OUR STORY
When I first began working as a contracted speech therapist in northern Saskatchewan, I was supporting multiple First Nations communities. For many of the schools, it was the first time in years they had an in-person speech therapist. After years of relying on virtual models, there was so much hope and excitement around finally having boots on the ground. But despite the enthusiasm, it became clear very quickly: the system itself wasn’t set up to succeed.
The caseloads were too large. The distances were too far. Despite my best intentions – and working myself into the ground – I couldn’t reach all of the students who needed support, and the depth of support I could offer just wasn’t enough. I was stretched too thin; a reality that far too many speech-language pathologists face. Something had to change.
It was in that exhaustion that I found clarity. The system didn’t need one more overextended therapist – it needed to build on the strength already found within the community.
At Northern Voices Speech Services, our entire philosophy is built around this powerful shift—from trying to “do more” individually, to creating something sustainable, empowering, and local.
We help schools build their own speech programs—run by the people who are already part of students’ daily lives. Our team provides in-person assessments, individualized therapy plans, and year-round support – but most importantly, we offer the tools and training to build capacity from within.
We’ve also committed ourselves to addressing the serious gaps in standardized assessment and therapy tools—many of which fail to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of Indigenous students. So we’re creating our own: NVSS tools have been developed in collaboration with community translators and language keepers, and are designed to uniquely celebrate the identity, language, and culture of every school we serve.
I came into this work hoping to make a difference – and ended up witnessing something truly transformative. Every day, we get to see students receiving consistent, in-school speech support. We’ve watched educational assistants grow in confidence and skill, with some even pursuing further education in speech. We’ve seen what happens when staff feel supported, when schools feel empowered, and when language is celebrated, not sidelined.
This is what drives us. Not just to provide speech therapy, but to reimagine how it’s delivered, who delivers it, and who it truly belongs to.
OUR FOUNDER
M.Sc., SLP | CEO OF NVSS
Lisa Brillinger
Lisa Brillinger is a Speech and Language Pathologist who works in partnership with Indigenous communities across Saskatchewan and Ontario.
She brings extensive experience from a range of clinical settings, including school divisions, hospitals, stroke rehabilitation and FASD diagnostic clinics.
Lisa is a passionate and outspoken advocate for students with limited access to speech therapy, and a catalyst for positive change in how services are delivered to remote communities.
In 2022, Lisa was the recipient of CBC’s Saskatchewan's Top 40 Under 40 award. In 2025 she was invited as a keynote speaker at the Global Indigenous Languages Summit (hosted by the Canadian Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages) to present Northern Voices Speech Services’ progressive approach and technological advancements within the field of speech pathology. She is celebrated for setting a new standard of culturally responsive and community-driven speech and language services.
OUR TEAM
At Northern Voices Speech Services, our team is made up of experienced, passionate professionals who are dedicated to delivering care that is collaborative, culturally respectful and student-centered.
Each member brings not only clinical expertise, but also a deep commitment to learning from – and alongside – our partnering schools and communities. We are well-versed in the language acquisition patterns of multilingual speakers and continually work to understand the unique linguistic and developmental needs of every student we support.
We don’t arrive with assumptions – we arrive with openness. Our work is grounded in a shared responsibility and rooted in community connection. We believe in building trust, strengthening capacity, and working alongside school teams as true partners. It’s not just about delivering services – it’s about co-creating solutions that work for each school and are built to create lasting impact.
OUR TOOLS
All assessment and therapy measures used in NVSS programs are developed with a deep awareness of the cultural and linguistic diversity of our province’s many languages and dialects.
Traditional Western standardized evaluations were not designed with Indigenous populations in mind, and this bias frequently leads to misdiagnoses of speech and language delays/disorders of Indigenous students.
Indigenous peoples make up the fastest growing demographic in Canada, yet resources specifically developed for - and with - Indigenous learners remain critically underrepresented in the field.
At NVSS, we’re committed to creating assessment and therapy materials that not only reflect cultural and linguistic diversity – but celebrate it. Our tools are developed in close collaboration with community translators and language keepers. We approach this work with deep respect for cultural safety and knowledge sovereignty – honoring each community’s right to protect how their language is shared, used, and represented. Language and cultural content is never extracted or reinterpreted; rather, it is shaped in partnership with communities through consent, trust, and cultural guidance. This ensures our resources reflect local insight - not outside assumptions - so that communities remain the leaders and voices behind their own language knowledge.
At NVSS we’re transforming the way speech therapy reaches remote communities with limited access to supportive services.
Our progressive framework replaces outdated models, ensuring students with communication challenges are supported early and effectively!
EACH PROGRAM INVOLVES:
Contact us to book in-person hearing screens for your school (different options available for different grade ranges).