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

Indigenous Patient Navigation Program - First Nations, Inuit, & Métis Program

This course equips participants with foundational knowledge and skills needed to navigate and understand how Indigenous Patient Navigators (IPNs) roles work within the healthcare team to reduce barriers and support health equity to improve outcomes for patients and their families.

The course guides participants through the IPN competencies to strengthen skills that will be used to advocate for and support a culturally safe environment for Indigenous people across Canada. Throughout the 6 sessions, the learners will learn how the roles of Indigenous Patient Navigators (IPNs) work within the healthcare team to reduce barriers and support health equity to improve outcomes for patients and their families.

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

• IPN Competencies: Learn how the roles of Indigenous Patient Navigators (IPNs) work within the healthcare team to reduce barriers and support health equity to improve outcomes for patients and their families.

• Cultural Safety: Enhance understanding of cultural safety, humility, respect, and relevance when working in and with Indigenous communities, and with community members, and families.

• Advocacy: The program guides participants through the IPN competencies to strengthen skills that will be used to advocate for and support a culturally safe environment.

• Asset Mapping: Learn to apply a strength-based approach to identify resources relevant to patient navigation within the community and outside of the community.

• Non-Insured Health Benefits: Learn skills to navigate NIHB.

• Self-care: Learn strategies to distinguish between under-involvement and over-involvement within the zone of helpfulness to meet client needs.

Audience:

• Healthcare Professionals & Leaders

• Indigenous Patient Navigators

• Community Health Representatives

• Supervisors

• Program Planners

This course will be taught by an Indigenous Registered Nurse alongside a Registered Nurse who is an ally to the Indigenous community.

To register: Patient Navigation

Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility in Canadian Healthcare Course - First Nations, Inuit, & Métis Program

This course aims to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to provide culturally safe and trauma-informed care to Indigenous populations.

This course will cover the importance of understanding bias, the impact of historical trauma, and strategies for implementing culturally safe practices in healthcare settings. This course will support participants’ understanding and appreciation of cultural differences, fostering inclusivity and effective communication across cultural boundaries. Recognizing the importance of Indigenous perspectives, the curriculum integrates principles of Indigenous cultural safety and humility, emphasizing respect, reciprocity, and relationship-building with Indigenous peoples and communities.

By engaging with Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, participants will develop the necessary skills and attitudes to navigate intercultural interactions with sensitivity and respect, contributing to building more inclusive and equitable environments. This course explores the historical impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples and acknowledges the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) calls to action as a framework for learning and action. This is a virtual program provided in one session (2.5 hours).

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

• Historical Context: Understanding of how historical events such as residential schools and the 60’s scoop have impacted Indigenous Peoples lives throughout history and in today’s environments.

• Cultural Safety and Humility: Enhance understanding of cultural safety, humility and respect when working in and with Indigenous communities, community members, and families.

• Unconscious Bias: Reflect and understand conscious bias vs unconscious bias, and how it affects our interactions with each other.

• Trauma- Informed Approach: Apply trauma-informed approaches to real life situations when interacting with Indigenous clients, patients and family members to ensure their well-being is considered on emotional, physical, mental and spiritual aspects.  

Audience:

• Health and social service professionals, providers, and leaders, human resource professionals

• This course can be adapted to fit the needs of other service industries as needed

This program can be delivered in-person upon request.

To register: Cultural Safety and Humility

Leading With Mental Health In Mind - CMHA-Alberta

Leading with Mental Health in Mind will equip you with the language to talk about mental health, the understanding to support employees with challenges, and the steps to move towards greater psychological health and safety in the workplace. 

By the end of the training, participants will:

• Understand how the 13 Factors that Impact Mental Health at work can apply to their workplace

• Understand the role of the manager/leader in mental health at work and how it differs from the role of individual contributors

• Have tools and strategies to address some of the major factors in their workplace

• Have a starting point for what to do and what to say when someone talks about their mental health

• Have strategies to support your own mental health in the workplace

To register: CMHA-AB

Compassion Fatigue and Burnout - CMHA-Alberta

Learn the symptoms of compassion fatigue and burnout, and how to manage them effectively to build resilience.

The symptoms of compassion fatigue and burnout are hard to recognize and require adequate support to overcome. This workshop will help employers, employees and volunteers who may develop compassion fatigue. Those at risk for compassion fatigue include first responders, clergy, teachers, counsellors, social workers, health care professionals, veterinarians and individuals who are the first point of contact for those going through a crisis or disaster.

This workshop provides a flexible and customizable approach, accommodating the unique needs of various professions and industries while offering adaptable time frames and formats.

