08/19/2021: Member Support and Information Recap

/in /by

Hello Federation Members,

Thank you for joining us on Thursday, August 19, 2021, for our Member Support and Information call. Below, please find updates for this week:

  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
  • National Residential School Crisis Line
  • BC Restart Plan Phase III
  • Health and Safety Council
  • Invitation to participate in research
  • Member Calls Change September 9
  • Citizen Services BC
  • FCSSBC Member’s Survey

Member Discussion

Before our introduction circle, we began with a minute of silence in respect of the ongoing findings of the unmarked graves at past Residential Schools. We shared information on the upcoming September Federation Regional meetings. Later on in our call, the discussion centred around client visits. Protocols that Members have established include a pre-screen questionnaire, wearing masks, meeting outside if possible, Covid-19 screening just before the visit and installation of sanitizing stations. From a previous call, a member has shared the idea of staff wearing green, yellow or red comfort bracelets, to indicate the proximity they want with others.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The province of BC recognizes September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in alignment with legislation passed by the federal government in June 2021. The establishment of the national holiday is in response to the 80th call to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

This date coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which began in 2013 and involved wearing orange shirts to honour Indigenous children forced to leave their families to attend residential schools. According to Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, the objective is to create a chance for Canadians to learn about and reflect on a dark chapter in their country’s history. He added it is also a chance to commemorate the survivors, their families and their communities.

Speaking to the administration of this new national holiday, the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) has added this day to the collective agreement as a statutory holiday, with paid time off for union workers. Regarding the intent of the day and administrative costs for non-union community social service agencies, we shared the email from David Galbraith, Deputy Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), stating the Province acknowledges that recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this year will result in additional costs. Provincial funders will be working with service providers to ensure that any such costs are funded as applicable and that services are delivered consistently with other holidays.

Specifically, this would mean:

  • If a service provider is unionized, then recognition of the public holiday would apply for all employees who are normally entitled to provincial and federal holidays.
  • If the service provider is non-unionized and receives more than 50% of its funding from the Province, then the direction to recognize September 30 as a public holiday this year also applies.
  • If the service provider is non-unionized but receives less than 50% of its funding from the Province, then the direction to recognize September 30 as a public holiday this year would not apply.

Contracts will be adjusted accordingly, and Provincial funders are asking for everyone’s patience while they work on the administrative details to identify and apply the cost adjustments. Consultations continue on the most appropriate way to commemorate this day going forward. The Federation will share any updates on our Members Page.

National Residential School Crisis Line

A National Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support to former students. This 24-Hour Crisis Line can be accessed at 1-866-925-4419. At the Federation, we are renewing our commitment, as an organization and as individuals, to take personal responsibility for truth and reconciliation, to make sure our words translate into actions, and to use the power and privilege we have to drive change and decolonize those systems to which we are connected.

BC’s Restart Plan

We continue in BC’s Restart Plan Phase 3, and it is expected to move to Phase 4 in September 7, 2021, pending that we reach more than a 70% vaccination rate and new cases remain low. We are all continuing to follow the health protocols of frequent hand washing, staying home when ill, and when advised, keeping socially distanced and wearing a mask. As of August 18, 2021, 73.8% of eligible people, 12 years and older have received their second shot of the vaccine, and 82.8% have received their first shot.

American vaccinated citizens are now permitted to enter Canada. At this time with high rates of the Delta Variant of Covid-19, the Public Health Office is recommending restricted travel to the Interior Health Region. The Interior has the majority (3,203) of active Covid-19 cases.

Today’s update on mandatory vaccinations from Community Living BC (CLBC) says in the August 12, 2021 announcement that staff in long-term care and seniors’ assisted living will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by October 12, 2021. At this time the guidance from the Provincial Health Officer toward long-term care and assisted living facilities has not been extended to community living settings including licensed group homes.

Vax for BC & Walk-In Wednesday Clinics

BC Govt introduced an escalated plan to increase vaccinations rates by implementing Walk-in Wednesday Clinics, along with vaccinations for youth aged 12 years and up. You can call or register online for a walk-in appointment on August 8 or continue to get registered for the first dose and follow-up second dose. Check these web pages out for a collection of most things COVID-19 related or Vax for BC.

COVID-19 and the New Health and Safety Council

Workers and employers in the community social services sector now have a dedicated hub they can turn to for health and safety resources, as well as support on fostering cultures of workplace safety. The Community Social Services (CSS) Health and Safety Council is the product of five years of dedicated research and consultation with the sector and a first for the sector in British Columbia.

The council will foster and promote safe and healthy workplaces by providing resources and leadership on injury prevention, sound disability management, and return to work best practices in the social services sector. The brand new Community Social Services Health & Safety Council website will be your primary point of connection and information and contains health and safety resources, tools, materials, education and training for the sector.

