Debriefing with intention: Skills and supports for helping professionals

Presented by SickKids CCMH Learning Institute

Date: November 10, 2025 | Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET

Facilitator: Karine Silverwoman, MSW, RSW.

Description: In high-stress and complex work environments, those who provide care and support to others need intentional support, skills and care to sustain themselves in the work. Learning and using different types of debriefing is one of the leading mitigating factors to vicarious trauma and isolation and can help create high-functioning, connected, and emotionally aware teams. This full-day workshop is designed for frontline workers, managers, and helping professionals who navigate complex, trauma-exposed environments and who want to build or strengthen their skills in debriefing and support.

Participants will explore practical tools, models, and trauma-informed strategies for navigating both acute critical incidents and the ongoing emotional toll of supporting others. This workshop blends theory, reflection, and applied practice, offering a collaborative space for learning, connection, and skill-building. The workshop is also informed by a social justice, strength-based, anti-colonial, and queer and trans affirming lens.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the purpose and power of debriefing, including the different types (immediate, informal, ongoing, critical incidents, and support around grief and losses).
• Explore models and debriefing skills to mitigate vicarious trauma and embody trauma-informed practice. 
• Learn to support individuals and teams with high-risk and complex situations.
• Deepen emotional literacy, connection, and embodied resilience as individuals and as teams. 

Registration fee: General - $300  |  Student - $270

For full program overview and registration details please visit: https://cvent.me/l4939v

Facilitator Bio:
Karine Silverwoman, MSW, RSW,  is a passionate practitioner, consultant and educator with over 20 years of experience in the social work sector. Her work is informed by an understanding of how  trauma and oppression  impact our bodies and communities. She has extensive training in trauma-informed therapeutic approaches, clinical supervision and leadership and in applying strategies to assist front-line workers and other practitioners to deepen their skills and align their  work with their values.

She has worked in a wide variety of settings and roles including, Director of Counseling for a gender based violence clinic, consultant , street outreach worker, therapist,  youth worker and social work instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University and George Brown College. Her approach is guided by a social justice, anti-colonial, queer/trans affirming and strength-based lens. As a trainer, she embeds a trauma-informed lens and creates brave, reflective learning spaces. She interweaves practical examples, a sense of humour and an ethic of care into all her training, believing, as she does, in a world where everyone should be able to live with dignity, safety and belonging. 

Continuing Education (CE) information: 6 CE hours