PROGRAM GUIDE - American Humane Association

PROGRAM GUIDE 

Sunday, September 25 – Tuesday, September 27, 2011 

1 st Canadian Conference 

for Family Group Conferencing: 

Honouring the Circle, Connections and Wisdom 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Doubletree International Hotel 

Presented by: 

American Humane 

Association 

Ontario Association of 

Children’s Aid Societies


1 st Canadian Conference 

for Family Group Conferencing: 


For almost 15 years, American Humane Association 

has been a leader in developing family group 

decision making (FGDM) as a system reform for 

promoting and supporting family and community 

involvement and leadership in decision making 

about children who need protection or care. We 

provide training and technical assistance, research 

and resources to communities implementing 

FGDM across the U.S., Canada and many of the 

other 23 countries implementing FGDM as a way to 

transform systems. 

Since 1912, the Ontario Association of Children’s 

Aid Societies (OARCAS) has represented Children’s 

Aid Societies in Ontario and provided service in the 

areas of government relations, communications, 

information management, education and training 

to advocate for the protection and well-being of 

children. OACAS is the voice of child welfare in 

Ontario. 

Canadian professionals have received ad hoc 

training in the provinces and have travelled to the 

U.S. to receive training and to attend the annual 

FGDM conference and skills institutes. At the 

June 2009 American Humane Association FGDM 

Conference., Canadian practitioners expressed an 

interest in a “made in Canada” conference. Many 

conversations with Canadian leaders in a variety of 

sectors about the desire for such an event ensued, 

and partnerships were formed across national 

and provincial boundaries in order to design 

this event. The result is a two-day conference, 

presented by American Humane Association and 

the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, 

in collaboration with The George Hull Centre. 

Special Collaborator: 

Purpose of the Conference 

Collectively, we view this conference as an 

opportunity to partner with international and 

national leaders, further learning about FGC and 

share the wisdom related to this type of service. 

With the widespread use of FGC throughout 

Canada, but the limited opportunities to dialogue 

across provinces or territories, this conference 

provides the opportunity to network and learn from 

one another within the Canadian context. 

We also see value in including the opportunity 

to showcase and extend learning opportunities 

about existing traditional models established in 

the Aboriginal communities of First Nations, Métis 

and Inuit Peoples similar to the foundations of FGC. 

Aboriginal approaches across North America, such 

as but not limited to original dispute resolution and 

talking circles, are included as a program stream. 

Simply put, Honouring the Circle, Connections and 

Wisdom is about professionals coming together, 

making connections between honoured traditions 

and emerging practice wisdom in working with 

children, families and their communities. 

The purposes of the conference are to: 

• Bring together professionals practicing 

or desiring to learn about FGC to expand 

knowledge of this system reform. 

• Increase knowledge about Aboriginal 

approaches in Ontario and other Canadian 

provinces, and their use in achieving 

culturally appropriate results for Aboriginal 

children and families, including those 

served by designated Aboriginal Children’s 

Aid Societies, and especially those served by 

non-Aboriginal agencies. 

• Introduce, share and develop skills and 

experience in FGC and Canadian First 

Nations, Métis and Inuit practices. 

1 st Canadian Conference for Family Group Conferencing 2


History and Context: Family Group Conferencing/ 

FGDM in Canada 

The first Canadian initiative was a demonstration 

project in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1995- 

1996 by Dr. Joan Pennell and Gale Burford at 

Memorial University. Their focus was on using 

FGDM for families who experienced domestic 

violence. In 1997, a pilot project was established 

in Calgary. 

Also in 1997, two family group conferencing 

(FGC) projects in Manitoba were established, one 

in Dauphin and one in Winnipeg, based at local 

friendship centres. FGC is currently being offered 

in four locations in Manitoba. 

In 2002, the first Canadian child welfare 

legislation on FGC was passed in British 

Columbia (Child, Family and Community Service 

Act, 1996) and in Newfoundland (Child, Youth and 

Family Services Act, 1998). British Columbia began 

using FGC in late 2002 and is now supported by 

both legislation and policy (Ministry of Children 

and Family Development, 2008). Newfoundland 

has not yet established an FGC practice. FGC 

projects have also been established in Alberta 

and Nova Scotia. 

New Brunswick enacted amendments to its 

child welfare legislation in 2009 (Family Services 

Act, 1983) requiring child protection services 

to consider FGC and FGC practice standards 

(Department of Social Development, 2008) 

as part of its system-wide reform of the child 

welfare service. Yukon passed new child welfare 

legislation (2008) which requires that a family be 

offered a family conference or other cooperative 

planning processes for children involved with 

child welfare services. 

As part of a provincial transformation of 

Child Welfare in 2006, the Province of Ontario 

proclaimed amendments to the Child and Family 

Services Act which required child protection 

agencies to consider using an alternative 

dispute resolution method that included FGC/ 

FGDM as an approved method. Since that time, 

FGC/FGDM service began to spread across 

Ontario. The FGC Ontario Provincial Resource 

was established at The George Hull Centre in 

2006 to act as a provincial locus of expertise 

and best practice, overseeing model integrity, 

coordinating training to FGC service providers 

and community partners, and maintaining a 

roster of FGC coordinators, trainers and mentors. 

Indigenous Practices: While FGC has evolved 

as a disciple in North America, there are many 

indigenous practices that are part of original 

tradition and culture and have been used by 

First Nations for hundreds — if not thousands— 

of years. Much of this practice is similar to the 

origins of Family Group Decision Making, and 

included talking circles, healing circles and 

the use of stories and symbols. Across Canada 

Aboriginal peoples still use these practices 

to enable healing for children, families and 

communities. This conference incorporates 

many such practices and allows Indigenous 

peoples to share their unique helping practices 

with others including those who are practicing 

FGDM/FGC. 

The first FGC program launched in Ontario was 

the FGC Project of Toronto in 1998, at The George 

Hull Centre, in collaboration with child welfare 

and children mental health agencies, which 

is now well-established in the metro Toronto 

area. This was followed by a pilot project at The 

Children’s Aid Society of Brant in 2002, which 

developed into an established FGC/FGDM 

service. During 2004-2005, several other FGC/ 

FGDM services were established in London, 

Simcoe County and Sault Ste. Marie. 

3 

1 st Canadian Conference for Family Group Conferencing


Diverse Learning Opportunities to Meet Everyone’s Needs 

Conference participants will enjoy a variety of ways to explore community 

partnership building, the intersection between practice and values, 

organizational and systems change, research and evaluation, and learning 

across systems. Opportunities include: 

• Pre-conference full-day skills institutes and intensive seminars 

• Plenary speakers 

• 30+ workshops 

• Interaction with colleagues from around the world 

Who Should Attend 

The conference program has a plethora of workshops for administrators, 

supervisors, practitioners, judges, legal professionals, policymakers, 

researchers/evaluators, advocates and family members. Presentations will 

be organized to follow one of the following tracks and have varying levels, 

as determined by the presenters: 

Track 1. Innovative Practices and Developments 

Track 2. Youth and Family Engagement 

Track 3. Collaboration and Implementation Within and Across Systems 

Track 4. Implementation: Building a Strong and Sustainable Foundation 

Track 5. Culture, Privilege, Bias and Power 

Track 6. Aboriginal Practices 

Registration 

Registration for the conference is C$425. Your registration fee covers 

conference materials, all conference workshops, and a continental breakfast 

and lunch on each of the two conference days. The registration fee for the 

Skills Institute is C$95 and includes lunch. For more information or to 

register please visit www.oacas.org/circle. 



