Unmasking Micro-Inequities - Center for Race and Culture (CFRAC)

Learn about micro-inequities, how they impact others, and how to hold people accountable for them.

The Centre for Race and Culture has developed a series of educational workshops and free open-access resources for service providers and the general public in Edmonton, Alberta under the name Unmasking Micro-inequities. This project supports participants to learn ways to hold themselves and others accountable when faced with everyday moments of discrimination—specifically micro-inequities—in their own lives and workplaces. We define micro-inequities as subtle, indirect, and often unintentional practices or behaviours that communicate bias or prejudice against members of marginalized groups, making them feel belittled, excluded, disrespected, or disadvantaged. These discriminatory acts occur across power dynamics, impacting members of marginalized groups such as women, 2SLGBTQ+ folks, people with disabilities, religious minorities, and persons living in poverty. By learning about the interplay between macro- and micro-level inequities, participants will learn why micro-inequities are not small or insignificant, but harmful. Together, we will explore the various forms of micro-inequities and the power dynamics that inform them, along with strategies for recognizing and meaningfully responding to incidents of micro-inequities. Educational content will include definitions, up-to-date theory, and a broad range of examples and stories, all contextualized to the realities we face in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Using an engaged approach, opportunities for self-reflection, sharing experiences, discussion and action-planning will be woven throughout the workshops and resources. 

We will learn: 

• What micro-inequities and microaggressions are;  

• How to recognize and unmask them;   

• Why and how they are harmful; and, 

• Strategies for intervening in them (as bystanders, allies and targets) 

For more information: CFRAC Training

KAIROS Blanket Exercise – Reach Edmonton

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a workshop that explores the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Blankets arranged on the floor represent land and participants are invited to step into the roles of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. The workshop helps people to understand how the colonization of this land impacts those who were here long before settlers arrived. It engages people’s minds and hearts in understanding why the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is often broken and how we can take an action together.

The Blanket Exercise is available for community organizations in Edmonton and surrounding areas upon requests. The cost is subsidized by REACH for non-profit organizations that work with vulnerable populations. It is recommended that groups have a minimum of 12 participants.

If you are interested in having Blanket Exercise for your team, please contact Rie Nakai at rie.nakai@reachedmonton.ca.

To register: KAIROS Blanket Exercise – REACH

Intercultural Learning and Social Justice Workshops – Multicultural Health Brokers Co-Operative

These workshops intend to increase knowledge and build skills of participants in understanding social and cultural identities and how they influence experience of privilege, oppression and marginalization. 

These workshops explore broader issues of inequities and the complexities of building intercultural alliances to achieve social justice and change

Workshops can include:

• Integrating a racial equity lens in policy and practice 

• Organizing culturally diverse communities for change

Interested? Individuals and organizations interested in accessing our Journeys program can contact MCHB for public offerings and customized workshops for organizations. For more information contact Arlyn at mchb@mchb.org or call 780-423-1973.

Website page: MCHB - Journeys to Intercultural Wisdom and Equity

Skills Building Workshops – Multicultural Health Brokers Co-Operative

The skills building workshops will enable participants to apply intercultural strategies and tools in various areas of practice. 

We recommend that individuals complete the Foundations of Intercultural Practice Workshop to maximize the learning experience.

The suite of skill building workshops include:

• Intercultural communication – communication styles, verbal and non-verbal communication and intercultural communication bridging strategies 

• Intercultural planning and engagement – designing and evaluating programs and services across cultures, engaging people and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds

• Cultural mediation and brokering – the concept and practice of acknowledging and bridging differences in a variety of context 

• Trauma-informed workshop – focusing on the unique causes and impacts of trauma on immigrant and refugee populations..

• Practice-specific workshops – parenting in two cultures, family violence prevention across cultures, chronic disease prevention in culturally diverse communities 

The length of any of these workshops can vary from 2 – 6 hours depending on the interests and preferences of participants and requesting organizations.

Interested? Individuals and organizations interested in accessing our Journeys program can contact MCHB for public offerings and customized workshops for organizations. For more information contact Arlyn at mchb@mchb.org or call 780-423-1973.

