The Student Based Mental Health & Education Conference: Exploring AI, Working with High-Risk, Marginalized, Self-Harm, Emotional Self-Regulation & Highly Alarmed Kids
Presented by Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS and Kelly Cleeve, M.Ed., B.Ed., B.A and Deborah MacNamara, Ph.D.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 – Friday, October 30, 2026 | Victoria, bc
Date & Location
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 – Friday, October 30, 2026
8:30am – 4:00pm
Sandman Inn Hotel Victoria
2852 Douglas Street., Victoria, BC
phone: 250.388.0788
website: www.sandmanhotels.com
Who Should Attend
Education and Clinical Professionals: All education and mental health or healthcare professionals who work with children or youth including, but not limited to K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers • All other professionals who support behavioural challenges and complex learning needs including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers and Community Police Officers.
Day One – October 28, 2026
AI in Action: Transforming Education and Therapy for Every Learner
Presented by
Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS
8:30am - 4:00pm October 28, 2026
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how educators, therapists, and mental health professionals support learning, wellbeing, communication, and intervention. This practical and thought-provoking workshop brings together professionals from education, counselling, psychology, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and related fields to explore how AI can be used responsibly, effectively, and ethically in professional practice.
Moving beyond headlines and hype, participants will examine real-world applications of AI that can be implemented immediately to enhance learning, improve accessibility, support individualized interventions, streamline administrative tasks, and foster creativity and engagement. Through demonstrations, case examples, and hands-on discussion, attendees will gain practical strategies for integrating AI into their work while maintaining professional standards and human-centred care.
The workshop will also engage participants in some of the most pressing ethical and societal debates surrounding AI. Topics may include the growing use of AI as a source of companionship for young people, the environmental implications of large-scale AI technologies, concerns about privacy and data security, and the evolving role of AI in educational settings. Rather than focusing solely on detecting AI use by students, participants will explore approaches that acknowledge AI as an emerging reality and learn strategies for incorporating it into teaching, learning, and assessment in meaningful and constructive ways.
For mental health professionals, the workshop will include demonstrations of ethical AI-assisted case conceptualization and treatment planning, highlighting both the potential benefits and the important limitations of these tools. Throughout the day, participants will critically examine how AI can support professional judgment without replacing the relational, ethical, and human dimensions that remain central to education and therapy.
Participants will leave with practical tools, concrete examples, and a balanced understanding of both the opportunities and challenges AI presents, equipping them to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape with confidence, curiosity, and professional integrity.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how educators, therapists, and mental health professionals support learning, wellbeing, communication, and intervention. This practical and thought-provoking workshop brings together professionals from education, counselling, psychology, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and related fields to explore how AI can be used responsibly, effectively, and ethically in professional practice.
Moving beyond headlines and hype, participants will examine real-world applications of AI that can be implemented immediately to enhance learning, improve accessibility, support individualized interventions, streamline administrative tasks, and foster creativity and engagement. Through demonstrations, case examples, and hands-on discussion, attendees will gain practical strategies for integrating AI into their work while maintaining professional standards and human-centred care.
The workshop will also engage participants in some of the most pressing ethical and societal debates surrounding AI. Topics may include the growing use of AI as a source of companionship for young people, the environmental implications of large-scale AI technologies, concerns about privacy and data security, and the evolving role of AI in educational settings. Rather than focusing solely on detecting AI use by students, participants will explore approaches that acknowledge AI as an emerging reality and learn strategies for incorporating it into teaching, learning, and assessment in meaningful and constructive ways.
For mental health professionals, the workshop will include demonstrations of ethical AI-assisted case conceptualization and treatment planning, highlighting both the potential benefits and the important limitations of these tools. Throughout the day, participants will critically examine how AI can support professional judgment without replacing the relational, ethical, and human dimensions that remain central to education and therapy.
Participants will leave with practical tools, concrete examples, and a balanced understanding of both the opportunities and challenges AI presents, equipping them to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape with confidence, curiosity, and professional integrity.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Day Two – October 29, 2026
When Students Feel Seen: Social-Emotional Learning as a Tool for Inclusion and Empowerment
Presented by
Kelly Cleeve, M.Ed., B.Ed., B.A
8:30am - 4:00pm October 29, 2026
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
This interactive full-day workshop explores how social-emotional learning can foster belonging, inclusion, and student empowerment in complex Canadian classrooms. Teachers and educational staff will examine equity-centered SEL practices, identify barriers faced by marginalized learners, and develop practical strategies to create responsive classrooms where all students feel valued, represented, connected, and supported.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Describe connections between transformative social-emotional learning and fostering a sense of belonging amongst marginalized students in the classroom.
- Reflect upon their current professional practices and build additional strategies to support all students in their classrooms.