Skills Institutes 

and Intensive 

Seminars 

Preserving the Integrity of 

FGC in the Sea of Family 

Engagement Meetings 

Sheila Robinson, 

Ministry of Children and 

Family Development, 

Vancouver, BC, Canada 

Sunday, September 25, 2011 

10 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. (Lunch on your own) 

Over the last number of years, a number of family engagement strategies 

have been developed to augment the traditional FGC process. The reasons 

for developing other family engagement meetings have differed across 

jurisdictions, but have included: the family’s need to bring people together 

in urgent situations, timeliness, engaging families at the “front door” of 

the child welfare system, agency resources and finding family early in the 

child welfare process. The development of the family engagement process 

are well intentioned and often very effective; however, the question arises 

of how we can maintain the integrity of the FGC methodology when 

faced with other processes that, on the surface, can appear to be easier, 

more efficient and, some would argue, achieve the same outcomes. This 

skills workshop will explore the development of the family engagement 

strategies and look at them in context of child welfare service delivery. The 

workshop will provide some practical tips and strategies for agencies and 

practitioners to employ in order to preserve the FGC methodology when 

facing the challenge of increasing numbers of other family engagement 

strategies. Most importantly, the facilitator will discuss the value of FGC 

and why it should be preserved as a separate and distinct process. 

Focus on Follow-Up 

Anita Horner, 

American Humane Association, 

Englewood, Colo., USA 

Why is follow-up vital to the successful implementation of the plan? What 

does follow-up really entail? How does a follow-up conference differ from 

an initial conference? How can effective follow-up occur while continuing 

to support a family-driven process? This skills institute will address 

these questions and other follow-up related topics, through didactic 

presentation, group activities and discussion, where participants will 

explore how to inform and enhance individual and system-wide practice. 

This institute will focus on defining and more thoroughly understanding 

the function and vital role of the follow-up component of the FGC/FGDM 

process, and how it directly impacts the successful implementation of 

the plan after an FGC is held. Through group activities and discussion, 

participants will consider how to inform and educate family groups, 

coordinators, service providers, communities and organizational systems 

about how to support and implement effective follow-up efforts, while 

maintaining a family-driven process that is reflective of FGC values and 

philosophy. 



Social Worker Role in 

Information Sharing 

Suzanne Lohrbach, 

American Humane Association, 


Social workers are expected to share relevant information during an 

FGC; however, there has been much discussion and often confusion 

around what that information ought to be and how it can best be 

presented. Given that the information sharing phase likely represents the 

shortest period of time, it is important that the presenting social worker/ 

supervisor/practitioner be clear and concise about that information 

and that it is communicated in terms that are understandable to the 

family. Questions must also be responded to so that the family is well 

equipped to go into private time to develop a plan/make a decision. This 

workshop will include the examination of what “relevant” information 

means, how to be direct and straightforward in presenting information, 

clear discussion of any non-negotiable items, and response to family 

questions. Preparation is the key to a constructive and successful FGC 

in terms of the development of workable plans and decision making 

specific to child safety and well-being. This institute will address decision 

making regarding from whom the statutory agency to have present in 

person or to have available by phone given any particular needs around 

plan approval/enhancement. There will be opportunities to practice 

information sharing and delivery of information that is difficult in nature, 

as well as a number of other skills. 

Getting Power to Frontline 

Workers: The Agency 

Contribution to Effective 

FGDM Practice 

Michael Doolan, American 

Humane Association Fellow, 

Christchurch, New Zealand 

FGDM success is predicated on the empowerment of frontline workers 

to enter into transparent and flexible negotiation with families about 

their issues and their needs. This means that authority and resource 

control and allocation must be in the hands of workers, with agencies 

providing the guidance and support they need to ensure that families 

are able to formulate effective plans for their children. The failure of 

agencies to adapt and modify their systems and procedures in order 

to promote this new way of working is a barrier to mainstreaming the 

practice. This seminar is suitable for managers, service leaders and team 

leaders who are in positions of influence and can promote the change or 

adaptation of organizational systems and behaviors. In the course of the 

day, participants will consider strategies for entrenching the values and 

principles underpinning FGC in the policies, procedures, practices and 

systems of statutory child welfare agencies. Agency leaders and managers 

can make a difference if they have the will to do so. 



How do we maintain FGC 

principles/values in our 

practice? 

Daniel Bogue, The George Hull 

Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada 

and Gale Burford, University of 

Vermont, Burlington, Vt. 

FGC practice in child welfare is paradoxical. Building relational safety 

and permanency for children depends on responsively engaging the 

family’s culture and strengths, including their leadership, while at the 

same time holding true to the principles and values that underwrite 

the practice. On one hand, this requires a high level of consensus and 

ongoing renewal of the principles and values among FGC coordinators 

and participating professionals including child welfare professionals, 

mental health professionals, educators, legal professionals and police 

officers, substitute care providers, supervisors, administrators and those 

who work to align policy and practice. This requires ongoing education 

for new hires and renewal to hold the practice accountable to those 

most affected. As experienced practitioners, educators and learners, we 

develop all kinds of micro practices that become habitual even those 

that have grown from our own accumulated skills, knowledges — even 

our successes — that we develop over the years. How do we stay ‘fresh’ 

and focus on what ‘can be’ in each engagement; safeguard against the 

habitual practices appropriating the fundamental FGC value base; and 

avoid becoming institutionalized in new forms of disempowerment or 

even “oppressive” practices? Building from “best stories” approach, the 

workshop leaders will guide an inquiry to learning and discovery that 

explores known conundrums (and others that come forward during the 

workshop.) Participants will learn from one another and develop plans to 

take back to their places of work that address renewal and accountability 

for themselves, their colleagues and workplaces. 



Program 

Monday, September 26, 2011 

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, this program is subject to change 

prior to the start of the conference. 

8:00 A.M. 

Continental Breakfast 

8:30 – 9:00 A.M. 

Opening Ceremony and 

Welcome 

9:00 – 10:30 A.M. 

Keynote Addresses 

Indigenous Practices for 

Indigenous Lives: The Mino- 

Pimatisiwin Approach 

Michael Hart, Author, Practitioner 

and Assistant Professor, 

University of Manitoba, Ottawa 

Michael Anthony Hart (Kaskitémahikan) is the author of Seeking Mino- 

Pimatisiwin: An Aboriginal Approach to Helping, which encourages the 

use of Aboriginal concepts, values and perspectives in counselling and 

teaching disciplines. He is also the co-author of Wícihitowin: Aboriginal 

Social Work in Canada, the first Canadian social work book written by 

First Nations, Inuit and Métis authors who are educators at schools of 

social work across Canada. 

