The Student Based Mental Health & Education Conference: Digital Wellness & AI, Trauma, Anxiety, ADHD & Resilience in a Changing World [Saskatoon, SK]

Live Streaming from Saskatoon, SK | November 18 - 20, 2026

Presented by Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS, Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP and Tracy Whittaker-Taggart, M.A.

Sponsored by Sunshine Coast Health Centre & Georgia Strait Women's Clinic

$229.00

Up To 18 Hours  |   Pre-approved for CEU’s

$229.00
$229.00
$229.00
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Description

LIVE STREAM: November 18 – 20, 2026 from  8:30am – 4:00pm (Saskatoon, SK) Please adjust your start time according to your specific time zone. 

ON-DEMAND: Recorded footage & course content (certificate, videos, quiz) will be available until January 4, 2027. Please allow 3 – 10 business days for footage to be processed. Extensions cannot be granted under any circumstances.


On behalf of Jack Hirose & Associates, welcome and thank you for joining us. We are delighted to bring together educators, school counsellors, psychologists, administrators, therapists, and helping professionals from across Canada for three days of practical, evidence-informed learning.

Throughout the conference, you will gain practical, research-informed strategies to support the mental health, resilience, and success of children and youth. Through sessions led by leading experts, participants will explore topics including emotional regulation, trauma-informed practice, Indigenous perspectives, neurodiversity, and evidence-based approaches for supporting students facing today’s increasingly complex challenges.

We hope you enjoy the conference and leave feeling inspired, connected, and equipped with new ideas to support the children, youth, families, and communities you serve.


Day One | November 18, 2026

Navigating the Digital Future: AI, Wellbeing, and Human Connection
Presented by Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS

8:30am – 4:00pm   November 18, 2026

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Artificial intelligence, social media, smartphones, and other digital technologies are transforming how people learn, communicate, work, form relationships, and seek support. For educators, clinicians, therapists, and allied health professionals, these changes present both exciting opportunities and complex challenges. Understanding how to respond effectively has become an essential professional competency.

This workshop explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital wellness, education, and mental health. Drawing on current research, real-world examples, and hands-on demonstrations, participants will examine how emerging technologies are reshaping learning, wellbeing, communication, and professional practice across educational and clinical settings.

Participants will explore practical applications of AI that can enhance accessibility, support individualized learning and intervention, streamline administrative tasks, and foster creativity and engagement. At the same time, the workshop will examine the broader impacts of technology on mental health and human development, including concerns related to attention, anxiety, social comparison, sleep, emotional regulation, online relationships, and digital dependency.

The workshop will also address emerging issues that are increasingly relevant to educators and clinicians, including AI companionship, changing help-seeking behaviours, academic integrity in the age of generative AI, privacy and data security, and the ethical implications of integrating AI into educational and therapeutic environments. Participants will critically examine both the promises and limitations of these technologies while considering how to maintain professional judgment, ethical practice, and meaningful human connection.

Rather than framing technology as something to embrace uncritically or resist entirely, this workshop encourages a balanced and thoughtful approach. Participants will explore strategies for helping children, adolescents, and adults engage with digital technologies in healthy, purposeful, and responsible ways while leveraging the benefits these tools can offer.

Through case studies, discussion, and practical applications, attendees will leave with concrete strategies, useful resources, and a deeper understanding of how AI and digital technologies are shaping the future of education, mental health, and human connection.

Day Two | November 19, 2026

Trauma, Stress and Emotional Resilience: A Brain-Based Approach for Supporting Students
Presented by Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP

8:30am – 4:00pm   November 19, 2026

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

According to recent Canadian data, children and adolescents continue to face unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, trauma, and emotional challenges. These experiences can significantly affect brain development, learning, behaviour, attention, self-regulation, and social-emotional functioning. Educators are increasingly being called upon to recognize the impact of trauma and create learning environments that foster resilience, emotional well-being, and academic success.

This practical and engaging workshop, presented by Steven G. Feifer, explores the neuroscience of stress, trauma, and resilience through a brain-based lens. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how adverse experiences influence cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning, while learning evidence-informed strategies to support students in the classroom.

Drawing upon current research in neuropsychology, education, and child development, Dr. Feifer will provide practical interventions that help educators strengthen emotional regulation, promote resilience, improve school climate, and create trauma-sensitive learning environments where all students can thrive.

Day Three | November 20, 2026

The ADHD Toolkit: Strategies for Learning, Behaviour and Self-Regulation at Home, School, and Beyond
Presented by Tracy Whittaker-Taggart, M.A.

