Comox Valley Strengthening Community Workshops and Training Opportunities
These workshops and training opportunities are available free of charge to any organization, volunteer, or community member that is working on the front lines, supporting or interacting with individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, or mental health challenges.
How to register:
Register online, over the phone, or in person at the Lewis or Florence Filberg Centres.
- Online through Courtenay Recreation
- Lewis Centre: 250-338-5371
- Florence Filberg Centre: 250-338-1000
If you represent an organization and would like to register a group, please contact kcollins@courtenay.ca
Upcoming workshops and training opportunities:
Mental Health First Aid Standard
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the support provided to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis. Course participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis and encourage that person to:
- Talk about declines in their mental well-being
- Discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improved mental well-being
- Reach out to these supports
- Assist in a mental health or substance use crisis
- Use MHFA actions to maintain one’s own mental well-being
++Please note: Module 1 is required to be completed prior to course start date
Facilitated by Canadian Mental Health Association
Location: Virtual - LINK will be emailed prior to program start date
Date: May 9 & 10, 2024 or June 10 & 11, 2024 or June 27 & 28
Time: 8:30am - 12:00pm
To register online:
Click to register for May 9 & 10
Click to register for June 10 & 11
Click to register for June 27 & 28
Resilient Minds
This adaptation of the national Resilient Minds™ Building the Psychological Strength of Fire Fighters training is one of five adaptations of Resilient Minds® for workers in environments that pose a high risk for mental health challenges, including Wildland Fire Fighters, Volunteer Fire Fighters, Indigenous First Responders and Emergency Operators.
Resilient Minds® for Community Workers was steered by a Canada-wide committee of community and social workers and informed by focus groups working in the Downtown East Side. It focuses on trauma-informed practices and equips community workers serving marginalized populations to promote safety, empowerment, and healing within communities.
The effectiveness for fire fighters has been thoroughly researched, and post-training data suggests sustainable and lasting positive change.
This workshop is highly interactive and includes over 25 group activities.
Modules include:
- Self-awareness: Recognizing the effects of psychological stressors and trauma, and learning personal tools to manage stress and increase resilience
- Peer support: Practicing the 4R Action Toolkit™ using scenarios, learning how to contribute to a psychologically healthy workplace and how to start conversations to support peers.
- Skills for responding to citizens: Applying the 4R Action Toolkit™ and using key communication and de-escalation techniques to respond promptly, safely, and appropriately to distressed citizens
Facilitated by Canadian Mental Health Association
Location: The Lewis Centre - Craft Room B
Date: April 25, 2024
Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Mini Workshop: Let’s Get REAL about Mental Health
Exploring Empathy
Just as Canadians are experiencing pandemic fatigue after two long years, research indicated that Canadians also experienced “empathy fatigue.”
With the ongoing virus strains and economic challenges, staff recruitment and retention and the social ills that permeate our communities, mental health stigma, gender bias, and racism suggest empathy fatigue is still pervasive.
We have cause for a renewal of empathy and understanding of each other. In this workshop, participants build mental health knowledge and explore empathy to refresh and strengthen their empathetic skills.
Facilitated by Canadian Mental Health Association
Location: Virtual - LINK will be emailed prior to program start date
Date: May 7, 2024 or June 4, 2024
Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm
To register online:
Not Just Naloxone
This training was designed by First Nations Health Authority, to be shared by FNHA Not Just Naloxone Ambassadors to their community and networks. This 2-day training will go over prohibition and rooted connection in racism, the connection of colonization and the over-representation of Indigenous peoples impacted by the toxic-drug poisonings crisis, the practices, destigmatizing substance use, principles of Indigenous harm reduction, naloxone training, OAT overview and much more. This training will also include information provided and developed by Unbroken Chain, which will provide some content on the complexities of the toxic drug poisoning crisis, stigma, and local perspectives of people with lived and living experiences of substance use and our Elder's perspectives.
Facilitated by: Unbroken Chain, Indigenous Harm Reduction Coordinator, NJN Ambassador, Patti Alvarado, Assistant Coordinator Mackenzie Smith , Community Elders, and Peers with lived and living experience from the Comox Valley.
Location: Varies (see below)
Date: May 9-10, 2024 or July 4-5, 2024
Time: 09:00am - 5:00pm
To register online:
Click to register for May 9-10 at The LINC Youth Centre
Click to register for July 4-5 at The Lewis Park - Salish Building
Indigenous Harm Reduction & Naloxone Training 101
This training will provide an overview of Indigenous Practices and Principles of Harm Reduction Model developed by FNHA, and will also include a Naloxone training for service providers and volunteers.
Facilitated by: Unbroken Chain, Indigenous Harm Reduction Coordinator, NJN Ambassador, Patti Alvarado, Assistant Coordinator Mackenzie Smith , Community Elders, and Peers with lived and living experience from the Comox Valley.
Location: The LINC Youth Centre - Meeting Room
Date: May 16, 2024
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Cultural Safety & Humility 101
This 2-hour training provided by Unbroken Chain, Indigenous Harm Reduction Program, will provide a brief introduction to cultural safety and humility for service providers to provide safer support and create safer spaces in our community. The training will also provide resources and recommendations provided by Indigenous people with lived and living experiences of racism and discrimination. This training is highly recommended if you are working with Indigenous people in any compacity and for all levels of experience.
