Cultivating Wellness Gathering

Presenter: Erin Wasson (She/Her), BSW, MSW, RSW

If boundaries were easy, we’d all set them. There has been a lot of “talk” on social media platforms, amongst friends, and within workplaces about setting boundaries. These conversations often suggest that if a person sets their own boundaries in a good way, they will have full access to resilience and well-being. However, an oversimplification of this process can leave you feeling as though “not setting good enough boundaries” is yet another failure that contributes to why you are overwhelmed, burnt out, and stressed. The overall structure of one’s workplace, the context of our lives, and the power and level of support we have – all impact our ability to carve out space for our needs.

Join Erin in an interactive presentation where she will discuss the role the nervous system plays in our health and well-being, the impact of chronic stress on the brain and body, and how boundaries get skewed when we are chronically under pressure. Erin will explore with participants the impact of workplace stress and challenges specific to those who work with the human and animal interface. She will then work with participants to learn about how their brains and bodies are good barometers for how we cope and manage stress. From there she will help define boundaries, explore the myth of “easy boundaries”, and the limits to this construct. After covering these core concepts, the focus will shift to befriending the nervous system. Through interactive learning, participants will begin the process of noticing the nervous system and tracking boundaries in the body. With this knowledge, Erin will then share some tools for supporting the nervous system under stress and explore options for support available in the community.

About the Presenter:

Erin Wasson (BSW, MSW, RSW) is a registered social worker who has worked clinically in several areas, including mental health, addictions, crisis response, interpersonal violence, trauma, geriatrics, disability, and youth work. She has spent her career working with individuals, groups, and communities as an advocate, clinician, and educator. She works from an integrative approach to social work, which includes assessments and interventions from a community care and trauma-integrated lens. These approaches, help Erin, and the clients she works with, to explore the context of their experiences that lead to relational connection and disconnection within their lives.

In 2014 Erin, implemented the Veterinary Social Work services at the University of Saskatchewan, Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), the first of its kind in Canada. From a one-welfare perspective, she continues to work as a social worker at the WCVM, providing services to clients of the Veterinary Medical Centre; as well as resources to staff and faculty. Additionally, Erin has been active in the promotion of health, well-being, and tangible self-care strategies with veterinarians and allied professions. This includes providing resources, support and educational seminars to professional associations, animal welfare agencies, and other groups who interact with human and animal relationships and manage the challenges that arise in the interface of the human and animal bond.

Presenters: Anna Maria Buhr (She/Her), MSW, RSW & Ruth Eliason (She/Her), BMT, Certified Music Therapist

Grief. Loss. Sorrow. Heartbreak. Whatever you call it, our lived experience includes many emotions that can be difficult to navigate. When we encounter suffering and loss within our lives and work, it can be hard to do our work with the heart we normally approach our work lives. In this presentation, facilitators Anna Maria Buhr and Ruth will guide thoughtful conversation on grief, the effect on the body, how we care for ourselves and others, as well as the importance of creating space to hold process and explore self-expression in our grief work. Practical examples will be provided to help participants work through ways to approach loss, both from a personal and professional lens. Additionally, an invitation to explore and reflect on the ways we are formed and changed by our grief, and how we grow is possible within our healing will be offered. Music and visual arts will be woven throughout the presentation as participants learn, reflect and share together.

About the Presenters:

Anna Maria Buhr is a daughter, sister, wife, grandmother, and Social Worker of 28 years. She holds a Master’s of Social Work with a specialization in Clinical Practice from the University of Calgary. Anna Maria has a passion for her work in Palliative Care. Her experience is informed by her membership in teams throughout the continuum of care including, community and hospital. She brings a holistic approach to her work with individuals and families facing end-of-life concerns, anticipatory grief, and bereavement. Anna Maria believes the balm for our heart’s grief is found in connection, the opportunity to be known, and with the creation of space to hold both our’s and another’s story.

Ruth Eliason is a certified music therapist who has made Saskatoon her home for the past twenty years. As a music therapist, she helps others use music for well-being in their own lives. Currently, Ruth works at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital where she uses music to help children cope with health challenges. She also has fifteen years of experience working with individuals navigating serious illness and loss. Ruth believes that music can be one of the best ways to mediate our human experience and is excited to share this with conference participants.

