Join Shannon and Paula as they collaborate with BTPS South Schools Mental Health  Program; BRITE, and BTPS students; Charlie, Camden and Clara. They are joined by special guest, Ryan Straschnitzki; athlete and Mindset & Resiliency speaker, who "aims to inspire greatness in others through storytelling". 

Ryan is a hockey player from Calgary, AB, Canada and when he was 17, he was traded to the Humboldt Broncos to play Junior A Hockey.  Ryan says that "the coach out in Humboldt cared more about the person you were versus the hockey player you were." He instilled in all his players how important it is to be a good person and give back to your community. Which is a lesson that Ryan lives by to this day. 

On April 6th, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos were involved in a catastrophic bus crash that left 16 dead and 13 injured. This changed the lives of many families that day and left Ryan with a spinal cord injury. In the years that have passed, Ryan is dedicated to fostering a growth mindset within himself and others, guiding and supporting them along the way.

Ryan strives to help people all over the world and has created the Straz Strong Foundation. 
The mission of this foundation is to:

• Provide access to adaptive sports for all.
• Education on mental and physical disabilities through public speaking.
• Provide access to rehab and physiotherapy through donations.
• Aim to find a cure for disabilities through fundraising events. 
• Inspire those to work together to improve all qualities of life. 

Ryan reminds us that "Everyone has their own story. The only disability you can have is a bad attitude in life."

https://www.strazstrongfoundation.com/

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https://provost.btps.ca/programs/brite
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A big thank you to our podcast sponsors: The Psychological Health in First Responders Grant Program through the Province of Alberta.

Join Shannon and Paula in another episode dedicated to workplace wellness. In this episode they explore, discover and connect to cultivating a culture of wellness in the workplace and tips on how this can be developed. They dive into communication, transparency and the importance of engaging employees in the process of creating an environment of psychological health and safety in the workplace. 

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This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

In this episode Shannon and Paula chat with Community Coordinator with Wainwright & District Family & Community Support Services, Cassidy Graden.  In this episode we explore, discover and connect to the 8 domains of wellness and how individuals can use these domains to support them to achieve a higher level of wellness in all areas of their lives. We also touch on the importance of engagement in the workplace and how presenteeism, absenteeism and quiet quitting lead to reduced productivity, undermines a positive work environment. and if not addressed burnout can occur, which impacts the long and short term disability costs for employers.

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Wainwright & District FCSS
https://www.wdfcss.ca/
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This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

In this new season of The Wellness Connection, we are focusing on Wellness in the Workplace as part of the Rural Mental Health Project. In this episode Shannon and Paula chat with Health Promotions Facilitator, Christina Harvey who works with Community Mental Health and Addictions in Wainwright, AB. Join us as we explore workplace wellness, the joys, the challenges and simple, yet meaningful tips that you can use in your everyday life.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

In this episode of the Wellness Connection, Shannon and Paula talk with Ulises Reynaga. Ulises was a newcomer who moved to a small rural town in  Alberta, Canada from Guadalajara, a large city in Mexico.  Ulises talks about some of the challenges, similarities and some great ways to integrate and start to build connections in a new community.

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https://www.ruralmentalhealth.ca/

https://www.youtube.com/@ulisesreynaga1231

This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

Join Shannon and Paula along with special guest, Joshua Iverson, as they dive into  conversation about the topic of LGBTQ+ issues along with discussing gender and sexuality. They talk about how to be open minded to explore, support, learn and grow as a community.  Josh grew up in Wainwright, but is now living in Montreal and completing his Doctorate in clinical psychology.  Much of Josh's psychological research to date has focused on romantic and interpersonal relationships.  His current research focuses on Trans and Non Binary Individuals and their Sexuality. 

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This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

In this episode of the Wellness Connection, Shannon and Paula talk with First Responder, Advanced Care Paramedic, Tammie Dales. Tammie opens up about her long career working in a rural Alberta town, and her heavy diagnosis of PTSD. Tammie talks about some of the things that were happening before she was diagnosed and the importance of recognizing the signs. Tammie shares some of the recovery strategies she continues to use in her life to give her a better quality of life. We dive into some of the prevention strategies so first responders do not all have to face this diagnosis. It is so important for first responders to develop a strong support network, use self care and self kindness tool and always reach out for professional support at any time.

[email protected]

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This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

In this Wellness Connection Podcast Episode, Shannon and Paula talk with Natalie Costa, an Exercise Specialist & Client Health Educator at Alberta Health Services about living with Chronic Pain and its affects on your Mental Health. Natalie lives in Wainwright and understands the benefits and challenges that come along with living in a rural area when looking to access services. Natalie is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist in charge of the 3 pillars of the Alberta Healthy Living Program (supervised exercise, health education and self-management) in the Wainwright area.
Natalie also facilitates various workshops including WeightWise, HeartWise, Diabetes the Basics, CravingChange and Better Choices Better Health.

Call to register in the Healthy Living Programs: 1-877-314-6997
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findhealth/Service.aspx?serviceAtFacilityId=1106872#contentStart

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This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

*This episode deals with grief and loss and may be difficult for some people to listen to.
In this Wellness Connection Podcast Episode join Paula and Shannon with Sage Wellness Connection as they chat with special guest, Sandy Machado. Sandy is a mom who has experienced her share of loss. She shares how she has coped with her grief and has found ways to have hope. Sandy addresses the need to communicate, to reach out and to let people reach in to get to the side of hope.

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https://www.deathed.ca/about - Jeremy Allen
https://wtgrief.wixsite.com/walkingthroughgrief - Walking Through Grief Society
https://averyslegacy.com/?v=707f3a40153b - Avery's Legacy Bereavement Boxes
https://www.ruralmentalhealth.ca/

This podcast is brought to you by the Rural Mental Health Project through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta.  

Join Paula and Shannon with Sage Wellness Connection as they chat with Jamie Knight, who has a Masters degree in Social Work and provides counselling services at the Good Life Collective in Wainwright, AB. Jamie is a skilled, experienced, and passionate social worker who provides safe, ethical, trauma-informed counselling services that focus on promoting connection and healing. She is highly sought after for her expertise in First Responder populations, trauma, crisis response, and loss.
https://www.goodlifecollective.ca/
In this episode of the Wellness Connection we talk about Jamie's experience as a first responder and the importance of seeking out support and reaching out to others who may be in need of support. Jamie talks about what the counselling experience may be like as well.

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