- January 29, 12:00 pm PST
- Webinar
Join us for a one-hour, interactive webinar that focuses on equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to effectively support clients and their families facing mental health challenges. It covers essential topics such as recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health issues, fostering trust and empathy in communication, and developing strategies for supporting families in navigating both the emotional and practical challenges of living with mental health conditions.
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in clients and their families, enabling them to recognize early indicators of mental health challenges.
- Apply effective communication techniques that foster trust and empathy, improving their ability to engage with clients facing mental health challenges.
- Utilize strategies to support family members in managing the emotional and practical challenges of living with someone experiencing mental health issues, thereby enhancing family resilience.
- Implement approaches for communicating with parents about their own mental health while maintaining a supportive environment that encourages active parenting without compromising expectations.
- Understand and collaborate with healthcare providers, support groups, and social services to offer comprehensive care that supports the mental health and well-being of both clients and their families.
- Effectively manage mental health crises by recognizing when intervention is necessary and knowing when to refer clients and families to professional crisis services.
- Engage family members in the treatment process while respecting the client’s autonomy and confidentiality, ensuring family involvement is appropriate and beneficial.
Our presenter
Tom Walker runs the peer support program for Ornge. The focus is to mitigate the frontline developing compassion fatigue, making us susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder. Tom’s work also includes therapeutic interventions on the continuum of supporting staff and their families after traumatic incidents to those suffering from trauma, addictions, mental health/illness, family work, and conflict mediation.
Before coming to Ornge, Tom worked in frontline, management, and senior leadership roles for 25 years in addiction and mental health. He was Director of Business Development and Training with the Canadian Training Institute (CTI). Tom also led the Youth Worker Training Initiative and the Breaking the Cycle program (Youth Gang Exit Strategy). Tom has a master’s in social work and is a trained Clinical Traumatologist & Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist, associate trainer, board member and consultant through the Traumatology Institute. Tom is also a lead trainer and consultant for the Crisis Trauma Resource Institute (CTRI). He is also finishing a parenting book, Parenting in the 21st Century – Strategies for Getting on Track.
