REFOCUS: Reinforcing Executive Functioning with Optimism, Compassion, Understanding, and Support
2026-01-08 16:30 - 2026-04-02 17:30 (America/Vancouver)
REFOCUS Parenting Program
Does your child have difficulty focusing? Does your child have difficulty following directions? Does your child have difficulty handling strong emotions? If you said” yes” to one or more of these questions, your child might be having difficulties with executive function. Executive function can impact working memory, flexible thinking and self-control. And, it can affect all aspects of life at school and at home
In this 10-week interactive course, parents and caregivers will learn about executive function, how executive function affects children and teens, and, they will learn tools and strategies to help their children increase these skills.
Through a combination of psychoeducation, self-reflection, role-play, real-life practice and experimentation, participants will gain insight and skills to help their young people be more successful. In between sessions, participants will have an opportunity to practice applying the strategies in their own lives.
Topics include:
Inhibition, Emotional Regulation, Motivation, Attention, Shifting, Working Memory, Planning, Organization, and self-monitoring
PLEASE NOTE: This program is not a webinar and requires your active participation to fully benefit from it. Sessions will not be recorded to protect your privacy.
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REFOCUS – Winter Session 2026
Begins: Thursday January 8th, 2026 – 10 weeks
Date: Thursday, January 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5 & April 2, 2026 (No session on March 12th, 19th & 26th)
Time: 4:30pm PST/ 5:30pm MST/ 7:30pm – 9pm EST/ 8:30pm AST
Facilitator: Dr. Megan Smith
Fee: $175 + HST
Please note that this program is refundable up to 7 days before the program starts. As of January 1st, the registration fee is non-refundable. Thank you for your understanding.
REGISTER HERE

Mental Wellness - Y Mind Teen (13-18) & Youth (18-30)
2026-01-20 17:45 - 2026-03-10 19:45 (America/Vancouver)
Mental health challenges shouldn’t get in the way of doing what you love. Our programs help overcome barriers and get you on the right track to where you’d like to be.
Our free mental wellness programs, Y Mind and Mind Medicine, help participants learn how to manage stress and mild-to-moderate anxiety (individuals experiencing severe anxiety and stress that significantly impacts their ability to perform daily activities likely require more support than what Y Mind is intended to provide). Our programs are evidence-based and teach Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness.
To participate, you may self-refer, you do not need a diagnosis of anxiety, and you do not need to be a Y member.
Y MIND TEEN – AGES 13-18
Y Mind Teen is a free seven-week program delivered across BC. This program supports teens ages 13 to 18 who are experiencing symptoms of stress and worry to learn and practice evidence-based strategies to cope with stress. Y Mind Teen is led by trained mental health professionals and educators and gives teens the chance to connect with others who are experiencing similar thoughts and feelings.
Registration Information:
The Y Mind Groups are being offered in-person in Spring 2026. Please contact us at mindfulness@vancouverislandy.ca so we can support you in accessing a group (either in person or virtual) in your area.
The registration process for Y Mind Teen includes attendance at an Information Session (either online or in person, depending on the site) and a brief intake meeting with one of our facilitators to determine if the group is a best fit for the teen.
REGISTER ONLINE
Y MIND YOUTH – AGES 18 – 30
The Y Mind Youth programs are delivered in person, in Victoria. Online groups are available with enough interest or through our partner sites on Vancouver Island as well as other Y’s across BC.
If stress is impacting your life and preventing you from doing what you want or need to do, this group is for you. Y Mind Youth is a free seven-week program delivered across BC. Y Mind Youth supports people ages 18-30 who are experiencing symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety/stress to learn and practice evidence-based strategies to increase coping. This group is led by trained mental health professionals and gives young adults the chance to connect with others who are experiencing similar thoughts and feelings.
The Y Mind Groups are offered in-person in Winter 2026 (Location TBD).
We are also offering a virtual Youth group for anyone living in the Vancouver Island area.
All participants must register and attend one of our information sessions and a one-on-one intake to register for the program. The dates and times for our next Victoria information sessions and a registration link are below:
Downtown Y In Person Information Session:
Wednesday January 14, 2026, at 6 pm @ Location TBD
or
Wednesday January 21, 2026, at 6 pm @ Location TBD
Downtown Y In Person Program Sessions:
Wednesdays January 28 – March 11, 2026, 6pm – 8:30pm @ Location TBD

Virtual Information Session:
Tuesday January 20, 2026, at 6 pm on Zoom
or
Tuesday January 27, 2026, at 6 pm on Zoom
Virtual Program Sessions:
Tuesdays February 3 – March 17, 2026, 6pm – 8:30pm on Zoom
Y Mind Youth is being offered in the Westshore by Pacific Centre Family Services at 324 Goldstream Ave. If you are interested in that group, please contact Julia at jleggett@pcfsa.org
REGISTER ONLINE

SEXABA
2026-01-29 09:00 - 2026-03-31 16:00 (America/Vancouver) | Virtual Event
Join us live online Jan 29-31, 2026 for pre-conference workshops followed by a full conference on sexual behavior, sexuality, and gender through a lens of neurodiversity affirmation, harm reduction, and human rights. Can’t make it live? Join asynchronously through March 31, 2026!
Time & Location

Synchronous and Asynchronous Participation!
Online!

