This project has hosted webinars since 2012 to promote learning, information sharing and to stimulate conversation on topics that we hope are relevant to your practice. Many of the archived webinars are part of the former project, the Refugee Mental Health Project. Since September 2017, webinars have encompassed the expanded scope of newly-arrived immigrants and/or refugees.
Our webinars are one-hour sessions that include a 30-minute presentation by professionals in the settlement, social or health services sectors followed by a 30-minute question and answer session where we encourage you to ask questions, pose scenarios and to generally discuss your practice with these experts in the field.
Upcoming webinars
Multilingual Language Program for Children - Your Language is a Superpower
With Andrea MacLeod, Professor, University of Alberta
Webinar description
Newcomer parents who speak their home language often experience challenges in transmitting their language(s) to their children resulting in children losing their home language. Language is deeply connected to how we enact our culture, raise our children and maintain ties to our family and our community. Children who share a home language with their parents build strong intergenerational connections, experience higher self-esteem, and can navigate resources within their family and community in addition to mainstream settings. We have partnered with early education settings and community organizations to implement the Multilingual Language Program. Through our partnership, community members learn to implement practices that help children and parents feel that their languages are valued and important.
About the presenter
Dr. Andrea MacLeod is a professor at the University of Alberta, a bilingual speaker, and a parent of three bilingual children. She has developed an expertise in the study of speech and language development among bilingual children from Official Language Minority Communities in Canada and among children from minoritized language communities, including immigrant and refugee children. Her work with bilingual children led her to co-found a non-profit organization to support bilingual language development in young refugee children. This work has led to continued community-based research within a social-justice framework to understand how to best support language maintenance and transmission. Her research to study multilingual language development and language maintenance has been funded by major grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Recorded Webinars
Now online:
Knowledge as power – language curriculum as a tool to combat gender-based violence
With Robin McGeough (he/him), Gender Equity and Sexual Diversity Coordinator, Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria.
Trauma-informed approaches when working with survivors of forced migration and violence.
With: Jhevoi Melville , Registered Social Worker, Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST) and Frank Cohn , Executive Director, VAST
Archive:
Note that webinar recordings contain the presentation of the topic only; the question and answer session is not recorded.
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Specific populations and issues
These webinars highlight strategies for supporting particular immigrant and refugee groups, or highlight specific issues in supporting immigrant and refugee mental health. -
Support and treatment considerations
These webinars will focus on specific considerations for providing effective treatment to recent immigrants and refugees. -
Successful or promising practices
These webinars outline innovative and unique approaches/programs for supporting the mental health of newly-arrived immigrants and refugees.
This project has hosted webinars since 2012 to promote learning, information sharing and to stimulate conversation on topics that we hope are relevant to your practice. Many of the archived webinars are part of the former project, the Refugee Mental Health Project. Since September 2017, webinars have encompassed the expanded scope of newly-arrived immigrants and/or refugees.
Our webinars are one-hour sessions that include a 30-minute presentation by professionals in the settlement, social or health services sectors followed by a 30-minute question and answer session where we encourage you to ask questions, pose scenarios and to generally discuss your practice with these experts in the field.
Upcoming:
Register for this webinar here
Description
This webinar will focus on identifying best practices when working with survivors of forced migration and violence. Specifically drawing on trauma-informed approaches and integrating them into various immigrant serving sectors.
We will acknowledge settlement barriers, learn how to strengthen the referral process through collaborations, challenge myths about refugees, and how to adopt self-care strategies in becoming effective trauma-informed workers. We will also explore the benefits of community and cultural supports that are critical for survivors of forced migration in balancing life and being in a new country and environment.
About the presenters:
Jhevoi Melville, previously an international student from Jamaica, holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Northern Caribbean University and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC). Jhevoi is the Registered Social Worker at VAST.
In her role, she supports the Community Engagement and Clinical teams in examining the risk factors that contribute to the deterioration of mental health amongst individuals within the refugee population. She also advocates for equity of access to resources and maintains an anti-oppressive approach in supporting the psycho-social needs of clients. She also represents VAST on various committees where mental health and settlement intersect.In her role, she supports the Community Engagement and Clinical teams in examining the risk factors that contribute to the deterioration of mental health amongst individuals within the refugee population. She also advocates for equity of access to resources and maintains an anti-oppressive approach in supporting the psycho-social needs of clients. She also represents VAST on various committees where mental health and settlement intersect.
Frank Cohn, originally from Vancouver, Canada, has 20 years experience in facilitating, designing, managing, and evaluating Community Development Programs. He has been a Lecturer in Social Work and Public Affairs at UBC, UNBC, NYU, Fordham, Rutgers, and Columbia Universities; Langara, Douglas, and Native Education Colleges. Frank has provided guest lectures and Field Instruction at more than a dozen other universities, in Youth Development, International Community work, Non-Profit Management. Frank conducts trainings for youth, educators, and managers, in five languages: French, Spanish, English, Chinese, and Haitian Creole. He has done leadership capacity building work with over 10,000 youth in over 100 rural villages and urban neighborhoods in 22 countries in Latin America and Asia.
Register for this webinar here
Wednesday July 3, 2024
Immigrant survivors of domestic violence experience multiple barriers to navigating support systems. These barriers include unfamiliarity with resources, language, isolation, and lack of suitable resources. Community services are often siloed and unaware of existing gaps in providing support for this demographic. In this webinar, we will present community-based research, share promising practices for empowering immigrant survivors, and invite a discussion on how to help lower barriers and increase accessibility to services through leveraging collaboration between settlement, mental health, and victim services.
Join this webinar to learn about:
- Gender-based violence in immigrant communities
- The role of language instruction for newcomers in Canada in addressing violence
- Strategies for responding to gender-based violence through community collaboration
About the presenter
Robin McGeough (he/him) is the Gender Equity and Sexual Diversity Coordinator with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria. His work involves supporting clients, staff, and the community around gender, sexuality and identity. Robin facilitates the Q+ Crew, a for 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers and refugees seeking peer-driven mental health support group. His passion for connecting with people, lifting diverse voices, and lowering barriers has found a welcome home at the ICA.
Recorded Webinars
Now online: An innovative peer navigator program: connecting refugees to care and community
With:
Ellen Tang, Social Worker, Crossroads Clinic, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, and
Semhar Musael, Peer Navigator, Crossroads Clinic, Women’s College Hospital.
Description
In response to the multiple and persistent barriers that newcomer patients face in navigating the health and social service systems in Toronto, the Crossroads Refugee Health Clinic at Women’s College Hospital piloted a Peer Navigator role focused on increasing its newcomer pa-tients’ access to health, social and community resources. Join us to learn how this innovative program is making a positive on impact on the wellbeing of newcomer refugees. This webinar will provide an overview of the Peer Navigator program model, its conception and evolution, and results from an evaluation of the program impacts. Discussion and Q+A will include success and challenges faced in implementing a peer navigator program in a healthcare setting.
Note that webinar recordings contain the presentation of the topic only; the question and answer session is not recorded.
-
Specific populations and issues
These webinars highlight strategies for supporting particular immigrant and refugee groups, or highlight specific issues in supporting immigrant and refugee mental health. -
Support and treatment considerations
These webinars will focus on specific considerations for providing effective treatment to recent immigrants and refugees. -
Successful or promising practices
These webinars outline innovative and unique approaches/programs for supporting the mental health of newly-arrived immigrants and refugees.
