Unraveling the Relationship Between Mind Wandering and Executive Function in Childhood ADHD ***please register using the poster only***

Noon - 1:30 PM

Presented by: Fiza Hasan, BSc Hons in Psychology (2022), MA in Psychology & Law (Current)

The current study examined the link between mind wandering frequency and its impact on executive function skills in children (ages 8-12) with ADHD. Participants will learn about cognitive abilities useful in understanding and addressing the dynamics of mind wandering in ADHD. Furthermore, the study findings may hold relevance in academic or home settings to help children better regulate their attention.

Poster

Working Together to Prevent Technology Based Child Sexual Abuse ***please register using the poster only***

10:30 AM - Noon

Presented by: Jennifer McAlpine, RSW, Research and Evaluation Project Manager & Sandi Pineda-Selva, MA, Manager of Prevention Services, Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre

This session will explore how technology is changing the impacts of child sexual abuse including issues such as sextortion, sharing of intimate images and child sexual abuse material. Participants will also learn how to recognize, respond and report child abuse emphasizing the community's collective role in child abuse prevention.

Learning Outcomes:

1) Participants will understand the risks associated with technology-based child abuse
2) participants will learn about how technology is being used in child sexual abuse
3) participants will learn how to recognize, respond and report child abuse

Poster

Unhealthy Relationships and Dating Violence ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Presented by: Nathan Moore, RCMP

• Learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships
• Discuss the impact of unhealthy relationships and dating violence on victims
• Discuss the legal consequences of dating violence
• Examine Strategies for preventing unhealthy relationships and responding to dating violence

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.

ADHD & Executive Functioning ***please register using the poster only***

10:00 AM - Noon

Presented by: Tashia Christie, BA (Honours) Psychology & Melissa Ramsay BSW, RSW
Rocky View School Division and MHCB Stepping Stones to Mental Health

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.

Vaping & Youth ***please register using the poster only***

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Presented by: Health Promotion Facilitators, Community Health Promotion Services (CHPS), Mental Health Collaborative, Alberta Health Services

Across Canada, e-cigarette use, also known as vaping, is reaching new heights amongst teenagers. This presentation will focus on common devices used for vaping, substances vaped such as nicotine and cannabis, and the health risks associated with vaping. We will present on how to engage in challenging conversations with your young person regarding vaping.

Navigating Peer Rejection in Childhood ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Presenter: Vanessa Siso, R. Psych, Primary Care Network (PCN)

• Understanding Peer Rejection:
Understand the causes of and impacts of peer rejection based on current research.

• Building Resilience:
Discuss preventive measures to mitigate the negative effects of peer rejection before they occur.

• Support Strategies:
Learn to implement practical approaches to address the needs of both rejected children and those exhibiting rejecting behaviors.

Supporting Youth Who Use Substances: A Guide for Navigating Youth and Substance Use***please register using the poster only***

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Presented by: Thressa Zilinski, BSc Food & Nutrition and Laurie Hunter, RSW, BSW.
North Zone Mental Health Promotion- AHS

This workshop focuses on understanding youth substance use and treatments available. Participants will learn to identify problematic youth substance use, describe caregiver strategies for talking to youth and substance us, and navigate the stages of change

Navigating Suicide Prevention: Understanding Risk, Building Resilience, and Fostering Community Support ***please register using the poster only***

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Presented by: Cole Smith, Child and Youth Care Worker and Josh Shelley, Social Work Student from MRU.
Woods Homes Crisis Counseling Team

This presentation delves into the critical aspects of suicide, including the assessment of suicide risk. It explores commonly held beliefs surrounding suicide, addressing the impact of trauma and stress on mental health.

The discussion extends to proactive suicide prevention measures, emphasizing the development of safety plans and the cultivation of resilience. Additionally, the presentation underscores the significance of community support in creating a holistic approach to addressing and preventing suicide.

