We are so excited to launch our NEW trauma-informed co-colouring book to foster social emotional learning in young people affected by the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use! Our team at Starlings Community are so excited to be launching a new series of tools for natural supports and family caregivers who are journeying alongside young people who are affected by the stress and stigma of a parents substance use. Designed for professionals and / or family members supporting young...

Discover the Starlings Community Peer Library: A Unique Resource for Young People Facing the Stigma of Parental Substance Use At Starlings Community, we know that growing up with the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use can make a young person feel isolated, overwhelmed, and misunderstood. That's why we created the Starlings Community Peer Library —a space built for, and by, individuals who have walked a similar path. Our Peer Library offers resources that uplift, educate, and...

“While it is helpful to know which populations need additional support to address ACEs and build resilience among children, it is even more important to know why higher risk conditions exist and to address root causes of inequities that increase the risk of ACEs.” (Camacho, S; Henderson, S.C. 2022). Over the past three decades, research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has gained widespread recognition, catalyzing policies and programs, and mobilizing knowledge focused on applying a...

We know how challenging it can be to support a youth who is impacted by the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use, and we also know that your care can be one of the greatest sources of well-being a youth can have. 1 in 5 Canadian youth grow up with the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use, and youth have said the family could be one of the greatest sources of shame AND/OR hope and healing. This space is for Canadian caregivers (Parents, aunts, uncles, Elders, grandparents)...

"My name is Cassandra and at the age of 12, on July 29th 2014, I lost my father to a drug poisoning*. I can't fully explain the impact this has had on me, because for most of my life, the stigma of substance use encouraged me to do everything I could to prevent the outside from looking in, ensuring I didn’t talk about it. But today, I’m talking and using my voice to advocate for other youth who cannot, yet, talk. " Read full blog here August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, the...

Every child has a right to a life free from harm within a community that supports them and their family to thrive. But does every child get to experience these rights? https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/re-imagining-childrens-rights-through-a-family-centred-lens-tickets-465184939677 Join Starlings Community and their partners at Family Advocacy Support Centre , as they recognize National Child Day in a special webinar that will inspire a society that supports children to experience their rights...

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M4WqOGnzSru3UCIW_3qndw Starlings Community is a not-for-profit made of peers and allies who are inspiring a society that can protect the health and promote the healing of youth exposed to the stigma of a parent's substance use through advocacy, peer support, and knowledge mobilization. In this lunch and listen, Nevada Ouellette (Starlings' Partner), Cassandra Bandura (Starlings Youth Volunteer), Aryn Stretch (Starlings Youth...

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stress-stigma-and-safety-101-tickets-393065428277 Coping with the stress & stigma of a parent's substance use can be stressful! But there is hope. Navigating the experiences with a parent's unaddressed trauma and substance use can be stressful, especially as stigma often makes it difficult to talk about it or seek out support. Join us for 1-1.5 hours to learn how the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use can impact us and how we can move...

A 6-week virtual empowerment program for Canadians who have been impacted by the stress and stigma related to a parent's substance use. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/348233755537 If you live in Canada and have been affected by the stress and/or stigma related to a parent's substance use such as opioids or alcohol this peer group is for you! In this 6-week program, peers and guests will lead the group through the Forward with Hope Guide, a 100-page guide specific to impacted...

A New Path Forward: A Report on How Stigma Harms Youth exposed to Parental Substance Use Disorder and Recommendations for a New Path Forward NEW REPORT: On February 3rd, Starlings Community released a FIRST of its kind report on how stigma impacts youth exposed to parental substance use disorder. Approximately 1 in 6 youth are exposed to the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use disorder. These children/youth are at double the risk for depression, triple the risk for addiction, and...

In Canada, 1/6 youth are exposed to a parent's addiction, and stigma prevents many parents from recovery. This stigma has detrimental consequences on the health and well-being of impacted youth. As such, we are excited to introduce Starlings Community Youth Advisory Committee . Vision: It is the vision of the Starlings Community Youth council to represent the voices of youth who have been impacted by the stigma of a parent’s substance use within the provincial and federal supports and...

Empowering Youth to Find their Safe People and Spaces: Youth are often reminded to reach out for support when they feel overwhelmed, afraid, or worried about the stress at home. This continues to be an essential reminder as the holiday's approach and more youth are off from school. However, for youth who have been impacted by a parent's drug or alcohol use, reaching out for help can, itself, become an incredible source of stress. Why? The literature and the stories have shown that the stigma...

The December break is quickly approaching and it can be easy to assume that this is an exciting time for children. However, in youth whose homes are a very stressful place, the anticipation of a long break off from school can cause a lot of anxiety in children as the break gets closer. A few suggestions as you celebrate the upcoming break with your classes (see photos in attachments): Take a moment to remind your class that stress may be common during the December break. This can validate a...

