COVID-19: Updates, Supports & Resources for Federation Members

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As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, we are doing our very best to keep Federation members informed and up-to-date. We are in constant communication with our members, government colleagues, and sector allies and will continue to share updates and information regularly.

Last week, we heard directives from the Provincial Health Officer that community social services should find ways to remain open as much as possible. And we’ve heard the same thing from funding bodies such as MCFD and CLBC. We also have a commitment from the funding ministries that contract dollars will keep flowing across the FYE without interruption and have been told that the community sector is a priority for access to supplies when they become available.

We know that the threat of virus transmission is being weighed against the benefits of continuing to serve your clients who would otherwise lose valuable supports at this stressful time. But we also know that community social services play a very different role than restaurants and salons and we see this reflected in the messaging from the government and the conversations we are having. So if your staff members are wondering why your organizations are staying open, it is because social services are being recognized by the government as a vital component of community health and well-being—a fact, incidentally, that we have been championing for years.

The community social services sector was under-resourced before this crisis and we fully understand the incredible stress this puts you under now. We are doing everything we can to assist you through these trying times. And when this is over, we will do everything in our power to tell the story of how this chronically under-resourced sector responded to this crisis with creativity, grit, and compassion in order to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our communities were taken care of. I am always proud of the community social services sector, but perhaps never more proud than I am right now.

The Federation is hosting weekly COVID-19-related webinars that any and all Federation member staff can attend and we are updating our website with new information, updates, and resources daily. What follows is a breakdown of the different places and ways you can find information, resources, and support.

Our team is working incredibly hard to ensure that you are as informed and prepared as possible during this unprecedented crisis. (And rest assured, this does not mean we have forgotten about the other issues you are facing related to contracting, procurement, screening, and wages; we are continuing to work on those issues as well.) Don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions, concerns, or ideas over the coming weeks. I truly believe that we will get through this together.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director

 

COVID-19 Webinars for Federation Members

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Federation is hosting a weekly webinar every Thursday throughout March and April: COVID-19 and your Organization. Rebecca and Sherry will host the space for members to discuss what your organization is doing and to share your ideas with each other. No registration needed; participation info has been emailed to your organization’s Federation representative and is posted on the Webinars page of our website. (Our webinar guide explains how to join and participate.) Feel free to forward this among your staff so they can take part in these discussions if needed.

Today’s Webinar

March 26, 2020 @ 10:15 AM
Dial-in: 1-855-234-6506
Code: 4940689
URL: http://fcssbc.adobeconnect.com/covid-19prep26mar2020/

Upcoming Webinars

April 2 @ 10:15 AM – http://fcssbc.adobeconnect.com/covid-19prep2april2020/
April 9 @ 10:15 AM – http://fcssbc.adobeconnect.com/covid-19prep9april2020/
April 16 @ 10:15 AM – http://fcssbc.adobeconnect.com/covid-19prep16april2020/
April 23 @ 10:15 AM – http://fcssbc.adobeconnect.com/covid-19prep23april2020/
April 30 @ 10:15 AM – http://fcssbc.adobeconnect.com/covid-19prep30april2020/

There is also a new dedicated webinars page on The Federation website with dates, times, and participation info for upcoming webinars as well as an archive of past webinars with recordings and resources and notes.

Information & Resources for Members

We have created a dedicated section of information and resources about COVID-19 on the Member’s Page on The Federation website. It contains resources and policies shared by Federation members, HR resources, and recordings of the weekly member webinars we are hosting with Federation members about how COVID-19 is affecting their organizations and the social services sector at large.

Residential Program Supply Form

If your organization offers residential programs, we have created an online supply inventory form to help ensure these programs (i.e., any live-in program where a client/individual receives services and/or support) remain functional in the case of a resident contracting COVID-19. Click here to access the form if you have not already done so. The Federation and our sector allies will use this information as we work with the various provincial funders to help ensure that access to these supplies is maintained.