8:30am – 4:00pm   November 20, 2026

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

This engaging and practical workshop provides educators, clinicians, and caregivers with a deeper understanding of ADHD and the tools needed to support children and youth effectively. Participants will examine the neuroscience of ADHD, executive functioning, motivation, and emotional regulation before exploring practical strategies that promote success in classrooms, homes, and therapeutic settings.

Designed to bridge research and practice, participants will leave with an extensive toolkit of realistic, evidence-informed strategies that can be applied immediately to improve attention, organization, behaviour, engagement, and independence.

Education and Clinical Professionals: All education and mental health or healthcare professionals who work with children or youth including, but not limited to K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers • All other professionals who support behavioural challenges and complex learning needs including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers and Community Police Officers.

Lisa Porter, DCP, CCC, CCS, started her career as a high school teacher, working in the public education in both Alberta and BC. She later transitioned into high school counselling, where she spent ten years supporting student mental health and wellbeing. Upon completing her doctoral degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Lisa moved into higher education and now teaches in both Master of Education and Master of Counselling programs, preparing future educators and mental health professionals for professional practice.

Lisa’s research and professional presentations focus on the impact of social media, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies on mental health, education, and professional practice. Her work emphasizes practical, evidence-informed approaches that help educators and clinicians respond thoughtfully to the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies. Her other research interests include harmonizing practitioner and scholar models in higher education, collaborative leadership within complex systems, and promoting youth voice in education and mental health. Lisa is co-author and co-editor of School Counselling in Canada: A Comprehensive Guide (2025).


Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN is dually trained as both a nationally certified school psychologist and board certified pediatric neuropsychologist.  He has more than 20 years of experience working directly in public education, and is currently in private practice assessing children in Frederick, Maryland.  Dr. Feifer has earned numerous distinctions throughout his career including being awarded the Maryland School Psychologist of the Year, the National School Psychologist of the Year, and recently the Legends of School Psychology award.  He remains a popular speaker at many state, national, and international conferences, and has authored eight books on learning and emotional disorders in children.  Lastly, Dr. Feifer has also authored three tests on diagnosing learning disabilities in children, all of which are published by PAR.


Tracy Whittaker-Taggart, M.A., is a Psychologist, educator, mentor, and champion of changing the way we think about kids. She is also a wife, daughter, pet mom, and never far from the ocean.  For more than 25 years she has built a career at the intersection of Psychology, education, and practice. Tracy has worked in the public school system for her entire career, while also balancing private practice work, teaching graduate education courses for both teachers and psychologists and giving back to the profession through her work on the provincial regulatory board and supervising students and early career psychologists. Tracy believes that lasting change doesn’t begin with a new strategy, it begins with a new understanding. She believes that curiosity about behavior comes before the intervention. When we change the way we think about behavior, we naturally make different decisions about how we intervene .

Tracy will bring together psychology, brain based understanding and educational practice to help anyone working with dysregulated children and youth to simply ask better questions, to drive better interventions. When you attend one of Tracy’s workshops, expect to challenge your thinking, walk away with strategies to use tomorrow, and have a little fun along the way.

RegistrationEarly bird FeeRegular Fee
Individual 1 Day Enrollment$229.00N/A
1 Day Group 3 - 7$169.00N/A
1 Day Group 8 - 15$119.00N/A
1 Day Group 15+ $99.00N/A
Individual 2 Day Enrollment$399.00N/A
2 Day Group 3 - 7$295.00N/A
2 Day Group 8 - 15$208.00N/A
2 Day Group 15+ $173.00N/A
Individual 3 Day Enrollment$569.00N/A
3 Day Group 3 - 7$420.00N/A
3 Day Group 8 - 15$296.00N/A
3 Day Group 15+ $246.00N/A

All fees are in Canadian dollars ($CAD) and per person.

How to Purchase a Group Rate

  1. Add Seats to Your Cart
    Select the total number of seats you need for your group and add them to your cart. Each seat represents one participant who will be enrolled in the course.

  2. Complete Your Purchase
    Proceed to checkout and complete the payment for the total number of seats needed for your group.

  3. Contact Our Office
    Once your purchase is complete, please contact our office at webinars@jackhirose.com with your order number.

  4. Receive Group Enrollment Link
    We will send you a unique link that you can distribute to group members. Group members will be required to use this link to complete receiving access to the course.

If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Fees are per person, seat sharing is not allowed. Please respect this policy, failure to comply will result in termination of access without a refund. For group rates please contact webinars@jackhirose.com

 

  • Canadian Psychological Association
    The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers (NLASW) accept CPA-approved continuing education credits