CES Sessions
All sessions are offered at no cost.
Our work takes place on historical and contemporary Indigenous lands, including the territories of Treaty 6, Treaty 7 & Treaty 8 and the homeland of the Métis Nation of Alberta and 8 Métis Settlements. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous communities that have been forged in urban centres across Alberta.
CBE Caregiver Series 2026: Mental Health & Youth ***please register using the poster only***
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Presented by: Community Health Promotion Services (CHPS), Recovery Alberta
It is normal for children and youth to experience various types of emotional distress as they develop and mature. To promote positive mental health, it is important to be aware of mental illnesses, recognize signs, engage in meaningful conversations, and support a balanced life. This presentation will support you in gaining a greater understanding of mental health and reflect on how you can support the young people in your life.
CBE Caregiver Series 2026: Unmasking ADHD in Girls Part 1: Understanding Female ADHD ***please register using the poster only***
Noon - 1:30 PM
Presented by: Dr. Alethea Heudes, Registered Psychologist
Heudes Child Psychology and Consulting
ADHD can present differently in girls, often leading to misunderstood symptoms and delayed diagnosis.
Part 1 explores how ADHD presents in girls, why it is often missed, and the impact it can have at school, in relationships, and in everyday life.
Awareness and Action: Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse Disclosures ***please register using the poster only*** *NOT being recorded*
10:30 AM - Noon
Presented by:
Jonelle Lo, BA, BSW, RSW: Jonelle has her BA in Sociology and is a Registered Social Worker. Jonelle has worked within the Government of Alberta since 2010; she has primarily held various roles within Child and Family Services including generalist work, Foster Care, and Intake. Over the last 2.5 years Jonelle has been working with Joint Investigation Child Abuse Team (JICAT) as an Intake Practitioner.
Katarina Zunjic, MSW, RSW: Katarina is a social worker and therapist who provides clinical assessment and evidence-based treatment to children and youth who have experienced trauma and abuse; she also provides evidence-based family and group treatment for children under the age of thirteen who are exhibiting problematic sexualized behaviours. Katarina has been a therapist with the Child Abuse Service, Alberta Health Services, for the past fifteen years.
This session provides a foundation for understanding, identifying, and reporting suspected child abuse. Participants may build their understanding in defining child maltreatment, recognizing signs of abuse, responding to disclosures, and navigating Child and Family Services processes related to reporting suspected abuse.
Autism: From Awareness to Understanding ***please register using the poster only***
Noon - 1:00 PM
Presented by: Yolande Daley, B.C.R. Director of Training, Janus Academy
Education and Training Specialist/Professional Learning Consultant
Participants will:
- Gain a deeper understanding of autism directly from autistic teens at Janus Academy as they share their unique lived experiences by exploring how autistic individuals differ in their communication, sensory processing, social interactions, and daily life.
- Develop awareness of the barriers and challenges that can impact an autistic person's ability to learn, participate, and thrive within their community.
The Thinking Brain: Building Executive Function, Self-Regulation & Independence ***please register using the poster only***
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Presented by: Creative Sky Psychology
With Creative Sky Psychology, participants will explore the brain skills that help children and teens plan, focus, regulate emotions, solve problems, and become more independent. You'll gain a practical understanding of executive functioning and discover how everyday interactions and routines can strengthen these essential life skills across childhood and adolescence. Participants will leave feeling equipped with creative, evidence-based strategies to support their child's growing independence, emotional self-regulation, and success at home, at school, and beyond.
Participants will learn:
• What executive functioning is, how it develops, and why it plays a critical role in learning, behaviour, and emotional wellbeing
• Why children and teens may struggle with planning, organization, attention, impulse control, and emotional regulation—and how caregivers can respond effectively
• Practical strategies to strengthen executive functioning skills through everyday routines, play, and problem-solving opportunities
• How to reduce power struggles by coaching independence instead of relying on reminders, rewards, or consequences
• Simple, evidence-based approaches that build self-regulation, flexible thinking, and confidence while supporting long-term independence
Teens & Gambling: What Adults Need to Know ***please register using the poster only*** *NOT being recorded*
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Presented by: Community Health Promotion Services (CHPS), Recovery Alberta
Participants will learn:
-How gambling is showing up in sports, gaming, and online
-Why teens are more vulnerable
-Signs to watch for
-How to talk to youth (without shutting them down)
-Practical tools to reduce risk and build connection
2SLGBTQI+: What do parents and professionals really need to know and do? ***please register using the poster only***
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Presented by: Primary Care Alberta, Sexual & Reproductive Health, Calgary Zone
Parents, guardians, and supportive adults want children to be healthy and happy. Caring, supportive families and communities can help make this happen. By coming together and sharing clear, respectful information about 2SLGBTQI+ communities, we can support all children and youth and strengthen our communities. We can work together to build healthier families and communities by:
- Learning about terms related to sexual orientation and gender identity
- Considering ways to help everyone in our families and communities feel safer and welcomed
- Exploring ways to support children, youth, and family members.
Navigating Technology with our Youth ***please register using the poster only*** *NOT being recorded*
Noon - 1:30 PM
Presented by: Andrea Halwas Larsen, PhD, CT, REACE, Associate Therapist and Education Coordinator of Juno House
This session 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.
Technology is everywhere: the good, the bad and the ugly. Our youth need to learn how to navigate this world and how to be critical about their relationship with tech.
This session is not only about technology’s impact on youth, but is also about a child’s healthy brain development and the necessary parenting role in creating healthy, emotionally regulated and integrated brains. It will teach the foundation of a child’s emotional brain development, how to grow it, and how technology can dangerously hijack it.
This 90-minute session 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 to help you and your child manage tech use,
• strategies to connect to your child including how to be an emotion coach and build a relationship that can be stronger than their relationship with their tech.
*NOT being recorded*
Executive Functioning Essentials for Parents ***please register using the poster only***
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Presented By: Tanya Keto (MEd), Registered Psychologist
Clinic Director of AVERY Family and School Psychology Services
Executive Functioning (EF) refers to the behaviour management system of the brain. These cognitive processes tell us what to do, when to do it, and how well to do it. Individuals with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD may experience increased difficulty in the development and use of these functions compared to their same-aged peers. When kids struggle to regulate their executive functioning it can result in lower grades, lack of motivation, school avoidance, social difficulties, anxiety and stress. But these “problem behaviours” are simply symptoms of unmet needs. Join Tanya to learn how difficulties with executive functioning could be causing problem behaviours and what you can do to help!