Important Notice:
Updated Program
Please review the updated workshop descriptions below before registering.
The Western Canadian Mental Health & Education Summit: Integrating Indigenous Perspectives and Navigating AI, Digital Literacy & Resilience in a Connected World [Calgary, AB]
Presented by Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS and Varleisha D. Lyons, Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L and Samaria Nancy Cardinal, MSW, RSW
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 – Friday, November 6, 2026 | Calgary, ab
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You are on the in-person registration page for this event. If you would like to attend online (live webinar or on-demand), please register through our Online Learning website.
Online-Only
Registration Live webinar or on-demand access
Registration Live webinar or on-demand access
Date & Location
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 – Friday, November 6, 2026
8:30am – 4:00pm
Grand Hotel Calgary Airport & Convention Center
2828 23rd Street NE, Calgary, AB, T2E 8T4
phone: 888.388.3932
website: www.grandhotelcalgary.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 – November 4, 2026
1. AI in Action: Transforming Education and Therapy for Every Learner
Presented by
Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS
8:30am - 4:00pm November 4, 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.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
AI in Action: Transforming Education and Therapy for Every Learner
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Explain the capabilities, limitations, and current applications of artificial intelligence within education and clinical practice.
- Apply AI tools to enhance learning, accessibility, intervention planning, administrative efficiency, and professional practice.
- Critically evaluate AI-generated content to support sound professional judgment and evidence-informed decision-making.
- Analyze ethical, legal, and professional considerations associated with the responsible use of AI in educational and therapeutic settings.
- Develop practical strategies for integrating AI into professional practice while maintaining ethical standards, human connection, and professional integrity.
Workshop Outline:
AI in Action: Transforming Education and Therapy for Every Learner
What is AI? What can it do for me? What could go wrong? How can it be used ethically and responsibly?
| Time | Topic | Focus | Teaching methods |
| 8:30–10:15
|
The AI Revolution: Understanding the Landscape | Explore what artificial intelligence is, how it has evolved, and why it is becoming such a significant force in education and healthcare. Dispel common myths while helping participants understand both the opportunities and limitations of current AI technologies.
· What is AI? A practical overview · Generative AI versus traditional AI · Common misconceptions and media narratives · Current AI capabilities and limitations · Why AI matters for educators and clinicians · Demonstration of several AI tools
|
|
| 10:15-10:30 | Morning Break | ||
| 10:30-11:45 | Practical AI Applications Across Professional Practice | Participants explore practical ways AI can support daily professional work while enhancing and not replacing professional expertise.
§ Lesson and resource development § Accessibility and differentiated learning § Administrative efficiency § Brainstorming and creative planning § Clinical documentation § Ethical AI-assisted case conceptualization § Treatment planning demonstrations
|
|
| 11:45- 12:45 | Lunch Break | ||
| 12:45-2:15 | Ethics, Professional Judgment, and the Future of Practice | A critical examination of the ethical, legal, and professional questions emerging alongside AI adoption.
· Privacy and confidentiality · Data security · Bias and fairness · Hallucinations and misinformation · AI companionship · Environmental considerations · Academic integrity · Maintaining human-centred care
|
|
| 2:15–2:30 | Afternoon Break | ||
| 2:30-4:00 | From Curiosity to Competence: Integrating AI into Everyday Practice | Participants consolidate the day’s learning by developing practical strategies for responsible AI integration within their own professional contexts.
· Selecting appropriate AI tools · Developing organizational guidelines · Responsible prompting strategies · Evaluating AI outputs critically · Building AI literacy · Future trends and emerging developments
|
|
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…
Day Two – November 5, 2026
2. Integrating Indigenous and Western Healing Strategies and Perspectives
Presented by
Samaria Nancy Cardinal, MSW, RSW
8:30am - 4:00pm November 5, 2026
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
This one-day, in-person workshop supports helpers and clinicians to integrate Indigenous-informed healing perspectives with selected Western approaches through a respectful, non-appropriative “both/and” lens. Participants will explore how Indigenous wellness is often heart-centred, relational, and grounded in story, land, and community, rather than primarily head-based or individually focused. We will introduce the Medicine Wheel as a non-diagnostic balance check-in (Physical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual) to help participants notice “signals” instead of pathologizing “symptoms, and to guide collaborative, consent-based goal setting.
A core emphasis is relational accountability (“All My Relations”): understanding the person within a web of relationships: family, chosen kin, community, ancestors, and land. Participants will practise language and consent scripts that increase cultural safety, and learn how to hold a witnessing stance rather than an expert-fixer role. We will also build a practical stabilization toolkit that includes non-ceremonial land-informed grounding (natural elements as co-regulators) and seasonal awareness to normalize shifts in energy and capacity.