National Grief Awareness Week "Crying isn't the hurt, it is the process of being unhurt". Althea Solter ------------ The chronic grief of children and youth who are impacted by a parent's substance use can often go unacknowledged or be invalidated. As such, it is important for professionals to understand the chronic loss that can occur in a child's life when a parent struggles with addiction, particularly if both parents struggle. This grief can be compounded by a stigma that prevents...

"Forward: A Free guide to support the Wellbeing of Youth and Adults who have been Impacted by the Stigma of a Parent's Drug or Alcohol use." I am proud to share the release of our new guide: Forward. This guide is intended to increase a youth's understanding of their experiences with a parent's drug or alcohol use while empowering them to use their incredible resilience to move forward with hope and healing.

Empowerment Peer support group for individual's impacted by a parent's substance use: Ticket: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/empowerment-in-community-with-fritzi-horstman-tickets-159897328213 Join us on June 29, 2021 @ 6:00pm MST as we listen to Fritzi Horstman, founder of Compassion Prison Project , share how she has used the wisdom from her own experiences with a parent's substance use to advocate for compassionate prisons and communities. We will talk shame, healing, and advocacy work and...

Listen to Episode 5 of the Rise Resilient Podcast with Dr. Cindy Blackstock : https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/...7453?i=1000523674198 Agnes is honoured to be able to have a conversation with Dr. Cindy Blackstock who is the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada which stands with First Nations children, youth and families so they have equitable opportunities to grow up safely at home, be healthy, get a good education and be proud of who they are. In...

Multisystemic Resilience brings together for the first time in one volume a wide range of resilience scholars who have been wrestling with how to explain processes of recovery, adaptation, and transformation in contexts of change and adversity. With contributions from psychologists, epigeneticists, ecologists, architects, disaster specialists, engineers, sociologists, social workers, and public health researchers among others, this innovative volume creates a platform for an...

Visit www.starlings.ca to register or register directly here: https://starlingscommunity.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/739363/register Today, we know that approximately: 1/10 individuals will be challenged by their substance use 4 people will be directly impacted by an individuals substance use 1/6 children are challenged by a parent's active addiction. As health professionals and first responders, we are ideally positioned to provide the compassionate and trauma-informed care needed to...

ROUND 3: COMMUNITY X EMPOWERMENT WITH GUEST PEARL WHITE QUILLS FOR A DRUMMING SESSION. Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/we...tickets-143805798013 --------------- Approximately 1/5 children (including adult children) have experienced their parent's addiction, so we KNOW that we are NOT alone in our experiences. But we also know that it can FEEL incredibly lonely. That's why we have created this series: In this 3 part series, Samantha Wettje ( 16 Strong Project ) and Agnes Chen (...

SESSION 2: ADDICTIONS IN POP CULTURE Using our STRENGTH AND resilience to move forward with hope and HEALING. how does pop culture provide you with an emotional outlet? how does pop culture perpetuate the stigma of addictions? Pop Culture??! Yes, you heard right! Pop culture provides us with an opportunity to relate to or connect with someone, even if it is a character in a show or movie. In this session we will focus on our emotions and potential triggers and how we can move through them.

WE ARE NOT ALONE Using our RESILIENCE to break the cycle of trauma and move forward with healing. Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/we-can-heal-from-our-parents-addiction-and-other-aces-tickets-143805798013 --------------- Approximately 1/5 children (including adult children) have experienced their parent's addiction, so we KNOW that we are NOT alone in our experiences. But we also know that it can FEEL incredibly lonely. That's why we have created this series: COMMUNITY X...

Empathy requires understanding. Understanding requires listening. Listening requires TIME, patience, and our presence. ---------------- We have all, likely, at some point read or heard the brilliant saying that "Trauma is not what happen's to you, but what happens INSIDE of you", by Dr. Gabor Mate, and other brilliant trauma aware advocates and researchers. But what I love most about Dr. Peter Levine's version, is the addition of "in the absence of an empathetic witness", because it reminds...

Today is Pink Shirt Day, a day to remind us adults of a child's need for safe and nurturing environments , including the children who have difficulty regulating their emotions. Here is a great article to help us understand the needs of children with bullying behaviours. ------------- "One of the most effective ways to increase the vulnerability of a bully and bring down emotional defenses is through the caring relationship with adults. It will fall to these adults to find a way to cultivate...

Becoming Trauma-Informed "As we come together facing this global pandemic, we are all experiencing heightened levels of stress which could be viewed as a collective trauma. The purpose of this toolkit is to build a better understanding of what trauma is and how trauma affects the thoughts, actions and behaviours of people affected by it so that we can come together in solidarity and hope. As we come together facing this global pandemic, we are all experiencing heightened levels of stress...

"The Brain Story is a story about how experiences shape our brains. As such, it is also a story about human relationships, because we depend on those around us for the experiences that build our brain architecture."-Alberta Family Wellness Initiative For those individuals who have taken the incredible Brain Story Certification through the Alberta Family Wellness initiative, AFWI has released a report on January 8,2021, titled: "EARLY LEARNINGS ABOUT USES FOR THE RESILIENCE SCALE METAPHOR IN...