Website page: MCHB - Journeys to Intercultural Wisdom and Equity

Foundations for Intercultural Practice Workshop– Multicultural Health Brokers Co-Operative

This foundational workshop will increase your knowledge about interacting, relating and communicating with culturally diverse people. 

Participants will be able to:

• Incorporate diverse cultural contexts in their work and practice

• Be more confident to address cultural issues in a personal and professional context 

Topics may include:

• Overview of Diversity and Immigration

• Cultural Self-Awareness

• Cultural Knowledge

• Introduction to Intercultural Learning and Development

Interested? Individuals and organizations interested in accessing our Journeys program can contact MCHB for public offerings and customized workshops for organizations. For more information contact Arlyn at mchb@mchb.org or call 780-423-1973.

Website page: MCHB - Journeys to Intercultural Wisdom and Equity

Rights of Young People & In-School Human Rights Practice – John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Advocacy

Using diverse and age-appropriate educational resources and fun interactive activities, we guide the exploration of various issues and elements of human rights relevant to schools and the communities where they are located.

JHC was founded with a core principle of creating space for young people to engage in and know their rights and responsibilities in community.

 JHC can support young people, teachers and school administration in implementing human rights and peace education while creating human rights communities. JHC’s education team uses human rights-based approaches and tools to help your school and students advance a culture of inclusion and equity. We create processes and sessions to build Rights Respecting Schools where everyone is respected, included, valued and belongs.

These courses include:

• Human Rights and Peace Education for Educators

• Human Rights and Peace Education for Young People

• Digital Literacy and Online Safety

For more information: JHC – RYPISHRP

To register: JHC – Workshop Google Form

Building Equity, Diversity and Inclusion through an Anti-Oppressive, Human Rights Framework – John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Advocacy

These workshops aim to explore the complex nature of oppression and support the creation of anti-oppressive strategies in different contexts.

Organizations can either select several sessions to inform and guide the building of an anti-oppressive strategic plan, or one or a few sessions that help them increase awareness and understanding, incorporate changes in their practices, and introduce a human rights culture for individual and organizational growth.

These courses include:

• Fundamentals of Anti-Oppression

• Anti-Racism—Learning to Confront the Uncomfortable

• The Not So “Micro” Aggressions

• Building a Rights-Based Organization

• True Colours Personal Development

• Understanding the ‘-isms’ and Learning How to Respond

• Confronting Ableism: Developing a Culture of Inclusion

For more information: JHC – BEDIAOHRF

To register: JHC – Workshop Google Form

Peace Building and Transformative Dialogues – John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Advocacy

Guided by human rights principles and anti-oppressive practices, JHC supports organizations and grassroots communities in designing and facilitating safe and brave spaces for difficult conversations conducive to integrating human rights into their policies, practices, and guidelines, solving tensions, and engaging in strategic planning.

Human Rights facilitation processes are conducive to action, foster collaboration, and center on the voices of all members of the group, especially those of equity-deserving groups.

These courses include:

• Human Rights Facilitator: Level One

• Advanced Human Rights Facilitation

For more information: JHC – PBTD

To register: JHC – Workshop Google Form

Human Rights as a Tool for Advocacy: Stride Training – John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Advocacy

JHC has developed a series of trainings to provide opportunities for community-based advocates or organizations to strengthen their awareness and understanding of human rights and discrimination, network with other advocates and organizations, and build skills to advance the rights of historically marginalized community members using the human rights mechanisms that exist for accountability.

These courses include:

• Human Rights 101: Understanding the Architecture and Role of Human Rights

• Anti-Oppression in Human Rights Advocacy

• Human Rights 102: Filing Human Rights Complaints - the Ins and Outs

• Beyond Quick Fixes: Embracing a Human Rights Approach to Poverty

• Human Rights 103: Taking Action on Human Rights

For more information: JHC - Stride Training

To register: JHC – Workshop Google Form

From Lateral Violence to Lateral Kindness Workshop - First Nations, Inuit, & Métis Program

This workshop equips participants with the understanding and skills to recognize, address, and transform lateral violence within communities and workplaces.