COVID-19 Information Page

In addition to the member resources section, we have also created a public page with information and updates for our sector allies and partners. The public-facing page can be found here (there is also a link on our homepage) and contains government updates, press releases, resources from CSSEA, WorkSafeBC, and the BCCDC.

It also includes important news and government websites, information about social distancing, and dashboards and online trackers monitoring the pandemic.

COVID-19 Information for Social Services

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Supporting the health and welfare of vulnerable populations during the pandemic requires balancing measures that need to be taken to prevent transmission of COVID-19 against the risks of withdrawing your essential services such as housing/shelter, food security, mental health supports, personal care, overdose prevention, harm reduction.

Information specific to Federation member organizations can be found on the member’s page of our website (click Members or Login in the top right corner of this page). Additional information and resources have been collected below and will be updated as things progress.

Recent Updates: March 2021–Now

For recent updates from the government and the provincial health office, please visit The Federation’s updated COVID-19 info page. For archived updates and links, contact The Federation’s Communications Coordinator.

Child and Family Services Subsector Recovery Guide

The Child and Family Services Subsector Recovery Guide is a tool to support the development of agency-specific operational plans to ensure that all service providers approach COVID-19 recovery planning safely, consistently, transparently, and with the support of government partners. As the subsector is diverse, and populations and situations within it are unique, this guide does not provide specific operational examples or one-size-fits-all processes—rather it aims to be a reference tool.

MCFD Practice Bulletins and Interim Guidelines

The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) has developed the Interim Practice Guidelines and Practice Bulletins in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note: Some hyperlinks inside the documents below may not be publicly accessible.

BCCDC COVID-19 Survey

Public health and government leaders have made significant decisions impacting every aspect of our lives in recent weeks. The BC Centre for Disease Control wants to hear from you as the province plans to ease restrictions while keeping citizens safe—especially those most vulnerable. You can complete the BCCDC COVID-19 Survey here. The survey will be open until May 31st.

Resources & Info for Social Services

HR Resources

Government Websites

Social Distancing Information

COVID-19 Data and Dashboards

Symptoms and Protection

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Common symptoms include fever, cough, tiredness. But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia.

What should I do if I feel sick?
Stay home. Isolate yourself and call your local public health authority (811 in BC). Do not visit an emergency room or urgent care centre to get tested.

What can I do to protect myself?
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Keep them clean.
Keep your distance from people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Unless you’re already infected, masks won’t help you.
Be aware of evolving travel advisories to different regions.

COVID-19 Update for Members

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As many of you know, events are being cancelled, businesses are closing, and BC’s top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, is urging people to follow directions regarding hand hygiene, social distancing, and self-quarantine. Given the frequent updates and nature of these precautions, we wanted to let our members know what we are doing on their behalf during these odd and trying times and share some of the precautions we are taking at the Federation.

Government Info & Funding Updates

Yesterday, Minister Simpson hosted a call with the members of the Provincial Roundtable and Dr. Danièle Behn Smith from the office of the Provincial Health Officer to discuss the impact of COVID-19. What follows is the information discussed on that call.

We know many of you are wondering whether or not you should be closing your programs and are weighing the risks of remaining open against the benefits of continuing to serve your clients—who would otherwise lose valuable supports at a time when everyone is feeling particularly stressed and vulnerable. We also know the changing nature of the information being shared makes it especially hard to know what to do.

At this point, what we have heard from the Office of Provincial Health is that as long as the following conditions are adhered to, they are not recommending that community services be closed.

> Groups of people must remain smaller than 50 persons
> Groups of people must be able to maintain the recommended social distancing
> Enhanced disinfecting of surfaces, particularly “high touch” surfaces
> Frequent hand washing takes place and people avoid touching their face
> Decreased opportunities for cross-group interaction

Adhering to these conditions may require some changes in how services are delivered (e.g., more outside time, not travelling on transit, bringing groups together in smaller numbers).

