For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.

very fall, I see September as the start of a new year, rather than the signal that this month is counting down to the years final quarter. Summer has given us time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the winter and spring; fall gives us the opportunity to begin planning for the upcoming season. I hope youve had some well-deserved time off this past summer, even in the midst of overwhelming blows to so many families and communities due to the flooding across many regions. The end of summer also sees many family dynamics changing. In our family, our youngest was married in Regina the first week of September. While this occasion gave me opportunity to see lots of family and friends we dont often connect with, I was also looking forward to another opportunity while driving across the prairies during harvest season. Wheat sheaves. I dont know what drives me to pull off on a side road, escaping passing traffic, when I see hectares of ripe, un -cut wheat (is that a farming term?), but I have to admit, it is a compulsion I cant explain. I carry scissors in our truck, to quickly shear a good fistful of the stalks and hang them beside my back door at home, where there are no wheat fieldsjust mountains. I know that others sent offspring to other places to begin their journey of self or semi-dependence. Ive heard parents stories of tearing up for weeks after being empty-nesters, along with others telling them it wont last forever and they might even get used to it! Some clinics are beginning this season with new coordinators and other staff. In short, fall is a time to look forward. In this September Links edition, highlights of FASD Day events in the North West Central and Northwest Network Regions are replacing our usual clinic highlights. I have heard of September 9 th events occurring throughout the province, with community-wide awareness activities that gain momentum each year. Training opportunities for the upcoming year are well under way, even as this edition is being circulated. Stay tuned for a May 2014 training event in Edmonton that will focus on innovative intervention strategies for clinicians and teams recommending post-diagnostic continuum of care plans. We have a showcase of well-known experts in their field for this 2 day event. October 21st, 2013 is the date for our annual FASD Clinic Coordinator Meeting in Edmonton. The majority of Alberta Clinic Coordinators will be attending this meeting to discuss topics they have recommended and updates on information regarding access and disclosure topics. As always, your feedback is valued and I encourage you to send any upcoming training, links or events happening in your region to share with others. Email: clinictraining@lcfasd.com

Edwin Way Teale

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Showcase: FASD Day Leaders in Assessment & Diagnostics:
NEAFAN & Dr. Brent Symes

Update: Canadian Guidelines for Diagnosis Odds & Ends

AB FASD Clinic Contact Information Training Information

September 2013 Vol. 9

Showcase:
FASD Day 2013 in the Northwest & Northwest Central FASD Network Regions

Community BBQ, Whitecourt

NW FASD NETWORK Region

LEFT: Gwen Vekved (left), NW FASD Network Coordinator & Joanne Lambert (right), Funded Supports Worker, Canadian Mental Health Association. RIGHT: The region hosted a successful Mocktail Event in Grande Prairie.

Leaders in Assessment & Diagnostics NEAFAN

Submitted By: Marguerite Fitzpatrick, Diagnostic Clinic Lead

On June 19th & 20th , the NEAFAN FASD Clinic team members had the privilege of hosting a visit from Registered Psychologist Dr. Brent Symes. The purpose of his visit was to provide NEAFANs team with a presentation on the brain domains and to provide support, advice and guidance for the clinics which took place in June. First of all, on behalf of the NEAFAN team I would like to extend my sincere thank you to Dr. Symes for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit with us in Fort McMurray. The whole team extends their appreciation. The first day of Dr. Symes two-day visit started with his presentation on FASD and the brain functioning. This presentation outlined the role of testing for an FASD clinic team and the brain domains and test battery for children and adolescents. Dr. Symes also had us working in groups on case studies that he had prepared. This was very helpful for everyone, as it made us more aware of what to be looking for. Personally, I found this part beneficial as it provided me with more understanding of how our clinicians scoring is completed. NEAFAN assessed two adults and one youth in June. Dr. Symes was very accommodating and provided NEAFAN with much knowledge and guidance on how other clinics operate. He also made excellent suggestions for our team that we will begin to incorporate into our future clinics. He provided us with positive feedback on how we conduct our clinics, which was very important and positive for the whole team to hear. Another added bonus was that NEAFAN had just secured a new Psychologist for the Clinic team and she was completing her first client assessment/testing/scoring at the time of Dr. Symes visit. He provided our new team member with much time, support and guidance. This was a great asset to her orientation to our team and what her role would entail. Overall, Dr. Symes visit was a great success. It gave us further knowledge & updates regarding other FASD Clinics and the procedures & process they follow. It was also interesting to hear that not all FASD clinics in Alberta work the same way. My favorite thing about having Dr. Symes visit was his open & friendly personality. He truly fit in with our team and made us feel comfortable to ask questions & make comments. He has a significant amount of knowledge and experience with FASD and the diagnostic process. It was wonderful to have such great support provided to our team . ~See Page 6 for Dr. Symes reflections on his visit to NEAFAN~
Ive learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou

