Celebration of Connection and Coming of Age
In the everyday work we do with our youth, we often do not get a chance to step back, take a breath and marvel at the incredible work that these youth have done on their journey and reflect on the impact we have with the young people we work with.
Be curious! How a Learning Mindset Keeps Me Growing
I hold a BFA, MSW, and BEd., My brother has often joked that I won’t be happy until I have more letters after my name than in my name – Not an easy feat, considering the length of my name!
Best Field Trip Ever!
At the start of the school year, there was a pretty negative vibe in our classroom. The students, grades 3-6, who all have social and emotional challenges that make it hard for them to be successful in a regular classroom, had some pretty toxic relational patterns. There was a lot of swearing, bickering, insulting, gossiping, “tattling,” and even the odd fistfight.
Let the job tour begin!
The Inglewood Opportunity Hub (the Hub) provides a variety of mental health and wellness, employment, and housing services for multi-barriered youth. One of the core programs at the Hub is the Linking Employment Abilities and Development Program (LEAD), which is a specialized employment training program that provides youth (15-29) with the opportunity to gain valuable skills that will assist them in their journey to find and maintain meaningful employment.
Blue Monday
Do you know what Blue Monday is? I didn’t, then I looked it up. It’s a day that falls on the third Monday of January each year. The gloomiest day of the year where our mental health will apparently take a dip.
My journey with mental illness: Mental health support is life-changing
Mental health is a lifelong journey. Our mental health can change throughout our lives, and we may find ourselves with unexpected symptoms of mental illness. Living with mental illness can be isolating and make it hard to find help to manage the symptoms. There are many resources for mental health help but finding the right type of support or treatment can also be difficult.
How to change your own mind
Reflective practice is a cornerstone of social work practice. In short, reflective practice is an iterative process whereby the individual reflects on their work (and the work of their team), critically evaluates it (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and incorporates the subsequent learnings into their future work.
Driving Change Together
It’s National Addictions Awareness Week. This year’s theme, Driving Change Together, encourages everyone to reassess the way they think about substance use. As we acknowledge how addiction impacts families and communities, let’s not forget the experience of the client. Everyone deserves a future free from addiction.
The Power of Peer Mentorship
Peer mentorship is grounded in the belief that hope and support is the starting point for enhancing wellbeing. Although everyone’s experience and journey is unique, our Peer Mentors at Wood’s Homes cultivate an environment of inclusion and belonging, inspire hope, and demonstrate the potential for success while relating to the challenges and stigma associated with mental illness and/or substance abuse.
A Visit to Capitol Hill
Recently, I paid my first visit to Capitol Hill, a program that works with children under 12. This home in the community is a short-term safe refuge for these little ones who are behaviourally at-risk and have broken down or are at risk of breaking down their current caregiver placements.