Wood's Homes Blog
From External Pressure to Internal Discovery: Reflections on Men’s Mental Health
By shedding light on the internal struggles that men may face, we can begin to understand the rise of toxic masculinity while empowering the modern man to challenge intrusive expectations and embrace self-empathy.
Mental health reflections: what we learned – and didn’t learn – from the pandemic
After reading blog posts written by my colleagues in acknowledgement of the 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month, I was struck not just by the well-articulated content but also by the date May 2024. It was just over four years ago, in March 2020, when a global pandemic started to change, mold, and dare I say “pivot” mental health supports.
Children’s Mental Health and Technology
According to recent estimates, the average person checks their phone anywhere from 80 to 200 times a day (something like every 10 minutes). That seems pretty over the top in some ways, but you can see how quickly it can add up, especially with notifications and other ways in which our phones can demand our attention.
National Child and Youth Mental Health Day
When I think about how the mental health system could run a bit better, which I often do when I support families with finding resources, the first thing that comes to mind is that the biggest gap in our system is that we do not always have the chance to build connections and increase a young person’s support system.
Volunteer Spotlight: Mark Deering
We’re celebrating our incredible volunteers during National Volunteer Week! This blog spotlights Mark Deering, a corporate volunteer from Vermilion Energy,
Volunteer Spotlight: Dori Palmiere
We’re celebrating our incredible volunteers during National Volunteer Week! This blog spotlights Dori Palmiere, a Community Volunteer Therapist at Eastside Community Mental Health Services.
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week: Debunking Myths
March 18-24 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), and annual observance to improve knowledge, raise awareness, and increase overall dialogue surrounding drug use and addiction.
Black History Month: Perspectives from Nkechi Ajike-Kalu
According to Nkechi, Canada has a thriving Nigerian community in each province, and the one in Calgary is the biggest and most vibrant of them all. They say Nigerians in Calgary are known for striving to be a helpful resource to one another, while giving back to the community.
Black History Month: Perspectives from Ornella Muigg
Ornella says representation within our Wood’s Homes community is important in creating space and opportunity for belonging and truth seeking about how systemic racism impacts the lives of racialized people. Talking about how, as an organization, we can value being responsive, leaning into the difficult, and learning something new is key in our cultural development.
Inspiring Cultural Connections: How Employees Impact Each Other and our Clients – Part 2
In this post, we look at the impact that Indigenous staff have on their colleagues and how we work to support the healing journey of our Indigenous clients and families.
Importance of Keeping Children Connected to Culture: Every Child Does Matter – Part 1
This is Part 1 of a two-part blog series celebrating the important work our program staff do for the Indigenous community.
Positive Parenting: Effective Alternatives to Spanking for Child Behaviour Management
Spanking has been a traditional method of child discipline used by parents. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 43% of Canadian families use spanking to discipline their children.