A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting with Nancy M of the Norlien Foundation. The Foundation has spearheaded the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) which focuses resources on networking, applied research, knowledge translation and dissemination, professional develoment and training and evaluation in regard to brain development.
Their website describes their work as follows:
"The AFWI works to cultivate innovation in Alberta by nurturing the seeds – scientific research – and the soil – the people working within Alberta's policy, education, and healthcare delivery systems. By taking advantage of local conditions and enriching the dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and practitioners, we hope to nourish a culture of ingenuity that leads to good mental health outcomes for Alberta families."
Optimal brain development in early years has a significant impact on both our mental and physical health in our adult years. My time with the Norlien Foundation was a reminder that Mental Health is a whole life issue. What happens and doesn't happen for us in our earliest years impacts us for a lifetime. The AFWI puts it this way. "Early experiences are literally build into our bodies, so it's important that we provide positive adornments and experiences in our communities...When children grow up in chronic stressful conditions such as abuse or sever maternal depression-what scientists now call "toxic stress" - the architecture of the developing brain can be disrupted and the probability of poor outcomes increases."
The AFWI is piloting programs, continuing research and building a culture of innovation to fulfill its broad vision of change for Albertan's.