Michael has dedicated his career to learning, following and teaching 

Aboriginal ways of helping. He is the father of two boys, a citizen of Fisher 

River Cree Nation, residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has worked in the 

areas of child and family services, family therapy, and addictions. He is 

an assistant professor at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of 

Manitoba and provides mental health clinical supervision at Long Plain 

First Nation and for Health Canada. 



The Family Group 

Conference: “An idea in 

search of practice” 

Michael Doolan, American Humane 

Association Fellow, 

Christchurch, New Zealand 

Michael Doolan is a Fellow with American Humane Association. He has 

an extensive policy, management and practice background in the New 

Zealand child protection, child welfare and youth justice systems. He has 

practiced as a field and residential social worker and supervisor, managed 

national residential programs, and managed a comprehensive program 

to move care services from institutional to community settings during 

the 1980s. He led youth justice reform in New Zealand, which included 

introducing the FGC in the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 

(1989)—a procedure also included in the care and protection processes of 

that Act. 

From 1994 to 2001, Mike was the chief social worker for the New Zealand 

statutory child welfare agency, the Department of Child, Youth and 

Family. His focus in recent years has been on practice development in 

statutory child welfare services, overseeing the development of strategies 

and supports required for effective delivery, and participating in the 

development of policies that kept the Department at the leading edge of 

international developments in child welfare. During 1999, Mike consulted 

with the Minister of State for Children in the Republic of Ireland and was 

later an external consultant to the Republic’s development of a National 

Strategy for Children. He has assisted with FGC development in Canada, 

England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, 

Denmark, Sweden, and The Netherlands. 

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. 

Break 

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. 

Workshops and 

Discussion Groups 

Engaging Children and 

Youth in Family Conferences: 

Ensuring Their Voices are 

Heard . . . from Start to Finish 

TRACK 1 

Innovative Practices and Developments 

LEVEL 

Foundational 

Connie Folkins and Mark Laforge, Province of New Brunswick, Department 

of Social Development, Fredericton, NB, Canada 

How do you engage children and youth in FGCs? If they are truly the 

focus of this collaborative intervention, the presence and voices of our 

youth must be felt and heard from the start of the process, up to and 

including the day of the conferences, and in any follow-up that may 

occur. This workshop will focus on direct practice strategies used in the 

Province of New Brunswick to engage youth of all ages in FGCs. Particular 

emphasis will be given to strategies in which the child/youth’s “voice” 

has been present on the day of the conference. Samples of these creative 

approaches will be shared. Participants will have the opportunity to 

discuss their own experiences in engaging children and youth in FGCs. 



Family Group Conferencing 

Where Child Abuse and 

Domestic Violence Intersect: 

Safety Planning for the 

Whole Family 

TRACK 3 

Collaboration and Implementation Within 

and Across Systems 

LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Marilee Sherry and Denise Morton-Sayles, The Children’s Aid Society of 

Brant; and Sue Longtin, Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services, 

Brantford, ON, Canada 

This workshop will focus on using FGC in the context of the collaboration 

relationship between The Children’s Aid Society of Brant and Nova 

Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services as a way to help create 

safety for the whole family. The workshop will also focus on how this 

collaborative relationship supports FGC with families who are involved 

in both services. FGC challenges the “safety is created through separating 

the victim and offender” paradigm. The facilitators will provide an 

overview of some of the dilemmas that both child welfare and domestic 

violence prevention services face and will discuss some of the benefits 

and challenges in using FGC where there is conflict between parents/ 

caregivers. Workers from Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention 

Services and from The Children’s Aid Society of Brant will share their 

experiences about using FGC. Key factors to consider when holding an 

FGC where there is conflict between parents/caregivers will be discussed, 

including identifying where the parent/caregiver fits on the continuum 

of violence and creating enough safety in the FGC circle for every 

participant to have a voice in addressing the issues the family is facing. 

Naming, Discussing and 

Exploring the Challenges 

within Family Group 

Conferencing 

TRACK 4 

Implementation: Building a Strong and 

Sustainable Foundation 

LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Dana Gillespie Tozer and Christina Vengris, Catholic Family Services 

of Hamilton; and Shawn Chisholm, Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton, 

Hamilton, ON, Canada 

Conferencing is an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) that is widely 

supported, extremely effective, and often adopted and integrated into 

standard child protection service delivery. Further, those who choose to 

engage in this work are frequently driven by passion for this model and 

its commitment to strengths-based, family-centred decision making. 

However, there have historically been and continue to be barriers, 

struggles, dynamics and hiccups that challenge this work and the ability 

of professionals to provide service under this model. This discussion 

group aims to facilitate dialogue about the challenges to FGC with the 

intent to validate, reflect, strategize and move forward and beyond these 

barriers in order to create a strong and sustainable foundation. 



From One Settler Society 

to Another: Family Group 

Conferencing and the 

Challenge of Anti-Native and 

Anti-Black Racism 

TRACK 5 

Culture, Privilege, Bias and Power 

LEVEL 

Foundational 

Gordon Pon, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada; Doret Phillips and 

Kevin Gosine, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada 

FGC is increasing in popularity in Ontario child welfare practice. 

FGC is often viewed as an anti-oppressive way to respond to the racial 

disproportionality evidenced in the child welfare system, namely the 

over-representation of Aboriginal and black children in care of the child 

protection authorities. The facilitators contend that FGC is largely a social 

order perspective that does not adequately address structural issues such 

as white supremacy, anti-black racism and colonialism vis-à-vis child 

welfare in Canada. This workshop will introduce these concepts. The aim 

is to urge FGC to be more critical and responsive to structural forces that 

underpin racial disproportionality. 

Talking Together: Alternative 

Dispute Resolution in 

Nishnawbe Aski Nation 

TRACK 6 

Aboriginal Practices 

LEVEL 

Foundational 

Celina Reitberger, Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation (NALSC), 

Thunder Bay, ON, Canada 

Talking Together is a unique, culturally appropriate approach to 

mediating child welfare cases while preserving and healing the family 

unit. Since 2002, facilitators have used the circle effectively to allow 

parents, children, extended family, service providers and elders to come 

together in a non-judgmental forum. Once the issues the family faces have 

been identified in the first round, the facilitator will invite suggestions 

as to how to best address the challenges the family is facing. A plan will 

emerge that all parties agree to. Follow-up circles ensure that the plan is 

adhered to or altered to suit the ever-changing needs of the family. The 

best interests of the child remain paramount. 