Focusing on “lateral kindness,” the program explores the root causes of lateral violence, offers strategies for promoting empathy, and fosters a culture of support and respect. Learners will gain access to a dedicated Learning Management System (LMS) with additional resources, interactive exercises, and tools to promote sustainable change in their personal and professional lives. This is a virtual program is provided in one session (3.5 hours).

Upon program completion, learners will have gained knowledge related to:

• Understanding Lateral Violence and its Impact: Recognize the root causes of lateral violence, its effects on communities, and the importance of addressing it.

• Developing Skills for Lateral Kindness: Learn practical techniques to foster empathy, compassion, and supportive communication to counter lateral violence.

• Creating Safe and Respectful Environments: Implement strategies that promote cultural safety, respect, and a foundation of kindness in interpersonal and professional relationships.

• Team Building Games: fun team building games that give learners another opportunity to understand how our own perspective, communication and mindset can impact the environment around us

  Objectives:

• Define lateral violence and its manifestations in communities and workplaces.

• Identify the emotional, social, and cultural impacts of lateral violence on individuals and communities.

• Practice communication techniques that encourage kindness, openness, and mutual understanding.

• Develop conflict resolution skills tailored to addressing lateral violence with sensitivity and respect.

• Learn to identify and manage triggers in oneself and others to prevent escalation of lateral violence.

• Develop action plans for implementing lateral kindness in personal and professional settings.

Audience:

• Community leaders, educators, and mentors interested in fostering healthier interpersonal dynamics.

• Health, social services, and community support workers seeking practical strategies to address lateral violence in the workplace.

• Indigenous community members and organizations working to create safe, compassionate environments.

• Individuals interested in learning how to transform conflict into growth opportunities and promote lateral kindness.

This program can be delivered in-person upon request.

To register: Lateral Kindness

First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training - Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services

A training for first responders to learn how to respond to disclosures around sexual assault and abuse. 

With support from the Government of Alberta and Women and Gender Equality Canada, the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS) developed First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training™. This training is intended to build the capacity of professionals, paraprofessionals and community members to respond effectively to disclosures of sexual assault and sexual abuse. Survivors who receive safe and supportive responses to disclosures of sexual violence are more likely to reach out for help from medical and counselling services and/ or report to police. First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training™ is inclusive of the full continuum of sexual violence and across the lifespan. This is an Alberta based workshop which uses Alberta resources and guidelines. This is a beginner yet comprehensive ‘Identify, Respond and Refer’ training. This training is beneficial to professionals and paraprofessionals who are working with individuals who may be impacted by sexual violence and to other community members who are interested in increasing their skills and confidence to address sexual abuse and sexual assault. This training is open to, but not limited to, individuals who work in Health, Social Services, Education & Justice, Nurses, Physicians, Social Workers, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Teachers, School Counselors, Police Officers, Victim Services Workers, as well as Faith Leaders

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Define sexual violence and describe its various forms

• Understand the short and long term impacts of sexual violence across the lifespan

• Articulate why sexual violence is never the fault of the person who has been harmed

• Explain the attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate sexual violence and other root causes

• Provide a positive and supportive first response to a disclosure of sexual violence

• Identify resources and referrals to support those who have experienced sexual violence

This training will teach participants about sexual violence and the first responding skills for disclosures of sexual assault and abuse. This is NOT a course on counselling interventions. If you have experience in counselling and would like to take a more advanced level, 12 week course designed for counselling interventions, please see our Counselling Adult Survivors of Sexual Violence course.

To register: AASAS - FRSAAT

Counselling Adult Survivors of Sexual Violence - Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services

This 12 week online integrative course is designed for counselors, therapists, and other mental health practitioners who are new to working with survivors of sexual violence, or who may be already working with survivors and would like to more deeply inform their counselling practice. 

