The Student Based Mental Health & Education Conference: Exploring AI, Working with High-Risk, Marginalized, Self-Harm, Emotional Self-Regulation & Highly Alarmed Kids [Victoria, BC]

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

Welcome to The Student-Based Mental Health and Education Summit: Fostering Resilience Through Indigenous Perspectives for At-Risk, Highly Dysregulated, and Technology-Saturated Children and Youth.

On behalf of Jack Hirose & Associates, welcome and thank you for joining us in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. We are delighted to bring together educators, counsellors, therapists, administrators, and helping professionals from across Canada for three days of practical, evidence-informed learning.

Our conference venue is conveniently located just minutes from Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, marina, restaurants, shops, and many of the city’s most popular attractions. We encourage you to take advantage of your time here by exploring the waterfront, enjoying the local cuisine, and experiencing the unique charm and hospitality that Victoria has to offer.

Throughout the conference, you will explore practical strategies for supporting children and youth facing trauma, emotional dysregulation, mental health challenges, and the impacts of today’s digital world, while gaining valuable insights grounded in Indigenous perspectives and resilience-focused practices.

We hope you enjoy both the conference and your time in Victoria, and leave feeling inspired, connected, and equipped with new ideas to support the children and youth in your communities.

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

Digital Wellness in an AI Era: Practical Strategies for Educators and Clinicians
Presented by Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS

8:30am - 4:00pm   October 28, 2026

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Children, adolescents, and adults are navigating a world increasingly shaped by social media, smartphones, artificial intelligence, and constant digital connectivity. These technologies are influencing how people learn, communicate, form relationships, seek support, and experience mental health challenges. Educators and clinicians are often left wondering how to respond effectively while supporting wellbeing in a rapidly changing environment.

This practical workshop provides evidence-informed strategies for promoting digital wellness in schools, counselling settings, healthcare environments, and community programs. Participants will explore the relationship between technology use and mental health, including concerns related to anxiety, depression, social comparison, sleep disruption, attention difficulties, cyberbullying, FoMO, emotional regulation, and social connection.

Drawing on current research and real-world examples, the workshop will examine how artificial intelligence and digital technologies are changing learning, help-seeking behaviours, and interpersonal relationships. Participants will learn practical approaches for supporting healthy technology habits, strengthening resilience, fostering critical thinking, and helping young people navigate online spaces safely and responsibly.

The workshop will also address emerging issues such as AI companionship, academic integrity in the age of generative AI, and the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in educational and clinical settings. Rather than focusing solely on restricting technology use, participants will explore ways to work with these tools constructively while maintaining the human connection that remains central to learning, development, and therapeutic change.

Through case studies, discussion, and practical applications, attendees will leave with concrete strategies that can be implemented immediately to support mental health, digital wellbeing, and healthy engagement with technology across a variety of educational and clinical contexts.

AGENDA

1. Welcome and Introduction
   • Overview of the day, learning objectives, and the changing digital landscape.
2. Understanding Today’s Digital World
   • How smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, and constant connectivity are reshaping learning, communication, relationships, and wellbeing.
3. The Impact of Technology on Mental Health
   • Current research on anxiety, depression, attention, sleep, emotional regulation, social comparison, FoMO, cyberbullying, and digital dependency.
4. Recognizing Risks and Building Protective Factors
   • Understanding resilience, healthy technology use, and factors that support positive mental health in a digital age.
5. Supporting Healthy Digital Habits
   • Practical strategies for educators, clinicians, and caregivers to promote balanced and intentional technology use.
6. Digital Citizenship, Critical Thinking, and AI
   • Helping children, youth, and adults navigate online information, artificial intelligence, digital relationships, and responsible online behaviour.
7. Supporting Families, Schools, and Clinical Practice
   • Evidence-informed approaches for addressing online help-seeking, AI companionship, self-regulation, and technology-related concerns.
8. Ethical and Responsible Technology Use
   • Privacy, digital safety, academic integrity, and ethical applications of AI in education and clinical practice.
9. Maintaining Human Connection in a Digital World
   • Strategies for balancing technology with meaningful relationships, wellbeing, and healthy development.
10. Action Planning and Practical Resources
    • Develop an individualized action plan, explore evidence-based resources and tools, and participate in a facilitated question-and-answer session.

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Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS, started her career as a high school teacher, working in the public education in both Alberta and BC. She later transitioned into high school counselling, where she spent ten years supporting student mental health and…

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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

Creating classrooms where every student feels seen, valued, and connected has never been more important. As Canadian classrooms become increasingly diverse, educators are challenged to support students with a wide range of cultural identities, lived experiences, learning needs, and social-emotional strengths. This engaging and interactive workshop explores how social-emotional learning (SEL) can move beyond teaching individual skills to become a powerful framework for fostering belonging, inclusion, and student empowerment.

Grounded in current research and practical classroom experience, participants will examine the connections between social-emotional learning, equity, and student well-being while exploring the barriers that can prevent marginalized and underserved learners from experiencing a true sense of belonging. Through reflective activities, case studies, collaborative discussions, and practical classroom strategies, attendees will discover how relationship-centred, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed approaches can create learning environments where every student is supported to thrive.

Participants will also explore Transformative Social-Emotional Learning (tSEL), critically examine traditional SEL frameworks through an equity lens, and develop practical strategies that honour diverse identities, experiences, and ways of learning. Throughout the day, educators will leave with evidence-informed tools they can immediately apply to strengthen relationships, increase student engagement, and build more inclusive classroom communities.

• Welcome, Introductions & Workshop Overview – Establish learning goals, build connections, and set the stage for the day.
• Belonging, Inclusion & Student Well-Being – Explore the difference between inclusion and belonging and examine why belonging is critical for learning and mental wellness.
• Understanding Marginalization – Examine barriers faced by marginalized students through research, reflection, and discussion.
• Introduction to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) – Learn the CASEL framework and explore how SEL supports belonging, resilience, and student success.
• Identity, Reflection & Building Empathy – Participate in interactive activities that deepen self-awareness and strengthen classroom connections.
• Examining SEL Through an Equity Lens – Critically explore traditional SEL frameworks, cultural responsiveness, and inclusive practices for diverse learners.
• Transformative Social-Emotional Learning (tSEL) – Discover how tSEL promotes equity, belonging, and empowerment for marginalized students.
• Applying tSEL in Practice – Collaborate on real-world case studies and practical strategies for creating inclusive, relationship-centred learning environments.
• Collaborative Problem Solving & Professional Reflection – Share ideas, address questions, and develop practical solutions for everyday educational settings.
• Action Planning for Inclusive Classrooms – Consolidate key learning, reflect on professional practice, and create a personal commitment to fostering belonging and inclusion.

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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…

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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.

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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…

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More information: www.neufeldinstitute.org/person/deborah-macnamara/

Registration & Fees