Ganawendaasowin 

(Taking Care of Children in a 

Sacred Way) 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Lori Flinders, Shannon Blight and Sandra Stevens, Weechi-it-te-win Family 

Services, Fort Frances, ON, Canada 

Participants will gain an understanding of the healing powers of circle 

by engaging in a process of restorative practice rooted in traditional 

Anishinabe values and beliefs. The Anishinabe approach utilizes the 

four quadrants of the Medicine Wheel by ensuring that the body, mind, 

heart and spirit are taken care of during the circle process. This will be 

an interactive presentation that makes use of the sacred medicines and 

sacred items utilized for strength, support and good process. Presenters 

will engage participants in a process that benefits youth who are difficult 

to serve. The circle process utilized is inclusive and participants include 

child welfare workers, family members, clinicians, the youth and a chosen 

support person. 



12:15 – 1:15 P.M. 

Lunch (provided) 

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. 

Workshops and 


Facilitating Open Adoption 

through Family Group 

Conferencing 

TRACK 1 


LEVEL 

Foundational 

Pat Convery, Gail Aitken and Jean Skelton, Adoption Council of Ontario/ 

Children in Limbo Task Force of the Sparrow Lake Alliance; and Mary Rella, 

Thistletown Regional Centre/Children in Limbo Task Force, Toronto, 

ON, Canada 

FGC is an emerging practice in creating Openness Agreements between 

adoptive and birth families. While open adoption is becoming more 

common when a birth parent voluntarily relinquishes a child, it is less 

often considered when a child is in foster care and parental rights have 

been terminated by a court order. Child welfare professionals usually 

recognize the benefits of openness for the child but are often unsure 

about the level of openness that is appropriate for a child who has been 

in foster care. This workshop will focus on the benefits and challenges 

of the FGC model in facilitating Openness Agreements with the goal of 

helping adopted children develop a sense of permanency that includes 

their identity as a member of their birth families, their expectations 

with caregivers, and their status in the adoptive family. Members of the 

Children in Limbo Task Force of the Ontario Sparrow Lake Alliance will 

explore key issues in a panel presentation followed by open discussion. 

Youth Transition 

Conferences: Youth Voice, 

Youth Choice 

TRACK 2 

Youth and Family Engagement 

LEVEL 

Advanced 

Tony Vanon, Ministry of Children and Family Development, 

Burnaby, BC, Canada 

This session will present information on an initiative started in British 

Columbia in 2004 to look at ways of fostering permanency for youth “aging 

out” of the child welfare system. Using a collaborative approach, Youth 

Transition Conferencing actively engages youth and the significant others 

that the youth choose to address their needs so that when youth leave 

care they are not on their own, but have a caring person or people whom 

they can draw on for support in order to successfully make this difficult 

transition. Youth are encouraged to think about what they do well and 

what their support group does well. Support group members are also 

encouraged to look at what the youth does well and what they as support 

people do well. In addition, goals related to transitioning to adulthood 

are generated by youth. The support people consider ways that they can 

actively support the youth attaining these goals. 



ADR Training in the South 

West Ministry Region: 

Lessons Learned 

TRACK 4 



LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Louise Vandenbosch, Community Services Coordination Network, London, 

ON, Canada 

This workshop will highlight the key aspects of the 18-month Eliminating 

Barriers and Building on Successes (EBBS) ADR training that was 

developed in the South West ministry region of Ontario for frontline 

Children’s Aid staff and supervisors. The training that was delivered 

at seven Children’s Aid Societies focused on skill development and 

knowledge dissemination to help the frontline worker differentiate 

between the three legislated Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) 

processes (FGC, mediation, and Aboriginal approaches). Training also 

emphasized the importance of informing the family of the options and 

encouraging family input into the selection of which ADR process to 

apply. A number of training aids that were developed for this project will 

be shared: a training video, a chart differentiating the practices, and a 

guide to assist with selection. As well, extensive research was conducted, 

and the results and lessons learned will be shared. 

My New Life: The Hopes and 

Challenges of an Immigrant 

Family 

TRACK 5 

Culture, Privilege, Bias and Power 

LEVEL 

Inshirah Hassabu and Jennie Campbell, The George Hull Centre, FGC Project 

of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 

This workshop will share testimonials from families on how FGC helped 

generate awareness and understanding of their cultural needs, bridging 

the gap between them and child protection agencies in Toronto. The 

workshop will also discuss the strategies and resources used in the 

process, and how collaborative work on all levels paved the way for major 

legislative change in Ontario Family Law. 

Intermediate 

Family Power and Agency 

Responsibility: Does This 

Relationship Really Exist in 

the Child Welfare World? 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Elizabeth Perry, Dauphin Friendship Centre; and Lisa Monych, Metis Child, 

Family and Community Services, Dauphin, MB, Canada 

This workshop explores the challenges of working within a new 

framework that says that families have the power to make decisions 

regarding their children, and recognizes that workers and agencies 

have a responsibility that is governed by a child welfare mandate. With 

agency responsibility, there will be a sense of power that is driven by 

personal culture, privilege and bias that guide agencies and workers 

who are working with families. FGDM recognizes that Aboriginal 

families face many challenges, both systemically and personally, and 

this workshop seeks to provide a forum that balances family power and 

agency responsibility. Historically, Aboriginal families have been affected 

by the residential school and the child welfare system that has greatly 

impacted their culture, privilege, bias and power. Today, families still lack 

confidence in the child welfare system, which is evident by the high rate of 

Aboriginal children in care that continues to increase. It is imperative that 

the FGDM coordinator and the child welfare agency be aware of their own 

culture and power when working with families, but more importantly, 

that the workers recognize a family’s lack of power that places that family 

at a disadvantage. 



Syilx (Okanagan) Nation 

Family Decision Making: 

A Cultural Approach 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

3:00 – 3:15 

Break 

Assunta Rosal, Pauline Terbasket and Jennifer Houde, Okanagan Nation 

Alliance, Westbank, BC, Canada 

The Syilx (Okanagan) Nation is developing a Child and Family Service 

Framework based in Syilx language, culture, values and beliefs. While 

the Nation has engaged in the community planning process, it has also 

piloted service delivery approaches, such as Wraparound in Indian 

Country, FGC and Signs of Safety. Each of these approaches was selected 

because the foundational principles, such as family-centred, family 

driven, inclusive and strengths-based, are consistent with Syilx teachings. 

In 2007, the Syilx Nation secured funding to pilot FGC in this territory. 

Over the past four years of delivery of this program, the Syilx people 

have adapted the Maori FGC model to reflect its own Nation’s approach. 

Further, the success of this program has led the Syilx Nation to embed 

a Family Decision Making approach in all programs and services. This 

session will look at how the FGC model was adapted to the Syilx cultural 

context, how it has impacted Aboriginal children and families living on 

and off reserve, and its success in reducing the number of Aboriginal 

children in care in its region. The session will also look at how the lessons 

learned through delivery of this pilot have shaped the emerging Syilx 

Child and Family Service Framework: Operational Plan. 

3:15 – 4:45 p.m. 