Update~
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Canadian Guidelines for diagnosis
Submitted by: Dr. Jocelynn Cook, Executive Director, Canada FASD Research Network

published by a panel of experts in 2005 in the first International attempt to provide simple-but-thorough evidence-based guidelines for diagnoses related to FASD. Health Canada (now the Public Health Agency of Canada) facilitated drafting of the Guidelines from 2002-2004. Since that time, the field has evolved and there is now additional evidence, expertise and experience to suggest that revision of the 2005 Guidelines is essential to improve diagnoses and outcomes for affected individuals and their families. Practicing diagnostic teams have nearly all embraced the use of the 2005 Guideline principles. These teams have identified gaps and inconsistencies in the 2005 Guidelines as well as areas for improvement. In order to accurately define and to specify the areas for update and revision, a broader consultation process as well as coordination with professional organizations to ensure buy-in, relevance and knowledge translation/uptake is essential. CanFASD has been awarded funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to update and revise the 2005 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Guidelines for Diagnosis based on current evidence and the addition of sections pertaining to diagnosis of small children and adults and a significant revision of the brain-related assessment. These will be the first Guidelines in any country that provide best practice recommendations for diagnosis of FASD-related disabilities throughout the lifespan. Work has started and the updated Guidelines should be completed in Spring 2014.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Canadian Guidelines for diagnosis were

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

Albert Camus

Wheat field near Edmonton, Alberta

Photo credit: Google, picstopin

~ oDds & EnDs ~

Happy Labour Day!
Lya Paige Mary Horton, 7lb. 12oz, arrived September 3. Proud parents are Joshua & Lenny Horton (Lakeland Centre for FASD). Big brothers are James & Joshua.

Congratulations!
Congratulations to Betty Lou Benson, Central Alberta FASD Network Coordinator, on her recent appointment to The Premiers Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Betty Lou has a strong commitment to understanding the
needs of persons with disabilities and advocating on their behalf. This is a well-deserved honour!

NE W

LI NK S & RE S O U RC E S
FASD-CMC website
http://fasd.alberta.ca

Canada FASD Research Network Annual Report 2012

http://www.canfasd.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2012_Annual_Report_Final_e.pdf

Canadian Bar Association Resolution

http://www.cba.org/cba/resolutions/pdf/13-12-A-pdf.pdf

Economic Impact of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome & Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Systemic Literature Review
http://knowledgex.camh.net/reports/Documents/economic_impact_fas_litreview12.pdf

MI X O LO G Y

~HO T BU T T E RE D AP P LE ~
Ingredients: 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, 2 tsp sugar, 4 strips of 1 inch lemon rind, 2 tsp butter, 1L boiling apple juice Instructions: Place cinnamon stick, cloves, sugar, lemon rind and butter into sauce pan of boiled apple juice. Remove from heat and allow mixture to steep for several minutes. Stir. Fine strain mixture into 4 mugs & garnish with cinnamon stick & grated nutmeg.

Leaders in Assessment & Diagnostics Dr. Brent Symes, Registered Psychologist

Reflections on my visit to NEAFAN
My visit with the NEAFAN Diagnostic Clinic in Fort McMurray this past June was a great opportunity to meet a very well-coordinated and cohesive team of caring professionals. Over the two days spent with their clinic team, I was able to discuss a variety of questions about the diagnostic process, and in particular determining the brain score. Many of the questions that were presented are common among various FASD teams. I do believe that on site visits help increase collaboration and communication between FASD clinics, coordinators, and professionals working with this population with the ultimate goal of diagnostic consistency and accuracy. I most definitely enjoyed the opportunity to provide mentorship and I learned a lot about some of the challenges working in this Northeast region of Alberta. Overall, I was very fortunate to spend some time with this well -established team working together in an effort to improve services and support for those affected by FASD, their caregivers, and the community. A sincere thank-you to the NEAFAN Clinic for the warm reception and interesting topics of discussion!
Editors Note: Dr. Symes shared his expertise and knowledge with the NEAFAN team at their request. Other clinic teams that would like to access professionals with FASD Assessment & Diagnostic expertise, knowledge & experience with the goals of providing training, feedback or mentorship, please contact: clinictraining@lcfasd.com

