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.

Poster

Talking to Youth with Complex Needs About Sexuality ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Presenter: Primary Care Alberta (PCA), Sexual & Reproductive Health, Calgary Zone

Presenter bio: PCA Sexual & Reproductive Health is a leader in sexual health, providing integrated clinical, education and health promotion services in the Calgary zone. Our educators deliver affirming, objective and accessible comprehensive sexuality education to community, school and professional groups. Committed to using evidence-informed approaches, we support Albertans develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to enhance their own healthy sexuality through life.


Everyone, no matter their ability, deserves sexual health information, but people with disabilities are often left out of these conversations. In this session, you will learn how to talk about sexual health and sexuality with youth who have complex needs.

Youth Crime ***please register using the poster only*** *NOT being recorded*

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Presented by: Taylore Saban, Community Outreach Coordinator,
YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre

Participants will learn:

- How and why young people engage in criminal behaviour, as well as the lasting impact on their lives and communities.
- Current trends in youth crime, challenging popular media and common misconceptions, and the risk factors associated with young offenders.
- Consequences of youth crime through the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the use of extrajudicial measures in youth sentencing, and the reality of youth incarceration.
- What protects youth, families, and communities from engaging in risky behaviour, and numerous youth-focused resources available within Calgary.

Understanding OCD: An Overview of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ***please register using the poster only***

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Presented by: Lisa Skriver, MEd. RPsych.

This session will focus on understanding what OCD is, who is affected by OCD, and the treatments available. There will also be information about resources and support available for individuals with OCD and their families.

Can We Talk: Childhood (0-12yrs) Development and Sexuality ***please register using the poster only*** ** NOT RECORDED

10:00 AM - Noon

Presented by:
Diana Wark (She/Her), Parent Program Coordinator for Centre for Sexuality

Join us for an interactive workshop to learn how to navigate those sometimes awkward but essential conversations that foster well-being, healthy relationships and informed decision-making. We empower parents with knowledge, skills and confidence to engage in open, honest and supportive conversations about sexuality and sexual health with their children.

This session we will learn about childhood milestones. Explore why and how to use correct words for body parts, establish boundaries and discuss consent for the very young to elementary school age children. Get your questions answered and learn how to answer your little ones’ questions.

** Session is NOT recorded

Growing Resilient Teens ***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.

Before high school graduation, 1/3 of adolescent girls will experience depression, anxiety disorders, self-harm or an eating disorder. However, parents, coaches and teachers have extraordinary healing powers to support our teens as they develop into young adulthood.

Resilience is not taught, it is grown in our children. There are ways that we can help our children become more resilient starting within our relationship first.

This 90-minute session will provide participants with:
• a basic introduction of interpersonal neurobiology and anxiety,
• the essential role emotions play in mental well-being,
• how to identify emotions in your child,
• strategies to have a better relationship with your child including how to be an emotion coach.

NOT being recorded

Growing Up Takes Risk - Supporting healthy teen development ***please register using the poster only***

Noon - 1:30 PM

Presenter: Primary Care Alberta, Sexual & Reproductive Health, Calgary Zone

Presenter bio:

PCA Sexual & Reproductive Health is a leader in sexual health, providing integrated clinical, education and health promotion services in the Calgary zone. Our educators deliver affirming, objective and accessible comprehensive sexuality education to community, school and professional groups. Committed to using evidence-informed approaches, we support Albertans develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to enhance their own healthy sexuality through life.