Some organizations are struggling to access supplies like masks and eye shields. We have been advocating that your funding ministries follow the lead of BC Housing and work with contracted agencies to manage the inventory of supplies and identify organizations needing assistance in obtaining them. At the same time, the Provincial Health Office has reiterated that wearing masks is only recommended for individuals who are sick or displaying symptoms. Wearing masks when you are not sick actually increases your risk because adjusting the mask actually causes people to touch their faces more than they otherwise would.

We know that your first priority is the health and well-being of your staff and clients. But we are also aware of the financial implications of managing this kind of high-stress, ever-changing situation—particularly as it relates to staffing costs and reduced program participation.

We hope to have more information and directions from the BC’s Provincial Health Officer, specifically for community service providers, later today. CLBC is encouraging community service organizations to contact their regional directors to flag any emerging issues. We are working to get more information from MCFD and are trying to arrange a call for residential service providers this week. We are also seeking information and directions for childcare and early years/family programs. We will pass on what we learn when we learn it.

Training Postponed

The Federation’s regional cultural safety training sessions planned throughout March and April have been postponed. Registered participants will be receiving emails from Sherry Sinclair, The Federation’s Director of Programs and Services, this week with more information.

Conference Accommodations

As of this week, The Federation’s June Conference and Annual General Meeting in Penticton is scheduled as planned. We will be evaluating the situation week by week and will let members know as soon as possible if those plans change.

In the meantime, for those of you hoping to come if the event goes ahead, you can reserve your rooms at the Penticton Lakeside Resort now without worry. The Federation’s room block deadline is April 16, 2020. If needed, you can cancel your reservation up to seven days before your stay. Their cancellation policy (#16) can be viewed here. We will keep you updated if our plans for this event change.

Federation Member Resources

Some Federation members have generously offered to share their relevant policies with other members. These have been posted on the Members section of The Federation website. Login information was been shared with your organization’s Federation representative last Thursday. The Federation has also shared our work from home policy here. These resources are offered to provide ideas and information only—they may not work for your organization depending on the services you offer, your union status, or other factors.

In light of the current situation, The Federation is also hosting a weekly webinar during March: Coronavirus COVID-19 and Your Organization. Rebecca and Sherry will host the space for members to discuss what your organizations are doing and to share your ideas with each other.

> Thursday March 19 @ 10:00-11:00 AM
> Thursday March 26 @ 10:00-11:00 AM

No registration is needed. Participation information has been emailed to Federation representatives—feel free to forward it to your colleagues.

Other Information & Resources

Health officials widely agree the most important thing you can do to prevent coronavirus and other illnesses is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face. Practice social distancing as much as possible to protect your friends, family, coworkers, and community.

If you feel sick, isolate yourself and call your local public health authority. Do not visit an emergency room or urgent care centre to get tested before contacting your local public health authority.

> Visualizing “social distancing” and what “flattening the curve” means.
> Johns Hopkins University Global COVID-19 Dashboard.
> BC Centre for Disease Control—COVID 19 Website and Common Questions.
> Government of Canada COVID-19 website.
> CBC Local COVID-19 Updates Page—advisories, updates, and cancellations.
> CMHA resources on managing stress and anxiety and how to talk to children about public health emergencies.
> CBC Podcast on the science behind the public health directions.
> CSSEA’s COVID-19 Update webpage.

The Federation staff team is cancelling all in-person meetings and re-scheduling virtual meetings wherever possible to limit unnecessary contact. We are cancelling staff travel and our upcoming planning day and postponing upcoming training events.

If you have any questions, concerns, or other resources to share with members, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are doing our very best to keep members informed and supported as things unfold over the coming weeks.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director

Training Opportunities for Fed Members 

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Last fall, The Federation launched a new program for our members—an ongoing series of regional training opportunities across the province. It is something we have wanted to do for a long time, in part because of our commitment to being a truly provincial organization and because we recognize the challenges many of our members face (even those in urban centres) accessing training for their staff.

Current & Upcoming Training

Our focus for the first three series of training was determined by member feedback, our strategic goal of increasing the sustainability of the sector, and our commitment to reconciliation and resurgence. We are currently mid-way through the first training series on Cultural Agility hosted by Tammie Myles of Mother Earth Whispers. (There are still a number of locations with seats available—see below!)

