Working session 1 summary

Plan:
One large group discussion where people could begin to identify issues of interest & research areas, and ask questions. 

Summary of discussion:

• Launch of provincial initiative to develop mental health across schools
  
• Current lack of resources in Sudbury
  
• School boards in process of hiring social workers and have mental health nurses 
  
• Successful approach to build resilience includes:

- Prevention/Awareness
- Involvement of social workers/ mental health professionals 
- Community & specialized mental health agencies providing services

• Programs targeting high-risk kids 
  
• Moving away from the university and rooting the process more in the community
  
• Barriers preventing children with complex needs’ ability to engage with school
  
• The needs of people exceed the capacity of the community
  
• Determining how kids are moving/ navigating through our systems.
  
• Mental health initiatives at schools
  
• How Hammond’s model of resilience differs from Ungar’s model
  
• Transition into early learning.

Research questions and areas of interest:

• Program evaluation in schools 
  
• Risk assessments with individual organizations
  
• Assessing individual files to understand how children navigate their way through systems
  
• Moving away from assessment to building resilience
  
• Targeting systemic barriers 
  
• Cultural differences or implications in understanding resilience
  
• Social inclusion and thinking outside of the box.

Moving forward/Next Steps:

• Need to establish standard data to determine baseline (a tracking system)
  
• Need to prevent children/youth from being bounced around agency to agency
  
• Bringing services to families that cannot move forward due to challenges related to poverty
  
• Alleviating barriers of certain families by helping parents find employment.
  

Go back to List of the Working Session Summaries Page

Go to Event Report: Dr. Ungar Page