Peter’s areas of research focus on child protection practice as well as errors linked with the death or serious injury of a child involved with child welfare. His work looks at assessment methodology in child protection, addressing problems of cultural bias, particularly as it relates to Indigenous Peoples. Other recent projects have included the voice of the child in child welfare hearings and the good enough standard for assessing parents. Peter has been engaged in clinical private counselling and assessment practice with an emphasis on addictions, domestic violence and child protection matters. He has been qualified as an expert witness on over 150 occasions in the Provincial Court of Alberta (Family and Youth Division) in Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Edmonton as well as the Court of Queen’s Bench (Calgary and Medicine Hat). He is a Registered Clinical Social Worker and an approved Clinical Supervisor.

Areas of Instruction

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Child Protection and Intervention
• Assessment
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Social Work with Families

Areas of Scholarship

• Child Protection and Intervention
• Assessment validity including culturally-based assessment
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• Relationship between social work and Indigenous Peoples
• Public Policy and Social Work

Selected Publications

Choate, P., CrazyBull, B., Lindstrom, D. & Lindstrom, G. (2020). Where do we from here? Ongoing colonialism from Attachment Theory. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 32 (1), 32–44.

Review of the book White, S., Gibson, M., Wasatell, D., & Walsh, P. (2020). Reassessing Attachment Theory in Child Welfare. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. British Journal of Social Work. 

Choate, P. & Lindstrom, G. (2020). Challenging systemic bias towards Indigenous mothers arising from colonial and dominant society assessment methodology through a lens of humility. In, B. Richardson, (Ed.). Mothering on the Edge. Accepted.

Choate, P., St-Denis, N. & MacLaurin, B. (2020). At the beginning of the curve: Social work education and Indigenous content. Journal of Social Work Education, In press.

Selected Presentations

Choate, P. (2020, May). Considering Attachment in the Long Term. Wrapping our ways around them: Indigenous Communities Child Welfare Conference, (Virtual) Vancouver, B.C.   

Choate, P. (2020, April 30). Thinking Interpersonal Violence in the Courts During Societal Crisis — Issues for consideration in judicial decision making. Webinar, National Justice Institute. 

Relevant Community Service

• Clinical Supervisor — Applicants to the Clinical Register, ACSW
• Clinical Consultant, Child Intervention Matters
• Member, Child Intervention Panel, 2017–2018