Creating Caring Communities announces spring conference
By Contributor
The Creating Caring Communities Committee is pleased to announce their second annual spring conference, scheduled for May 2nd and 3rd at Selkirk College in Castlegar, BC. The theme for this year’s conference, Keeping the Doors Open: New Beginnings for Creating Policy that Supports Marginalized Populations, features keynote speakers Carrielynn Lund, Eugene Oscapella and Dr. Tessa Parkes.
The conference will provide an excellent opportunity for healthcare providers, public health professionals, frontline staff and community members to identify how policies affect marginalised populations and ways to encourage and develop strategies for change. As Cheryl Dowden, Executive Director of ANKORS, explains:
We often hear the term marginalized populations; however, it is time that we talk about working together to support those who exist on the margins of our society in order to bring them closer to the centre. The Creating Caring Communities Conference strives to engage and hear from those who are most affected and honours the resilience of those who have experienced barriers and challenges when accessing services. The reality is that there still remains a great deal of stigma associated with mental health and substance use and this conference presents us with the opportunity to create something positive and potentially life-saving in our communities.
Breakout session topics include harm reduction therapy, stigma in the emergency room, an introduction to the Rural Empowered Drug Users Network (REDUN) and will also feature an Aboriginal healing circle. Everyone is welcome. Cost for the conference is $85 including lunch, beverages and snacks. Students can pay a reduced fee of $30. For more information, call ANKORS at 250-505-5506.
To register, call 250-365-1208, email castlegarce@selkirk.ca or register in person at the Selkirk College administration building in Castlegar. The Creating Caring Communities Conference is presented in partnership with Regional Mental Health & Substance Use, ANKORS and Selkirk College and is sponsored by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Trail Family & Individual Resource Centre, Interior Health and IH Aboriginal Health.
— submitted by Ankor
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