Important boundary: this workshop does not teach or replicate a ceremony. Instead, it supports ethical practice, clear scope, and relational referral pathways (e.g., Indigenous friendship centres, community programs, land-based walking groups, and appropriate cultural supports). Participants will leave with practical tools, worksheets, and an integration plan they can apply immediately, while staying accountable to humility, consent, and community connection.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Describe two-eyed seeing as a “both/and” integration stance and name key cultural safety principles.
- Use the Medicine Wheel as a non-diagnostic balance check-in to identify “signals” and strengths.
- Explain relational accountability (“All My Relations”) and apply co-regulation concepts beyond individual self-regulation.
- Demonstrate consent-based opening and repair language that reduces shame and increases safety.
- Practice non-ceremonial, land-informed grounding and seasonal awareness adaptations for stabilization.
- Create an ethical integration plan that avoids defaulting to CBT, clarifies boundaries, and strengthens community referral pathways.
Samaria Nancy Cardinal, MSW (Clinical Practice), RSW, Candidate for RCSW, is a Blackfoot–Métis Mental Wellness therapist, educator, and the Owner/Lead Indigenous Therapy Specialist at Flower In The Wind Therapy in Calgary, Alberta. With over 20 years of experience across disability,…
Day Three – November 6, 2026
3. Supporting Children and Youth Through an Indigenous Trauma-Informed Framework
Presented by
Varleisha D. Lyons, Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L
8:30am - 4:00pm November 6, 2026
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Join internationally respected occupational therapist and researcher Dr. Varleisha (Gibbs) Lyons for a transformative one-day workshop exploring how trauma-informed, culturally responsive, spiritually grounded, and strengths-based approaches can better support children, youth, families, and communities.
Drawing upon Indigenous knowledge, contemporary trauma research, neuroscience, and occupational therapy practice, Dr. Lyons will help participants move beyond deficit-based and pathologizing approaches toward a deeper understanding of how trauma influences behaviour, emotional regulation, relationships, learning, and well-being. Participants will examine the impact of experiences such as racism, poverty, sexism, discrimination, violence, and colonialism while recognizing the resilience and strengths children and youth bring to their healing journeys.
Participants will explore practical approaches that help children, youth, families, and communities better understand and respond to daily stressors and triggers while strengthening coping skills, emotional regulation, connection, healing, and resilience. Attendees will also learn how Indigenous perspectives on wellness, spirituality, relationships, and community can enhance trauma-informed practice across educational, clinical, and community settings.
Designed for educators, counsellors, social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, youth workers, healthcare professionals, and community practitioners, this workshop offers practical tools for creating supportive environments that foster belonging, well-being, and positive outcomes for all children and youth.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe the historical foundations of intergenerational traumaand its impact on identity, mental health, and community well-being.
- Explain the role of spirituality, storytelling, and traditional practicesin Indigenous approaches to healing and resilience.
- Recognize the importance of cultural identity and belongingin supporting emotional and psychological recovery.
- Apply culturally responsive strategiesthat strengthen therapeutic and helping relationships with individuals and families.
- Identify ways to integrate culturally grounded perspectivesinto clinical, educational, and community-based practice.
- Understand the role of youth mentorship and cultural continuityin fostering long-term resilience within communities.
Varleisha D. Lyons Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L is a renowned occupational therapist, author, and speaker who is deeply passionate about promoting culturally intelligent and spiritually centered mental health care. As a woman of African American and Native American heritage, with ancestral ties…
Registration & Fees
| Registration | Super Early Bird Fee | Early Bird Fee | Regular Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONE DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 1 Day Enrollment | -- | $199.00 | $319.00 |
| Full-Time Student | -- | $149.00 | $299.00 |
| -- | |||
| TWO DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 2 Day Enrollment | -- | $349.00 | $539.00 |
| Full-Time Student | -- | $279.00 | $439.00 |
| -- | |||
| THREE DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 3 Day Enrollment | -- | $449.00 | $699.00 |
| 3 Day Group 3-7 | -- | $399.00 | $659.00 |
| 3 Day Group 8-14 | -- | $379.00 | $629.00 |
| 3 Day Group 15+ | -- | $349.00 | $509.00 |
| 3 Day Full-Time Student | -- | $349.00 | $509.00 |
All fees are per person and in Canadian Dollars ($CAD)
Fees do not include applicable taxes (5% GST).
Early bird cutoff date: October 4, 2026
The early bird date has passed. Regular rates apply.
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
Grand Hotel Calgary Airport & Convention Center
2828 23rd Street NE, Calgary, AB, T2E 8T4
phone: 888.388.3932
website: www.grandhotelcalgary.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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