FASD Assessment & Diagnostic Clinic

Contact List
Updated: September 2013
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Diagnostic Clinic Alberta Childrens Hospital Child Development Centre 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW Calgary, AB T3B 6A8 Phone: 403-955-5878 Coordinator: Bernadette Jesse Bernadette.Jesse@albertahealthservices.ca MediGene Services, FAS Diagnostic Clinic Foothills Professional Building Suite 110, 1620-29th Street NW Calgary, AB T2N 4L7 Phone: 403-571-0450 Program Manager: Suzanne Johnson medigen@telus.net Renfrew FASD Assessment & Diagnostic Clinic Renfrew Educational Services Sundance Centre 75 Sunpark Drive SE Calgary, AB T2X 3V4 Phone: 403-291-5038 ext. 1643 Manager of Psychology & FASD Services: Nicki Wilson nickiwilson@renfreweducation.org Coordinator: Rhonda Richter rhondarichter@refreweducation.org Central Alberta FASD Network Adult FASD Clinic 5409-50th Ave. Red Deer, AB T4N 4B7 Phone: 403-309-5648 Diagnostic Services Coordinator: Trina Kennedy tkennedy@fsca.ca Aspire Special Need Resource Centre 4826 47th Street Red Deer, AB T4N 1R2 Phone: 403-340-2606 Services Coordinator: Christina Deminchuk cdeminchuk@rdcsc.ca Lakeland Centre for FASD P.O. Box 479 Cold Lake, AB T9M 1P3 Phone: 780-594-9905 Diagnostic Services Manager: Donna Fries dfries@lcfasd.com FASD Clinical Services Pediatric FASD Clinical Services, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital 10230-111 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5G 0B7 Phone: 780-735-8278 Coordinator: Tammy Woroschuk Tammy.woroschuk@albertahealthservices.ca Glenrose Adult FASD Assessment Clinic Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Social Work Professional Services 10230-111 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5G 0B7 Phone: 780-735-6166 Coordinator: Bernie Mallon Bernie.Mallon@albertahealthservices.ca Canadian FASD Diagnostic & Training Centre 316 Kingsway Garden Mall NW Edmonton, AB T5G 3A6 Phone: 780-471-1860 Coordinator: Ojas Joshi Drdonmassey@dvmassey.com Centrepoint Young Offender Program Suite 701, 10242 105 Street Edmonton, AB T5J 3L5 Phone: 780-428-4524 ext. 278 Social Worker: Karine Tapia-Withers Karine.Tapiawithers@albertahealthservices.ca Northwest Primary Care Network Children and Youth FASD Diagnostic Clinic Northwest Primary Care Network 11202-100 Avenue High Level, AB T0H 1Z0 780-841-3253 Social Worker/Coordinator: Cheryl Cunningham-Burns Cheryl.CunninghamBurns@albertahealthservices.ca Northwest Regional FASD SocietyMackenzie Network Box 3668 High Level, AB T0H 1Z0 Phone: 780-926-3375 CEO/Coordinator: Wanda Beland Wanda.fasdsociety@telus.net

