CES Sessions
All sessions are offered at no cost.
Mental health for highly sensitive teens; unique struggles for these emotional feelers ***please register using the poster only***
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Presented by: Tracy Fields, BSW, MSW in partnership with Tracy Fields Consulting
Highly sensitive teens are often misunderstood by parents and teachers as they often have stronger emotional reactions. In this presentation, learn why this happens, and the necessary tools required to help these teens manage their emotions so they don't become derailed.
Supporting Your Child’s Journey to Wellness ***please register using the poster only***
Noon - 1:30 PM
Presenter: Brittany Cornwall, BHSc, Youth Facilitator
Closer to Home Community Services
In this presentation, you will learn about:
• teenage brain development
• mental health statistics affecting our youth
• how to advocate for your youth
Target Dyslexia ***please register using the poster only***
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Dyslexia occurs in an estimated 5-15% of the population and refers to individuals who display fundamental and often profound difficulties with reading and spelling single words in isolation. This difficulty has a wide range of implications across academic settings and grades including reading comprehension, the development of vocabulary, and the ability to spell and communicate in writing. Educators play a critical role in the trajectory and outcomes of students with Dyslexia, and there is so much we can be doing to help these kids. Join Tanya in this introduction to Dyslexia as she discusses:
• Red flags
• Diagnosis, statistics, and developmental trajectory of students with Dyslexia
• The language associated with Dyslexia
• Cognitive processes involved in reading
• Evidence-based Tier 2 and 3 interventions
Teens in Trouble With the Law: What You Need to Know ***please register using the poster only***
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
This presentation will provide a general overview of the purpose, principles and procedures found in the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and will address a number of common misconceptions about the criminal justice system as it relates to youth between the ages of 12-17. Participants will gain an understanding of the ways in which youth in conflict with the law are treated differently than adults, with particular focus on the areas of diversion from the formal court process, bail, sentencing and youth records.
Navigating Technology with our Youth ***please register using the poster only***
Noon - 1:30 PM
Presented by: Andrea Halwas Larsen, in partnership with Juno House
In this 1.5 hour presentation, we will discuss the role of technology and today’s youth. The message of this presentation is not only based on technology, but also about a child’s healthy brain development and the necessary parenting/caregiver role in creating healthy, emotional, regulated, and integrated brains. This presentation will address the underpinning of a child’s emotional brain development and how to grow it, as well as how technology can dangerously hijack this.
We believe that talking does not grow neurons; experience grows neurons. This workshop is designed to give attendees the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:
• An understanding of the basic neuroscience behind healthy brain development,
• The dangers of technology for healthy brain development,
• Technology use rules that will help your child
• When building healthy brains, how to identify emotions in your child/student, and
• How to become your child’s/student’s emotional coach in only five steps and in that, build a resilient child.
The presentation is facilitated by a therapist from Juno House who has years of both clinical and facilitating experience. Juno House was founded in 2008 as a Centre of Excellence for adolescent girls and young women who are experiencing anxiety-based mental health issues of self harm, obsessive compulsive disorders, depression and eating disorders.
Trauma Informed Care Approaches – Translating Trauma-Informed Principles Into Action ***please register using the poster only***
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Presented by: Ashley Meagher BA CYC & Stephanie Sands BSc. Psychology, Rocky View School Division & MHCB Stepping Stones to Mental Health
This free community-focused session explores the role that traumatic experiences can have in people's everyday life. The focus of this information is to offer a generous approach by implementing skills that help community adopt a trauma - informed approach in the relationships and roles they have. Trauma is part of human experience and working from a trauma - informed lens acknowledges the prevalence of trauma within the population. As such, adults can anticipate that they will often serve individuals who have experienced or been affected by trauma. The hope of sharing this information is that together we can create a kinder more generous community for everyone.
Adolescent Brain Development and Navigating Parent-Teen Relationships (Oct.20 recording)
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
Presenters: Kelvin Ganpatt, BA Psychology & Tashia Christie BA Psychology
Rocky View School Division and MHCB Stepping Stones to Mental Health
Adolescence is a magical time when children enter a period of huge growth and change. Bodies and brains change, emotions become more volatile, friends become more important, and the parent-child relationship morphs into a parent-teen relationship. In this session we will discuss the adolescent brain, how to support healthy brain development, promoting resilience, and navigating the ways that your relationship with your teen will evolve as they slowly but surely become little adults.
