The Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia is a voluntary professional organization established in 1965 to represent psychology in Nova Scotia. APNS is the only provincial association devoted to representing the needs of psychology professionals in the province. APNS promotes psychology as a profession, as a science, and as a means of promoting human welfare.

Kings Early Years Screening for School Program Receives Psychology Association Award

05/25/10 / Halifax: The Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) is pleased to announce that its 2010 President's Award will go to the Kings Early Years Screening for School Program (KEYSS) , the David in the “David-and-Goliath” struggle against hardship for children.

KEYSS eases the transition into school for children and families. The main focus is on building relationships between families, schools, and community agencies before the child begins school. KEYSS also helps identify any developmental issues a child may have so that intervention and support can be given prior to school entry.

“With only a shoestring budget, KEYSS has been able to screen over 650 preschoolers in the past five years,” says APNS President Dr. Robin McGee. “The benefit to the children, the families, the schools, and the community has been incalculable.”

The program began in Kings County in 2006 when Valley Child Development provided an opportunity for Kings County parents to bring their three or four year old children to a free preschool screening program. Kings County Children's Foundation has faithfully funded this project over the years.

"I am very pleased by the response to the clinics by both families and service providers,” says RaeAnne Bekkers, KEYSS Coordinator. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those professionals and service providers who donate their time to make KEYSS so valuable to families in Kings County."

The clinics provide parents with valuable information on preschool behaviours, reading and school readiness, healthy living and physical activity. KEYSS clinics also have professionals available to assess a child in the areas of development, hearing and speech.

Information on a variety of programs and services available to preschoolers is offered at all the clinics as well. See: http://www.earlyyearsscreeningforschool.ca/

The APNS President's Award honours non-psychologists (individuals or organizations) who have made valuable contributions to the community in a health and wellness setting or through other activities that touch and benefit the greater community. It is awarded at the discretion of the APNS President. Previous award winners have included entertainer and TV personality Mary Walsh; King's View Academy, a Halifax-based co-educational school; Dr. Elsie Blake, Program Administrator for the counseling and support component of the compensation program for claimants of institutional abuse; Dr. John Butt, former Chief Medical Examiner for Nova Scotia; Anne Derrick, lawyer; and Costas Halavrezos, CBC Radio Noon Host.

The KEYSS program started in 2006. With seed money granted by the Kings County Children's Foundation, a foundation funded by an estate, it modeled itself on another early intervention program in Hants County, KEYSS went into the fight against the forces compromising the development of preschool children. KEYSS launched a developmental screening program for young preschool children from the catchment area of 8 Kings County schools in the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board. Appealing to the goodwill of community partners, it sought the coordinated resources of many agencies such as Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech and Child and Youth Mental Health.

For more information on KEYSS visit:

http://www.earlyyearsscreeningforschool.ca/

The Assoc iation of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) is a voluntary professional organization established in 1965 to represent psychology in Nova Scotia. APNS is the only provincial association devoted to representing the needs of psychology professionals in the province. APNS promotes psychology as a profession, as a science, and as a means of promoting human welfare. For more information visit www.apns.ca

For more information:

PRIMARY CONTACT:

RaeAnne Bekkers
KEYSS Coordinator
Valley Child Development Association
P: 902-678-6111

e-mail: r.bekkers@ns.aliantzinc.ca

Contact on behalf of Dr Robin McGee:

Dr Michael Ross, Ph.D. R.Psych

APNS President Elect

P: 902-835-8696

e-mail: mmdecapo@yahoo.ca

THE BEST OF THE BEST:

THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF NOVA SCOTIA HONOURED FOR HEALTHY WORKPLACE PRACTICE

Receives Best Practices Honour from American Psychological Association

Halifax, NS [March 9, 2010] - The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia received a Best Practices honour from the American Psychological Association (APA) at the annual Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards ceremony on March 6 in Washington, D.C. The College was recognized for its commitment to employees by creating and promoting a healthy workplace.

The College was one of only ten organizations from across the US and Canada to receive the Best Practices recognition at the ceremony. The College won the Nova Scotia Psychological Association's Provincial-Level Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award in 2009, which qualified it to go through the competitive evaluation and judging process for the APA's Best Practices honours.

“Our committee was very impressed with the College's focus on psychological and physical health, their warm and engaging atmosphere, and their culture of excellence,” said Dr. Arla Day, chair of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Committee in Nova Scotia.

The College developed its healthy workplace program by identifying areas that could benefit. The College also offers an annual wellness allowance to support gym memberships and other healthy living goals, workshops that address health issues, online health assessments, and a smoking cessation program with a financial incentive and ongoing support.

“Employers who understand the link between employee well-being and organizational performance have a distinct competitive advantage in their ability to attract and retain the very best employees ,” says David Ballard, APA's assistant executive director for marketing and business development. “ We congratulate the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia and hope that its example helps showcase the power that a healthy workplace has to drive positive change and help individuals, organizations, and communities thrive.”

“It makes common sense and business sense to treat employees well. In times of economic uncertainty, this becomes increasingly important,” said Dr. Day. “This award highlights the ‘best of the best' across Canada and the US, and it is wonderful to have one of our local organizations receive such a prestigious honour.”

More information about the Best Practices honourees and APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award winners is available at

www.apa.org/news/press/releases/phwa/index.aspx Organizations interested in learning more about creating a psychologically healthy workplace or applying for an award can visit www.nshealthyworkplaces.ca or www.phwa.org .  

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The Nova Scotia Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program is offered through the American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, with the support of the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia and the CN Centre for Occupational Health & Safety at Saint Mary's University.

Contact: [Arla Day; 902-420-5854; arla.day@smu.ca ; Saint Mary's University ]  

Psychologically Healthy Workplaces

Natasha Scott, MSc & Sonya Stevens, MSc

APNS, CN Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, & Saint Mary's University

Is there such a thing as a “psychologically healthy workplace” ?

You may be thinking Yeah right ! Work is often associated with early mornings, deadlines, overtime, and STRESS…how can work actually have a positive impact on our health? Surprisingly, recent research suggests, it can! The American Psychological Association (APA) defines a psychologically healthy workplace (PHW) as a work environment that promotes employee health and well-being while at the same time boosting its business performance, so both the employees and the business are healthy. As can be seen in the diagram, healthy employees have a positive impact on organizational functioning, and organizational functioning has a positive impact on employees' health and well-being. The APA has come up with five components of Psychologically Healthy Workplace practices.

Obviously, the organizational and societal context (i.e., industry, economy, resources) influences what can be done within each of these components. However, even small businesses with only a few employees and minimal resources can do things that make a difference. Healthy work practices can range from affordable and easily implemented (such as simply involving employees in decisions) to much larger and more complex practices (such as employee assistance programs).

Providing healthy work practices is something every organization can do, no matter their size and/or resources. As Dr. Kevin Kelloway, Director of the CN Centre for Occupational Health and Safety at Saint Mary's University, says “It doesn't cost anything to treat people with respect.”

See more on healthy worplace practices here