Workshops and 


Addressing the Dynamics 

of Domestic Violence in the 

Context of the FGC 

TRACK 1 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Suzanne Lohrbach, American Humane Association, Englewood, Colo., USA 

The literature has described the prevalence of the overlap of domestic 

violence and child abuse and neglect at rates ranging from 40 to 60 

percent—meaning that social workers/supervisors/practitioners are 

working with the dynamics of domestic violence, either disclosed 

or undisclosed, on a fairly frequent basis. Many interventions have 

historically been contraindicated when domestic violence has been 

reported or disclosed—specific to the FGC is the conflict surrounding 

bringing victim/survivor and victimizer together. However, many 

decisions must be made in the context of child welfare/child protective 

services, and family members often opt to meet together as the very best 

way to make decisions about their children. This workshop will focus on 

the steps to take when coordinating an FGC in the context of domestic 

violence. The session will include questions to explore whether or not the 

domestic violence has been reported or disclosed; plans to develop when 

there is known domestic violence; tips for facilitation; and preparation 

before, during and after the FGC. 



New Brunswick’s 

Transformational Journey: 

Embracing Family Group 

Conferencing and Other 

Collaborative Approaches 

TRACK 3 



LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Bill Innes, Province of New Brunswick Department of Social Development, 

Fredericton, NB, Canada 

The transformational journey from conceptual design, model 

introduction, staff training and full implementation of New Brunswick’s 

New Directions in Child Protection Initiative will be explored through 

the lens of project management structure and the fusion of leading and 

learning. The primary focus of this session is to discuss at length New 

Brunswick’s project design for the provincial transformation through 

presentation of the project management structure that led to systemic 

support and buy in for Phase 1 of the New Directions in Child Protection 

Initiative. Communication strategies, establishment of Provincial 

and Regional Implementation Teams, comprehensive training, and 

consultation with experts in the FGC and Child Protection Mediation 

fields will be shared. References will be made to the shift in beliefs and 

values supported by the implementation of training on collaborative 

approaches. Initial data will be shared on the various conference formats, 

including FGC participant feedback. 

FGC/FGDM through the Lens 

of ADR: Are We Maintaining 

Model Fidelity in Ontario? 

TRACK 4 



LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Marilee Sherry, The Children’s Aid Society of Brant, Brantford, ON, Canada; 

Julie Boivin, The Children’s Aid Society of Sudbury-Manitoulin, Sudbury, 

ON, Canada; and Darlene Sykes, Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County, 

Barrie, ON, Canada 

FGC was legislated in Ontario as one of the approved methods of 

Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) in 2006. At that time there was 

a strong commitment both at the Ministry policy level and in the FGC/ 

FGDM coordinator community to maintain model fidelity, which is based 

on the New Zealand FGC process. Five years later, we are starting to ask 

how we are doing in maintaining model fidelity, particularly given the 

framework of FGC/FGDM as an ADR method. This session will briefly 

review the steps taken to help FGC/FGDM coordinators maintain fidelity. 

The facilitators will explore the key factors needed to maintain model 

fidelity and the impact of FGC/FGDM as an ADR method, as well as 

explore the impact that short cuts in the process have on compromising 

safety, planning and family voice empowerment. The facilitators hope to 

consult with their colleagues in other provinces and countries about what 

they need to pay attention to in maintaining model fidelity in Ontario. 



Achieving Permanency for 

Young People through FGDM 

TRACK 2 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Anita Horner, American Humane Association, Englewood, Colo., USA 

Through the use of FGC, young people play a key role in crafting a plan 

to achieve permanency and in identifying whom they would like to have 

in their lives forever, with the overarching goal of achieving the highest 

level of permanency possible for the youth. This session will examine 

the definition of permanency for youth; explore diligent search methods 

to identify significant people in a young person’s life; consider the 

multifaceted, crucial preparation of a youth for active involvement in the 

diligent search and FGDM processes; and guide participants through an 

ongoing FGDM process until permanency is achieved. 

Aboriginal Case Conferencing 

and Circles 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Foundational 

Crystal Doolittle, Cam Agowisa, Tibby Johnston and Yvonne Lunham, 

Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County, Barrie, ON, Canada 

Aboriginal Circles and Case Conferences have been offered to the families 

of Simcoe County since 2008 in an effort to improve outcomes and 

relationships with families and the Children’s Aid Society (CAS). The 

presentation will provide participants with an overview of the history 

and process of Aboriginal Circles and Case Conferencing. Simcoe County 

CAS, through collaboration with the Aboriginal Child Welfare Advisory 

Committee of Simcoe County, is able to offer case conferences through 

an Aboriginal perspective and facilitated by a First Nations/Aboriginal 

worker in order to provide a culturally sensitive and collaborative 

approach to working with families affected by the Children’s Aid Society. 

Helping Caregivers and 

Parents in Crisis: Support 

from an Urban 

Aboriginal Agency 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Chantal Martin, Timmins Native Friendship Centre, Timmins, ON, Canada 

Aboriginal children are unique by virtue of their distinct histories, 

cultures, languages, status and challenges. Timmins Native Friendship 

Centre (TNFC) serves Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in an urban 

community in northeast Ontario. TNFC provides 22 programs for children 

and families, with a specific focus on preventive or early intervention 

services. The programs are based on traditional Native teachings from 

the medicine wheel and include action, vision, relationship and reason. 

The many programs relate to the life cycle and are tailored to support the 

development of the family as a whole, along with partnering agencies, 

protocol agreements and process for referrals. Given the mandate of 

the agency, TNFC is able to draw from its many services to develop an 

individual response to each child and family. The services are culturally 

appropriate and preserve Aboriginal traditions and identity. 



Tuesday, September 27 

8:00 A.M. 

Continental Breakfast 

8:30 – 9:45 A.M. 

Keynote Address 

Harry Snowboy, Healer, 

Author, Cultural Teacher 

Harry Snowboy is a traditional healer from the James Bay Area of Chisasibi, 

Quebec. Through cultural teaching and the use of ceremonies, Harry 

helps reconnect people to their identity and assists them in contributing 

to the well-being of their communities. Harry is a member of the Seven 

Generations Healing Network, where he is a cultural advisor and works 

with many organizations to help them use ceremonies in order to bring 

spirituality and balance into their practice and their lives. 

Harry is a frequent presenter and speaker, and has shared his learning 

and tools for healing with audiences across Canada, and in Hawaii and 

Australia. In his recent book, A Voice from the Wilderness: A Cree Shaman’s 

Story, Harry describes his life journey and his calling to be a healer. 

9:45 – 10:30 A.M. 

Plenary Session 

Numbers, Stories, Questions: 

Writing the Family 

Engagement Research Script 

for the Next Decade 

Gale Burford, University of 

Vermont, Burlington, V.T., USA 

Gale Burford, Ph.D., M.S.W., has experience as a foster and group home 

parent, a social work practitioner, a supervisor, manager and senior 

administrator in services for children, young people and their families. 