Birth Control and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) What do you need to know? ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
Presenter: Christine Sturgeon, B.Ed., Child Development Supervisor (Level III) Education Coordinator, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Alberta Health Services
Are you a trusted adult to a teen but are worried that your knowledge about birth control and STI might be out of date? Youth make healthier sexual choices when they can talk to an adult they trust about these topics. In this session for parents and professionals, build your ability to support youth by learning about:
• Creating a safer space to talk with teens about birth control and STI
• Current birth control methods that are effective for teens, how they work and how teens can get them
• Sexually transmitted infections – what they are, how people get them, how to lower risk and where teens can get testing and treatment
From Finsta to FOMO: Understanding Social Media Use in Teens ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
Presenters: Stephanie Sands, BSc. Psychology & Syeda Afreen, BASc Psychology,
Rocky View School Division & MHCB Stepping Stones to Mental Health
The world of social media is constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up. This session will look at some of the most popular platforms among Canadian youth and how to protect privacy and keep everyone safe. We will also discuss the effects of social media use on teen mental health and how to promote healthy social media habits in a digital world.
Mindfulness: Supporting Your Child’s Social and Emotional Learning ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
Presenters: Allison Salazar, MA, School Counselling & Stephanie Sands, BSc. Psychology,
Rocky View School Division & MHCB Stepping Stones to Mental Health
Feeling a little blue and not particularly cheery this time of year? You're not alone. In this session you will learn about mindfulness and take away practical tools that will help brighten these cold days. This session will explore the topic of mindfulness and how mindfulness strategies can support your child’s social and emotional well-being. Explore how the brain’s stress responses may impact social and emotional well-being and how to use mindfulness to calm the brain. Using mindfulness can lead to better focus in school, better cooperation with others, improved self-awareness, self-regulation, decrease stress/anxiety, and improve overall well-being.
Nutrition and ADHD - ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
Presenter: Jamie Lee Kwong
Parents of children and teens with ADHD are often concerned about their eating habits - are they eating enough, too much or the right type of foods? In this presentation, parents can expect to learn the fundamentals of nutrition, nutrition related to ADHD and practical strategies to make mealtimes more enjoyable!
Promising Practices for Supporting Individuals with FASD ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
Presenter: Gagan Sandhu B.Sc., Education Facilitator, Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network (CFAN)
Participants will learn:
• What is FASD?
• How can I recognize individuals with FASD in my Practice?
• Alcohol and Pregnancy
• What can I do to support individuals affected by FASD?
Words Matter! Supporting Children and Youth through the lens of Mental Health Literacy ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - Noon
While there is a positive trend to more openly talk about the mental health of our children and ourselves, there is a lot of confusion about what the terms we use actually mean! What is the difference between a mental health problem, a mental health issue, a mental disorder, and stress and anxiety, for example?
Join Kathy Jarrell, Education Consultant with the AHS Mental Health Literacy Project, for an engaging talk to clarify the terms we use. Leave the session feeling more confident about the concepts, the science and ways to learn more. Let’s not just talk about mental health....let’s talk with shared understanding!
Earth Play: The Benefits of Outdoor Exploration ***please register using the poster only***
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 6:00 PM
They don’t call them the great outdoors for nothing! Getting outside is great for both mental health and physical health! This session will provide individuals with information about the benefits of messy play, exploration, and adventure for supporting positive mental health and provide practical, age-appropriate ideas for kids to get outside, get moving, and get messy!
Screen Time & Teen Mental Health
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 6:00 PM
Teens have experienced significant life disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, social distancing, missed milestones, and family stress (e.g., income loss, parent mental illness). While teens have begun to return to normal activities and routines, the potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to have significant consequences on teen mental health and well-being has gained considerable attention.
Join Dr. Brae Anne McArthur, a Registered Psychologist, to discuss the current state of youth mental health and the relationship between screen use activities and mental health outcomes for teens. You will leave this session with a broader understanding of screen use as both an effective (i.e., engaging with others via social connection for support) and ineffective (i.e., long duration of passive screen use) mechanism for teen mental health outcomes.
