The Power of Partnerships: Using CC-ACT to Promote Caregiver Wellbeing
In this talk, the presenters will share about Caregiver–Clinician Acceptance and Commitment Training (CC-ACT), a partnered workshop designed to support the well-being of family caregivers of people with neurodevelopmental conditions.
They will discuss why approaches like CC-ACT can help families manage stress and foster resilience, how the caregiver–clinician partnership model is essential to its success, and what the training process involves. The session will also highlight research results to date and explore future directions.
Speakers
Dr. Johanna Lake is a scientist and clinical psychologist at the Azrieli Centre for Adult Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Mental Health at CAMH, as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Her research and clinical work focus on the assessment and intervention for neurodivergent children and youth, with an emphasis on including living and lived experience in shaping evidence-based services. She also studies approach to promote caregiver wellbeing, such as Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), and works to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based interventions in community settings.
Lee Steel is the proud parent of two adult children. Her eldest son was diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition when he was a toddler 30 years ago. Lee has been supporting families for the past 24 years and is currently the Family Advisor at the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at CAMH in Toronto. She is also an ACT co-facilitator and coaches’ teams delivering ACT workshops across Canada.
About CanNRT Research Forums
The Canadian Neurodevelopmental Research Training (CanNRT) Platform’s Research Forums showcase the diverse work of CanNRT members. The Distinguished Speakers Series features presentations from esteemed international experts. Co-led by CanNRT trainees and the CanNRT team, these workshops promote collaboration and knowledge exchange on topics related to neurodevelopment and associated conditions.
About the Giant Steps Living Lab Learning Series
The Giant Steps Living Lab Learning Series provides professional development opportunities through expert guest speakers and informal networking sessions for professionals from Giant Steps and the Transforming Autism Care Consortium (TACC).