As COVID-19 safety plans transition to prevention plans, the Health & Safety Council is encouraging organizations to check out the WorkSafeBC Communicable Disease Prevention: A Guide for Employers and the Community Social Services: Communicable Disease Prevention Overview Template for a guide on creating an appropriate plan for your workplaces.

For any inquiries, please contact Satvinder Basran, CSS Health and Safety Council Director sbasran@cssea.bc.ca or call 604-601-3127.

Child and Family Services Research

Thank you to everyone who has completed the survey for the current mapping research of the Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) with the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD). The focus is to map the ecosystems of child and family services delivery for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in the province.

A Project Overview PDF (with a description of the case study approach) is available here as well as a short 12-question PDF survey that you can download and complete. If you would like to participate in a one-hour case study interview, please contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard, Director of Governance & Institutions at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca. Completed survey PFDs can be emailed to helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca. Thank you very much for your support in this important work!

Member Calls Changing in September

On these past few Covid-19 calls, we discussed what would be helpful as we all move forward in the recovery stages. Moving to once a month seems to make the most sense to members. Members would like to know ahead what the topic is, including any guests. Circle introductions and lots of time for discussion would remain the same. In September we will be shifting our Covid-19 and Your Organization Member calls to monthly member calls to the 2nd Thursday of the month, beginning September 9 at 10:00-11:00 AM. The new name for the group is Member Support and Information Exchange. We want to keep the focus on the Federation supporting members to ask questions and share their ideas and practices. This morning, when asked which topics to include on the monthly calls, members offered these: Workplace vaccinations and staff comfort or concern regarding other employees being vaccinated; Supports for Seniors and older adults; and Mental Wellness for clients, staff and leadership.

Citizens Services BC

On the last call, we hosted Citizens Services BC to discuss the Covid-19 Equity Research Project that speaks to how people access and use information and services around COVID-19. The Service and Content Design Team from B.C.’s Government Digital Experience Division has been conducting research and engagements on equitable access to healthcare over the last 7 months. These findings have been used to inform how COVID-19 and vaccination information and services have been delivered. The team recognizes the vital role that community and non-profit organizations play in supporting those who face systemic and structural barriers to accessing care. You can view the presentation of the final results here. The Design Team hopes to work more closely with community organizations, like the Federation, in the future.

Member Survey

Thank you to everyone who has completed the Federation Member Summer 2021 survey! There is still time if you would like to participate. The key purpose of this survey is to receive feedback on how we are doing. We want to check in with you, our members, to hear how we can best support you in the months ahead. The link is posted in the chat.

Training Dollars Available

Last year, The Federation helped to launch the Community Social Services Training Fund. Currently, organizations are able to apply for both the Support for Certification/Education Individual Grant (now with funding of up to $15,000 for multiple employees) and the Organizational Training Grant (funding of up to $10,000) within the same fiscal year.

We ask you to help us spread the good news that these training dollars are for all community social service organizations. The recipient does not have to be a Federation member and we would appreciate you sharing this information with your colleagues.

 

Please reach out and let us know how we can support you. Looking forward to seeing you on our next call, September 9 at 10:00-11:00 AM. The dates and log-in information for future member calls can be found on our webinars page.

Wishing you a lovely August 😊

 

Bess Williams, Events Coordinator
Sherry Sinclair, Director of Programs and Services

 

 

Projects & Issues Update: Mental Health Budget, Master Insurance Plan, Round Table, Health & Safety Council

/in /by

Over the past 18 months, the entire Federation team has been focusing a lot of time and energy on supporting you and your organizations through the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, there are many other very important issues and projects and events that we continue to track and move forward on behalf of you our members.

Things are moving incredibly quickly, a lot is happening all at once. And many of the issues that Federation members were facing before the pandemic continue to have a significant impact. I want to assure you that your Board of Directors and the entire Federation staff team are working on both sides of the equation—supporting you and responding to emerging issues as well as engaging with decision-makers and advocating for important systemic changes that will strengthen our sector and improve service delivery.

As always, I encourage you to reach out if you have questions, comments, or ideas about any of the work The Federation is undertaking or the issues you are dealing with. Your expertise, time, and creativity are the most valuable resources we have when it comes to building the kind of strong, sustainable community social services sector we want and need. Thank you for being a part of this Federation.

Rick FitzZaland
Federation Executive Director

Mental Health Budget Presentation

In June, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions presented to Federation members about the roll-out of investments for mental health and substance use services. The slide deck from that presentation has now been shared with The Federation for any members who were unable to attend that presentation or would like a refresher. If you have any other questions about that discussion, please contact Programs and Services Director, Sherry Sinclair at The Federation at sherry@fcssbc.ca.