About the event

Join us online starting Friday Jan 30, 2026 at 12:30PM CST through Saturday Jan 31, 2026 for a two day Conference on sexual behavior, sexuality, and gender through a lens of neurodiversity affirmation, harm reduction, and human rights. Can’t make it live online? All recordings will be available until March 31, 2026.

Also consider also joining us online Thursday Jan 29, 2026 for the two 3hr live, interactive Pre-Conference Workshops and early on Friday Jan 30, 2026 for a 3 hour Pre-Conference Workshop. Can’t make it live online? All recordings will be available until March 31, 2026.

9 BACB CEUs will be available across the 2 day Conference, and an additional 9 BACB CEUs will be available across the 3 Pre-Conference Workshops, for a total of 18 possible BACB CEUs across all conference offerings.
All BACB CEUs will be available for both live online attendance, as well as asynchronous online attendance. Really want to be here, but can’t do the ticket price? Reach out to info@sexaba.com to inquire about our scholarships. If you have any questions about the conference, you can also reach us at info@sexaba.com!
We can’t wait to see you!

Schedule

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM3 hours

Workshop 1 – Workshop 1 – P in PLISSIT: Building Permission-Giving Skill Sets with Supervisees, Caregivers, and Communit
Online

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM3 hours

Workshop 2 – Your Body is a Temple and Pleasure is Holy: A Sacred Reckoning to Sexual Awakening and Liberation
Online

Rare But Not Alone
2026-02-02 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Vancouver) | Virtual Event
Join us in this welcoming space for families who care for someone with a rare disorder (diagnosed or not). Rare disorders and conditions affect a small number of people in the country or even the world. Living with a rare disorder or condition can feel invisible and isolating, and sometimes there are seemingly no answers. But it doesn’t have to be scary all of the time—especially if you have others beside you! Join our supportive group and find strength in numbers as we share stories, connect with others who understand, and build upon our supportive networks.
Family Support Institute of BC (FSI) is a provincial not-for-profit society committed to supporting families who have a family member with a disability. FSI is unique in Canada and the only grassroots family to family organization that has a broad volunteer base. FSI SUPPORTS AND SERVICES ARE FREE TO ANY FAMILY FSI is committed to making our events as accessible as possible to everyone who wants to attend. If you have accessibility needs, please let us know when you register, or send us an email to discuss your specific needs. Sign language (ASL) interpretation can be available with 3 weeks notice. Please identify that you require ASL when you register.

Members Club: Importance of Outdoor Play on Brain Development & Mental Health
2026-02-24 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual Event
When and What Time?
February 24th, 2026 || Virtual (Zoom)
English: 12:00 – 1:00pm ET
Price?
Free and exclusive to members
Get your member discount code HERE
Resource
Training Portal: Importance of Outdoor Play on Brain Development & Mental Health
Why Attend?
Members Club is a quarterly online gathering of members designed to provide family support workers with a dedicated space to connect, share, and grow together. This club is an opportunity for Families Canada members to engage in activities and events, focused on fostering open conversation and encouraging members to build their networks and enhance family support services.
Session Overview
Who: Moderated by early childhood development expert and former executive director of Abilio Centre, Isabelle Vinet.
What: We’ll be discussing: Importance of Outdoor Play on Brain Development & Mental Health (Watch here before Members Club)
The evidence that outdoor play has a positive impact on brain development and mental health in children is overwhelming. In this e-module and discussion session, learn the importance of outdoor play, how to implement risky play safety, and your role as a caregiver or family support professional.
Where: Register and receive the virtual Meeting Link
When: February 24th, 2026 12-1pm ET
Fee: FREE for Families Canada members. Get the member discount code from your member portal here or sign up for membership here
What you need to do

Get your member discount code Here
Watch the E-Module Here (We recommend watching before the event)
Register for the Event Here
No training portal account yet, create your account Here
Not yet a member, sign up for membership Here

Who Can Benefit from This Session?
If you have direct interactions with families and children as part of your work, then this session is for you! Your job title might be:

Family support practitioners
Perinatal support worker
Early years worker
Resource mother
Home visitor
Social worker
Nurse, pediatrician, family doctor, or health care worker

Discussion Moderator

Isabelle Vinet
Psychoeducator
Isabelle Vinet holds a master’s degree in Psychoeducation from the Université de Montréal. Over the past 20 years, she has focused her professional activities on translating scientific knowledge on early childhood development into action.
She served as the executive director of Abilio-Childhood Knowledge Dissemination Centre an organization whose mission is to promote proven practices aimed at fostering the well-being of children from an early age. Abilio prevention programs have all undergone a rigorous evaluation process that has been in place for over 30 years in Quebec.
Abilio also encompasses the dissemination activities of the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development (www.enfant-encyclopedie.com), a unique virtual resource with international reach that compiles the world’s best knowledge on early childhood development.
Register Here
