8:00am |
Registration | |||||
9:00 - 9:05 |
Welcome | |||||
9:05 - 9:10 |
Opening Aboriginal Ceremony | |||||
9:10 - 9:20 |
Speaker with Lived Experience | |||||
9:20 - 10:05 |
Keynote Address: Culture, trauma transmission and posttraumatic reconstruction |
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10:05 - 10:15 |
Q&A |
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10:15 - 10:45 |
Refreshment Break & Networking | |||||
Concurrent Workshop Sessions ♦ 10:45 - 12:15pm |
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12:15 - 1:15 |
Lunch (included) |
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1:15 - 1:25 |
Speaker with Lived Experience | |||||
1:25 - 2:10 |
Keynote Address: Intergenerational Trauma: Indigenous Perspectives on Health and Health Care Dr. Suzanne Stewart, PhD, CPsych |
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2:10 - 2:20 |
Q&A | |||||
2:20 - 2:50 |
Refreshment Break & Networking | |||||
2:50 - 4:15 |
Panel Discussion Moderator: Morton Beiser, MD |
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4:15 |
Closing Remarks |
Culture, trauma transmission and posttraumatic reconstruction
Trauma is an intense, affect laden, human experience which is communicated not only through narratives but also through nonverbal modalities like art and unconscious enactments. Trauma experiences are transmitted not only in the direct aftermath of trauma but for a very long period afterwards through history, religion, myth, tales and intercommunity representations. These phenomena are important in caring "around" trauma, but rarely acknowledged directly. This presentation will show how various forms of trauma transmission are shaped by the different cultures to which the patient belongs. It will propose that posttraumatic reconstruction is founded on communication within families and social networks. The place of different forms of social and clinical interventions in the posttraumatic reconstruction process will be discussed.
Learning objectives:
At the end of this presentation the participant will:
Intergenerational Trauma: Indigenous Perspectives on Healing and Health Care
This keynote session presents an approach to health care that places healing in the context of culture and historical realities. Indigenous culture is rich with values that include holistic conceptions of the world, collectivism, and a wellness/strengths-based focus on health and education. Embedded within the historical realities for Indigenous peoples in Canada is colonialism. Residential school and health services were both used as tools of oppression within colonialism and have left an on-going legacy known as intergenerational trauma. There are continued colonial aggressions against Indigenous peoples that impact individual and collective functioning within the health care system, such as systemic racism, cognitive imperialism, and differing cultural worldviews and healing practices. Identifying and illuminating the key ideas and implications in these areas will provide understanding and insights from within-and cross-cultural perspectives and contribute to more effective and efficient services for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples who access health services.
Presenters: Lisa Andermann (Psychiatrist, Mount Sinai Hospital) and Teresa Dremetsikas (Program Manager, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture)
This session will provide participants with an opportunity to share and gain knowledge on the community support model for refugee survivors of torture and war developed by the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (www.ccvt.org) over the past 35 years. We will present best practices for promoting refugee mental health and resilience after trauma, and culturally competent approaches for working with trauma survivors. We will also address the after-effects of torture and re-traumatization which can occur.
Building trust and developing meaning of the experience in the aftermath of trauma or torture is crucial in the rehabilitation process. With adequate assistance, including medical, psychological, and appropriate legal support as well as a continuum of care at the community level, individuals are in a better position to process their experience and integrate into their new lives in Canada. The settlement and trauma counselors at CCVT are an integral part of the community support which allows clients to find “hope after the horror”.
Learning Objectives:
Presenters: Neil Arya, MD and Josephine McMurray
This Workshop will examine the use of brokers in the care and management of trauma, in two at-risk populations. Dr. Arya will use examples from Reception Centre dealing with Government Assisted Refugees and St. John's Kitchen Psychiatric Outreach project, both of which he has been involved with clinically. Together with Dr. Josephine McMurray, with whom he has been researching these models of care (others working within these entities may also help facilitate or be in attendance), he will examine a number of key learnings from two studies. One looks at the impact of a dedicated refugee health clinic on access to primary and specialist care. The other describes a values –based approach to primary care for clients experiencing mental health issues and whose shelter is at risk. The following issues will be addressed:
Participants are encouraged to bring examples from their own experience in order to participate in a robust discussion.
Learning Objectives:
Presenter: Pat Durish, MSW, RSW, PhD
“As long as the majority of cultures and contexts define non-heterosexual desires as deviant, sinful, or illegal, LGBT people will experience normative traumata arising from the experiences of being alive and queer” (Brown 2003)
During the past three decades, clinical knowledge of trauma and LGBTQ mental health has increased at a steady pace. However, considering the complex trauma presentations that many of our LGBTQ clients exhibit when entering our offices, there has been surprisingly little intersection between the fields of trauma and LGBTQ mental health. Research and experiential knowledge confirms that LGBTQ individuals are likely targets for both public violence, (hate crimes, harassment, public discourses and practices of discrimination), and private forms of abuse (child abuse, isolation, bullying, intimate partner violence). Transgendered individuals and LGBTQ youth are the most marginalized and therefore vulnerable members of the LGBTQ community. Within sectors of the community there is higher than average rates of suicidality, substance abuse and sexual risk behaviours. Despite the potential for LGBTQ clients to have experienced trauma across their life span, the compartmentalizing of trauma and LGBTQ mental health issues within the clinical literature often means that clinicians misunderstand and misidentify the trauma symptoms of their LGBTQ clients.
This workshop will present 3 clinical case studies (a trans woman, a lesbian couple and a gay man) as a means of exploring the issues that arise when working with LGBTQ clients with histories of trauma. The focus will be on exploring trauma symptoms in relation to the context of LGBTQ lives, as well as identifying strategies for creating a practice that is more informed and sensitive to the experiences and needs of our LGBTQ clients.
In this workshop you will learn:
Presenter: Meb Rashid, MD, Clinical Director, Crossroads Clinic, Women’s College Hospital
Approximately 25,000 refugees are accepted to Canada each year. Many have endured exposure to war, sexual violence and torture. They often struggle with post-migration stressors. This workshop will provide some guidance on addressing the mental health of Refugees in the post migration period. Drawing on available literature as well as experience working with refugee patients, this workshop will stimulate discussion on the most effective approaches in working with this population.
Learning Objectives:
Presenter: LCol Alexandra Heber, MD, FRCPC
The cultures of police forces, firefighters, military and other paramilitary groups share a number of characteristics, including: strong group loyalty; a sense of mission; serving or protecting the public; putting one’s life at risk as part of the job; rigid hierarchical structure or “chain of command”; stoicism in the face of adversity; and for police and military, the use of deadly force against others in certain circumstances.
Given these cultural characteristics, this presentation will explore the issues faced by members of these groups when they develop mental health conditions, such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, as a result of performing their duties. It will discuss typical ways the symptomatic member tries to cope or overcome his or her symptoms, and some common reactions of colleagues and superiors. The role stigma plays, and some recommendations for overcoming stigma and other barriers to accessing treatment will be discussed. The vital role that leadership plays in the mental health care and recovery of these individuals will be elaborated. Audience participation and sharing of experiences in caring for these and other populations will be welcomed.
Learning Objectives: