Conscious Care and Support 8-Week Online Learning Opportunity

You are invited to attend an amazing educational opportunity while earning a certificate of completion through the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.

What is the Conscious Care and Support (CCS) Program?

Conscious Care and Support (CCS) is a training, development and consulting program for community support professionals, parents, family members, teachers, case coordinators, and psycho-social professionals – supporters who provide service and support to individuals of all ages who have autism or other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD).

The program has demonstrated to significantly improve the skills of supporters beyond what is currently considered best practice in Ontario. As a result, individuals with ASD/DD get much better treatment and support as reported by measures of improved quality of life, learning, emotional well-being and significantly reduced self-injurious behaviour and aggression. CCS does not replace existing practices which are primarily behavioural interventions and traditional medical protocols. It does however significantly enhance the effectiveness of these approaches.

Overall, CCS addresses two key components to complement and enhance current approaches:

1. Biomedical, energy balancing and protection, sensory and neurodevelopment interventions.

2. Development of supporters’ emotional maturity and mindful self-regulation skills.

What Will We Cover?

Responding to real “on the ground” needs experienced in community-based support agencies and in families, CCS has been developed over the past 15 years to enhance behavioural interventions and traditional medical protocols and bring a comprehensive model of support and service.

To develop more caring and competent supporters and significantly improve treatment and support practices, CCS applies well-researched strategies and tools from the relevant applications from the disciplines of:

• biomedicine,

• mindfulness,

• social neurobiology,

• bilateral and bio meridian activation,

• nutrition,

• gastrointestinal health,

• sensory integration,

• brain coherence, and

• neurofeedback.

As part of the training, participants will learn to identify the primary causes, optimal prevention, and awareness-based calming strategies for de-escalation for people who can engage in self-injurious behaviours and aggression.

Participants will also work together in smaller groups to discuss comprehensive plans that consider a more complete approach to address the unmet needs most often at the root of manifested anxiety, agitation, and aggression.

Upon successful completion of the course and submission of a small written assignment, participants of the course are eligible to receive a certificate of completion through the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.

Cost:

$1000 AUD (Including GST)

(includes cost of registration with the University of Toronto, a Conscious Care and Support textbook, and all other course materials).

Families and people with disabilities are entitled to a 50% discount.
Please contact marketing@inclusiontree.com.au to arrange the reduced price.

Class Dates and Times (8-week course)

Each session will be held through ZOOM on the following dates and times:

Toronto (Ontario) CAN - Price: $894.51*

Madison (Wisconsin) USA - Price $651.28*

Sydney (New South Wales) AUS - Price $1,000

*Prices are correct with the exchange rate with the Australian Dollar as of 7/8/2025. Prices may change at check out depending on the date and time your order is made.

For course information, contact

adrianamcvicker@gmail.com (Canada)

peterleidy@yahoo.com (United States)

michaela@inclusiontree.com.au (Australia)

Meet the Presenters

Adriana McVicker
RP (Qualifying)

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in Ontario. Adriana has over 20 years of experience working with children, adults, and their families and for over 17 years.

She has worked with Community Living Windsor in various roles including direct support and in positions of management including support services staff development, communications, community relations, and project management.

Adriana has facilitated in-class and online educational and experiential practices of B-FIT Mindfulness for 5 years and is an instructor with University of Toronto’s Continuing Studies Program- Conscious Care and Support Course.

Adriana deeply values using a comprehensive approach while providing quality supports for people and families and is a true believer that all of us are interdependent and carry a responsibility to help one another be the best we can.

Peter Leidy

Peter has been learning from people with disabilities since 1983. Peter is a consultant, facilitator, listener, learner, improviser, and speaker who focuses on personalised supports and community membership for people with disabilities.

He also writes and sings songs about human serviceland and those who find themselves connected to it.

Peter conducts workshops, develops training materials, writes songs, speaks and sings at conferences, and works with organisations, government agencies, families, and paid supporters to promote positive support, inclusion, building healthy relationships, and thinking differently about people who are called “challenging.”

Michaela Kennedy

Michaela has worked at many levels within organisations, leading the cultural change. At Inclusion Tree as the Managing Director ensuring Person Centredness and Inclusion are the foundational principles that underpin the organisation’s culture and practices. 

Michaela is a skilled practitioner and trainer of Person Centred Thinking and Planning including Maps, Paths and Lifestyle Planning, Person Centred Active Support, Supported Decision Making, Community Connecting, Person Centred Coaching and Mentoring, Team Building and Strategic Planning, Participatory Leadership and Self-Management Practices.

She has worked in the disability sector in Australia for over 30 years; has presented at various State, National and International Conferences, facilitated training for organisations and groups of families. She is passionate about people and families having choice and control in life and for all people to consciously live the journey that makes most sense to them.