Supporting Your Child’s Well-being: Free webinars for parents/caregivers

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Supporting Your Child’s Well-being: Free webinar series for parents and caregivers focused on substance use, addictive behaviours and youth

School Mental Health Ontario is offering a free, 5-part webinar series designed to help parents and caregivers navigate important topics related to substance use and addictive behaviours.

This expert-led series will provide insights and practical strategies on:

The intersection of addictions and mental healthRecognizing signs of substance use and addictive behavioursHow to talk about substance use at homeCurrent trends in student substance use in Ontario – What parents/caregiver need to knowTechnology overuse and problematic gaming

Each webinar will include time for experts to answer questions sent in advance, plus a Q&A opportunity to ask experts questions during the session. Questions can be entered on the By Your Side learning hub - entries will close 2 weeks prior to each session.Please find additional information about each session and the guest experts below.

Sessions run throughout April & May. Parents can select which session(s) they would like to attend during the registration process.

Participants will be able to enter their questions on the By Your Side learning hub in their preferred language (English or French).

Recordings of the webinars will be accessible on the By Your Side learning hub at a later date.

We encourage all parents and caregivers to participate in this informative series. Together, we can support the well-being of our children and communities.

Any questions, please contact Gwendolyn Fearing-Afflick (gfearing-afflick@smho-smso.ca), or Heather Carter (hcarter@smho-smso.ca) or Peter Symmonds (psymmonds@smho-smso.ca).

You may also reach out to Sherry Sim, Event Manager for any questions regarding registration or day of access to the webinars. Email: sherry@innovative4you.com or 416-605-5975.

Session: The intersection of addictions and mental health

Date: April 22, 2025 7-8pm EDT

Language: English language session with simultaneous French translation.

Addictions and mental health challenges can be related. Learn how they can affect each other, how to support your child, and ways to seek support.

Top 3 highlights:

Youth substance use and mental health concerns commonly co-occurYouth substance use and mental health concerns have a bidirectional relationshipWhile youth substance use has generally been declining, the co-occurrence of substance use and mental health concerns has remained the same or strengthened

Presenter:

Dr. Jillian Halladay is a Registered Nurse, Clinical Epidemiologist, and Assistant Professor within the School of Nursing and Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research (PBCAR) at McMaster University. She is the Faculty Lead of Youth Substance Use Research at the PBCAR. Dr. Halladay also holds a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Health System Impact Embedded Early Career Research Award, co-funded by CIHR, McMaster University, and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, focused on better understanding and addressing young adult substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns. Dr. Halladay’s clinical and research roles are all grounded in identifying, contributing to, and utilizing the best available evidence to improve the lives of youth.

Session: Recognizing signs of substance use and addictive behaviours

Dates:

English language session: May 7, 2025, 7-8pm EDT

French language session: May 13, 2025, 12-1pm EDT

It can be hard to recognize the signs of substance use and addictions, learn what to look for and how to know if you should be concerned.

Top 3 highlights:

Understand the rates, patterns, and impact of adolescent substance use and behavioural addictions in OntarioRecognize signs of problematic substance use and technology-related behaviours, including video gaming and gamblingIdentify strategies for parents to support adolescents and address concerns about substance use and behavioural addictions

Presenter: Dr. Toula Kourgiantakis is a social worker and family therapist with over 30 years of experience working with families, couples, children, and youth across various sectors, including child protection, schools, mental health and addiction treatment, community agencies, hospitals, and private practice. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Université Laval and serves as the Director of the PhD program. Her research broadly focuses on youth mental health and addictions, family involvement in treatment and services, and the training and education of mental health professionals. She is currently leading research projects on youth suicide prevention and cannabis use among youth and young adults following legalization in Canada.

Session: How to talk about substance use at home

Dates:

English language session: May 14, 2025, 12-1pm EDT

French language session : May 21, 2025, 12-1pm EDT

Not sure how to start the conversation about substance use with your child? This expert-led session will provide practical tips for talking with your child about substance use health.

Top 3 highlights:

The starting point - How do biases and false beliefs impact dialogue around substance use health?The knowledge - Looking at substance use on a spectrum of healthThe skills - The importance of using person-first language

Presenter:

Ashleigh Hyland is a fully bilingual graduate from the University of Ottawa, holding an Honours bachelor’s degree in psychology. With diverse experience working in government and NGOs in health and safety sectors, she holds expertise in education, policy analysis, consulting and workplace health. Ashleigh is a dynamic and seasoned public speaker, training thousands of professionals throughout her career. She drives systemic change by delivering impactful programs, promoting health-focused policies, and championing equity for Substance Use Health.

Session: Current trends in student substance use in Ontario – What parents/caregiver need to know

Date: May 22, 2025, 12-1pm EDT

Language: English language session with simultaneous French translation.

What substances are teens using today? What’s changed in recent years? Get the latest insights on student substance use in Ontario and what parents can do to support prevention and early intervention.

Presenter:

Dr. Hayley Hamilton is a Senior Scientist and Co-Director of the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at CAMH. She is also an Associate Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Her research work focuses primarily on population health and includes the public health monitoring of mental health and addictive behaviours, and the social determinants of health. She leads the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, which provides data on mental health, substance use and general well-being among Ontario students in grades 7-12.

Technology overuse and problematic gaming

Date: June 4, 2025 - 12pm-1pm EDT

Language: English language session with simultaneous French translation.

When does screen time become problematic? Concer.ned about your child’s gaming or social media use? Learn how to identify problematic technology use and set healthy digital boundaries.

Presenter:

Michael Cheng is a staff psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, co-founder of a mental health website, eMentalHealth.ca, and recipient of the Order of Ontario.

As a child psychiatrist, his approach focuses on (re)connecting children, youth and families to people and activities that bring purpose, belonging, meaning and hope, while addressing any brain and mind barriers that might be getting in the way.

As a post-pandemic parent of two, he has first-hand experience with the modern parenting challenge of keeping our kids busy, outside and off their devices.

For more information or to register, contact your school board’s mental health leader.