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  • Please note that the Zoom link will be sent to virtual participants on Monday, June 15, 2026.
  • Refund Policy: 
    • You may request a refund for virtual tickets until Monday, June 15, 2026. Refunds will not be processed once the Zoom link has been distributed. 
    • You may request a refund for in-person tickets until Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Refunds will not be processed thereafter.

You're invited to the biennial CPRI Research Symposium! On June 16, 2026, we will focus on Optimizing Treatments and Environments for Complex Child and Youth Mental Health and Development. This hybrid event—offered virtually via Zoom and in-person at Zarfas Hall in London, Ontario—is designed for researchers, clinicians, academics, medical and allied health professionals, educators, and learners.

Explore the following themes throughout the day:

  • Tailoring Dose, Duration, and Frequency for Therapeutic Interventions
  • Designing Healthy and Supportive Spaces in a Technological Age

SYMPOSIUM LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  1. Describe evidence-based strategies for adjusting treatment dose, duration, and frequency over time, including the processes of de-prescribing medications and implementing harm reduction approaches.

  2. Evaluate methods for enhancing treatment precision and support systems by interpreting findings from case studies, tele-mental health practices, primary care provider interventions, and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) models.

  3. Explain the impact of supportive environments, nature access, sensory-motor functioning, and holistic Indigenous health practices on child and youth mental health and development through evidence-based inquiry.

  4. Determine the health benefits associated with leisure and play, support strategies for balancing screen time, and interpret the effectiveness of technology-enhanced writing tools.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, June 16, 2026!

Event Details

REGISTRATION (marketing poster)

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS (marketing poster)

REGISTRATION (marketing poster)

Call for Abstracts

ABSTRACTS SUBMISSIONS FORM

About CPRI

The Child and Parent Resource Institute (CPRI) is a tertiary service agency providing trauma-informed, highly specialized assessment, treatment, and targeted intervention provincially for children and youth with complex special needs. This includes children and youth with developmental disabilities, autism, and severe behavioural, emotional, and mental health challenges. CPRI also prioritizes research, program evaluation, and education related to serving and supporting this clinical population.

Sponsorship Statement

This program has received an educational grant from The Volunteer Organization of CPRI (VOCPRI).

The Tree Grove as the Event’s Motif

The “Tree Grove” is a symbol for the symposium, designed to unite researchers, clinicians, and educators in advancing mental health solutions. Set in a context where children and youth face complex developmental challenges, the tree’s sturdy trunk embodies the resilience and growth central to their mental well-being.


Its diverse leaves, varying in size and shape, represent the AM theme of tailoring therapeutic interventions—customizing dose, duration, and frequency for individualized care.


The intricate, web-like roots reflect the PM theme of designing healthy, supportive spaces in a technological age, with interconnected patterns symbolizing tech-enhanced environments that foster well-being.


With vibrant greens for vitality, earthy browns for stability, blue roots for technology, and golden leaf accents for hope, the Tree Grove captures the symposium’s mission: nurturing young minds through precise treatments and innovative, interconnected spaces, rooted in nature’s harmony.

Event Organizers

Melissa Currie, M.Sc.

  • Committee Co-Chair

Melissa has a Master’s in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has worked in applied research roles in service delivery organizations in multiple sectors (youth justice, education, health, children’s mental health) for over 25 years. Her work has focused on gathering and communicating quality evidence to support service-related decision-making.

Tom Ketelaars, C.Y.W.

  • Committee Co-Chair
  • Co-Chair of CPRI’s Scientific Planning Committee
  • Program Manager of Professional Development and Community Relations

Tom Ketelaars is a Sr. Manager in MCCSS of Professional Development and Community Relations within his branch. He previously managed in Applied Research and Education, Education and Learning Services, Tele-Mental Health Services, and Volunteer departments. He also spent six years working as a Child Care Counsellor, primarily with adolescent boys with complex mental health challenges. He has a passion in promoting and training trauma-awareness and trauma-informed leadership and care and has published on this, as well as trained and delivered presentations to thousands of staff and leaders across Ontario and Canada.

Ryan Green, MLIS

  • Event Lead Coordinator and Host
  • Graphics Design and Accreditation Co-Lead

Ryan Green is an Education and Learning Analyst at CPRI. He has a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Western University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science from King’s University College. He has been employed at CPRI since March 2021. In his current role, Ryan has assisted with the accreditation process for the London & Region FASD Virtual Conference in 2024 and the CPRI Research Symposium in 2024. He organized and hosted CPRI educational offerings on topics such as Bowel Management Strategies for Medically Complex Children and Youth, Caregiver Fabricated Illness, and assisted with the organizing of Growing Connections: Attachment-Informed Interventions for Complex Children & Families. He was the local chair of the United Way Committee for CPRI in 2022 and is an active member of the CPRI Culture Keepers Committee. As of February 2024, he leads the CPRI Scientific Planning Committee.

Dr. Kim Arbeau, Ph.D.

  • Research Presentations Lead Coordinator

Kim Arbeau is a Program Lead with the Applied Research and Evaluation Department. She has been at CPRI for almost 14 years. She has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology in which she investigated the influence of social relationships on shy children (e.g., teachers, parents, and friends). Her most recent projects have focused on adverse childhood events, trauma-informed care, developmental disabilities, internalizing and externalizing symptomology, and the impacts of COVID-19 on children and their families receiving services. She has a number of peer-reviewed journal publications and book chapters and has presented at many conferences over her career. She is the Chair of CPRI’s Research Review Committee. She was also on the organization committee for the CPRI Research Hybrid Symposium in 2024.

Dr. Palmer Taylor, Ph.D.

  • Event Proceedings Supporter
  • Graphics Design and Accreditation Co-Lead

Dr. Palmer Taylor is an Education and Learning Analyst at CPRI. Palmer organized and led the annual London & Region FASD Virtual Conference from 2022–2024 and the CPRI Research Hybrid Symposium in 2024. He also writes evidence-informed policies/procedures, guidelines, and consent forms for CPRI’s Policies and Procedures Framework, Medical Healthcare Education, and Electronic Record Storage Requirements. Moreover, he directs the roll-out of Health and Safety, Privacy and Information Management, and FORTE-for-All trainings for CPRI employees, students, volunteers, and contractors. In previous Research Assistantships, he investigated Indigenous People’s participation in the Canadian labour force; smart city initiatives in Ontario; migrant resilience in Ontario; political debates about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S.; and public police officers’ employment practices in Ontario.

Dr. Ajit Ninan, H.B.Sc., M.D., F.R.C.P.C.

  • Co-Chair of CPRI’s Scientific Planning Committee
  • Medical Director of CPRI

Dr. Ninan is the Medical Director of CPRI with a clinical oversight role since 2010 and a pediatric psychiatrist since 2006. After 15 plus years primarily involved with inpatient services working with pre-adolescents at CPRI as well as London Health Sciences Centre on-call system, Dr. Ninan is currently involved in CPRI’s attachment/trauma outpatient services. He received his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship and general psychiatry training in Rochester, New York. He is an Adjunct Professor at Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Department of Psychiatry. He received his Healthcare Management Master’s certificate from York University in June 2020.

CPRI Research Symposium 2024

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