Natural Supports simulation

The Mental Health Natural Supports Simulation is an online interactive experience that raises awareness for the natural support role by building skills and confidence. As a result, we can help children and youth access supports, increase overall community well-being and create a network of caring citizens.

Steps to Support

The Steps to Support website is an online interactive experience that raises awareness and supports readiness for the natural support role. The tool equips individuals with the language of support, builds competencies and confidence, reduces fear around mental health conversations, and removes the stigma associated with mental health concerns. The gap this website will address is ‘I want to help, but I don’t know how.’ – the fear and lack of skills when approaching a mental health conversation.

Natural Supports Community of Practice (YYC)

The Natural Supports Community of Practice is a group of social service agencies in Calgary who are all actively implementing and learning about the Natural Supports Practice Framework. The Community of Practice is currently comprised of more than 15 organizations. The group meets quarterly to discuss framework implementation barriers and successes, policy, and practice implications and to share natural supports resources. The Community of Practice Vision is:

Vulnerable Calgarians have access to a variety of natural supports who help them to achieve wellbeing. As a collective we work towards this vision by:

a) Developing the collective capacity of non-profits in Calgary to enhance the natural supports networks of vulnerable Calgarians to achieve wellbeing through natural supports trainings, capacity building and access to a community of practice.

b) Advocating for systemic changes to better enable the successful integration of the natural supports framework and its principles.

Any individual from organizations in Calgary who have committed to and/or completed the two-part natural supports training can participate in the Community of Practice and join any time. The Community of Practice meets quarterly.

For more information about the work of the Community of Practice or to join, please email Lisa Bondt at lbondt@providencechildren.com.

Centre for Sexuality- Natural Supports Services (YYC)

The Centre for Sexuality is a nationally recognized non-profit organization that provides comprehensive sexual health and healthy relationship education in schools, communities, and workplaces. We bring expertise and 49 years of experience in providing programs and services related to gender identity, sexual orientation, 2S/LGBTQ+ inclusion, gender equity, sexuality, sexual health, healthy relationships, and consent. Our mandate is to use that expertise to build and deliver meaningful programs that change lives, communities, and systems. Our Training Centre has reached more than 55,000 professionals in Alberta and across Canada since 2009. Our interactive, engaging and researched-based workshops can be customized based on your organization’s needs. One of our training opportunities includes training on the Natural Supports Practice Framework:

The Natural Supports Framework Training  

The Natural Supports Framework supports clients to rely on, and contribute to, a lifelong network of family, community, and peer relationships. Research suggests that practitioners understand the importance of natural supports but may not effectively engage them without tools and supports. This is a two-part series of online training for professionals working with clients and families. After you take part one, you will engage in 6-8 weeks of practicing a natural supports approach before taking part two.  

Natural Supports Training: Part One 

In this interactive session, you will explore the guiding principles of the Natural Supports Framework and understand ways to integrate this into your own practice, recognizing this may be a new approach to your work.  

Natural Supports Training: Part Two 

Reflect on your practice of implementing the Natural Supports Framework and deepen your understanding, then identify how to manage challenges and assumptions. You will leave the session with a plan for continued implementation. 

Natural Supports Training: Part Three (optional) 
Enhancing Natural Supports for 2S/LGBTQ+ Clients 

In this workshop participants will explore the impact of rejection from natural supports on mental health and well-being of 2S/LGBTQ+ clients. Participants will be able to describe the importance of the Natural Supports Framework in their work by analyzing how a status quo approach to service provision can create more vulnerabilities for gender and sexually diverse clients. Utilizing both the Natural Supports Framework and the Family Acceptance Project’s Family Support Model, participants will leave this workshop with the knowledge and skills to enhance natural support acceptance of 2S/LGBTQ+ clients. 

For more information about training offerings please email Dori at dpalmiere@centreforsexuality.ca.

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

Mobilizing the Knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Prevention and Proactive Supports for Alberta’s Children, Youth and Families

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as negative, stressful, traumatizing events that occur before age 18, and are divided into 10 categories that fall under abuse, neglect and household dysfunction. These experiences create toxic stress. Children with ongoing toxic stress are more at risk to develop patterns of adaptive and physiological disruptions that can compromise health over the lifespan.

The purpose of this project is to advance policy and practice on Action #11 of the Valuing Mental Health Next Steps Initiative by proactively supporting Albertans with ACEs with a focus on children and youth, and improving intergenerational health and well-being outcomes.

The objective is to build, share and mobilize a knowledge platform in order to advance the uptake and coordinate the application of ACEs in Alberta using common language, best evidence and promising practices related to preventing and proactively supporting Alberta’s children and youth at risk of negative health consequences associated with ACEs.

Key Activities and Outputs

1

An environmental scan was completed on the current state of the evidence and status of ACEs prevention and treatment work in Alberta and internationally related to proactive supports and early intervention for children, youth and families.

2

From the evidence collected, a Framework for Action was created to reduce generational ACEs, strengthen communities, and decrease social costs. This Framework outlines three levels of change that are required to accelerate a brain science, ACEs and resilience informed approach in Alberta. Nine guiding principles and twelve priority strategy areas are also included in this Framework.

3

A one day convening was held that brought together 100 thought leaders and potential change agents in the province from across sectors and disciplines. A post-convening report was compiled of high-level discussion on the Framework for Action, recommendations for practice and policy, and considerations for

Agencies Background

PolicyWise is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 2003 with a mandate to improve child, family and community well-being through leading, creating and mobilizing research and evaluation for evidence-informed social policy and practice.

The Children’s Mental Health Science Policy Practice Network (SPPN) was established in 2007 to mobilize the science of children’s mental health and addictions to inform policy development and implementation by engaging policy makers, practitioners, funders, researchers and educators from across disciplines.

The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI)

Started in 2007, the AFWI set out with an ambitious goal: to improve outcomes in health and wellbeing for children and families across Alberta. The primary way in which they have tried to meet this goal is by mobilizing knowledge at a large scale and attempting to catalyze system-wide change. They have had profound success so far and we are glad to look towards them as a leader and a partner in our work.

Perhaps best known for their work on the Brain Story, the AFWI has helped identify how and when to support children and families in the course of development, how to change how the brain development story unfolds so that all people, regardless of background and life circumstances, are given the chance to lead happier, healthier lives, build stronger communities, and reduce risk for mental health problems, including addiction. We couldn’t agree more!

A full list of resources and materials is available from their website here.

Well-Being and Resiliency: A Framework for Supporting Safe And Healthy Children And Families

First published in 2019, this Government of Alberta document was developed to increase prevention and early intervention services and supports for infants, children, youth and families in Alberta. The document builds on the Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families of 2012 and reflects the most current research, leading practices, cultural diversity and an Indigenous worldview.

The Well-being and Resiliency Framework provides a rationale for and describes the ways of working to promote well-being and resiliency in Alberta. It defines the key elements of the prevention continuum of services, identifies desired outcomes, supports decision-making on funding and service delivery and promotes an understanding of how trauma impacts development.

The Connections First project looked to the Well-being and Resiliency Framework, and the work of the Alberta Ministry of Children’s Services, as sources of core information as we attempted to align our work and recommendations with their work. We were very grateful to the Ministry of Children’s Services for producing this document, and making available their work to act as a guidepost of sorts for our own work.