The Parents PEACE Program
[Practicing Esteem-building, Awareness, Communication and Evaluation]
began in 2005 as an adjunct to the Youth Peer Program. It is EPIC’s goal to provide an educational and supportive program for parents who wish to improve the relationship they have with their child.
| This is my savior. Many meetings have given me the strength to go on! |
The program, which runs continuously through the school year, is free to parents. Participants may opt in or out at any time and there is no limit on how long the parent may attend.
| I look forward to group. They really help a lot. I will be lost over the summer. |
Each session is managed by Facilitator, Blair Hill. Blair arranges for representatives from community agencies and programs to come to speak to the group twice a month. Speakers—which include but are not limited to representatives from the Youth Peer/Parents PEACE Management Team—are asked to speak to the group on specific issues of concern that have a direct bearing on the parent-child relationship. The nights when speakers are not present, Blair focusses the sessions on specific parenting issues that the participants are dealing with or have requested.
Some of the speakers and topics from the 2006-2007 school year were:
| I felt these sessions really help with all different situations. Even just to be able to talk an see you are not the only one out there experiencing difficulty. |
Anger Management for Teens,
Bonnie Nicholson, Transition House
Sexuality,
Cathy Penny, Cape Breton Centre for Sexual Health
Sibling Rivalry,
Nicole Aboud-Ellis, Family Place
Consequences and Choices,
Michelle MacLean, CAS
Eating Disorders,
Janice Smith, Cape Breton Regional Hospital
Bullying,
Graham Smith, Cape Breton Regional Police Services
Relaxation Techniques,
Anju Virick, Tapestry Yoga Institute
Talking to Your Kids about Drugs & Alcohol,
Diane MacDonald, Addiction Services
Internet Safety,
Wayne Pendergast, Cape Breton Regional Police
| The sessions were mostly requested by us, the parents. That enabled us to get the info we wanted or needed. |
Blair uses EPIC’s Parents PEACE Framework, a set of simple easy-to-remember steps, as a teaching tool. The parents are encouraged to use these steps in their daily parenting life and to bring back their experiences to the group so that everyone can benefit from what they’ve learned. The parents find the framework useful for dealing with all kinds of parent-child situations.
In addition to topics such as Stress Management, Communication, and Self-esteem, Blair has organized a Mothers-Daughter Night and Christmas and End of Year Socials.
Sessions are held on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at:
Ashby Complex
266 Whitney Avenue
Sydney, Nova Scotia
B1P 5A6
Canada
ypp@ns.sympatico.ca
telephone: 902 539-8228
fax: 902 539-7407