With more than twenty years of experience in Canadian education, Kelly Cleeve is a respected educator, facilitator, and lecturer dedicated to advancing social-emotional learning, inclusion, and student well-being. She has worked with teachers, school leaders, and educational organizations across British…
Day Three – October 30, 2026
Supporting Defended and Disconnected Children and Youth: Reducing Alarm and Building Connection to Foster Resilience, Growth and Emotional Healing
Presented by
Deborah MacNamara, Ph.D.
8:30am - 4:00pm October 30, 2026
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Some children and youth seem impossible to reach. They resist help, reject relationship, avoid vulnerability, push adults away, or appear emotionally shut down altogether. Traditional behavioural approaches often fail to make headway because the issue is not simply behaviour — it is alarm, adaptation, defended attachment, and much more.
Many of our most vulnerable children have experienced too much separation, instability, stress, disconnection, or emotional pain. Others may have received care but struggle to trust, depend, or receive it. In these contexts, relationship itself can become defended against.
This presentation moves beyond surface-level behaviour management — and even beyond conventional trauma-informed approaches — to explore the developmental and relational roots of disconnection, alarm, and emotional defenses. Participants will gain insight into why some children resist closeness, why caring adults can feel shut out, and how alarm and attachment dynamics shape behaviour, learning, and emotional well-being.
Grounded in developmental science, attachment theory, and practical relational experience, this seminar will explore how educators, counsellors, youth workers, and helping professionals can make meaningful headway with hard-to-reach children and youth. Participants will learn how to reduce alarm, work with — rather than against — defenses, build trust and connection over time, and create the conditions where growth, learning, and emotional healing can unfold.
This highly practical workshop will integrate real-life examples, guided reflection, and case-based application to help participants translate developmental-relational understanding into meaningful action within their own settings and with the children and youth in their care.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Traumatized or marginalized youth.
- Oppositional or resistant behaviour.
- Emotional shutdown or detachment.
- Anxiety and alarm-based behaviours.
- Peer-oriented youth.
- High-risk or highly defended children.
- School refusal, disengagement, or chronic relational struggles.
Deborah MacNamara, PhD is a clinical counsellor and educator with more than 25 years’ experience working with children, youth, and adults. She is on faculty at the Neufeld Institute, operates a counselling practice, and speaks regularly about child and adolescent development…
More information: www.neufeldinstitute.org/person/deborah-macnamara/
Registration & Fees
| Registration | Super Early Bird Fee | Early Bird Fee | Regular Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONE DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 1 Day Enrollment | $279.00 | $299.00 | $319.00 |
| 1 Day Group 3-7 | $229.00 | $249.00 | $269.00 |
| 1 Day Group 8-14 | $209.00 | $229.00 | $249.00 |
| 1 Day Group 15+ | $189.00 | $209.00 | $229.00 |
| 1 Day Full-Time Student | $189.00 | $209.00 | $229.00 |
| -- | |||
| TWO DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 2 Day Enrollment | $499.00 | $519.00 | $539.00 |
| 2 Day Group 3-7 | $459.00 | $469.00 | $489.00 |
| 2 Day Group 8-14 | $429.00 | $449.00 | $469.00 |
| 2 Day Group 15+ | $399.00 | $419.00 | $439.00 |
| 2 Day Full-Time Student | $399.00 | $419.00 | $439.00 |
| -- | |||
| THREE DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 3 Day Enrollment | $669.00 | $689.00 | $699.00 |
| 3 Day Group 3-7 | $619.00 | $639.00 | $659.00 |
| 3 Day Group 8-14 | $599.00 | $619.00 | $629.00 |
| 3 Day Group 15+ | $469.00 | $489.00 | $509.00 |
| 3 Day Full-Time Student | $469.00 | $489.00 | $509.00 |
All fees are per person and in Canadian Dollars ($CAD)
Fees do not include applicable taxes (5% GST).
Super early bird cutoff date: August 28, 2026
To receive the super early bird rate, registration and payment must be received by Friday, August 28, 2026.
Early bird cutoff date: September 28, 2026
To receive the early bird rate, registration and payment must be received by Monday, September 28, 2026.
Please review our Registration Terms and Conditions for information on our cancellation policy, payment policies, rebates, and more. You must agree to our Terms and Conditions to register for a workshop or conference.
Downloads
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Recommended Accommodation
Sandman Inn Hotel Victoria
2852 Douglas Street., Victoria, BC
phone: 250.388.0788
website: www.sandmanhotels.com
Our rates:
Please contact the hotel directly for the best available rates.
Inn at Laural Point
680 Montreal St, Victoria, BC V8V 1Z8
phone: 250.386.8721
website: www.laurelpoint.com/
Our rates:
Please contact the hotel directly for the best available rates.
Continuing Education Credits
This workshop has been formally approved by the following associations:
- Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
Jack Hirose & Associates is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Jack Hirose & Associates maintains responsibility for the program.
† The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers (NLASW) accept CPA-approved CEUs.
* Participants will receive a certificate of completion after every workshop. Workshops are pre-approved for 5.5 or 6 credits per day unless otherwise specified.
Please check back closer to the conference date for more information.
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