As we look back on the past few months, it is exciting to see the many professional opportunities Shalem has had for developing its vision and its programs.

Shalem’s staff and board have been meeting to do some strategic planning, which started with a review of our vision and mission statements. With our shared vision confirmed, we have be exploring how to bring these values and directions to life in the work we do and the programs we are developing. On October 17, the board and staff had a rich day of conversations which will help the board and management team further plan Shalem’s priorities and direction for the next three years.

While the strategic planning process continues, Shalem staff has continued to be leaders in program development and training. As WrapAround Development Director, Andrew continues to bring WrapAround training to organizations in places such as Saskatchewan and Quebec. Our counselling clinic staff train new professionals through our Externship programs, and provide training and supervision to others working in the field. Our Restorative Practice program and Congregational Assistance Plans are also growing, and their initiatives are described in other places in this newsletter.

We have exciting partnerships with leading thinkers and researchers in the field. Shalem’s RE-create Art studio has participated in a research project in conjunction with the Resilience Research Centre run by Dr. Michael Ungar and Dr. Linda Liedenberg at Dalhousie University. Shalem’s CAP director has been working with Dr. Rick Csiernik of King’s College at the University of Western Ontario to publish the research about this program in several professional journals.

We are pleased to be able to share some of the exciting things that have been happening over the past few months. Please read on for more stories about how Shalem has been continuing to move forward in its clinical work, rooted in a strong faith foundation.