Ateliers - Conférence annuelle de sensibilisation de suicide

KEYNOTE ADDRESS (9:15 to 11 a.m.)

Dr. Jennifer Brasch
Inspiring Hope and the Reasons to go on Living Project

Dr. Brasch was the Medical Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Service at St. Joseph’s Healthcare from 2000-2014. She became interested in recovery after a suicide attempt while working in the Psych. Emerg, which led to her interest in narrative research (www.thereasons.ca). Dr. Brasch is now the outpatient psychiatrist for the Concurrent Disorders Service at St. Joseph’s Healthcare. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and actively involved in medical education at the undergraduate and resident training levels.

MORNING WORKSHOPS: A to D (11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

A. Unfinished Road: John Rice - This session examines the “Miikaans” Teaching, the spirit
journey from the Creator, through life and back to the Creator. The concept of what
happens when an individual has an “unfinished road” and how loved ones assist the
Spirit to return to the Creator will be introduced. This session is in PowerPoint format
and participants will have copies of the PowerPoint made available.
Life is examined as: The Spirit with unfinished business
Zahgausgai/Mukwa Dodem, is an Ojibwa/Anishinabeninni and a 3rd Degree member of
the Three Fires Midewiwin Society from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound,
Ontario. John is a student of the Miikaans Teaching which is an Anishinaabe teaching
about the Spirit’s journey through this physical realm and the mind’s adjustments to
physiological and experiential events. He adds this expertise to the Early Psychosis
Intervention Team at Canadian Mental Health Association in Barrie, Ontario and the
Enaahtig Outreach Team in Orillia, Ontario. His past work experience includes work
such as; Part time lecturer at Georgian College – Barrie, the Coordinator of Aboriginal
Spiritual Services at the Mental Health Centre in Penetanguishene and Elder/Healer to
Aboriginal inmates at the Fenbrook Institution near Gravenhurst, Ontario.

B. Transitioning to College and the Risk of Suicide: Karyn Baker and Gregory Taylor -
Transitioning to Post-Secondary Education can be an emotionally challenging time for
many students. This interactive workshop will highlight both the reasons for why
transitioning students experience high levels of emotional distress and also share
strategies that Georgian College has developed to support students throughout these
challenging times. Case scenarios and experiences of students will be shared with the
workshop participants.
Karyn Baker is the Project Lead for the Campus Mental Health Partnerships project at
Georgian College. This Mental Health Innovation funded project in partnership with
Centennial College is developing a system delivery model of triage, care and partnership
which can be disseminated to other post-secondary institutions. Karyn has worked in
community mental health for 30 years and is presently on leave from her role as
Executive Director of the Family Outreach and Response Program in Toronto. Karyn
also works as a consultant and trainer in the area of mental health recovery.
Greg Taylor is currently the Counseling Coordinator and part-time Case Manager at
Georgian and has worked at Georgian for nearly 20 years. Before becoming a counselor
at Georgian, he worked in youth employment, corrections, residence management co-op
education, and currently holds a part-time private practice as a relationship therapist
Greg provides a number of workshops and trainings at Georgian for both students and
staff including safeTALK, compassion fatigue and conflict resolution. Greg recently
became a member of the Suicide Awareness Conference Committee and he looks
forward to sharing some of his expertise at the Conference.

C. The OPP Crisis Negotiation Program - An Introduction to Negotiating with Suicidal
Persons & Related Case Studies: A/Sgt. Kris Size - Understanding the basic concept
and skills and obstacles involved in a successful Crisis Negotiation strategy. Offering
related case studies.
A/Sgt. Kris Size is the current Provincial Coordinator with the Ontario Provincial Police
Crisis Negotiation Program. He served 15 years on the OPP Trauma Support Team
supporting fellow officers involved in lethal and life threatening incidents leaving the
team as the Acting Provincial Team Leader in 2013 to focus his interests on the
Negotiation Program. He is a member of the Canadian Critical Incident Advisory Board
and has been a police officer for 24 years serving within the City of Toronto and several
OPP areas of jurisdiction in various capacities.

D. Supporting LGBTQ Youth: A Toolkit for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide
Prevention: D. Ryan Dyck - Egale Canada Human Rights Trust is committed to
advancing collaborative and coordinated research, education and programming across
Canada to prevent suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, Two Spirit, queer and
questioning (LGBTQ) youth. In the past three years, Egale has convened 2 international
Summits on LGBTQ youth suicide prevention, bringing together experts from across
Canada and the United States. These summits have informed the development of
Egale’s LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Toolkit, to be
launched in early April 2015. This workshop will provide an orientation to the resources
contained in the toolkit, specifically tailored to social workers, educators, guidance
counselors, parents, peers, health care professionals, shelter workers and survivors.
D. Ryan Dyck is Director of Egale’s Research, Policy and Development Department,
which holds responsibility for compiling, producing and communicating the best-available
evidence, information and tools for promoting and fostering the human rights and
equitable inclusion of LGBTQ people throughout all aspects of society.
In 2012, Ryan produced Egale’s documentary short film “Courage in the Face of Hate,”
the first Canadian documentary to focus on the human impact of hate crimes, violence
and bullying against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and two spirit Canadians. From the
research collected through this project, he co-authored “I Don’t Know Where it is Safe:
Trans Women’s Experiences of Violence”, an article published in “Queer/ing
Criminology: New Directions and Frameworks,” a special 2014 issue of the journal
Critical Criminology. Ryan is the lead organizer of Egale’s biennial LGBTQ Youth
Suicide Prevention Summit, which serves as the guide for the organization’s national
suicide prevention research and programming.
Ryan’s background lies in policy development, government relations and community
engagement, having worked for the Canadian federal government in the areas of security
and intelligence, governance, immigration and labour law. He holds a Master of Arts in
Women’s Studies from York University. Originally from British Columbia, Ryan has
spent the last ten years in Ontario and has been with Egale for nine years, having first
started as a volunteer in 2006.

