This project has hosted webinars since 2012 to promote learning, information sharing and to stimulate conversation on topics that we hope are relevant to your practice. Many of the archived webinars are part of the former project, the Refugee Mental Health Project. Since September 2017, webinars have encompassed the expanded scope of newly-arrived immigrants and/or refugees.

Our webinars are one-hour sessions that include a 30-minute presentation by professionals in the settlement, social or health services sectors followed by a 30-minute question and answer session where we encourage you to ask questions, pose scenarios and to generally discuss your practice with these experts in the field.

Upcoming webinars

Addressing Child Violence in Migration: Socio-Ecological Strategies for Service Providers

With Zeina Ismail-Allouche , PhD, Director of Partnerships and Program Development, Canadian Practitioners Network for the Prevention of Extremist Violence

September 18, 2024

Webinar description

This webinar addresses the critical issue of child violence within the migration journey, focusing on the identification of signs of violence and the complex factors within the socio-ecological model that contribute to these vulnerabilities. It will highlight the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in shaping the mental health of migrating children. Participants will explore practical interventions grounded in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion principles, equipping direct service providers with strategies to support and protect these children at individual, family, community, and societal levels, ensuring a holistic and inclusive approach to their well-being and mental health.

About the presenter

Zeina Ismail-Allouche has a PhD in Social Sciences and Arts with over 25 years of experience in the field of child protection, gender-based violence, and child trafficking for illegal transracial/international adoption practices. She has assumed leadership positions within numerous international organizations.

Zeina has contributed to international initiatives promoting family strengthening to prevent separation and led integrated reform initiatives to reform the child protection sector in many countries. She collaborated with Georgetown University to design and deliver a child protection specialist training program with a focus on interdisciplinary and comprehensive case management. She developed a policy on child protection for media (UNICEF Lebanon).

Zeina is an oral history/autoethnography storyteller and performer grounded in Indigenous methodologies and decolonized research practice. She contributed to various publications advocating for child protection.

Webinar recordings

Now online:
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With Andrea MacLeod, Professor, University of Alberta

Webinar description

Newcomer parents who speak their home language often experience challenges in transmitting their language(s) to their children resulting in children losing their home language. Language is deeply connected to how we enact our culture, raise our children and maintain ties to our family and our community. Children who share a home language with their parents build strong intergenerational connections, experience higher self-esteem, and can navigate resources within their family and community in addition to mainstream settings. We have partnered with early education settings and community organizations to implement the Multilingual Language Program. Through our partnership, community members learn to implement practices that help children and parents feel that their languages are valued and important. 

About the presenter

Dr. Andrea MacLeod is a professor at the University of Alberta, a bilingual speaker, and a parent of three bilingual children. She has developed an expertise in the study of speech and language development among bilingual children from Official Language Minority Communities in Canada and among children from minoritized language communities, including immigrant and refugee children. Her work with bilingual children led her to co-found a non-profit organization to support bilingual language development in young refugee children. This work has led to continued community-based research within a social-justice framework to understand how to best support language maintenance and transmission. Her research to study multilingual language development and language maintenance has been funded by major grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Archive:

Note that webinar recordings contain the presentation of the topic only; the question and answer session is not recorded.

• Specific populations and issues
  These webinars highlight strategies for supporting particular immigrant and refugee groups, or highlight specific issues in supporting immigrant and refugee mental health.
• Support and treatment considerations
  These webinars will focus on specific considerations for providing effective treatment to recent immigrants and refugees.
• Successful or promising practices
  These webinars outline innovative and unique approaches/programs for supporting the mental health of newly-arrived immigrants and refugees.