From left to right: STRONG Project Coordinator Rim Banat, STRONG Project Manager Gina Kayssi, STRONG Research Associate Dr. Amanda Kerry and MJW-CYDC Director Dr. Colin King.
Communal strength on display for event focused on newcomer mental health support
When it comes to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of newcomer children and youth, front-line organizations are stronger together.
That’s the message behind a partner day event organized by the Centre for School Mental Health (CSMH) and the Mary J. Wright Child & Youth Development Clinic (MJW-CYDC).
The two research centres, which are housed within the Faculty of Education, held a joint gathering in early August that brought together front-line professionals, students, and anyone else dedicated to the well-being of newcomer populations.
Titled, Stronger Together, the event was held at the new home of the MJW-CYDC, which opened its doors earlier this year.
“Our goal was to gather like-minded professionals and organizations in order to share insights, exchange best practices and explore how we can strengthen our community partnerships to better support the mental health needs of newcomer children, youth and families,” said Gina Kayssi, a lead organizer for the event.
Kayssi also serves as the project manager for CSMH’s Supporting Transition Resilience of Newcomer Groups (STRONG) program, a group-based mental health intervention for newcomer children and youth, focused on enhancing emotional regulation, problem-solving and coping skills. The intervention was developed in partnership between School Mental Health Ontario, the University of Maryland’s National Centre for School Mental Health, Chicago’s Center for Childhood Resilience.
The STRONG program played a central role in the event. Positive outcomes on youth were also shared in depth during opening remarks.
Professionals and students share insights during a breakout session at Stronger Together.
The day also featured a series of breakout sessions on trauma-informed care, best practices and multi-tiered systems of support to name a few. Attendees moved into smaller groups and participated in discussions led by graduate student volunteers.
These discussions were fuelled by a wide range of expertise with attendees coming from various community organizations such as Vanier Children’s Mental Wellness, London Children’s Connection, Thames Valley Children’s Connection, Child and Parent Resource Institute, Children’s Aid Society, CHMA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services, and City of London.
“Many attendees emphasized the need for more in-person opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-collaboration to further strengthen mental health services for newcomer children, youth, and families,” Kayssi added.
For Dr. Colin King, Director of the MJW-CYDC and an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Education, Stronger Together demonstrates the importance of shared expertise and knowledge when supporting newcomer groups.
"Since the opening of the clinic, we've been fortunate to have active collaborations with the Centre for School Mental Health to deliver evidence-based group programming,” King said.
“The CSMH is a leader in responding to newcomer mental health needs and we are trilled to continue to work and learn together and offer responsive, evidence-informed services, such as the STRONG program in our community."
To learn more about the STRONG program, please visit the CSMH’s website: https://www.csmh.uwo.ca/research/strong.html