FASD Assessment & Diagnostic Clinic

Contact List
Updated: September 2013
Mental Health and Addictions, Alberta Health Services/NEAFAN 194 Grenfell Crescent Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2M6 Phone: 780-791-6209 Diagnostic Assessment and Clinic Lead: Marguerite Fitzpatrick Marguerite.fitzpatrick@albertahealthservices.ca Community Social Development City of Grande Prairie P.O. Bag 4000, 10205-98th Street Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6V3 NW Alberta FASD Clinic Coordinator: Vacant Phone: 780-357-4996 Northern Association for FASD P.O. Box 3334 Lower Level, 5001-49th Street High Prairie, AB T0G 1E0 Phone: 780-523-3699 Coordinator: Charlene McLay nafasd@telus.net North West Central FASD Assessment & Diagnostic Team Box 4455 Barrhead, AB T7N 1A3 Phone: 780-674-4141 Coordinator: Kelly Cameron kcameron@fasdnetworknwc.ca Pediatric Specialty Clinic Childrens Rehabilitation Services-Central Zone # 300 Professional Centre 5015-50 Avenue, Camrose, AB T4V 3P7 Phone: 780-608-8614 Coordinator: Mavis Kirkland mavis.kirkland@albertahealthservices.ca Prairie Central Adult FASD Diagnostic Clinic 5409-50th Ave. Red Deer, AB T4N 4B7 Phone: 403-309-5648 Coordinator: Trina Kennedy tkennedy@fsca.ca Childrens Fetal Alcohol Services Regional Neurodevelopmental Clinic Bridges Family Programs 477 Third Street SE Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0G8 Phone: 403-526-7473 Coordinator: Louisa Clapper lclapper.cfas@memlane.com Coordinator: Erin Gerrard egerrard.bridges@memlane.com Program Manager: Danielle Schaitel dschaitel.bridges@memlane.com (mat leave Apr 13) Lethbridge Family Services-DaCapo Services FASD Assessment & Diagnostic Clinic 1107-2A Avenue N. Lethbridge, AB T1H 0E6 Phone: 403-327-5724 FASD Assessment & Diagnostic Clinic Coordinator: Pam Carpenter pcarpenter@lfsfamily.ca Clinic Manager: Lynette Taal ltaal@lfsfamily.ca

Developing Clinics
Alberta Hospital Edmonton Turning Point Program 17480 Fort Road, Box 307 Edmonton, AB T5J 2J7 Phone: 780-342-5590 Dr. Ashley Barlow, Registered Psychologist Ashley.barlow@albertahealthservices.ca

Thanks to Alberta Health for their support of this project

FASD Assessment and Diagnostic Clinic Training

Date Location Time Cost

October 15 & 17 (Classroom Training) + October 16th (Clinic Observation) Barrhead United Church 5102 60th Barrhead, AB (Church Basement) 8:00 am- 4:30 pm every day $375 for 3 day training. This includes training materials, refreshments and lunch

Please register and pay on-line @ www.fasdnetworknwc.ca or mail your cheque +completed registration form to NWC FASD Network, Box 4455, Barrhead, AB T7N 1A3. If you have any inquires please contact Chris @ 780-348-5253 or cfauque@fasdnetworknwc.ca

*******Limit of 30 participants*********
Hotel Room Block arranged at Barrhead Inn & Suites under NWC FASD Network @ nightly rate of $110.00 plus tax. Please call 780-674-7531 and use confirmation # 8055C24412 to reserve your room.

___________________ send in bottom portion with payment_____________________

Name (Print) Agency Name Address ____________________________________ Position Email Daytime Phone Cell

Have you attended a FASD Diagnostic Clinic in the past 6 months? (If no, you are invited to attend the clinic observation on October 16th) *** Please check dates of attendance [8:00 4:30 each day] ***

October 15

October 16

October 17

Please indicate if you have any dietary considerations

__

FASD Learning Series 2013 - 2014

Sessions are available via live webcast, in-person in Edmonton or by way of videoconference for Nunavut, NWT and Yukon stakeholders.

Prevention of FASD: What do we know? Are we doing it?

Dr. Nancy Poole September 26, 2013, 9 -11 am (MDT) Learning Objectives: Become informed about recent evidence about what works to prevent FASD Consider the implications of the evidence for policy and practice Explore how programs are incorporating the current findings and producing more evidence

Trauma and Addiction

Riina Eggins and Kirsty Prasad, AHS Mental Health and Addictions December 18, 2013, 9-11am Learning Objectives: Substance use and trauma interaction How trauma symptoms can mimic substance use Trauma Informed Principles Other series dates with topics to be confirmed: January 15, 2014, 9-11am February 19, 2014, 9-11am March 19, 2014, 9-11am April 16, 2014, 9-11am May 21, 2014, 9-11am

Values and Addiction

Riina Eggins and Kirsty Prasad, AHS Mental Health and Addictions October 16, 2013, 9-11am Learning Objectives: Reflection of our beliefs with women who use substances Overview of Myths and Facts information to assist our practice Introduction to the topic of Gender and Addiction

Webcasting and Registration Process

There is no fee to attend. Registration and sign-in is necessary for receipt of a certificate of attendance. Please visit www.research4children.com and go to Events to register and for more info. All sessions are broadcast live from the main Boardroom located on the 12th Floor of 9940-106 Street.

Gender and Addiction

Riina Eggins and Kirsty Prasad, AHS Mental Health and Addictions November 20, 2013, 9-11am Learning Objectives: What is unique about women and substance use The barriers that women face