Parent & Caregiver Series
This year we are offering a parent series on the second Tuesday of each month on topics that parents have shared with us.
Where: Sessions will be held in the RSS library
When: 6:30-8:00pm with a streaming option available for parents who would prefer to join from home. (links will be provided before each session)
Bios of the presenters can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.
Nov 12 – How’s and Why’s of Sex Ed For Parents and Caregivers with Jessica Wyslouzil
Learn how to chat about bodies and the birds and bees, when to do so, where to find correct info, how to respond to questions, and the basics of sexual health for your family.
1 hour presentation, 30 minutes of discussion.
Dec 10 – Mental Health: Worries and Anxiety – what is “normal”? with Hilla Shlomi, CYMH and Dr Brett Batchelor
In this presentation, parents will learn about worries and anxiety, how to identify when their child is struggling, and how to best support their children when coping with worries. Dr Batchelor will run a Q&A for parents where he will answer questions parents may have about mental health and assessments.
Jan 14 – Understanding Teen Sexual Health with Jessica Wyslouzil
We will discuss relationships, boundaries, consent, pregnancy and prevention, STI’s and prevention, and where to find great resources, support and info. (this presentation is geared toward caregivers of teens aged 11-18, but is open to parents of kids of all ages)
1 hour presentation, 30 minutes of discussion.
Feb 11 – Cellphones: What’s Healthy, What’s Not, And What We Can Do to Support Our Kids with Hannah Beach
Mar 11 – Understanding Adolescents from the Inside-Out with Hannah Beach
Apr 8 – Reclaiming Play: Revitalizing Childhood to Combat Anxiety and Aggression with Hannah Beach
May 13 – Having Courageous Conversations with your Child – with Hilla Shlomi, CYMH
Talking with your child about their mental health struggles and risky behaviours is hard and scary. Many parents avoid it because they don’t know where to start… some worry they will say the wrong thing and make the situation worse… In this workshop, parents will learn about youth’s risky behaviours (e.g., substance use, self harm, suicidal behaviours) and explore ways to have courageous conversations about these behaviours with their children.
June 10 – TBD
Presenters:
Jessica Wyslouzil, Sex Educator, LPN, Yoga Teacher, Owner of trailblaze Sex Education.
Jessica has been a nurse for 17 years, and a sex educator for 4 years. She has trained under Options for Sexual Health, Dr Nadine Thornhill SE, Anne Hodder-Ship SE, Dr Bianca Laureano SE, and Cam Fraser Sexologist. She is a parent of a local teen, and lives and works of the unceded lands that have been stewarded by the Sinixt, Sexwepemc, Syilx, and Ktunaxa nations (and is an ally to the land back movement). She believes that excellent sex ed is the foundation to true wellness through your lifespan.
Hannah Beach is an award-winning educator, author, emotional health consultant, and keynote speaker. She is the co-author of the best-selling book Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut-Down than Ever—and What We Can Do About It, with Tamara Neufeld Strijack, a trauma-informed resource for teachers and parents rooted in the relationship-based approach, now being translated into multiple languages internationally (including French, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Ukrainian and Korean) and has been adopted by school boards across Canada. She was recognized by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 2017 as one of five featured changemakers in Canada.
Her bestselling I Can Dance book series, supporting the emotional health of children through expressive play won a 2017 Gold International Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and has been adopted by multiple English- and French-language school boards across Canada.
Hannah received the City of Ottawa’s annual Celebration of People Education Award, which recognized her expertise in developing innovative, inclusive programs and resources. Her work with children has been shared and highlighted in distinguished venues across the country, including the Senate of Canada, multiple universities, as well as national and international conferences.
As the founder of celebrated experiential discovery programs at Dandelion Dance™ and Tournesol, Hannah has spent over 25 years developing and delivering programs for children and youth. She is a Neufeld Institute Authorized Presenter, delivers professional development services across the country, and provides emotional health consulting to schools. She also speaks at national and international conferences about the emotional roots of aggression and anxiety and how we can create the conditions for resilience.
Hannah is an emotional health and play-based learning consultant for Britannica Education, where she develops courses which are facilitated by the Britannica Education team across the globe.
Hannah has three children and lives on the West Coast of Canada.
Hilla is the Associate Team Leader at Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) here in Revelstoke. CYMH offers culturally responsive, inclusive, and family-centred services for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and youth with mental health and wellness needs that impact their daily life. Hilla graduated with her MSW in 2015 and has worked in the field of child and youth mental health ever since. Before joining CYMH in 2022, Hilla worked at the School of Social Work at UBC Okanagan where she trained and supervised MSW students providing child and youth mental health services. Hilla is trained in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy and Circle of Security Parenting and is passionate about supporting caregivers in their caregiving journey. Hilla moved to Revelstoke in summer 2023 and has been loving this small and vibrant community. Last school year, Hilla presented to parents of grade 5 children at the PAUSE (Parents As Ultimate Supporters and Educators of mental health) series.
Dr. Batchelor joined Selkirk Medical as a family physician in 2016. He is the Chief of Surgery at Queen Victoria Hospital. His full service practice includes primary care, emergency and inpatient medicine, obstetrics, and surgery. He is a registered BC endoscopist and part of the team that ensures 24/7, on-call service for complex obstetrical care and surgical services at Queen Victoria Hospital.
Dr. Batchelor completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria and his medical degree at the University of Calgary before his Rural Family Medicine training at the University of British Columbia and Enhanced Surgical Skills residency at the University of Saskatchewan. After 6 full years practicing in Vanderhoof, BC he and his family followed their instincts south to Revelstoke.
Dr. Batchelor is the provincial lead for remote presence technology enhancements in BC’s Rural Surgical and Obstetrical Network Initiative. He’s a passionate advocate for the sustainability of Revelstoke’s local surgical and obstetrical servicese, as well as rural surgical and obstetrical care for all of Canada. He is also the host of the medical podcast ‘Really Rural Surgery and Obstetrics’.
His extra-curricular interests include outdoor recreation, team sports, woodworking and music.
