Assessments are conducted by Johanne Colas, a bilingual Registered Social Worker and Clinical Investigator with extensive experience in child welfare, family law, and trauma informed practice.
Johanne has nearly two decades of experience working with children, families, and complex systems. She has been a panel member with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer since 2018, where she conducts Section 112 investigations and provides clinical insight into high conflict parenting matters across Ontario.
Her professional background includes over 13 years of frontline and clinical experience with the Children’s Aid Society and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. During this time, she worked within multidisciplinary teams on cases involving child protection, trauma, and developmental concerns. She has significant courtroom experience, including testifying on assessment findings and providing evidence in child protection matters. Her reports are recognized for their clarity, neutrality, and clinical depth.
Johanne specializes in high conflict parenting disputes and complex family systems, including cases involving multiple professionals or agencies. She has extensive experience working with families where safety concerns or intimate partner violence may be present, and integrates risk informed and trauma aware analysis into her work.
Her assessments are informed by a strong foundation in child development, attachment, trauma, and risk assessment. She is also experienced in working with families from diverse cultural and immigration backgrounds, and integrates this context thoughtfully into her assessments and recommendations.
Services are available in both English and French.
Her assessment process is structured, transparent, and aligned with best practice standards for court involved evaluations. A detailed curriculum vitae is available upon request.
