Nova Scotia Workplace Mental Health and PTSD Conference


Agenda - Day 1: October 31: Symposium


The Symposium is a day-long event that features expert speakers and facilitated break-out sessions of smaller groups with specific representation from invited first responders, healthcare professionals and PTSD-related organizations. The event is invite-only due to space limitations.

Workshops and seminars throughout the rest of the week (Nov. 1-4) are open for registration.

October 31, 2016
Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel

7:15 – 8:00

Registration and welcome

8:00 – 8:15

Event will be opened by moderator Starr Dobson, President and CEO of the Mental Health Foundation.

8:15 – 8:30

Minister Kelly Regan - Welcome Remarks
Overview: Provide the current situation on Occupational Mental Health and PTSD in Nova Scotia and work happening across the country.

8:30– 9:00

Chief Jean Michel Blais, Halifax Regional Police
Leadership in times of healing
Overview: PTSD in the workplace and Leadership in times of Crisis.

9:00 – 9:30

Susan Mercer, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Opening Minds

Overview: Prevention and Early Intervention – tools organizations can use to implement the national standard- a program for Mental Health First Aid plus two programs to reduce stigma, the Road to Mental Readiness and the Working Mind.

9:30 – 10:00

Vince Savoia, Tema Conter Memorial Trust

Overview: Sharing best practices in trauma prevention and peer support.

10:00 - 10:30

Break and Trade Show

Coffee/tea/ Snack
A 30 minute break to allow participants to visit the trade show booth.

10:30 - 11:00

Dr. Jeff Morley
A New Paradigm

Overview: Resilience and best practices

11:00 - 11:30

John Garth MacDonald, NS Paramedic
Living with PTSD

Overview: A first-hand account of living with PTSD, finding support and the impact on family.

11:30 - 12:00

Dr. Don Richardson, MD
Traumatic Stress Treatment Options for Military, Veterans and their Families

Overview: Treatment Options.

12:00 - 1:00

Lunch and Trade show

1:00 - 1:30

Dr. John Whalen
Writing through Trauma Recovery

Overview: Recovery supports and resources.

1:30 - 2:30

Expert Panel
A panel of experts will address the attendees on the topic of occupational mental health and PTSD. In addition participants will be given the opportunity to ask direct questions to the panelists.

Overview: Increasing awareness and education on workplace mental health and PTSD.

2:30 - 3:00

Break and Trade Show

3:00 - 4:00

World Café – Facilitated Workshop
A meeting process featuring a series of simultaneous conversations in response to pre-determined questions.

Overview: Identifying common ground and finding gaps.

4:00 - 4:30

Wrap up
A summation of the days accomplishments and next steps.

 

PTSD Education Week

The following events are open for registration:

  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
  • MANERS Psychological First Aid - FULL
  • Trauma, Resiliency, and the First Responder

Register Now for the Workshops

Please note: Once you click the Register Now button you are leaving the government website and will be directed to a secure site for registration.

November 1st, Tuesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Resiliency Workshop – Police
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Day 1 of 2
MANERS Psychological First Aid, Day 1 of 2 - FULL

November 1st – Mental Health Commission of Canada – Workshop on Mental Health and Frist Responders
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), in partnership with Government of Nova Scotia and Tema Conter Memorial Trust, is offering a workshop on mental health for first responders. The interactive workshop seeks to build relationships, showcase tools, resources and training, outline solutions and identify priorities as well as enabling success factors that should be considered for supporting the mental well-being of first responders of Canada.

November 2nd, Wednesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Resiliency Workshop – Paramedics
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Day 2 of 2
MANERS Psychological First Aid, Day 2 of 2 - FULL

November 3rd, Thursday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Resiliency Workshop – Firefighters
MANERS Psychological First Aid, Day 1 of 2 - FULL
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Day 1 of 2

November 4th, Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Resiliency Workshop – Communications Officers
MANERS Psychological First Aid, Day 2 of 2 - FULL
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Day 2 of 2

 

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

ASIST is designed to help all caregivers become more willing, ready and able to help persons at risk. Suicide can be prevented with the help of prepared caregivers.

 Just as CPR skills make physical first aid possible, training in suicide intervention develops the skills used in suicide first aid. ASIST is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognize risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. The workshop is for all caregivers (any person in a position of trust). This includes professionals, paraprofessionals and lay people. It is suitable for mental health professionals, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, teachers, counselors, youth workers, police and correctional staff, paramedics, fire fighter's, school support staff, clergy, and community volunteers.
ASIST has five learning sections:

  • Preparing: sets the tone, norms, and expectations of the learning experience.
  • Connecting: sensitizes participants to their own attitudes towards suicide. Creates an understanding of the impact, which attitudes have on the intervention process.
  • Understanding: overviews the intervention needs of a person at risk. It focuses on providing participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize risk and develop safe plans to reduce the risk of suicide.
  • Assisting: presents a model for effective suicide intervention. Participants develop their skills through observation and supervised simulation experiences in large and small groups.
  • Networking: generates information about resources in the local community. Promotes a commitment by participants to transform local resources into helping networks.

MANERS Psychological First Aid - FULL
The aim of Psychological First Aid is to provide early and supportive interventions, which will assist people with the emotional distress that may result from their involvement in an accident, injury or sudden shocking event.  
Through lectures, engaging videos, and the use of practical scenarios, this two-day workshop enables participants to learn the fundamental principles of the MANERS Model of Psychological First Aid and how to apply them in the aftermath of a traumatic event.
The interventions are intended to support and enhance people’s normal coping strategies and recovery processes. As such, all staff are ideally situated to benefit from Psychological First Aid, including:
  • Police
  • Paramedics
  • Fire and other first responder teams
  • Correctional Staff
  • Members of the Military
  • School Crisis Response Teams
  • Victims Services, Social Workers, Doctors, Nurses,
  • Disaster Relief Organizations
  • Teachers
  • Health and Wellness Officers
  • Any one dealing with the public

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the types of crisis experienced in the workplace.
  • Distinguish between a developmental crisis vs. situational crisis.
  • Identify and examine communication barriers as they pertain to crisis intervention.
  • Identify the traits of a communication cycle and demonstrate its use in psychological first aid.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of verbal and non-verbal communication as they pertain to crisis intervention.
  • Demonstrate, through role-play, acceptable methods of de-escalating various types of crisis.
  • Identify the signs and symptoms of a crisis and discuss one’s attitudes of accepting assistance.
  • Identify healthy habits as they pertain to self-care when dealing with stress.
  • Demonstrate the use of MANERS Psychological First Aid within a peer-support network.
  • Apply MANERS Psychological First Aid to hypothetical situations through role-playing

 

Trauma, Resiliency, and the First Responder

Emergency responders each have a unique aspect to their jobs, yet they all have one thing in common: they are routinely confronted with violence and trauma, and are exposed to unfixable suffering. First responders are at increased risk for PTSD, depression, and suffering from moral distress, compassion fatigue and other mental health concerns.
This one-day workshop will walk participants through key aspects of Primary and Secondary Trauma and is designed to be engaging and interactive with creative discussion. We will focus on Resilience – and discuss best practices on how to help them grow their own capacity for increased strength and resilience.