Cherishing Parenthood: Understanding and Coping with Postpartum Emotions ***please register using the poster only***

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Presenters: Abigail Erasmus BA(ChSt), Family Support Coordinator, Robyn Macpherson ECE, BA(ChSt), Family Support Facilitator Jessica Stokes Dip. in Social Work, RSW, Family Support Facilitator, Parent and Caregiver Support Services with the City of Chestermere

The postpartum period is an intricate tapestry of emotions, woven with the threads of joy, exhaustion, love, and vulnerability. New mothers often find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster as they navigate the profound changes that come with bringing a new life into the world and having their relationships change. Amidst the euphoria of welcoming their bundle of joy, there can be moments of overwhelming fatigue, self-doubt, and a spectrum of emotions that may catch them by surprise. Hormonal fluctuations, coupled with the demands of caring for a newborn, create a unique emotional landscape. It's crucial for new mothers to recognize and embrace this range of feelings, seeking support when needed, and understanding that these emotions are a natural part of the transformative journey into motherhood.

Building Resiliency in Today's Youth ***please register using the poster only***

Noon - 1:30 PM

Presented by: Andrea Halwas, BA, MFA, PhD, REACE, Registered Expressive Arts Therapy Consultant, Associate Therapist & Educational Coordinator at Juno House

Brought to you by specialists in Girls' Mental Health

Before High School graduation, one-third of adolescent girls will experience depression, anxiety disorders, self-harm or an eating disorder. However, there is an incredible power in caregivers who can support our youth, both young women and men, before they seek therapy.

At Juno House®, we believe in the extraordinary healing power of parents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers. In our 1.5 hour workshop presentation, we will share steps and strategies from the Juno House Therapeutic Model® that will provide effective emotional coaching tools for today’s youth as they develop through adolescence and into young adulthood.

We believe that talking does not grow neurons; experience grows neurons. This workshop is designed to give caregivers the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:
• Basic introduction of interpersonal neurobiology,
• Where emotions live in our brains,
• The essential role emotions play in mental well being,
• How to identify emotions in youth,
• How to become an emotional coach in only five steps.

Creating a Culture of Respect: Understanding 2SLGBTQ for Parents ***please register using the poster only***

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

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

We provide workshops designed to increase parents’ confidence and comfort in talking with their children about sexuality and relationships.

In this workshop parents can expect to gain deeper understanding of the concepts around sexual and gender diversity and we will provide tools to increase parents comfort in supporting 2SLGBTQ+ youth. We will explore terms and definitions as well as ways parents can engage in accepting behaviours and reduce rejecting behaviours in parenting our 2SLGBTQ+ youth.

Youth and Mindfulness ***please register using the poster only***

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Presenter: Sheetal Pandher, Youth facilitator,
Viewpoints team at Closer to Home Community Services

Participants will learn:

What exactly mindfulness is and the importance of teaching it to youth. The benefits of implementing mindfulness into the routines of youth and how to do it.

Men’s Real Talk - Workshop Highlighting men’s experiences of abuse and the impact it can have on the family environment ***please register using the poster only***

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Presenter: Trevor Williams, Men’s Real Talk Coordinator with Sagesse

Participants can expect to understand the importance of informal supports for people disclosing domestic abuse experiences. You can also expect to understand the nuances and types of coercive ways people can control one another and why someone might stay in an abusive situation. Participants will learn the impact this can have on children and youth in the home and how domestic abuse will impact the family. Finally, you can expect to have improved skills about how to have hard conversations with people in your lives.

Can We Talk? Parenting and Sexual Health ***please register using the poster only***

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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

We provide workshops designed to increase parents’ confidence and comfort in talking with their children about sexuality and relationships.

Interactive activities and discussion help parents identify their family’s values about sexuality and clarify how to communicate these to their children. Issues addressed include why you should talk with your child about sexuality; your child’s physical, mental, emotional, and social development; how to give easy answers to tough questions; and where to find more information and support.

Conflict and Executive Function ***please register using the poster only***

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Presented by: Sarah Haliwell, Parent Educator, BSc

This presentation will discuss what executive function is and how it can affect/create conflict. You will learn some techniques on how to mitigate/reduce that conflict.

How Do We Figure Out What Consequences To Use? ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Presenter: Julie Freedman Smith BSc, BA, Owner JFS Parent Education

Julie will share:
• What works and what doesn’t when it comes to consequences.
• Language that helps kids understand how to make positive
choices.
• How to parent when too many consequences feel exhausting.

