and social care services. Through her 14 years at the CUPS and 6 years with the CUPS Liver Clinic, Rachael has specialized in advocacy, education, screening, counselling, and treatment of hepatitis C—this experience culminated in Rachael developing a strategic model for onsite and outreach liver clinics. Rachael is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health & Social Policy through the University of Victoria.