After completing his M.S.W. at the University of Washington in 1971, he 

worked with young people and their families in Montreal in a variety of 

positions until taking up an appointment teaching social work at Memorial 

University of Newfoundland in 1981. While there, he completed a Ph.D. at 

the University of Stirling in Scotland. Gale left Memorial University in 1998 

to move back to the U.S., where he is now a professor of social work and 

director of the Child Welfare Training Partnership between the University 

and the State of Vermont Department for Children and Families. Gale has 

experience consulting, training and carrying out research in Canada, the 

U.S., the UK and in New Zealand. He is co-editor with Joe Hudson of Family 

Group Conferencing: New Directions in Community-Centered Child & 

Family Practice (2000, Aldine Transaction Pubs). Gale co-managed and 

co-investigated the Newfoundland and Labrador Family Group Decision 

Making Project, in which family conferences were used in child protection 

situations involving family violence. He is currently evaluating the use of 

family engagement strategies in Vermont. Other evaluation research has 

focused on the use of drug courts, Vermont’s reparative probation panels, 

and Washington, D.C.’s use of family team meetings, youth-run community 

living, group care and residential treatment. 



10:30 – 10:45 A.M. 

Break 

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. 

Workshops and 


Enhancing Connections, 

Belonging and Permanence 

for Youth 

TRACK 2 


LEVEL 

Foundational 

Darlene Sykes, Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County, Barrie, ON, Canada; 

and Julie Boivin, The Children’s Aid Society of Sudbury-Manitoulin, 

Sudbury, ON, Canada 

Research clearly shows that youth raised in the system are: less likely 

to complete high school, and even fewer will complete post-secondary 

education; less likely to find full time employment; more likely to live 

in poverty; more likely to become single parents; and more likely to 

experience some form of addiction and/or mental health problem. 

FGC/FGDM is one approach that has shown favorable outcomes with 

and for youth by developing a plan that focuses on the youth’s needs, 

wishes and possibilities, which can help pave the way to a more positive 

and successful future. This workshop will encourage participants 

to consider using FGC/FGDM as a way to develop and/or enhance 

lifelong connections for disenfranchised youth in the child welfare 

system in Ontario and throughout Canada, so that they can become 

happy, confident, well-adjusted and supported adults. The facilitators’ 

experiences working with youth moving onto independence through 

FGC/FGDM will be shared with the hope of having active participation 

from the audience about their experiences and concerns/worries as well. 

Together, the workshop group will develop some solutions, ideas and 

directions for participants to take back to their home communities. 

The Impact of Family Group 

Decision Making on First 

Nation Families 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Foundational 

Chris McKay, Blue Hills Child and Family Centre, Courtice, ON, Canada; 

and Cynthia Trudeau, Wikwemikong First Nation, Wikwemikong, ON, 

Canada 

This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to explore 

and discuss how bias and power have uniquely impacted the dynamics 

of engagement and decision making between First Nation communities 

and service providers. What are First Nation communities and service 

providers doing to remedy the historic imbalance of power between 

First Nation families and child welfare agencies? This workshop will 

look at identifying the causes for the imbalance; institutional racism 

and colonization; and how FGDM can be a catalyst in identifying the 

remedying issues of bias and institutional racism. 



Achieving Our Vision: 

From Consultation to 

Implementation of Yukon’s 

Child and Family Services Act 

TRACK 4 



LEVEL 

Foundational 

Bonnie Murrell and Brad Bell, Government of Yukon Family and Children’s 

Services, Whitehorse, YT, Canada 

In April of 2010 the Child and Family Services Act was proclaimed in 

the Yukon. This presentation will look at the process undertaken to 

engage community stakeholders that led to the statutory requirement 

of cooperative planning in Yukon’s legislation. In this context, FGC is 

formally identified as one of the mechanisms of cooperative planning. 

The facilitators will share key principles and components that are 

embedded in the legislation, in addition to how policy has been developed 

to support family, First Nations and other community stakeholders in 

engaging in use of an FGC or other cooperative planning processes. Now 

in the Act’s second year, the facilitators will share their findings and what 

they have learned. 

Welcoming Cultural and 

Traditional Diversity with 

FGDM 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Lucy Rosman, Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society, 

Vancouver, BC, Canada 

Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) is built 

on a unique set of core values: respect, integrity, belonging, humility 

and strength-based practice. VACFSS has implemented these values into 

FGDM to come up with a style of practice that is suitable for Aboriginalspecific 

Child Protection and FGC. VACFSS’s FGDM format utilizes a 

variety of “cultural tools”—most uniquely, the Medicine Wheel, which is 

well known in many Aboriginal communities. 

Foundational 

Circle of Care: An Aboriginal 

Approach to Decision Making 

in Ontario 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Denise Anne Boissoneau, Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, Ottawa, 

ON, Canada and Tracy Engelking, The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, 

Ottawa, ON, Canada 

The Circle of Care model is culturally-based, family-centred and 

collaborative; everyone has a shared role in the welfare and protection of 

our children and in the strengthening of our families. The Circle of Care 

program is a service pathway that provides a flexible range of planning 

and decision-making options to First Nation, Inuit and Métis families 

involved with the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) of Ottawa. This session 

will provide an overview of the ADR model being used in Ottawa between 

the CAS and the Aboriginal community service providers. This session 

will also provide case examples and experiential learning from those who 

have developed and are participating in Circle of Care processes. 



Aboriginal Legal Services of 

Toronto Community 

Council Programs 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Colette Pagano and Ryan Walsh, Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto, 

ON, Canada 

The Community Council is a criminal diversion program for Aboriginal 

persons before the courts—adult and youth—who live in Toronto. The 

project takes accused Aboriginal persons out of the criminal justice 

system and brings them before members of the Aboriginal community. 

The focus of the Community Council is to develop a plan by consensus 

that will allow the offender to take responsibility for his or her actions, 

address the root causes of the problem, and integrate him or her into 

the community in a positive way. The Family Community Council 

assists families and individuals who are at risk of having their children 

apprehended or who are currently involved with child welfare systems. 

12:15 – 1:15 P.M. 

Lunch (provided) 

1:15 – 2:15 P.M 

Plenary Session 

“Servant Leadership: 

The Role of the Judge in 

Fostering Family 

Group Decision 

Making and Other Family 

Driven Practices” 

Honorable Kim Berkeley Clark 

2:15 – 2:30 P.M. 

Judge Clark was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny 

County, PA by Governor Tom Ridge in March 1999. She was elected to a full 

ten-year term in November 1999. Judge Clark currently serves as a judge 

in the Family Division, where she primarily hears juvenile court cases. 

From January 1, 2006 through January 2009, Judge Clark served as the 

Administrative Judge of the Family Division in Allegheny County. Judge 

Clark is the first African-American to be appointed as an administrative 

judge in Allegheny County. Prior to becoming the Administrative Judge of 

Family Division, Judge Clark served as the Supervising Judge of Juvenile 

Court. In her capacity as a juvenile and family court judge, Judge Clark 

has also been appointed to serve as a member of the Pennsylvania 

Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee, the Pennsylvania 

Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission (secretary), the Beverly Jewel Wallace 

Lovelace Children’s Program Advisory Board, the Children’s Hospital 

Ethics Committee and the Children’s Waiting Room Advisory Board. 

