Program Agenda - Building Strong Families 2020

(Scroll down or click on each Topic to read the Topic Description)

Schedule of Events

9:30 am: Log in Time (If you log in a bit early, you'll be in the Waiting Room.)

9:45 to 10:00 am: Opening Remarks

10:00 to 11:00 am: Morning Keynote: Dr. Stuart Shanker
Topic: Building Resilience in Parents and Children: The Self-Reg View

11:15 am to 12:15 pm: Dr. Daisy Singla 
Topic: Improving Access to Talk Therapies for Perinatal Populations 

12:15 to 12:45 pm: Interactive Lunch & Twitter Chat 
Understanding RSV & Common Winter Illnesses

1:00 to 2:00 pm: Afternoon Keynote: Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis
Topic: The Importance of Examining The Whole Family in Perinatal Mental Health, Including Fathers


2:15 to 3:15 pm: Breakout Sessions

Topic: Supporting the Mental Health of Newcomer Moms in Postpartum Period
Speaker: Amy Lo

Topic: Writing Your Fairy Tale: The Power of Redefinition
Speaker: Lesley Donaldson

Topic: Optimizing Care of the Infant With NAS
Speaker: Mindy Fuzesy

Topic: Indigenous Perinatal Health: Respecting the Ceremony of Birth
Speaker: Carol Couchie

Topic: Windows of Opportunity for Feeding Success
Speaker: Maxine Scringer-Wilkes


3:30 to 4:30 pm: Closing Session: Panel moderated by André Picard

Topic: Live Panel: Maternal Mental Health: Is Canada Doing Enough? A review of maternal mental health support across the country

Panel Speaker: Catriona Hippman
Panel Speaker: Hiltrud Dawson
Panel Speaker: Dr. Gina Wong
Panel Speaker: Claire Kerr-Zlobin


Speakers & Topic Descriptions

Dr. Stuart Shanker

Building Resilience in Parents and Children: The Self-Reg View

Resilience has been a hot topic in child development and education in recent years. In this special webinar for professionals, Dr. Stuart Shanker (D. Phil), author of Self-Reg (2016) and Reframed (2020), will unlock the hidden keys to building resilience in parents and children. Dr. Shanker defines resilience as how well we can stabilize—come back to balance—after dealing stressors and challenges of all types. “The more effectively we can recover from the energy expended to deal with a stressor, the more primed we are to deal with the next stress, and the next, and the next.” Topics will include:

  • the impact of excess stress on both children and parents: how it affects our brain activity, and in turn, our energy, tension and behaviour
  • the five domains of self-regulation
  • the difference between self-regulation and self-control
  • the difference between misbehaviour and stress behaviour
  • co-regulation: the importance of relationships
  • Self-Reg: Dr. Shanker’s five-step method for understanding and managing stress, energy and tension

Dr. Daisy Radha Singla (Morning Speaker)

Improving Access to Talk Therapies for Perinatal Populations

This talk will discuss the evidence of 'talk therapies' and their application to improve access for common challenges such as perinatal depression and anxiety from a global health perspective.


Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis (Afternoon Keynote)

The Importance of Examining The Whole Family in Perinatal Mental Health, Including Fathers

The objective of this presentation is to review paternal mental health and the importance of fathers in child development. The presentation will also discuss how we can include partners in perinatal programs including mental health.

Amy Lo (Breakout Speaker)

Supporting the Mental Health of Newcomer Moms in Postpartum Period

As women move from pre to postpartum, the changes that happen to their body and mind can have a toll on their mental health. For newcomer moms, though, these changes can hit them harder since they have to adjust and go through the process in an environment that they may not be most familiar with. Considering the matter in a family system approach, the mom's mental health does not only affect them individually, but also the newborn and the family as a whole. In the present virtual workshop, participants will gain fundamental knowledge on postpartum mental health and learn how to identify signs that may require early intervention. Most importantly, the workshop will discuss tips and strategies that can help to enhance newcomer moms' mental wellness. In essence, this virtual workshop aims to increase the public's awareness, understanding, and insights in supporting the mental health of newcomer moms.

Lesley Donaldson (Breakout Speaker)

Writing Your Fairy Tale: The Power of Redefinition

Few of us truly let the direction of the wind dictate our journey. We have an idea in our head of what life is supposed to look like. What happens when our hard work, intricate plans, and biggest dreams are toppled by something beyond our control? When the future we wanted is gone, it's devastating. Lesley Donaldson-Reid shares how her high-risk pregnancy and son's extremely premature birth erased her fairytale, and how she and her family persevered through the trauma - and continue to thrive - using the power of redefinition.

Mindy Fuzesy (Breakout Speaker)

Optimizing Care of the Infant With NAS

The presentation will address current maternal opiate use and infant directed care for babies experiencing neonatal abstinence syndrome, focusing on non-pharmacological care and parents as first line treatment.

Carol Couchie (Breakout Speaker)

Indigenous Perinatal Health: Respecting the Ceremony of Birth

Carol Couchie will be discussing how Indigenous Midwives help prepare pregnant people for birth and Indigenous birthing families for the changes that a new baby brings.  She will discuss how Indigenous Midwifery brings resilience and reconciliation to both the birthing family and newborn. How the loss of Midwifery in our communities has contributed to the devastating statistics to Indigenous women and their infants.

Maxine Scringer-Wilkes (Breakout Speaker)

Windows of Opportunity for Feeding Success

Discussion about the components of human milk and their impact on child health. Recognize how important it is for sick or premature infants to receive their mother's breast milk. Hear about ways to support parents to achieve their feeding goals. Messages and actions take place at key times and the impact on feeding success. Objectives:

  1. Identify key moments in the NICU experience when information about human milk and breastfeeding is needed
  2. Learn ways to support parents to achieve their feeding goals while navigating the NICU environment.
  3. Understand the steps towards feeding success for premature or sick infants.


André Picard (Panel Moderator)

Live Panel: Maternal Mental Health: Is Canada Doing Enough? A review of maternal mental health support across the country

Wherever maternal mental health is a priority, communities thrive. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Moms in need of support often realize it’s up to them to find it.

Join us as we reveal and explore extensive research detailing maternal mental health infrastructure in each province–including where gaps exist.

Genetic researcher, clinical assistant professor and Research Fellow with the Reproductive and Infant Psychiatry programs at BC Children's Hospital, Catriona L. Hippman joins us to discuss her findings along with a stellar panel of experts including:

Hiltrud Dawson, neonatal RN, former midwife and Team Lead at Best Start by Health Nexus

Dr. Gina Wong, Registered Psychologist, Professor, and Program Chair in the Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology in the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University

Moderated by 6-time author and Globe & Mail Health Columnist, André Picard.

Panel Speakers




 
Catriona HippmanHiltrud DawsonDr. Gina Wong Claire Kerr-Zlobin

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