Child and Youth Mental Health Matters

Three Conferences in One:

First National Family Mental Health Conference
First International Young Carers Congress
Third International World Congress on Children of Parents with Mental Illness

Conference Dates:

May 6-8, 2012

Conference Updates:

Please note that online registration is now closed. Please register on site.

Conference Brochure

Tuition Fee Bursaries:

A limited number of tuition fee bursaries are available through The F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids' Mental Health (Families Organized for Recognition and Care Equality). These bursaries are specifically for parents and young people. To enquire about these bursaries, please email theforce@forcesociety.com.

Description of the Concurrent Conferences:

This conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of professionals working in the field of mental health with young people and parents and other stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences related to child and youth mental health. There are three themes woven through the conferences: Family Mental Health, Children of Parents with Mental Illness and Young Carers. 

This first ever gathering of this nature will provide a forum for focusing on the needs of young people and families as they struggle with issues related to mental health concerns across the generations. The overall goal of the concurrent conferences is to help us develop a common language and understanding of the needs of young people and families. By bringing together people from diverse backgrounds we hope to enrich our collective knowledge of mental health strategies, best practices and the latest research in order to improve outcomes for young people and families. Our goal is to create at the conference a community of practice that spans the three themes where we can each share our knowledge and support while we discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.

Conference Objectives

• To improve our understanding of mental health needs across the generations
• To examine how to engage professionals, young people and families in the development and implementation of prevention, early intervention and treatment strategies
• To examine what supports, activities and policies are needed to ensure that young people, families and professionals are supported in their struggles and challenges
• To provide a forum for networking and collaborating among mental health, health, criminal justice, education and child welfare practitioners, educators, researchers, policy makers, students, young people, families and other stakeholders with an interest in mental health issues across the generations
• To establish “Canadian communities of practice” for each theme area

Conference Format:

This three day conference will begin with an afternoon of network meetings concerning each of the three theme areas. For the remainder of the conference, presentations and panels will be held both on specific themes and cross theme areas. We will be providing opportunities throughout the conference for people to formally and informally gather to discuss issues of common concern. In addition we will have the following keynote presentations on each of the theme areas:

Family Mental Health

Dr. Ian Manion is the Executive Director of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health and Clinical Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa    

Children of Parents with Mental Illness

Dr. Stephen Hinshaw is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of California (Berkeley)

Young Carers 

Professor Saul Becker is Head of the School of Sociology and Social Policy and Professor of Social Policy and Social Care at The University of Nottingham

FACULTY OF DENTISTRY

UBC Interprofessional Continuing Education
105-2194 Health Sciences Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
Tel: 604.827.3112
Fax: 604.822.4835
E-mail: katia.ipce@ubc.ca