5 May 2008, Belleville, ON—The week of May 5 to 11 is recognized as Child and Youth Counsellor Appreciation Week in Ontario. The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board will host a two-day workshop featuring Dr. Lennis Echertling on the topic of Crisis Intervention: Promoting Resilience and Resolution in Troubled Times. Community professionals from other agencies and school boards are invited to this event.

Lennis G. Echterling, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he serves as Director of Counselling Psychology. He has more than 30 years of experience in promoting resilience, particularly during crises and disasters. He has provided disaster intervention services across the United States, including Mississippi and Texas after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Following the 9/11 attacks, he worked as a Red Cross volunteer with survivors at the Pentagon. More recently, he was a crisis counsellor after the shootings at Virginia Tech University.

Dr. Echterling has received the Counselling Vision and Innovation Award from the Association for Counsellor Education and Supervision, the James Madison University’s Distinguished Faculty Award and Altogether One Award, and the Virginia Counsellors Association’s Humanitarian and Caring Person Award. He has offered numerous presentations and workshops at local, state, regional, national and international conferences. His books include: Crisis Intervention: Promoting Resilience and Resolve in Troubled Times, Ideas and Tools for Brief Counselling, Becoming a Community Counsellor and Thriving! A Manual for Students the Helping Professions.

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For more information, contact:
• Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, 613-966-1170 or 1 800 267-4350, extension 2354