Participation is open to those in the helping fields (mental health professionals, social workers, etc.) whose scope of practice falls within the code of ethics and standards of practice of the professional body to which they belong. Applicants must have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s level education in a social or health services discipline and/or are registered/licensed with a professional association that maintains a code of ethics and standards of practice that provide parameters for the registrant’s scope of practice. Special considerations may be accommodated on a case by case basis. For questions contact ContEd@aasas.ca.

While this course does not provide in-depth training in a specific modality it will introduce and critically consider various modalities, theories, principles and ethics associated with working with survivors of sexual violence. This course offers an integrative, mindfulness-based approach to on-going assessment and interventions with adult survivors (all genders) of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse. It draws on the most current theory including feminist, attachment, regulation, and interpersonal neurobiology; and evidence-based practices, including mindfulness, cognitive, emotion-centered, somatic, and other emergent approaches for trauma, addiction and mental health.

The baseline premise is that the embodied present-moment personhood of the therapist is the primary evidence-based intervention in working with survivors. The course is also situated within an understanding of culturally relevant practice and how multiple identities, social locations and historical contexts inform interventions with survivors; and how counsellor reflection, self-knowledge and self-care form the basis for ethical counsellor praxis.

Upon completion students will be able to:

• Discuss evidence-based self-care practices, including building a community of support, to increase resilience and minimize practitioner burnout

• Articulate theoretical frameworks for understanding sexual violence and trauma, how they reflect values, worldviews, and interventions

• Describe the complexities of responding to the effects and impacts of sexual violence, that there is ‘no average client’ and to affirm practitioners’ capacities to co-create and sustain a therapeutic relationship

• Recall the principles, tools, and skills to reduce distress and provide stability and to conduct initial and on-going assessment strategies

• Name the basic principles, tools, and skills of a variety of evidence-based approaches (including mindfulness, cognitive, emotional, somatic and anti-oppressive) to respond to the effects of sexual violence and trauma

• Draw from a number of approaches to work collaboratively with adult survivors of sexual violence addressing the relationship issues that may be specifically meaningful to them

• Mindfully bring the therapeutic relationship to closure.

To register: AASAS – CASSV

Sharpening the Saw: Focusing on Men’s Health and Wellness Course - First Nations, Inuit, & Métis Program

This course is dedicated to addressing the often-overlooked issues surrounding men’s overall wellness.

This session aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the unique wellness challenges faced by men, the barriers to seeking help, and effective strategies for support and intervention and how to implement effective strategies in your community. This is a virtual program provided in one session (2.5 hours).

Upon program completion, learners will have gained knowledge related to:

• The current state of men’s holistic wellness, including statistics and common issues. How mental illness may manifest in men compared to other genders.

• Examining how societal expectations and cultural norms impact men’s overall health and their willingness to seek help.

• Identifying prevalent mental health conditions among men, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

• Understanding the obstacles that prevent men from seeking wellness support, such as stigma and gender stereotypes.

• Learning how to engage in open and supportive conversations about holistic wellness with men.

• Evidence-based practices for supporting men’s mental health, including therapeutic approaches, peer support, and starting your own community programs addressing men’s wellness.

• Normalizing Conversations: making it a regular part of conversations to reduce stigma.

Audience:

General public, Health and social service providers, mental health professionals, educators, community leaders, and anyone interested in understanding and supporting men’s mental health

Course Instructors are highly experienced facilitators with knowledge of Indigenous mental wellness, cultural relevance, and trauma-informed care.

This program can be delivered in-person upon request.

To register: Sharpening the Saw

Introduction to Hoarding Disorder – Hoarding Disorder Foundation of Alberta

This three-hour workshop, offered by the Hoarding Disorder Foundation of Alberta, will introduce you to important information about hoarding.

We present information on stigma and myths, assessment, complicating factors and treatment options, communication strategies and harm reduction. Finally, we offer practical tips and tools and local resources for helping in a good way.

This session is designed for people with a keen interest in providing appropriate support to a person living with HD:

• Family members, friends and neighbours

• Professional organizers/declutter coaches

• Property management, disposal & cleaning companies

• Municipal enforcement

• Social services and of course, mental health professionals

We encourage anyone who is interested to register. If cost is prohibitive, please contact us to discuss a sliding scale.