By the end of the training, participants will:

• Understand symptoms and effects of compassion fatigue and fatigue risk factors

• Recognize personal and systemic barriers to receiving help

• Learn how to manage daily perceived threats and stress in more effective ways

• Create a self-care plan with resiliency-building skills and steps to improve workplace mental health

• Learn the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout

To register: CMHA-AB

Stronger Communities – CMHA-Edmonton

A training program that supports participants in learning strategies to look after their mental health and others.

Stronger Communities is a training program for groups and organizations where participants will learn a variety of different strategies and tips for looking after both their own mental health and the mental health of those around them.

Each course is facilitated by two facilitators, at least one of whom has Lived Experience. These courses are ideal for any type of organization or group as they offer specific training  for their staff to increase their knowledge on a variety of topics surrounding mental health. Courses have interactive components that will allow participants the opportunity to share their own experiences and offer insight into the information shared.

To register: Stronger Communities

Mental Health in the Workplace - CMHA-Alberta

This training will equip individuals with the skills to build a psychologically safe workplace that supports discussions around mental health struggles.  

Mental Health in the Workplace training equips organizations with the necessary language to address mental health, the knowledge to support employees facing challenges, and the actionable steps to proactively cultivate greater psychological health and safety at work.

By the end of the training, participants will:

• Learn about current workplace mental health and mental illness challenges

• Gain tools to support coworkers when they have mental health challenges

• Understand psychological risk and harm and know the benefits of mentally healthier workplaces

To register: CMHA-AB

Peer Support Core Essentials – PeerWorks

PeerWorks Peer Support Core Essentials™ Program involves 17 two-hour live webinars led by PSC certified trainers that will build foundational skills for offering peer support. 

This training program has been developed in consultation with the subject experts: Consumer/Survivor Initiatives and Peer Support Organizations across Ontario. Its focus is on strengthening and nurturing what is at the core of peer support: the peer supporter.

These interactive sessions include individual exercises, group exercises, trainer-led discussion, and role playing. Outside of these sessions there is some homework, which includes readings, reflections, and skills practice. Attendance is mandatory at all 17 webinars.

It should be noted that taking this training does not guarantee everyone an automatic “pass”. Participants are evaluated by the trainers, and the outcomes can range from “Incomplete” to “Level 1”, “Level 1R” and eventually earning “PeerWorks Certified Peer Supporter”.

Level 1 means the person attended and participated fully in the training and is deemed at this point appropriate to deliver an informal friendship style of peer support.

Level 1R means that the trainers are of the opinion the participant may be ready to work in a more formalized setting, and are Recommending that they proceed to an internship or practicum in which they deliver 50 hours of person to person support which is monitored and evaluated. It is not mandatory to do the practicum, but it is necessary for those who wish to earn the PeerWorks Certified Peer Supporter certificate.

For more information: PeerWorks – PSCE

To register: PeerWorks – Upcoming Events

Train the Trainer - Intentional Peer Support

Our Train-the-Trainer Course is a hands-on seminar designed to prepare and designate IPS Organizational Trainers.

These trainers can then teach the Core Content within their own organizations, helping to ensure the fidelity and sustainability of IPS.

The IPS Organizational Trainer pathway is best suited for organizations with 25 or fewer employees. For larger organizations, the scope of an IPS Organizational Trainer may be limited to specific programs or regions. If you work for a larger organization and are interested in becoming an IPS Organizational Trainer, please contact us for more information.

For more information: IPS Workshops

To register: IPS Eventbrite Sessions

Advanced Training - Intentional Peer Support

We developed our 24-hour Advanced Training to take IPS practice a step further—playing out the principles and tasks using real-life scenarios, heightening self-reflection, enhancing ways of building mutual connections and sustaining the practice.

Intentional Peer Support requires an ongoing commitment to learning and growth. Once participants complete a Core Training and begin practicing IPS in their relationships, lots of questions emerge—most commonly, “How do I make this stuff work in my particular environment?”

Deepen IPS Practice

Our Advanced Trainings are for anyone who has completed a Core Training or needs a brief IPS refresher and are tailored to fit your organization’s or community’s needs. 

Learn the Art of Co-Reflection

Co-reflection is a vital practice where people regularly come together to reflect on their relationships using the IPS framework. Here is an opportunity to examine relationships, look at assumptions and sustain the tasks and principles.

Our Core Training gets you started with Co-Reflection, and our Advanced Training helps you master it. Download our free Co-Reflection Guide.

Traditionally, crisis in mental health has been viewed as something undesirable or harmful, and risk assessment has led to fear-based responses that keep people stuck. In the Advanced Training, we focus on using crisis instead as an opportunity to connect, maintain mutuality, and create a culture of healing.

