Collaborating for Mental Health
The Community Education Service (CES) is just one aspect of the Mental Health Collaborative provided by Alberta Health Services. You may be familiar with their weekly newsletter or follow them on social media to watch their incredible education opportunities. They offer over 100 free online workshops and courses each year that are accessible to health professionals and the public alike, through their commitment to providing information, resources, and support to families.
The Perlin Foundation in collaboration with the Community Education Service (through AHS’s Mental Health Collaborative) is pleased to support a virtual community mental health presentation, Navigating mental illness in children and its impact on parenting: Struggles, Hopes & Triumphs, led by the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education on Tuesday, 21 November at 7:00 PM.
Through the conversation, you’ll find moments of heartbreak and hope as they explore the impact of severe mental illness and neurodivergence within a typical family. After the discussion there is time for Q&A from attendees. This event is open to anyone interested in learning and sharing about the mental health of children and the impact on families. Register.
"CES, like the Mathison Centre and the Perlin Foundation for Wellbeing, is deeply committed to supporting parents and caregivers in our community. The event could serve as an opportunity for them to gain a deeper understanding of mental health issues, learn effective strategies for supporting their loved ones, and connect with others who may be facing similar challenges.”
CES is pleased to partner with the Mathison Centre to bring this event to the parents, teachers, and families across Alberta who are experiencing these challenges.
Taking a range of perspectives into account, they plan their curriculum through the working partnerships between AHS and local community resources and are open to feedback regarding topics you'd like to see addressed. Past presentations are available through the AHS YouTube channel. However, there are other resources to note, including continuing education training for primary care providers in the area of child and adolescent mental health, and teachers, administrators, and other school support staff can benefit through Mental Health Online Resources for Educators (MORE). This platform offers free, online mental health, wellness, and substance use courses for professional development in the K-12 education community.
The Foundation is part of the Community of Practice provided through another member of the collaborative, the Mental Health Literacy Project. The Chairperson of the Foundation participated in their training, as it aligns with our values: “a suite of evidence-based resources to support school personnel, clinicians, youth and community members in improving foundational knowledge around mental health and mental illness to decrease stigma and improve the pathway through care”. Communicating in a language that the community is already using helps us, along with the Brain Story and the Building Brains Together curriculums, to provide programs that improve awareness of the local mental health ecosystem and accessibility to mental health information. If you’d like to sign up for the CES newsletter or wish to share it with your family, clients, & professional community partners, please use the following link.
Did you know?
CES is always looking for new speakers. If you're a member of an AHS partner organization or a professional specializing in mental health for children and youth, connect with them via email at ces@ahs.ca or phone at (403) 955-4730.
