Cohort 2

Amanda Keller is a passionate PhD candidate and Vanier Scholar at McGill University’s School of Social Work, working under the esteemed supervision of Dr. Michael MacKenzie. She employs multidisciplinary and mixed-method approaches to deeply explore child welfare practice and policy. Amanda’s dissertation is a profound investigation into the physical, mental, and intergenerational well-being of adults who experienced group care placement as children. Alongside her dissertation, she actively collaborates on several pivotal research projects focusing on child welfare and trauma-informed care.

In addition to her academic endeavors, Amanda is the visionary founder of CARE Jeunesse, a grassroots peer support organization dedicated to alumni of foster care in Quebec. Her professional journey began as a homeless youth outreach worker and evolved into a role as a case manager, amassing ten years of invaluable clinical experience with youth and young adults in Montreal who are overcoming trauma and addictions. Amanda joined the CARE RTP lab in the fall of 2024.