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS: E to H (1:45 to 3 p.m.)

E. Unfinished Road Unplugged: John Rice - This session examines the “Miikaans”
Teaching, the spirit journey from the Creator, through life and back to the Creator. The
concept of what happens when an individual has an “unfinished road” and how loved
ones assist the Spirit to return to the Creator will be introduced. This afternoon session
is in story telling format and is intended to be meditative with songs at appropriate points
in the teaching.
Life is examined as: The Spirit with unfinished business
Zahgausgai/Mukwa Dodem, is an Ojibwa/Anishinabeninni and a 3rd Degree member of
the Three Fires Midewiwin Society from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound,
Ontario. John is a student of the Miikaans Teaching which is an Anishinaabe teaching
about the Spirit’s journey through this physical realm and the mind’s adjustments to
physiological and experiential events. He adds this expertise to the Early Psychosis
Intervention Team at Canadian Mental Health Association in Barrie, Ontario and the
Enaahtig Outreach Team in Orillia, Ontario. His past work experience includes work
such as; Part time lecturer at Georgian College – Barrie, the Coordinator of Aboriginal
Spiritual Services at the Mental Health Centre in Penetanguishene and Elder/Healer to
Aboriginal inmates at the Fenbrook Institution near Gravenhurst, Ontario.

F. Yoga and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Dawn Balfour – This workshop is an
introduction to Yoga and mindfulness. Mindfulness is non-judgmental moment-to-
moment awareness. It allows you to be more comfortable with whom you are, and to
deal more effectively with whatever life brings you, from a place of inner strength and
stability. You will experience the benefits of both modalities through a guided movement,
meditation and breathing techniques that reduce stress and calm the mind. Observing
your experience moment by moment, breath by breath.
Please dress comfortably if attending this workshop. Please bring along a yoga mat,
towel or blanket.
Dawn is a Certified Comprehensive Yoga Therapist and Instructor who works in the
Barrie area. She dedicates her time to the local community by working for Dr. Jaak
Reichmann at the Center for Inner Freedom in Barrie and is passionate about sharing the
tools available to us through Yogic philosophies and Mindfulness techniques. The
Center for Inner Freedom provides the community with an eight or nine week program to
learn the techniques of Mindfulness to reduce stress. These Programs are facilitated by
Dr. Jaak Reichmann and are covered by OHIP.

G. Soldiers’ Children: The Voices of Children in Military Families Living with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder: Laura Sky - We will explore the following observations: PTSD is too
often a consequence of the work experiences of police and members of the military.
Professional trauma is most often also experienced by spouses and children. PTSD is
not simply a mental illness. This is not simply about family or individual pathology, their
teachers and mental health and family support staff across the country. This film has
been found to speak to the experiences of children and families of first responders.
In 1983, after eight years at the National Film Board, Laura Sky established Toronto’s
Sky Works Charitable Foundation and began her career as an independent film director
and producer. Laura’s work is widely known and acknowledged both here at home and
throughout the world as evidenced by the many awards and citations her films have
received. She has taught film at Queen’s, York, and Ryerson Universities and has
lectured extensively throughout Canada, Germany and Sweden. In June 2004 Laura
received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Laurentian University for her
achievements as “one of Canada’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers”. In
1986 she received a Woman of Distinction award from the YWCA of Metropolitan
Toronto for her contribution to arts and letters. A socially committed creative artist, Laura
Sky has made her personal vision of film making a vibrant and popular reality.

H. ”Suicide – The S Word”: Sarah Cannon – Sarah will speak openly about her experiences
as both a mother and spouse who has experienced suicide from both a personal
experience, as well as reflection on what systems can do better for families.
Sarah Cannon is the Executive Director of Parents for Children’s Mental Health. Sarah
has two daughters, both of whom struggle with mental health challenges. Sarah also lost
her husband to Bipolar Disorder after he took his life in their family home. Sarah’s
youngest daughter has also had a suicide attempt. Sarah’s presentation focuses on the
experiences of families supporting loved ones who are struggling with suicidal ideation,
the system that they navigate to try to support them, and the wake suicide leaves the
family in. This is a frank look behind the curtain of suicide. Sarah will speak openly
about her experiences as both a mother and a spouse who has experienced suicide from
both a personal experience, as well as reflection on what systems can do better for
families.

CLOSING ADDRESS (3:15 to 4 p.m.)

Laughing Like Crazy
Emma Wedge Ardal

Emma has had many roles with Laughing Like Crazy—from Participant to Group Facilitator, Associate Director, Program Director to her current role as Volunteer Supervisor at the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario. She has a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies & Philosophy and a lifelong passion for inclusive humour.