To register: HDFA – IHD

Cultural Awareness Training - Indigenous Psychological Services

Cultural awareness training designed for psychologists working with Indigenous populations.

Our training integrates the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, crucial for psychologists working Indigenous populations.

We offer programs designed to enhance awareness of historical factors impacting client well-being and review how cultural insights can promote healing.

We explore trauma-informed perspectives that are effective in colonized systems and focus on actionable truth reconciliation with cultural safety at the forefront.

We differentiate between cultural humility and competency and define holistic practices applicable in clinical settings.

Our training equips psychologists to adopt cultural and trauma-informed practices, including a Residential School in-service with impactful presentations and sessions for survivors.

To register: Indigenous Psychological Services - Workshops

Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training – Cascade Projects

Cultural awareness training with a focus on experiential activities and practical discussions around reconciliation.

Cascade believes engagement begins before a shovel hits the ground. It begins internally with an organization’s understanding, capacity and intention when it comes to Indigenous engagement. To build that foundation, our Indigenous Engagement Advisors works with clients to design and deliver cultural awareness training to ensure their employees from the top down are prepared when they are working in community. Led by our Indigenous Awareness Educator, Dr. Patricia Makokis, this participatory training covers the History of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and is adapted to Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 First Nations history. This in-person training includes a grounding circle, the blanket exercise, a debrief session and a discussion on how to connect these learnings to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action #92. This training is customizable and can be delivered for 10+ people over a full or half day.

To register: Cascade

Certified Psychological Health & Safety Training - CMHA-Alberta

This certification has been developed to provide an experiential learning opportunity for participants so they can better support organizations of all sizes in creating a tailored Psychological Health & Safety Management System.

After successfully completing the training, participants will receive a Certificate in Psychological Health & Safety. Employers will see those with this certification as having the practical expertise to help improve psychological health and safety and implement “the Standard” in their workplaces. 

By the end of the training, participants will:

• Be prepared to initiate the creation or expansion of a Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) Management System in an organization

• Have access to the tools necessary to support implementing the Standard

• Appreciate the steps required to create a fulsome PH&S Management System and be able to communicate those steps to all committed to that outcome.

To register: CMHA-AB

Imagine Institute for Learning

Imagine Institute for Learning invites professionals across sectors to imagine what is possible in a world where compassion meets action.

We use evidence-informed practice and research to create immersive learning opportunities that will ignite the potential and inspire the hearts of participants who work to support human beings in different settings.

Whether you are a social worker, educator, first responder, health practitioner, or community worker, our trainings provide the necessary catalyst to up your game and be the best version of yourself in practice. We all need extra tools in our toolbox and at Imagine, we specialize in translating research into practice using experiential activities and reflective practice to guide learning into a deeper understanding of the content. Come learn, dream and play with us as we transform the reality of our work into meaningful practice.

Trauma-Informed Care

• Intergenerational Wisdom

• Compassion to Action

• Trauma-Informed De-escalation Strategies (TIDeS)

• Transforming Practice Through Trauma-Informed Principles

Mental Health

• Human-Centred Approach to Understanding Mental Health™

• Understanding Loss & Grief

• QPR Suicide Prevention

• Understanding Suicide

Human-Centred Relationship Based Practice

• Creating Healthy Professional Boundaries

• Navigating Challenging Conversations

• Supporting Clients with Goal Setting

• Self-Compassion: Moving from Self-Care to Self-Sustainability

• Understanding Unconscious Bias 

Organizational Support & Capacity Building 

• Building Psychological Safety in the Workplace

• Fostering Reflective Practice in the Workplace

• Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace

• Group Facilitation: Introduction

• Group Facilitation: Using Brain Science and Storytelling

• Group Facilitation: The Art of Trauma Informed Facilitation

• Workplace Culture and Playfulness

Human Development

• The Early Years of the Developing Brain

• An Introduction to Social Emotional Development

• Creating Boundaries with Children and Technology

• Reframing Challenging Behaviours

• Responding to Trauma in Early Childhood

• Understanding Temperament

• Learning through Play

Educator Support and Capacity Building

• A Trauma-Informed Approach to Guiding Behaviours

• Trauma-Informed Classrooms

• Practicing Self-Compassion in the Classroom

• Pedagogical Practice: Planning and Playing

• Building Secure Relationships

  EmpowerED: Leadership Development Certifications 

• Depolarizing Leadership Training

• Stepping Up: Trauma-Informed Leadership Certification

• Sustaining Leadership Conversations: Nurturing Wellness, Connection, and Performance