Push To Heal - Skateboarding as a Tool for Regulation, Connection, and Education ***please register using the poster only***

Noon - 1:30 PM

Presented by: Joel Pippus, CYC Cert., Training and Education Facilitator and Push To Heal Project Lead at Pathways to Prevention: A Centre for Childhood Trauma, Hull Services

Talking Points:

1. The story of Push To Heal and what we have learned along the way
2. Skateboarding as a whole-brain activity and tool for healing from past trauma
3. Our pilot study in partnership with the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Street CCRED highlighting the therapeutic benefit of skateboarding
4. How to practically apply the things that we have learned about skateboarding in therapeutic and educational settings.

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.

Gangs and Guns ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Presenter: Adriana Dewar BA, MA, Community Educator, YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre, Calgary Police Service

• Understand the current gang related challenges and occurrences happening withinthe city of Calgary.
• Learn how to recognize if your child is participating in high-risk behavior and how young people become involved.
• Know the effects organized crime has on the community and families involved.
• Gain skills to help support young people in avoiding a high risk lifestyle.
• Learn what you can do in your community, in your home and where to get help.
• Understand the work taking place by the Calgary Police Service to combat gang-related issues.

Real Talk: Break the Cycle of Domestic Abuse ***please register using the poster only***

Noon - 1:30 PM

Presenter: Carolyn Mitchell, Real Talk Program Coordinator with Sagesse

Domestic abuse is at epidemic levels in Alberta with 1 in 3 individuals experiencing violence in their lifetime. Incidents of domestic abuse exist across rural and urban areas, within all cultural and faith communities, all ages, amongst university educated professionals with a roof over their heads and those who don’t know where their next safe place to sleep will be. Children are significantly impacted living in homes where domestic abuse occurs, and early identification of difficulties can lead to earlier and more effective support for children and their families. It’s time to get real. In Real Talk participants will learn how to recognize and talk about domestic abuse, they will learn how to support someone if they know or suspect that they might be experiencing it and learn where and how they can refer to community resources.

Supporting Positive Relationships with Food, Body, and Movement ***please register using the poster only***

Noon - 1:00 PM

Elizabeth Tingle, BEd, MA
Research Coordinator for the Body Image Research Lab at the University of Calgary

Learn why children and youth need direct modeling and support to develop holistic and moderate approaches to food and movement in order to develop a positive body image. Practical strategies, ideas, and resources will be offered to guide adults in knowing how to help the young people they care about.

Managing Challenging Behaviours ***please register using the poster only***

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Presented by: Kayla Yuzdepski, a Family Champion Facilitator at the YW Family Resource Network

Everyone has intense emotions, the trick is being able to navigate them.
Through this presentation you will learn about the crisis cycle and how to intervene at a different moment to reduce the risk of an intense emotional outburst. You can use these strategies with anyone in your life, despite their age.

navigate for kids - an online tool to help find disability related resources ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Presenters: Chelsea Wetherup, BCR, Program Coordinator & Karen Divina BA(ChSt), Family Support Coordinator, Calgary SCOPE Society’s Gateways Services

• Will provide an overview of Calgary SCOPE Society’s Outreach Services and supports offered.
• Q & A for disability related supports and FSCD funding.
• navigate for kids provides disability related resources for families with children (up to 18 years of age) with developmental disabilities in Calgary.
• The purpose of this web application is to help parents, guardians, educators and professionals find supports specific to the child’s needs.
• This free web application is available in Tagalog, Punjabi, Chinese and Arabic languages.

The Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Parents: How to alleviate Parenting Stress ***please register using the poster only***

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Presenter: Dr. Riffat Ali PhD, M.Phil, M.Sc Psychology (Registered Psychologist), carya

This presentation will discuss:
• Factors that may impact parent’s Mental health
• Types of stressors and their impact on Parents and siblings
• Coping Strategies to alleviate parenting stress/burnout

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.

Eating Disorders: An Introduction ***please register using the poster only***

10:00 AM - Noon

Presented by: Teresa Futers MSW, RSW and Suzanne Evanson MSW, RSW
AHS Family Counsellors & Program Consultants with the Calgary Eating Disorders Program

By the end of this course, participants will be equipped to:

• Explain what is considered an eating disorder and the complex nature of these illnesses.
• Describe potential risks and consequences of an eating disorder.
• Describe basic engagement techniques and considerations for treatment.