Resilience, Mattering & Belonging
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Mental Health and Well-Being

Abstract Submission website
Contact: tifa@humber.ca
Submission Deadline: June 16, 2024
Conference Date: September 27-29, 2024
Conference Fee: $250.00 plus taxes (includes registration, some meals, snacks and a reception) Waived for Humber Faculty
Location: The Harbourfront Centre (235 Queen’s Key West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Hosts: Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Humber College, and the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA)

Keynote Speaker:

Suzanne Methot is the author of the award-winning non-fiction book Legacy: Trauma, Story, and Indigenous Healing (ECW Press, 2019) and the new YA book Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing (ECW Press, 2023).

Call for Proposals:

According to the World Health Organization, during the earliest moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression increased a remarkable 25 per cent globally. A survey by PEW Research revealed that 41 per cent of US adults experienced high levels of psychological stress during the height of the pandemic, including 37 per cent of students who said that they struggled with their mental health “most or all of the time.” Numbers in Canada were similar, with the National Institutes of Health noting that over 37 per cent of all Canadians experienced worsened mental health due to the pandemic, while 70 per cent claimed that their mental health was “negatively impacted” in some way.

The forthcoming interdisciplinary academic conference aims to be a groundbreaking convergence of scholars, educators, practitioners, and researchers, all unified in their dedication to advancing the understanding of mental health. In partnership with The Mattering Group, this conference will also have a sub-focus on the promotion of post-secondary student psychological well-being and resilience, providing a dynamic platform for the exchange of innovative ideas and evidence-based practices aimed at nurturing resilience, enhancing mental health, and fostering a profound sense of well-being among students navigating the complexities of higher education.

More generally, the conference seeks to explore how people are coping, recovering but also still struggling following a globally experienced traumatic event. While open for proposals with a focus anywhere along the mental health spectrum, themes of interest are resilience; belonging, intergenerational trauma; addiction and recovery; psychopathology; and mental health in the arts, literature and popular culture. The concept of mattering is also a particular theme of interest, specifically recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the psychological landscapes of post-secondary learners.

By bridging the domains of psychology, education, literature, and various related disciplines, this event aspires to forge a path toward understanding modern mental health challenges, while also enabling a more resilient and mentally healthy population.

Subjects could include, but are not limited to:

• Activism
• Addiction and Recovery
• Art/film/literature and mental health
• Authenticity and Wellbeing
• Belonging
• Burnout and Stress
• Climate Change Anxiety
• Cultural Competency in Mental Health Settings
• Depression and anxiety
• Disability Studies
• Diversity in Mental Health Practices
• Entrepreneurship & Wellbeing
• Equitable Access
• Gender Dysphoria
• Gendering Mental Health
• Harm
• History of Emotion
• Immigrant Students Mental Health
• Inclusivity
• Indigeneity and Mental Health
• Intergenerational trauma
• Intervention
• MAID and Mental Health
• Mattering
• Mental Health and Aging
• Mental Health and Pandemics
• Mental Health and Sexual Orientation/Expression
• Mental Health and the Metaverse/ Digital Mental Health Care
• Mental Health in Health Care Workers
• Mental Health Pedagogy in the Classroom
• Mindfulness
• Nature and Wellbeing
• Persistence
• Politics and/of Mental Health
• Prevention
• Psychopathology
• Queer Mental Health
• Racializing Mental Health
• Resilience
• School Culture and Safe Learning Environments
• Social Media and Mental Health
• Special Needs and Mental Health Care
• Sport and Mental Health
• Stigma and Discrimination
• Student Mental Health
• Well-Being
• Whole Health

Our conference committee welcomes individual presentation proposals of 300 words, and panel proposals (three people max) of 900 words, based on any of the above themes. This will be the tenth annual Humber@TIFA interdisciplinary conference held by Humber College’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences in association with the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), one of the most celebrated literary festivals in the world. TIFA is located at the Harbourfront Centre, one of downtown Toronto’s major cultural and artistic venues.

Submit your proposal and a brief bio through the webpage by June 16, 2024.

Residence is collecting gently used solar eclipse glasses, to provide to Astronomers Without Borders. These glassses will be given to people who may not otherwise have a safe way to view an upcoming eclipse directly.

To donate your gently used solar eclipse glasses, please feel free to drop them off at a residence front desk before April 22, 2024. 

Everyone can benefit from a campus that is designed to account for those who are neurodiverse. A neurodiverse campus is inclusive of individuals who identify as neurodivergent, a term that includes those with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and more. 

 A study by Statistics Canada reports that only 48% of neurodivergent youth enrolled in postsecondary compared to neurotypical youth. 

The University of Calgary developed a webinar that identifies 6 Principles to Inform Inclusive Campuses for Autistic and Neurodivergent People. The principles and some of the recommended strategies are summarized below. 

 1. Communication: Fostering understanding through diverse styles 

• Speak clearly and give time: Be literal, clear and concise in your communication. 

2. Environment: Creating spaces that embrace neurodiversity 

• Be flexible in various arrangements: Offer a variety of flexible work arrangements, such as start/end times, the number and timing of breaks, and the option to work from home. Consider providing online options for social interactions and meetings. 

3. Structure: Balancing clarity and adaptability 

• Create predictability: Establish familiarity with expectations and daily activities, such as start and completion times, due dates, and expectations. 

4. Flexibility: Adapting to foster inclusivity 

• Allow various evaluation methods: Offer flexibility in evaluation methods, allowing for alternative assessments or accommodations that better align with the individual's abilities.  

5. Connection: Building bridges through openness and understanding 

• Develop awareness: Neurodivergent individuals may not use eye contact in the ways non-neurodivergent individuals do. Do not judge the situation negatively; rather, accept the varied social style and continue with your interaction. 

6. Emotion: Navigating the spectrum of feelings 

• Confirm and clarify: Engage in open communication by confirming perceptions of others' emotions and avoid making assumptions. Seek to understand why they are feeling that way and encourage individuals to clarify or explain their emotional responses. 

The complete article and webinar can be found at https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/6-principles-inform-supportive-and-neurodiverse-campus  

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about accommodating students with disabilities. 

Please email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.