Free public workshops/presentations on mental health issues

Healing Hands Mental Health Association

of Nova Scotia
An Incorporated, Non-Profit Society under the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies
(Registration #3230323)
will be holding a conference of free public workshops/presentations on Saturday, September 19, 2009 in the
Bloomfield Centre, 2786 Agricola St., Halifax, NS.
The Healing Hands Mental Health Association of Nova Scotia has as its With funding from
purpose the raising of general public awareness on issues relating to
mental health and mental health services. We work to accomplish this
through the holding of free public workshops where members of the
healthcare professions can share their expertise with attendees. Also, we
have been working to produce (and have produced) print and audiovisual
materials on mental health issues.

e-mail: hhmhans@gmail.com
Phone: (902)479-4656
Address: 4 Shady Lane, Halifax, NS, B3N 1T9
Dear Friends:
On Saturday, September 19, 2009 Healing Hands Mental Health Association of Nova Scotia, with supporting
funding from Halifax Peninsula Community Health Board, will be holding a one day conference of free, public
workshops on a variety of mental health and other health related issues. These workshops will be held in the
Multipurpose Room and Seniors’ Lounge of the Bloomfield Centre, 2786 Agricola St., Halifax and you are
invited to attend.

We will be starting the day with registration at 9:00 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room. It would be greatly
appreciated if you could pre-register via e-mail response to this notice (See details at the end of this letter.). Please
indicate which sessions you wish to attend in the afternoon and, if you intend to share in the complimentary lunch,
indicate whether you would prefer veg. or non-veg. pizza. Space is limited so please register early.

The conference day will start with greetings at 9:15 a.m. from Ms. Susan Dunn, coordinator of the Halifax Peninsula
Community Health Board.

Satpal (Polly) Kaur Sodhi is the first presenter of the conference day. Satpal Kaur Sodhi is an experienced educator
and has presented many successful workshops on this topic. In addition to her many academic qualifications—B.A.
Math, B.Ed., M.A. Political Science (Alberta), M.A. Education (Dal), LLB (Punjab), and Author of Live Beyond 139
Years Joyous and Wrinkle Free, Polly is a Kundalini Yoga Master and instructor. Her presentation topic is
“Compassionate Yoga and Mental Health” and will be in the form of an illustrated address. This presentation will
run from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Seniors’ Lounge and the moderator will be Mr. Ian MacDonald.

We will have a refreshment break from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Dr. Stan Kutcher, our second presenter of the day is currently the !Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental!
!H!e!a!l!t!h!, Professor in the International Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry!,! Dalhousie University, the
Director of the !World Health Organization centre in Mental Health Training and Policy Development, and a
Technical Consultant to UNESCO on Basic Literacy Projects. The topic of his presentation will be “Youth Mental
Health? What is it? What should we be doing?” This presentation will run from 11:30a.m. to 12:00noon in the
Seniors’ Lounge and the moderator will be Dr. S.S. Sodhi.

President: Dr. S. S. (Sid) Sodhi; Vice-president: Mr. Ian MacDonald; Secretary/Treasurer: Mrs. Linda MacDonald
A complimentary lunch of veg and non-veg pizza and soft drinks will be served from 12:00 noon to 1:00p.m.
coordinated by Mrs. Linda MacDonald with assistance from volunteers.
The first session of the afternoon will be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

In this session you may choose to attend either the presentation by Jason Roth, Psychologist, of Roth Associates in
Psychology on “Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills”. The presentation will focus on identifying
specific techniques that enhance and facilitate effective communication. With this basis, we will then look at the
nature of conflict resolution and discuss ways that clear, concise, honest communication can be utilized to resolve
conflicts in an effective and positive manner. This presentation will run from 1:00 to 2:00p.m. in the Seniors’ Lounge
and the moderator will be Mr. Ian MacDonald.

Or the presentation by Dr. David Leitch, Director of the Atlantic Centre for Students With Disabilities (a division
within the Student Services Department of Saint Mary’s University. Dr. Leitch, M.A. (Counseling), PhD (Special
Education) will be presenting a workshop on “Technology/Speech Recognition and Its Importance in Classroom
Learning for Students With Disabilities”. This presentation will run from 1:00 to 2:00p.m. in the Multipurpose
Room and the moderator will be Dr. S.S. Sodhi.

We will have a refreshment break from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.

The second session of the afternoon will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

In this session you may choose to attend either the presentation by Dr. Sabina Abidi, Staff Psychiatrist in Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry with the IWK Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Dalhousie
University, will be on “Early Intervention for Youth With Psychotic Illness”. This presentation will run from 2:30
to 3:30p.m. in the Seniors’ Lounge and the moderator will be Dr. S.S. Sodhi.

Or the presentation by Dr. Kishore Pasumarthi on “New Therapeutic Approaches to the Treatment of Heart
Disease”. Dr. Pasumarthi is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Dalhousie University with a wide-ranging
experience in both research and teaching about topics relating to pharmacology and, more specifically, research into
potential treatments for heart disease. This presentation will run from 2:30 to 3:30p.m. in the Multipurpose Room and
the moderator will be Mr. Ian MacDonald.

3:30p.m.: Closing and concluding remarks and thanks

Please register your intention to attend by sending an e-mail to hhmhans@gmail.com. In your e-mail please include
your name, which of the afternoon sessions you would like to attend, and, if you plan to share in the pizza lunch,
whether you would prefer veg or non-veg pizza. You may also register by phoning 479-4656 and leaving a message
with your name and the afternoon sessions you would like to attend.

If you know of any other persons who might be interested in these workshops, please forward this notice to
them.

Thank you.

Cash donations for Feed Nova Scotia will be gratefully received on the day of the conference.

For further information please call 443-3269.

President: Dr. S. S. (Sid) Sodhi; Vice-president: Mr. Ian MacDonald; Secretary/Treasurer: Mrs. Linda MacDonald