Canadian Family Advisory Network (CFAN) Workshop October 19th

For those interested in parent collaboration and partnership with health care professionals, this year's CFAN Workshop on October 19th at the Westin Hotel in Edmonton will be an exciting educational and networking opportunity. Between 9:00 am and 4:45 pm, CFAN hopes to offer:

• reports from all CFAN groups represented focusing on key challenges and accomplishments
• results of a survey from these CFAN member groups
• presentations and discussion with representatives of youth councils about how youth and family advisory groups are now collaborating and can best collaborate in the future
• presentations and discussion on existing family-to-family support / mentoring programs and how advisory groups can help initiate, develop, and sustain them
• update from Dr. Bob Armstrong (Co-Chair of the Coalition and Chair of Paediatrics at BC Children's) on the ambitious multi-year advocacy project, "The Child and Family in the Healthcare System", that CFAN will help lead with partners in The Canadian Child and Youth Health Coalition.
• a patient/parent/staff panel presentation from local hosts The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital on "recognizing and dealing with the elephant(s) in the room: diagnosis and beyond. " (tentative tile)
• a Steering Committee business meeting open to all the evening before the workshop to revise bylaws and more clearly define roles for Steering Committee members
• Steering Committee brief report to all at the end of the Sunday workshop
• Sunday evening dinner and informal conversation
  

CFAN co-chair Frank Gavin also passed on that the updated program for the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres (CAPHC) Conference October 19-22 also in Edmonton offers an "unprecedented degree of youth and family participation".