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Clark served as an assistant and deputy 

district attorney in Allegheny County for almost sixteen years. Judge Clark 

received her B.A. from Tennessee State University and her law degree from 

Duquesne University School of Law. 

Break 



2:30 – 4:00 P.M. 

Workshops and 


Logic Will Get You from A 

to B: Imagination Will Take 

You Everywhere: Family 

Group Conferences 

in Rural Ontario 

TRACK 2 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Lynn Lavery and Arijana Tomicic, Family and Children’s Services, Renfrew 

County, Pembroke, ON, Canada 

Child welfare services are at a crossroads. With increasingly tight 

budgets and demands for cost-neutral, effective programs, the need 

for innovation, imagination and family engagement in child welfare 

to provide a strengths-based customized response to both children 

and families is the desired approach. Litigation polarizes the families, 

is costly, not time sensitive and the outcome is decided, but not by 

the family. FGC allows for innovation, creativity, conflict resolution 

and a more timely response to the needs of children. FGC is culturally 

sensitive, is more likely to lead to positive outcomes, and has an 

immediate impact on process indicators, such as family engagement. 

For child welfare, it provides a mechanism for information sharing and 

giving the family a role in making child welfare decisions. During this 

session, the facilitators will discuss all of the above, with the intention 

of highlighting the positive indicators and outcomes in the domains of 

safety, permanence and placement stability for children. 

High Conflict Family Group 

Conference Pilot Project 

TRACK 3 



LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Tracey Lipp and Louise Vandenbosch, Community Services Coordination 

Network; and Shannon Theriault, Children’s Aid Society of London & 

Middlesex, London, ON, Canada 

While a range of emotions marks the dissolution of a relationship, 

research reveals that how families conduct themselves during the divorce 

process has far greater impact on children than the actual divorce. 

Ongoing adult conflict may present a protection concern that may be 

identified to the child welfare authorities. Offering FGCs to high conflict 

families experiencing a custody dispute is an opportunity to increase 

the consideration and use of FGC as well as to provide families with a 

vehicle that allows them to craft their own plans. The High Conflict FGC 

Pilot Program was implemented at the Children’s Aid Society of London & 

Middlesex. The goal of the project was to gather information on the utility 

of an FGC process for high conflict embroilment in a custody dispute that 

had an open child protection file. The presentation provides an overview 

of the project, and the outcomes and lessons learned will be shared. 



Family or Agency: Who’s 

Got the Lead, Why, and 

Should We Take Pause in 

the Advancement of Family 

Engagement Approaches 

in Child Welfare Decision 

Making? 

TRACK 3 



LEVEL 

Michael Doolan, American Humane Association Fellow, Christchurch, 

New Zealand; and Lisa Merkel-Holguin, American Humane Association, 


Over the last two decades and across the globe, child welfare agencies 

have begun a transformative journey in deciding who makes decisions 

about children and how these decisions are made. With a plethora of 

models from which to choose, and the many points at which these family 

meetings are implemented, there may be reason to pause and reflect on 

the purposes of agency-led and family-led decision making. Both are 

necessary and they complement each other. The questions become when 

each approach should occur, whether agencies propagate agency-led 

decision-making processes under the disguise of family-led language, 

and how to create the transformative journey to anti-oppressive practice. 

Come participate in a lively discussion. 

Intermediate 

Engagement and Outcomes: 

Two Different Things? 

Findings and Implications 

from a Cochrane 

Collaboration Systematic 

Review of Family Group 

Decision Making 

TRACK 4 



Aron Shlonsky and Michael Saini, University of Toronto, ON, Canada 

This presentation describes findings from the first systematic review 

of the effectiveness of FGC in cases of child maltreatment. While the 

findings are limited due to the small number of highly controlled studies 

conducted on FGC, the main results are that FGC does not appear to 

decrease maltreatment recurrence, entries to care, or any other measured 

outcome. Discussion of these results will centre on the appropriate use of 

FGC, what it can be reliably counted on to provide, and will extend into 

ways of improving the delivery of FGC, associated services and outcome 

evaluations. 

LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Using the Story: Helping 

Everyone on Their Journey 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Foundational 

Geraldine Standup, Elder, and Jane Harrison, Anishnawbe Health Centre, 

Toronto, ON, Canada 

Anishnawbe Health Centre will present a holistic approach of working 

with families that includes mind, spirit, body and emotions and focuses 

on sharing and understanding. This is a group journey led by a facilitator, 

elder, and healer, who provides a traditional teaching or story. The teaching 

or story is used by the individuals in the group, who each can form their 

own understanding of the story and then share that understanding with the 

circle. Not goal directed, this exercise is about sharing and relationships, 

with each person speaking to the circle from their heart. The elder closes 

with thanks and a prayer. In this intervention, the work happens in the 

circle, and what is shared in the circle stays there. This frees people to speak 

about themselves with honesty, openness and trust. 



Original Talking Circles 

TRACK 6 


LEVEL 

Intermediate 

Charlene Avalos, Shirley Gillis-Kendall and Kathy Kneegan, Native Child 

and Family Services of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 

Between the years 2000 to 2003, the team members of the Mooka’am 

Program at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFS) 

developed and implemented a Native Family Healing Model. This 

model is based on the philosophy that the healing needs of the clients 

can best be served by weaving the use of effective contemporary 

therapeutic techniques with Aboriginal traditional teachings, values 

and practices. Through a process of participation, observation and 

dialogue that involved the entire Mooka’am team, NCFS developed a 

clearer understanding of how best to work with Aboriginal families 

in a healing capacity. In 2004, NCFS became a provincially mandated 

child welfare agency. Through the process of becoming a governmentmandated 

agency, this supportive, clinical and culturally effective 

Aboriginal service program for Native families changed. Today, 

members of the original Mooka’am team at NCFS are revisiting the 

Native Family Healing Model in order to see how it can be used as a 

model for integration between healing and child welfare work. This new 

program is called the Original Dispute Process. In this presentation, the 

facilitators would like to share this story, the lessons learned, and the 

work in progress. 

Whu Neeh Nee (Guiders 

of Our People): Building 

Models of Decision Making 

that Match the Needs of 

Communities They Serve: 

A Carrier Sekani First 

Nation Example 

TRACK 6 


Travis Holyk and Warner Adam, Carrier Sekani Family Services, Prince 

George, BC, Canada 

This presentation will focus on the processes that Carrier Sekani 

Family Services (CSFS) used to successfully implement a Carrier-based 

model of FGC. In particular, the presenters will discuss the research 

completed regarding traditional practices and subsequent training 

of facilitators that make Carrier Sekani practice distinct. The process 

provides a focus on rebuilding families and communities devastated by 

years of adversarial contact with the western court system, attempting 

to provide opportunity to resolve conflict in culturally appropriate ways 

and directly involve the community in decision making. 