Facilitated by: Unbroken Chain, Indigenous Harm Reduction Coordinator, NJN Ambassador, Patti Alvarado, Assistant Coordinator Mackenzie Smith , Community Elders, and Peers with lived and living experience from the Comox Valley.
Location: The LINC Youth Centre - Meeting Room
Date: May 17, 2024
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Responding with Respect on the Frontline
Acknowledging the service expertise of your frontline staff and recognizing their role as the first point of contact, this workshop builds on participants' mental health knowledge. It elevates skills for serving citizens/clients/customers struggling with a mental health challenge. Participants gain confidence in their interactions by practicing using the 4R Action Toolkit® model to ensure a trauma-informed approach and engaging in relevant activities and discussions.
Frontline employees will:
- Explore strategies for creating a safe space.
- Build knowledge on mental health.
- Use the 4R Action Toolkit® to practice this trauma-informed model.
- Navigate and mitigate the language of stigma.
- Explore self-awareness for mental wellbeing.
Facilitated by Canadian Mental Health Association
Location: The LINC Youth Centre - Meeting Room
Date: May 22, 2024
Time: 9:00am - 1:00pm
To register online:
Introduction to Trauma Informed Practice
Offered virtually by the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Evidence is building for integrating trauma informed approaches in a wide range of settings where people receive social, legal and other services. This course supports workers in all fields, including social agencies, leadership development organizations, and health care staff; in understanding the basic principles and practices of working in a trauma informed way and applying these approaches in their interactions with clients or in workplaces.
Facilitated by The Justice Institute of British Columbia
Location: Virtual - LINK will be emailed prior to program start date
Date: May 24. 2024 or June 26, 2024
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Gender Diversity in the Workplace
Understanding of gender diversity is growing day by day. At the same time, transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people still experience many challenges, including barriers to safe workplaces, services, housing, educational experiences, and community spaces. In this workshop, Ambit will introduce frameworks for understanding gender diversity beyond the binary, work through nuanced scenarios, offer examples of gender-affirming practices and explore strategies for applying these learnings on a personal, relational, and systemic level
Offered by Ambit Gender Diversity Consulting
Location: Virtual - LINK will be emailed prior to program start date
Date: June 13, 2024
Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Prevention First – Introduction to Crisis
This self paced virtual program provides skills and knowledge on:
- Introduction to Crisis
- Responding to someone in distress
- Perceptions and unknown contributors to crisis
- Responding to defensive behavior
- After the crisis
Facilitated Virtually through Crisis Prevention Institute
Location: Virtual - LINK to training will be sent after registration. Please ensure your email address is provided.
Date: N/A [Training must be completed within 90 days.]
Homeless Services Association of BC Annual Memberships:
Gain access to free/low cost training through Homelessness Services Association of BC for your agency or community group.
Become a member of the Homelessness Services Association of BC to unlock free training and webinars for your agency. Annual Associate Memberships will be provided free of charge through funding from the Strengthening Communities Grant to qualified organizations.
What is HSABC?
Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC) was created through the merger of Shelter Net BC (SNBC) and the Greater Vancouver Shelter Strategy Society (GVSS) in 2017. SNBC was established in 1999 as provincial, grassroots movement by shelter providers who identified a need for training, networking, and development of best practice. GVSS was formed in 1998 as a regional network of Metro Vancouver organizations responding together to meet the needs of people who are homeless or at risk focused on coordination of the Extreme Weather Response program and research
HSABC continues to build on the legacy of both organizations and is a solution-focused, member-driven organization supporting shelters, drop-in centres, homeless outreach teams, and other service provider addressing the needs of persons experiencing homelessness with the goal tending homelessness.
(HSABC) Associate Membership
Benefits include:
- Register your staff for in person workshops and webinars at no additional cost
- Access past recorded trainings
- BC Housing and WorkSafe BC recognized certificates
- Discounted Rates for HSABC's Annual Conference and other events
- Participate in teleconferences and research initiatives
How to get your membership?
Email Kathy Collins at kcollins@courtenay.ca
Sneak peek of HSABC Training Calendar*: https://hsa-bc.ca/
*Once your organization has become a member you are able to register for any of these course offerings
Additional Resources
Mental Health
- Mental Health Stigma 101
Unfacilitated online interactive tool educating about stigma including: What stigma means, the relationship between stigma, prejudice and discrimination, factors that contribute to stigma, the impact on people, and practical strategies to address stigma - Canadian Mental Health Association Education (cmha.bc.ca)
Addiction & Trauma
Community Walks
This arts-based community action project, organized through the Comox Valley Art Gallery in partnership with AVI Health and Community Services, Thompson Rivers University and a host of community organizations, seeks to uncover the human dimensions of the toxic drug poisoning crisis as it has unfolded locally in the Comox Valley. Within and through it, a group of artist-researchers, front-line workers and people with lived and living experience have banded together in a spirit of solidarity, attempting to come to terms with the impact of the crisis on individuals and community groups through a practice of story sharing. Through stories, we aim to cultivate awareness leading to change.
Questions? Contact Sharon Karsten (Project Facilitator) 250-650-3794.
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Toward the Heart free online Naloxone Training: Training | Toward the Heart
Homelessness & Housing
Cultural
- Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society/Unbroken Chain
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University of Alberta - Indigenous Canada | Coursera
Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada.
Have a training or workshop idea?
Please email Kathy Collins at kcollins@courtenay.ca
Funding provided by:
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