Author: Karen Copeland It was an honour to host young adults, parents, caregivers, educators, community professionals and interested community members from across the Lower Mainland at Start with Strengths: Creating Emotionally Healthy Communities. Even more of an honour was to again have the opportunity to collaborate with Chris Wejr to create an event that provided… Continue reading Start with Strengths 2.0
Author: Karen Copeland Most of us are familiar with icebergs, and that you really only see a small piece of an iceberg above the surface; there is so much more underneath. In the human services realm, the iceberg has become a metaphor for exploring deeper below the surface instead of relying solely on what we… Continue reading Re-Thinking the Iceberg
Author: Karen Copeland It's been a busy few weeks around here with our family finally being reunited after many months apart, getting our son back to school [sort of] and a number of commitments that have simply happened mostly all at the same time. It's been ... exhausting but exhilarating. I finally hosted my first… Continue reading I’m Not Comfortable {and why that’s a good thing}
Author: Karen Copeland This article was originally published in the Fall 2016 edition of Okanagan Family Magazine. The Journey from There to Here “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I’ve ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams If there is one guarantee in life it is… Continue reading The Journey From There to Here
Author: Karen Copeland Every once in awhile someone will say to me that my life must be so difficult, so hard. I've often said that I consider myself to be the lucky one because I have a child who does not fit this preconceived idea our culture has of what children should be like. If… Continue reading I Am the Lucky One
I am proud to share this post, which has been written my daughter. It is comprised of a series of paragraphs she wrote for her English class. She is a teenager and presents her perspectives on how we sometimes view kids who behave unexpectedly, as well as how we "do" inclusion. I believe her voice is… Continue reading Guest Post: One Youth’s Thoughts on Acceptance and Inclusion
Author: Karen Copeland I had the honour of attending the PEAK Parent Center Inclusive Education Conference in Denver, Colorado at the end of February. This conference was two full days packed with inspiration, hope, ideas and community; attracting student advocates, parents, community advocates, teachers, administrators and more from across the United States. As often happens at conferences… Continue reading The Importance of Preaching to the Choir
Authors: Laurie Schulz and Karen Copeland Reprint permission for this article has been granted by the British Columbia Association of Social Workers. This article was originally published in the Winter 2016 Edition of Perspectives Magazine. The notion of "not doing this work alone" is heavily encouraged within the social work field, emphasizing the importance of… Continue reading Collaborative Practice: Passions that bind, not titles that confine
Author: Karen Copeland This is a post I have been wanting to write for a long time now. Most of you will not be surprised this post is about the challenges families face with their children who have special needs being included in the public education system. How we are simply dropping our kids into regular classrooms… Continue reading Let’s Be Blunt: The Illusion of Inclusion
Author: Karen Copeland Last night it finally happened! I have been collaborating with Chris Wejr for months to prepare a presentation called Start with Strengths: Change the Lens, Change the Story. We were building on the previous presentations Chris has created on this important topic. For this session, we wanted to include the parent voice… Continue reading #StartwithStrengths
Champions for Community Mental Wellness 