At the same time, we are also developing the next series which will focus on staff supervision. People working in the community social services sector deal with a lot of tough situations and need to make judgment calls all the time. But traditionally, “clinical supervision” has been mostly focused on staff in therapeutic roles. We are developing a new workshop for supervisors that will create a framework for what we are calling “support to practice” that can translate to a variety of service areas.

This idea was the brainchild of Federation members Gord Cote and Chris Burt, who have been working on the workshop design with a group of other members for over a year. If you are interested in being involved in the working group please contact Sherry Sinclair, The Federation’s Director of Programs and Services.

The third training series (anticipated for late 2021) will be focused on support for office and administration staff working in community organizations. We are currently calling in people who would like to be a part of the working group developing these offerings. Please contact Sherry if you are interested in being involved.

Recruitment, Retention & Service Delivery

Years and years of member outreach (and the findings of the Social Service Labour Market Research Project) have made it very clear that access to this kind of training is vital to the retention of your staff and volunteers. And we know from our work with CSSEA and WorkSafeBC that access to training can also reduce the incidents of workplace injury.

Those are two of the big reasons why we are doing this. But it is also important for us to engage and support our members across the province and work with them in their own communities. And perhaps most important is the fact that, at the end of the day, this kind of training helps ensure that tho people seeking support from community-based agencies like yours receive the most compassionate and informed care possible.

Spaces Still Available! 

There are still a number of spaces available for the sessions taking place in Kamloops, Prince George, Terrace, and Fort St. John. You can learn more, view details and locations, and register to participate on The Federation website.

Interior Region
Kamloops: March 31st

North Region
Prince George: April 23rd
Terrace: May 13th
Fort St. John: May 26th

Cultural safety training sessions are hosted by Tammie Myles of Mother Earth Whispers.  A combination of discussion and experiential exercises will encourage participants to recognize their own limitations, biases, and barriers when it comes to how they think, work, and exist in the world.

These workshops are for anyone wanting to influence change within Indigenous systems and communities—moving forward requires each of us to be personally responsible for our perceptions and actions.

Please forward this opportunity to your local partners and networks. These sessions are a great opportunity to dive into learning with colleagues and coworkers and to strengthen your community connections!

 

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director

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The Federation’s Award for Excellence

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Last week, I spoke about the Federation’s Youth Education Bursary and the way that it serves to welcome young people into our sector and our work. Today, I want to talk about our Award for Excellence and the related purpose it serves—recognizing and thanking the people and organizations who are going above and beyond to make our communities better places to live.

The work we do in this sector is hard, often thankless, and people hear more bad news stories than good ones. That’s why we believe it is important to shine a light and celebrate the caring and dedicated people and teams who do this hard, important work day after day. These are the people who lead their teams through difficult times, the organizations committed to building strong relationships that foster good work in the community, and the teams that remain creative and thoughtful even though doing so keeps getting harder and harder.

The Award for Excellence recognizes and honours these people and organizations. It encourages our members to hold each other up and support one another in their work. To me, taking the time to honour the work of one person or one agency in this sector also honours the work of everyone in this sector. It gives us a moment to reflect on what makes for great social care leaders and allows us to truly see the people working with us and the contributions they make.

I encourage all of you to reach out and tell someone how their work has inspired you, how they helped you, or how they taught you something valuable. Our sector is full of exceptional and caring people and this is a time to honour them. Yes, the people in our sector are often more humble than others, but I believe that there is space for appreciation and thankfulness within that humility.

Categories and Nominations

As of 2018, the Award for Excellence has two categories: Individual and Organization. Nominations for both categories are accepted each year and are carried over for up to three years. In even-numbered years (e.g., 2020) the Award for Excellence will be awarded to an organization. In odd-numbered years (e.g., 2021) it will be awarded to an individual.

Take a moment to consider nominating a person, team, or organization for The Federation’s Award for Excellence. The nomination deadline is April 24th. The nomination form and more information (including past recipients) can be found on The Federation website.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director