Webinar: Awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Making the Connections – September 9, 2014
September 9, 2014 is International FASD Awareness Day, which aims to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and the plight of individuals and families who struggle with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The first FASDay was celebrated on 9/9/99, chosen as a reminder that women should abstain from alcohol during the nine months of pregnancy. 
Join CHNET-Works!, a project of the Population Health Improvement Research Network at the University of Ottawa, on Sept 9 for a free webinar “fireside chat” titled “Awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Making the Connections!”
The webinar will address the following:
- What’s crucial to know about living with FASD and mental health issues– if you’re a parent, care-giver, front line provider or community member;
- The important role of front line health providers in prevention, and in talking to women about alcohol use throughout life – especially during pregnancy;
- What exciting new research is telling us about the differences and similarities between the brains of children and youth with FASD, autism and cerebral palsy.
Speakers will include:
- Dan Dubovsky, MSW – FASD specialist for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) FASD Center for Excellence in the United States
- Dr. Jennifer Blake, MD MSC FRCSC – Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
- Dr. Daniel Goldowitz, PhD -Scientific Director of NeuroDevNet, Canada Research Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics and Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia
Who Should Attend? Front line providers who work with people with FASD, health and allied practitioners or providers concerned about prevention, those interested in the social determinants of health across the lifespan, policy makers interested in innovative research findings, and communities interested in learning more about preventing FASD and how to better support individuals and families living with FASD.
The Population Health Improvement Research Network links researchers, decision-makers and practitioners in population health and stakeholder sectors from across Canada.