Presenter: Nicole White (She/Her), Project Lead of Enough Already

Launched in 2020, Enough Already is a multi-stakeholder coalition determined to address and prevent workplace sexual harassment in Saskatchewan. Enough Already is committed to working with government, business, industry associations, unions and community organizations to make workplaces throughout Saskatchewan safe for everyone.

The Bystander Leadership training is an interactive one-hour workshop that will empower you to:

• Be able to understand what harassment is
• Know options on what to do when you witness harassment
• Support others impacted by harassment
• Understand the impact on Saskatchewan people and workplaces.

About the Presenter:

Nicole White is the Project Lead for Enough Already SK. Nicole has worked in the community for nearly two decades and specifically focused her professional work on gender-based issues and engaging marginalized populations. She’s a registered social worker and in her spare time, spearheaded the non-profit, Moon Time Sisters, getting free menstrual products to young people in northern Saskatchewan to improve access to education.

Presenter: Dr. Savannah Howse (She/Her)

There has been much attention focused on the topics of diversity and inclusion these days, and for good reason – there are so many benefits to having a diverse profession. This talk will be about understanding the current state of diversity and inclusion within veterinary medicine, why diversity is important in a veterinary context, then lead into a discussion about how to support and grow diversity within our profession and workplaces.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Savannah Howse is a Métis veterinarian from small town Alberta. She graduated from the WCVM in 2013 and has been in rural mixed practice in Drayton Valley, Alberta since then. She has volunteered with the Canadian Animal Task Force (CATF) for ten years, serving as their Responsible Veterinarian for the past six years. She volunteers with Alberta Helping Animals Society (AHAS) as a Board Member Veterinarian and volunteer surgeon; through this organization, she also participates in a Northern outreach program to provide wellness veterinary services in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. She has previously been a radio show host on 630 CHED’s Pet Talk as well as starred in a recent television series called Dr. Savannah Howse: Wild Rose Vet, airing on Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN) and Cottage Life. She currently is a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee with the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA). In between working and volunteering, Savannah spends entirely too much time playing video games and reading about hikes she probably isn’t fit enough to go on.

Presenter: Erin Beckwell (She/Her), MSW, RSW (SK)

This session will provide an introduction to trauma, trauma responses, and how to integrate an understanding of trauma into our work by exploring the principles of trauma- and violence-informed (TVI) care and practice. In addition to considering how trauma impacts the humans with whom we interact, better understanding how trauma impacts ourselves, our colleagues, and our communities will be discussed. The session is designed for all people who work in and around animal welfare, no matter their role – volunteers, frontline practitioners, students, support staff, and admin staff are all welcome.

About the Presenter:

Erin Beckwell is a social worker, educator, and consultant who has spent her career working in the areas of health, education, and community development. Erin’s work focuses on promoting accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed approaches to care and support.

Originally from Treaty 4 Territory in Southwest Saskatchewan, she and her wife have called Treaty 6 Territory & Homeland of the Métis (Saskatoon, SK) home for over 20 years.

Presenter: Ashley Westgard, BSW, RSW

This session will touch on the fundamental importance of providing interdisciplinary teams with skills to defuse and debrief, providing support to one another within an appropriate timeframe.

Providers are subjected to cumulative exposure of critical incidents which may predispose them to various mental health and/or physical health conditions. Therefore, having basic skills in responding to critical incidents with and for colleagues is invaluable. Utilizing the process following an incident is essential to supporting colleagues and encouraging a safe, healthy environment to promote inner well-being.

About the Presenter:

Ashley Westgard has spent the majority of her career working within crisis situations which has resulted in a deep understanding of compassion fatigue and the long-term effects it can cause. As such, she has redirected her skills toward supporting the well-being of others and encouraging advocacy for personal growth, knowledge and overall mindfulness. Ashley spends much of her free time with her partner, child and fur babies enjoying the outdoors. When she is not working or spending time with loved ones, she continues to pursue her knowledge by furthering her education.