Youth Mental Health Diversion: A different approach to helping youth involved in the criminal justice system
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 6:00 PM
Presented by: Paul Hawthorne RSW, GCM, MBA Student, Program Consultant II, Mental Health & Justice, Provincial Addiction and Mental Health, AHS
This webinar will discuss the following:
• What is the Youth PMHDP?
• What does the Youth PMHDP do?
• Youth PMHDP Eligibility Criteria
• How you can directly refer to the program
• Locations currently offering Youth PMHDP
• Other Youth Mental Health Diversion concepts and Initiatives
• Youth PMHDP Evaluation Results
Executive Functioning: Who’s the Boss?
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 8:00 PM
Presented by: Tanya Keto, in partnership with Foothills Academy Society
Executive Functions (EF) are mental processes that help to connect past experience with present action to guide future behaviour. Individuals with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD may experience increased difficulty in the development and use of these functions compared to their same-aged neurotypical peers. These functions underlie activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space. When students struggle in these areas, it can result in behaviours that are often labeled as “attention-seeking”, “defiant”, “showing off”, “unmotivated” or “lazy”, “emotional overreactions”, and “inflexible”, just to name a few.
School can be tough for kids and teens with EF deficits. When the adults in their world understand the how and why of EF deficits and what they can do to maximize the success of these students, it can significantly impact learning, engagement, and motivation at school. With a focus on cognitive neuroscience research and brain-based strategies that you can use to increase student engagement, motivation, and self-management, we will discuss:
• The Executive Functions and how they work
• Discuss the development of EF
• How EF deficits impact students and classroom dynamics
• How to best support students with EF deficits
Understanding Psycho-educational Assessments = Understanding Your Student
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 8:00 PM
Presented by: Tanya Keto, in partnership with Foothills Academy Society
Do you have a child or work with a student who struggles at school? Psychoeducational assessments combine standardized assessments of a child’s intellectual and academic abilities with the dynamic clinical judgment of a trained psychologist to determine the what, how, and why of struggling students. This process measures overall aptitude and academic achievement around core academic skills and any additional factors that may impact a child at school (e.g., attention and concentration, learning disability, mood, anxiety, etc.) and provides strategies to support them.
Whether a diagnosis is made or not, the information can be used to identify what the child needs to reach their potential. This session will take a deep dive into what caregivers and educators need to know about the psychoeducational process including:
• When and why psychoeducational assessments are done
• The psychological processes that underlie learning: such as language and phonological processing, fine-motor and graphomotor processing, executive functioning, visual-spatial processing, processing speed, working memory, etc.
• The specific academic skills being investigated: including reading, writing, math, language, etc.
• Aspects of social/emotional and behavioural functioning that may be impacting the student: including attention and concentration, depression, anxiety, etc.
• The diagnostic process
• Recommendations, strategies, and accommodations
• Using the psychoeducational assessment report for Individual Education/Program Planning (IPPs, IEPs, etc.)
Caregiver Self-Care and Co-Regulating with Your Child
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 9:00 PM
Presenters: Tashia Christie, BA Psychology & Kelvin Ganpatt, BA Psychology, Rocky View School Division & MHCB Stepping Stones to Mental Health
The importance of self‐care for caregivers, burnout, compassion fatigue, and helping children to practice selfcare and regulate
emotions.
Early Childhood Caries: It's about more than just baby teeth
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 9:00 PM
Presenter: Dr. Leonard Smith DDS, M.Sc., FRCD (C), FAAPD, FIIC, Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
This presentation will discuss early childhood caries (decay) ECC (baby bottle decay) and how it is caused. ECC is the most common chronic, progressive infectious disease in children 5 and younger in North America. There will be a discussion about the serious consequences to the child if it is not treated, and participants will gain a better understanding that ECC is a disease about more than just “Baby Teeth”.
Human Trafficking
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 9:00 PM
Presenter: Nathan Moore, RCMP
This webinar will focus on various ways victims can be exploited; including Sex Trafficking and Prostitution, Forced Labor/Domestic Servitude and Organ Trafficking.
This presentation will also discuss indicators that someone may be a victim, laws pertaining to trafficking, pop culture and perceptions, and what to do if you are approached.