• Strategies for Reflective Supervision

Experiential Learning 

• LEGO ® Serious Play®

• Life Capacity Mental Health Simulation™

• Brain Architecture Game®

To see descriptions for all available training, download the Training Framework PDF on this page: Imagine Institute

To register: Imagine Institute for Learning Upcoming Sessions

Mino Pimawatizwin – Journey Toward the Good Life Workshop - First Nations, Inuit, & Métis Program

Strengthening holistic wellness in Indigenous community health.  

In this immersive workshop, participants will deepen their understanding of Cultural Safety and Humility in Indigenous health contexts, apply Trauma-Informed Care approaches to address the impacts of historical and ongoing trauma, and explore the shift from Lateral Violence to Lateral Kindness to foster healthier work and care environments. Participants will gain practical skills in Harm Reduction, including Naloxone use, and consider how personal perspectives influence professional growth. The workshop also introduces the therapeutic benefits of nature, including a guided Forest and Nature Therapy Walk (within the biome) to enhance cognitive, emotional, and stress regulation.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the principles of Cultural Safety and Humility in the context of Indigenous communities and health care.

• Apply Trauma-Informed Care approaches to their practice, recognizing the impact of historical and ongoing trauma on wholistic health.

• Explore the shift from Lateral Violence to Lateral Kindness and promote healthier, more supportive work and care environments.

• Gain practical knowledge in Harm Reduction strategies, including Naloxone access and administration.

• Explore how your perspective can impact personal and professional growth.

• Understand the positive impacts of time spent in nature on cognitive function, emotional regulation, and stress reduction, gain an understanding of the origins and core practices of nature and forest therapy, and participate in a guided Forest and Nature Therapy Walk.

Audience: 

Anyone interested in the topics covered, including Health, Social and Educational professionals and providers working in or with Indigenous Communities in Manitoba. E.g. Health Directors, Program Managers, Social Workers, Nurses, Counsellors, Educators, Jordan’s Principle Workers, Community Health Representatives, Support workers. Etc.

Facilitators: Tyler Geisler, RSW, MSW, Victoria Mckay, BSc., M.Ed., C.C.C.

To register: Good Life

Indigenous Healthcare Policy and Procedure Development Program - First Nations, Inuit, & Métis Program

Learners will learn to create policies and procedures rooted in strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant approaches.

The program aligns with accreditation requirements but is applicable to learners working within accredited and non-accredited organizations.  The program guides participants through developing and implementing healthcare policies and procedures within Indigenous communities and organizations. The course is divided into four 2-hour sessions, where participants will learn about and actively craft their policies and procedures, guided by the policy and procedure life cycle. Interactive tools will be used to enhance engagement and collaboration among participants.

Upon program completion, learners will have gained knowledge related to:

• Navigating the policy and procedure life cycle, from identifying a need to retirement.

• Drafting, implementing, and monitoring a policy or procedure for an identified need.

• Understand the factors that are crucial components of an effective policy and procedure and describe how these factors affect the process of writing your policy and procedure.

• Strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant approaches while developing and implementing policies and procedures.

• The importance of regularly reviewing and updating policies and procedures to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.

Audience:

• Healthcare Professionals, Providers & Leaders

• Accreditation Coordinators / Quality Improvement Leads

• Community Health Representatives

Course instructors are highly experienced facilitators with knowledge of Indigenous healthcare policy and procedure development, cultural relevance, trauma-informed care, and accreditation standards.

To register: Indigenous Healthcare Policy