LEVEL 

Foundational 



General Information 

Conference Site and Accommodations 

The conference is being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton-Toronto Airport, 655 Dixon Road, 

Toronto, ON. A conference room rate of $135 single/double occupancy has been arranged for those 

participants who wish to stay overnight. The room rate includes complimentary wireless internet in 

the guest rooms and free airport shuttle (for those flying in). Reservations can be made directly with 

the hotel by calling 416-244-1711 or 800-668-3656 or by going online to http://doubletree.hilton.com/ 

en/dt/groups/personalized/Y/YYZIPDT-OCH-20110924/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG. If you make 

your reservations on the phone, be sure to identify the conference by giving them the group name of 

Honouring the Circle and the conference code of OCH to obtain the discounted conference rate. We 

encourage you to make your room reservations early. If our room block sells out before the cutoff date 

of August 26, the hotel is not obligated to sell extra rooms at the conference rate. 

Travel to Toronto 

The DoubleTree by Hilton-Toronto Airport is located just 3 km from Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson 

International Airport. Pearson is served by all major airlines. The hotel has a free shuttle for guests or 

you can travel by cab, bus, or super shuttle. 

Parking: The hotel is offering a discounted self parking rate for hotel guests of $10 per day. For those 

who are driving in for the conference, but not staying at the hotel, the parking rates are $10 for 12 

hours with no in and out privileges. 

Weather and Attire 

Temperatures in Toronto at the end of September are temperate, with average highs in the low 60s/ 

around 16˚c and average lows in the mid-40s f / 14˚c. We recommend business casual attire for the 

conference, and, as there is always a chance of rain, don’t forget an umbrella. 

Cancellation Policy 

Any request for a refund must be made through the online registration system no later than 

September 2, 2011. A service fee of $35 will be charged for all cancellations processed on or before 

September 2, 2011. Cancellations after September 2 are not eligible for refunds. You may substitute 

your registration for another person without a charge at any time. Please simply send your 

substitution to Sheela at ssharma@oacas.org 

Questions 

If you have questions about registration please contact Sheela Sharma at ssharma@oacas.org. 

If you have questions about the program, please contact Lisa Merkel-Holguin at 

lisa@americanhumane.org. 



Steering Committee 

OACAS 

• Virginia Rowden 

• Shawn Coppen 

The George Hull Centre 

• Daniel Bogue 

American Humane Association 

• Lisa Merkel-Holguin 

• Candy Larue 

Program Planning Committee 

Family group conferencing and traditional Aboriginal decision-making processes are 

organized to be collaborative, partnership-building, coordinated and inclusive. In keeping 

with these principles, American Humane Association and the Ontario Association of 

Children’s Aid Societies have reached out across provinces and organizations to mirror 

these principles in planning this conference. We would like to extend our appreciation to 

the following individuals, who have given their time to construct this conference. 

Charlene Avalos, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Sandra Barton, Department of Social Development, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada 

Julie Boivin, Children’s Aid Society of Sudbury-Manitoulin, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 

Wendy Chisholm-Spragg, Department of Social Development, New Brunswick, Canada 

Crystal Doolittle, Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County, Barrie, Ontario, Canada 

Lori Flinders, Weechi-it-te-win Family Services, Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada 

Sandra Goranson, FGC Ontario Provincial Resource, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada 

Jane Harrison, Anishnawbe Health Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Inshirah Hassabu, The George Hull Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Mona Herring, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Victoria, 

British Columbia, Canada 

Alison McKelvey, Blue Hills Child and Family Centre, Aurora, Ontario, Canada 

Marion Mitchell, Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, Sault Ste. Marie Office, Sault Ste. Marie, 

Ontario, Canada 

Veronica Nicholson, Timmins Native Friendship Centre, Timmins, Ontario, Canada 

Colette Pagano, Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Carolina Pizarro, The George Hull Centre, Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Celine Reitberger, Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation, Thunder Bay, 

Ontario, Canada 

Sheila Robinson, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Vancouver, British 

Columbia, Canada 

Marilee Sherry, Children’s Aid Society of Brant, Brantford, Ontario, Canada 

Darlene Sykes, Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County, Orillia, Ontario, Canada 

Louise Vandenbosch, Community Service Coordination Network, London, Ontario, Canada 

25 

1 st Canadian Conference for Family Group Conferencing


Post-Conference Event: Helping the Helper Learning Circle 

WHAT: 

WHERE: 

WHEN: 

WHO: 

COST: 

A full day of learning circles dedicated to Indigenous practices 

Doubletree International/Hilton Toronto (same venue as the conference) 

September 28, 2011 9:30 – 3:00 pm 

For those practicing Aboriginal approaches, or wanting to learn 

$135, includes breakfast, breaks and lunch 

In September 2011, American Humane Association, Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and George Hull 

Centre will host the first annual Canadian conference on Family Group Conferencing. The conference includes Keynote 

speakers and workshop sessions presented by those who practice structured Family Group Conferencing as well as those 

who practice in Canadian Aboriginal traditional practices. 

Honouring the Circle features four plenary sessions and 30 workshops, and of these over 40% of the presentations are 

offered by First Nation, Métis, Inuit and Aboriginal practitioners. This significant opportunity to learn about traditional 

ways comes as a result of the interest of those responding to the Call for Papers, as well as the work of the Aboriginal 

Practices Planning Group. Impressed by the number and quality of the presentations, this group suggested that an extra 

day be added to the conference to allow for additional sharing and reflection. It will also allow delegates to catch up with 

presenters that they may have missed because of the many concurrent special sessions that focus on Aboriginal ways. 

The Post Conference Learning Circle will focus on Indigenous practices and provide additional learning and networking 

for those practicing, or interested in traditional Aboriginal approaches to helping children, families and communities. 

Unlike the more formal workshop sessions held during the conference, this day will be less structured and will use 

the format of talking and healing circles as the way to share and learn. It will be an opportunity to talk about how 

practitioners might apply new learning and techniques in their own communities. 

The experiential Helping the Helper Learning Circle will begin with a traditional ceremony and will be facilitated by 

a Cultural Teacher, an Elder and other presenters who are participating in the conference. The intent of the circle is to 

strengthen our practice with Aboriginal families through the examination of our roles as helpers with Aboriginal families 

and communities. 

By joining the session you have will the opportunity to: 

• Learn how to improve your role as a helper in Aboriginal Communities 

• Share and learn from colleagues about strategies, customs and programs that strengthen Aboriginal families 

struggling with domestic violence, substance abuse and cultural isolation 

• Understand the importance of wellness in the helping role 

• Develop cultural literacy through participation in experiential cultural learning practices 

• Reflect on practices that promote or hinder Aboriginal family and community self reliance 

Itinerary for the Day 

9:00 Welcome and opening prayer 

1st Circle: 

2nd Circle: 

Honouring the Family and Community as the center of Harmony 

Understanding the roles and responsibilities of helpers in Aboriginal Communities 

12:00 Celebration Feast 

3rd Circle: 

4th Circle: 

Sharing Aboriginal strategies, traditions and programs to rebuild the Family Circle 

Promoting wellness for helpers 

Closing circle

PROGRAM GUIDE - American Humane Association

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