Respite programs will find particular use as we further explore what it means to be trauma-informed, work with conflict and challenging situations, develop flexible boundaries, use pro-active crisis planning and prepare for program evaluation.

Offered virtually over 6 days.

For more information: IPS Workshops

To register: IPS Eventbrite Sessions

Managers & Supervisors Training - Intentional Peer Support

This online event is designed for those who manage or supervise peer support workers and programs. 

It deepens understanding of peer support dynamics and improves team effectiveness in fostering transformative relationships. Tailored to the IPS framework, this training equips participants to integrate IPS principles effectively into their workplace practice.

Duration: 6 days, held over 2 separate weeks (Tuesdays to Thursdays)

Our training is tailored to enhance the capabilities of managers and supervisors within the IPS framework. Participants will:

• Learn to apply IPS principles in management and supervisory roles.

• Explore challenges specific to overseeing peer support environments.

• Develop strategies for supporting staff and facilitating their growth.

• Understand how to integrate IPS values into everyday practice and team development.

For more information: IPS Workshops

To register: IPS Eventbrite Sessions

Queer IPS (for LGBTQIA+) - Intentional Peer Support

This curriculum was adapted from the IPS core training at the request of the Q Corner, a peer support program in Santa Clara County, California, that supports LGBTQ+ community members.

Empowerment Through Stories:

IPS is about building relationships where our stories can be told and explored. By sharing our stories, we:

• Build networks of support.

• Create justice and empowerment.

• Drive social change rooted in civil rights movements, including gay liberation and the Stonewall riots.

"In the words of indigenous Australian activists in the 1970s, 'your liberation is bound up with mine.'"

Intersectionality:

Creating Space

QIPS was designed to acknowledge and support those of us whose gender, expression, and/or sexuality don’t fit within our society’s narrow definitions of “normal.” This includes individuals who have historically been marginalized by various systems such as education, employment, healthcare, and housing. 

From this vantage point, we examine how these systems have also marginalized those of us whose experiences of mental or emotional distress, “big feelings” or altered states don’t fit into societal definitions of “healthy.”

A Unique Intersection:

Participants in QIPS engage at the intersection of queer/trans communities and peer support. They:

• Learn the tasks and principles of IPS.

• Examine assumptions about who they are.

• Acknowledge personal and cultural histories of oppression and trauma.

• Focus on understanding “what happened” instead of “what’s wrong.”

For more information: IPS Workshops

To register: IPS Eventbrite Sessions

Core Training - Intentional Peer Support

The Core Training is our foundational training for learning and practicing Intentional Peer Support. This training is for anyone interested in mutual support and has been widely used for people working in both traditional and alternative mental health settings.

Based on Shery Mead’s book, Intentional Peer Support: An Alternative Approach, our Core Training is a 40-hour introduction to this innovative framework and is designed to have you practicing right away.

In a highly interactive environment, participants learn the tasks and principles of IPS, examine assumptions about who they are, and explore ways to create relationships in which power is negotiated, co-learning is possible, and support goes beyond traditional notions of “service.” 

IPS is all about opening up new ways of seeing, thinking, and doing, and here we examine how to make this possible.

• Seek ways to connect, become aware of disconnects, and work to reconnect

• Explore how we have “come to know what we know”

• Strive for mutuality in relationships

• Stay curious, question assumptions, and own judgements and opinions

• Open up new ways of listening

• Use experience to relate and build trust

• Name and negotiate power in relationships

• Navigate conversations about suicide and self-injury

• Approach crisis as an opportunity to grow

• Share risk and responsibility

• Focus on the quality of relationships instead of fixing one another

• Pay attention to the impact of clinical and labeling language

• Understand how trauma affects lives

• Keep the energy in relationships moving towards what we want

• Understand peer support in the context of social change and social justice

• Learn to see altered states or non-consensual reality in new ways, and to connect with people having these experiences

Offered as a 10 day virtual session.

For more information: IPS Workshops

To register: IPS Eventbrite Sessions

IPS Overview: An Introduction - Intentional Peer Support

This three-hour online overview course introduces participants to the history of IPS and the tasks and principles of this transformational framework.

The course provides an interactive platform for questions and discussions with facilitators and fellow participants.

Peers unite around shared experiences and a desire for change. However, without a new framework, people often recreate "help" based on their past experiences.

IPS offers a foundation for a different approach, rooted in grassroots alternatives that focus on building relationships that are mutual, explorative, and conscious of power dynamics.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive overview of IPS history and principles

• Interactive discussions with experienced facilitators

• Networking opportunities with like-minded individuals

• Introduction to a transformative framework for relationship-building

• Exploration of power dynamics in helping relationships

• Insights into creating mutual and explorative connections

For more information: IPS Workshops

To register: IPS Eventbrite Sessions