Session information:

Parents, guardians, supportive adults and teens themselves often fear teen risk-taking. Yet, to grow into healthy adults, teens need to take risks to learn new things, build new skills, and make new decisions. This is why the teen brain is wired to take risks. This wiring means that the choices teens make about risks will change their life - in good ways or bad. In this session we will learn about supporting teens to make healthy risk-taking choices by:
• Learning about teen brain development
• Exploring how to support teens decide which risks to take and ways to make risk taking activities safer
• Thinking about the impact of our responses to teen successes and failures

Rethinking Challenging Behaviour - An Introduction to Collaborative Problem Solving® ***please register using the poster only*** *NOT being recorded*

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Presented by: Matt Sticksl, Certified Trainer, Collaborative Problem Solving® (Think:Kids), New Light Learning

Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) is a compassionate, evidence-based, trauma-informed approach that provides a philosophy and tools to understand and effectively address challenging behaviour. This session will explore what causes challenging behaviours and provide an overview of the three key components of the CPS approach. Parents and professionals attending this session will get foundational knowledge of CPS and be informed of more in-depth learning opportunities in the future. If you would like more information about CPS prior to the session, please visit https://thinkkids.org/.

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*

Strong From Within - Fostering Confidence and Self-Esteem in Children and Teens ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Presented by: Shannon Kelly, Registered Psychologist (R. Psych.), Creative Sky Psychology

With Creative Sky Psychology, parents and caregivers will learn how confidence and self-esteem take root — and what helps them grow. You’ll discover practical, encouraging ways to support your child’s sense of self-worth, competence, and courage in today’s world.

Participants will learn:
• How confidence develops differently at each age and stage
• Common parent pitfalls that accidentally undermine self-esteem
• Practical ways to replace praise with encouragement that sticks
• Tools for helping kids manage self-doubt, comparison, and perfectionism
• How to model self-kindness and confidence in everyday life

Is Your Child Struggling at School? It May Be Time for a Psychoeducational Assessment ***please register using the poster only***

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Presented by: Tanya Keto (MEd), Co-Clinic Director AVERY Family and School Psychology Services Registered Psychologist

Psychoeducational assessments combine standardized assessments of a child’s intellectual and academic abilities and behavioural rating scales 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 in core academic skills, as well as any additional factors that may impact a child's performance at school (e.g., attention and concentration, learning disabilities, 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 student needs to reach their potential. This session will take a deep dive into what teachers need to know about the psychoeducational process including:

• The psychological processes that underlie learning to read, write, and do math
• 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.)

Good-bye Sleepless Nights: Infant Sleep Training for Parents ***please register using the poster only***

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Presenter: Mary MacLeod, MSc, Community Health, Cumming School of Medicine
Director of Research Family Sleep Institute, Founder of De Somno, Member of – International Pediatric Sleep Association, Behavioural Sleep Medicine Association, International Association of Child Sleep Consultants

If you've spent hours Googling "why isn't my baby sleeping," join us for an evidence-based common approach to infant sleep. We'll help you navigate the challenges of infant sleep, leaving you with tools and strategies so you and your baby get restful sleep.

Brave Minds, Flexible Futures: Building Problem-Solving and Resilience in Children and Teens ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Presented by: Shannon Kelly, Registered Psychologist (R. Psych.), Creative Sky Psychology

With Creative Sky Psychology, participants will explore how problem-solving and resilience develop across childhood and adolescence — and how parents can nurture these skills through everyday moments. You will leave feeling equipped with creative, evidence-based strategies to help your child handle challenges with calm, confidence, and flexibility.

Participants will learn:
• How children and teens think through problems differently — and why it matters
• The link between frustration tolerance, emotional safety, and real-world resilience
• Coaching language that builds problem-solving confidence (without rescuing!)
• How to help kids recover from mistakes and try again
• Simple family routines that strengthen adaptability and optimism

Supporting Youth: How to Respond to Sexual Health Misinformation ***please register using the poster only***

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Presented by: Primary Care Alberta, Sexual & Reproductive Health, Calgary Zone

Everyone needs quality information about sexuality to be healthy, yet misinformation and disinformation about sexuality continues to cause problems for youth. In this session, we will talk about:

• Mis-, dis-, and mal-information - where do youth come across them and how they impact youth mental and sexual health
• How sexuality education and media literacy offer useful responses to mis-, dis-, and mal-information and support youth mental and sexual health
• Tips for supporting youth media and sexual health literacy
• Reputable, youth friendly resources for credible sexuality information