Student Mental Health & Education Conference | Winnipeg 2026

High Risk, Dysregulated Kids and Indigenous Perspectives in Technology-Saturated World *THIS EVENT HAS BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE OPTIONS* Welcome to The Student Based Mental Health & Education Conference: High Risk, Dysregulated Kids and Indigenous Perspectives in Technology-Saturated World On behalf of Jack Hirose & Associates, welcome and thank you for joining us in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We are delighted to bring together educators, counsellors, therapists, administrators, mental health professionals, and helping professionals from across Canada for three days of practical, evidence-informed learning. Winnipeg is a vibrant and culturally rich city with a strong sense of community, diverse dining, arts and cultural attractions, and a unique history. We encourage you to take advantage of your time here by exploring the city and experiencing the warmth and hospitality Winnipeg has to offer. Throughout the conference, you will explore practical strategies for supporting children and youth experiencing emotional dysregulation, mental health challenges, trauma, and other complex needs. Sessions will also highlight Indigenous perspectives, resilience, connection, and culturally responsive approaches to supporting children, youth, families, and communities. We hope you enjoy both the conference and your time in Winnipeg, and leave feeling inspired, connected, and equipped with practical strategies and new ideas to support the children and youth in your communities. ______ 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 – December 2, 2026 Emotional Regulation: Understanding Triggers and Responding to Behaviours Across Educational and Clinical Settings Presented by Tracy Whittaker-Taggart, M.A. 8:30am - 4:00pm December 2, 2026 Children and youth experience emotions and behaviour in different ways, and how adults understand and respond to those behaviours can have a significant impact. Whether you are a teacher, counsellor, psychologist, therapist, educational assistant, administrator, parent, or another helping professional, this workshop invites you to take a closer look at how you currently approach emotional regulation and challenging behaviour. Rather than simply asking, “How do we stop or manage this behaviour?” participants will be encouraged to step back and consider: What might this behaviour be communicating? What does this child or youth need from the adults and environment around them? Through discussion, reflection, and practical examples, we’ll challenge some common assumptions about emotions and behaviour and explore how shifting our perspective can change the way we respond. Participants will examine their own current practices and strategies, considering what is working, what may need to change, and how adult expectations and responses can influence a child or youth’s ability to regulate. The workshop will explore practical approaches for responding to emotional and behavioural challenges in ways that promote connection, safety, and understanding rather than simply focusing on compliance or behaviour management. Throughout the session, participants will have opportunities to share experiences, discuss real-world challenges, and consider how these ideas apply to their own settings. The workshop concludes with a practical planning component where participants will identify and brainstorm specific changes they can make in their classroom, clinical practice, community setting, or home. Participants will leave with a refreshed perspective on emotional regulation and behaviour, practical strategies they can begin using right away, and concrete ideas for creating environments that better support children and youth with a wide range of emotional and behavioural needs. Day Two – December 3, 2026 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 3, 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. Day Three – December 4, 2026 Reclaiming Childhood and Adolescence in a Technology-Saturated World: Indigenous Perspectives on Development, Connection, Community, and Resilience Presented by Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Ph.D. 8:30am - 4:00pm December 4, 2026 WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION Children today are growing up in a rapidly changing world where technology, artificial intelligence, social media, and digital entertainment have become central parts of daily life. While these advancements offer many opportunities, they have also raised important questions about their impact on child development, social connection, emotional well-being, and overall health. Many children now spend significantly less time outdoors, have fewer opportunities for face-to-face social interaction, and are increasingly exposed to online influences, violence, and digital content that may shape their perceptions of themselves and the world around them. Families, educators, and communities are witnessing growing concerns related to social isolation, emotional dysregulation, attention difficulties, anxiety, and challenges in developing empathy, compassion, and meaningful relationships. This workshop will explore the influence of technology, artificial intelligence, social media, and violence on the healthy development of children and youth.