ADHD & Executive Functioning: For Children & Youth
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 10:00 PM
The session will be an overview of ADHD and how issues with impulsivity and/or inattention impact children's ability to manage their environments. The session will also explore the impact ADHD has on Executive Functioning and how it relates to managing everyday tasks, and meeting daily expectations at home and at school, including social, emotional, behavioural and academic demands.
Bullying and Strategies to Support Your Child
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 10:00 PM
Join us for this webinar as we discuss what bullying is, some statistics and consequences of bullying.
We will also address how to determine if your child is being bullied, what you can do if you suspect bullying and what you can do if your child is being bullied.
Learning to inclusively support all children through grief and loss
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 10:00 PM
Presenter: Vanessa Siso, R. Prov. Psychologist, B.A., MC, Carya
This workshop will aim to teach caregivers, parents and professionals how to:
• Define grief and loss
• Recognize the signs of a grieving child
• Talk to a child about loss
• Teach children about grief and loss
• Use evidence-based strategies to support a child who is grieving
• Enhance a child’s resiliency amid difficult times
Parenting
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 10:00 PM
Riffat Ali (Registered Provisional Psychologist), Ph.D. Psych., MSc. Psych., Child & Youth Counselling Dip., Cert. Bullying &
Healthy Youth Relationships, Carya
Join this webinar to learn more about the following:
• Serve and return interactions between the caregiver and child
• The impact of difficult or adverse experiences on children
• Creating a loving and nurturing bridge with children throughout their development, and finding emotional balance for both the caregiver and the child within the family unit.
• Navigating discipline from early childhood into teenage years
• Strategies to support behavioral changes in children
• Skills to manage children’s stress and anxiety
• Supporting teen brain growth
Sibling Rivalry What Should I Do?
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 10:00 PM
Presenter: Julie Freedman Smith BSc, BA, Owner JFS Parent Education
Author, Blogger, Podcast Host and 20+ year Parenting Expert, Julie Freedman Smith will share the following and answer your parenting questions:
• What’s normal sibling rivalry
• How to tell if it is problematic
• When and how to jump in
• What to say
• When to mind your own business and let them sort it out on their own
Friend or Foe? How to create healthy relationships with digital devices in the family
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 11:00 PM
With the multitude of changes that have occurred in the last year, families are stuck at home and spending a lot of time with their digital devices (e.g., video games, phones, tablets). Parents especially have become concerned about how much time their children and adolescents spend facing a screen, whether it’s on TikTok or playing Fortnite. Some parents may be left wondering, “Are my kids addicted? What do I do? How will this affect them?” Learn from our experts, Tanya Mudry and Jezz Stone, on how to manage the increased use of screens/digital devices from a relational and family perspective. In this presentation, they will discuss tips for families to consider when developing healthy relationships with digital devices.
Managing Stress in the Family: Recognizing Triggers
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 11:00 PM
This session will discuss the following:
• Understand the physiology of stress
• Understand and identify triggers in the family
• Learn strategies to manage triggers
• Better understand the mind and body connection
• Learn mindfulness as a way of addressing triggers
• Explore strategies to create emotional regulation in the family
Strategies to Deal with Challenging Behaviors in Children & Teens
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 11:00 PM
Wherever you are in your parenting journey, this workshop aims to improve your skills at navigating challenging behaviors when interacting with children & youth. Participants will learn about:
Why challenging behaviors occur
How to prepare and approach communication with children & youth to help address challenging behaviors.
How to address challenging behaviors using science-based techniques.
The Building Blocks of Resilience: Strategies to Strengthen Resilience in Children and Adolescents
Available until: March 31, 2024 - 11:00 PM
Traumatic life events, such as abuse, death, natural disasters, and the current COVID-19 health pandemic, produce a wide range of stressors which affect the health and well-being of children and adolescents. We know that children and adolescents have the capacity to learn and develop important resilience skills that can help them thrive even in the face of adversity. This presentation will discuss research-based strategies that can help increase and strengthen resilience in children and adolescents. I will discuss individual and social-ecological factors that can boost coping, recovery, and overall well-being among children and adolescents, and thus improve their ability to manage challenges they are currently facing or may face in the future.