Supporting High-Risk Youth & FASD: Strength-Based Strategies

Explore strategies to support high-risk youth who self-harm and reframe FASD behaviours to build on strengths and promote success. *THIS EVENT HAS BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE OPTIONS* Welcome to The Western Canadian Mental Health & Education Summit: Trauma, High-Risk, Self-Harming Behaviours, Neurodiversity, FASD, Attachment & Indigenous Perspectives ______ 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 Three – December 9, 2026 5. Working with Children and Youth who are High-Risk, Marginalized and Engage in Self-Harming Behaviour Presented by Caroline Buzanko, Ph.D., R. Psych 8:30am - 4:00pm December 9, 2026 WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION For anyone who know that “safety contracts” don’t work and want to know what does. Self-harm among youth isn’t rising because young people are more fragile. It’s rising because the conditions they’re navigating create psychological states where harming one’s own body makes functional sense. This intensive 6-hour workshop is designed for anyone who work with the youth carrying the heaviest burdens: those at the intersection of marginalization, trauma, and self-injury. You’ll move beyond risk management checklists to understand the why beneath the behaviour. Drawing on the established theories and evidence-based interventions for self-harm, this training provides the clinical precision needed when the stakes are highest. This workshop addresses the reality that therapy fails when it replicates the same power dynamics that harm youth in the first place. You’ll learn how to structure engagement that honours adolescent autonomy, conduct chain analyses that reveal intervention points invisible in standard assessments, and teach physiological regulation skills that work when cognitive strategies fail. We’ll tackle the specific dialectical dilemmas of adolescent treatment: how to involve parents without breaking confidentiality, how to validate pain without reinforcing dysfunction, and how to adapt evidence-based protocols for youth who experience standard therapeutic language as minimizing and unhelpful. You’ll also confront the parts of this work that textbooks skip: how to stay regulated when a 14-year-old shows you fresh burns, how to respond when a family’s exhaustion manifests as rage, and how to maintain therapeutic boundaries while practicing the “moral courage” required to witness historical trauma. This workshop is key to develop enough technical skill and relational capacity that young people choose to stay alive long enough to discover they want to. 6. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Reframing Behaviours to Support Strengths and Promote Success Presented by Denise Nowicki, Ph.D., B.Ed., B.Sc. 8:30am - 4:00pm December 9, 2026 WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION Did you know that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disabilities in Canada, affecting an estimated 4% of the population (CanFASD, 2024)? Despite its prevalence, FASD often goes unrecognized or misunderstood, leaving those working with these individuals wondering why traditional strategies are not working and why some continue to struggle despite their best efforts. Join us for an engaging and practical presentation designed specifically for those working with challenging children and youth who want to better understand, identify, and support individuals with FASD. This session moves beyond labels and challenges us to dig deeper into behaviour to understand the brain-based differences that influence learning, emotional regulation, social interactions, and executive functioning. Participants will learn about the prevalence and characteristics of FASD, common signs that may indicate an individual is struggling with neurodevelopmental challenges, and the impact these differences can have on individuals across the lifespan. Most importantly, we will explore how reframing our perspective—from asking “What’s wrong with this individual?” to “What does this individual need to succeed?”—can transform relationships, reduce frustration, and improve outcomes for both the individuals impacted by FASD and those working with them. This presentation emphasizes a strengths-based, compassionate approach that recognizes the unique abilities, creativity, resilience, and potential of individuals with FASD. By understanding how the brain works and adapting our expectations and supports accordingly, attendees will leave with practical strategies to create supportive environments, foster positive behaviour, and build meaningful connections that help students thrive. Whether you are a classroom teacher, educational assistant, administrator, counsellor, or support professional, this session will provide valuable insights and tools that can be applied immediately in educational settings. Together, we can move beyond behaviours, recognize hidden strengths, and create communities where individuals with FASD are understood, supported and empowered to thrive.