Master Insurance Plan Info

A few of our ‘COVID-19 and Your Organization’ calls over the past few months have involved discussions about the Social Services Group Liability Program. Our colleagues at MCFD have provided links to the following information for members who missed those calls or have additional questions about the Master Insurance Plan. You can find an overview of the Social Services Group Liability Program provided through AON here. A list of frequently asked questions about eligibility, enrolment, and claims can be found here. If you have additional questions, please contact sherry@fcssbc.ca.

Health & Safety Council Updates

Workers and employers in the community social services sector now have a dedicated hub they can turn to for health and safety resources, as well as support on fostering cultures of workplace safety. The Community Social Services Health and Safety Council is the product of five years of dedicated research and consultation with the sector and a first for the sector in British Columbia.

The council will foster and promote safe and healthy workplaces by providing resources and leadership on injury prevention, sound disability management, and return to work best practices in the social services sector. The brand new Community Social Services Health & Safety Council website will be your primary point of connection and information and contains health and safety resources, tools, materials, education and training for the sector.

As COVID-19 safety plans transition to prevention plans, the Health & Safety Council is encouraging organizations to check out the WorkSafeBC Communicable Disease Prevention: A Guide for Employers and the Community Social Services: Communicable Disease Prevention Overview Template for a guide on creating an appropriate plan for your workplaces.

Social Services Sector Round Table

The Social Services Sector Round Table continues to meet regularly and Michelle Bell, The Federation’s Child and Family Strategic lead, now joins me at these meetings and reference groups. The Round Table’s Procurement Working Group has moved into the research and design phase and an engagement plan is in development. The HR and Compensation Working Group established an advisory committee in May (of which I am a member) and meetings are underway.

The Round Table is also considering the need to focus both on operational matters as well as strategic work and members are beginning to share information and modelling on the long-term physical and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform future funding and decision-making. Moving forward, reconciliation and discussions around issues related to Indigenous peoples will also be a standing topic on the Round Table’s agenda.

IFDS-RCY Child and Family Services Project

BC’s Representative for Children and Youth is currently working with the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa to research and report on service delivery, outcomes, and money spent on child and family services in BC.

This project has two parts: (1) mapping the service delivery mechanisms and outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in British Columbia and (2) reviewing federal and provincial expenditure data for child and family services and related policy areas.

To support this very important initiative, The Federation and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres are working together to expand the project’s reach and are encouraging you to complete a short survey and/or consider participating in a case study.

A Project Overview PDF (with a description of the case study approach) is available here as well as a short 12-question PDF survey that you can download and complete. If you would like to participate in a case study or have questions, please contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard, Director of Governance & Institutions at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca. Completed survey PFDs can be emailed to helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca.

Support to Practice Supervision Training

Three new cohorts of The Federation’s Support to Practice Supervision Training (offered in partnership with Community Action Initiative and CityU) have just been announced and are open for registration now.

This cohort-based series of workshops teaches supervisors and managers how to understand the spectrum of supervisory responsibilities and helps them develop specific supervisory skills that enhance direct services—ensuring your organizations are supporting your staff and meeting the unique needs and circumstances of your clients and communities.

Three cohorts will be running from September through January and registration for all three is open now. You can learn more about the training and register to participate on The Federation website.

Police Act Reform: Have Your Say!

For its next phase of consultation, the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act is interested in hearing from British Columbians about their experiences and perspectives regarding policing and related systemic issues as well as from individuals who have experience working in policing, public safety, healthcare and social services. Share your input by completing this survey by September 3rd.

Community Social Services Training Fund

Last year, The Federation helped to launch the Community Social Services Training Fund. As of April 2021, two important changes have been made to the funding program. First, the amount for the Certification Education grant stream has been increased to $1,500 per employee for up to 10 employees. Second, organizations are now able to apply for both the Support for Certification/Education Individual Grant (funding of up to $15,000) and the Organizational Training Grant (funding of up to $10,000) within the same fiscal year. You can learn more about application deadlines, criteria, and training topics here.

+ The Community Social Services Training Fund is available to all social services organizations across the province so please share this information and links with your colleagues and community partners.

Support to Practice Training

/in /by

New Fall Cohorts Open for Registration

In the spring, The Federation launched the latest iteration of our regional training opportunities for members, allies, and partners across the sector—Support to Practice training for staff in supervisory roles.

While these regional training opportunities began in-person, across the province with a series of Cultural Safety Training Sessions led by Tammie Myles of Mother Earth Whispers, we have since had to transition this program online. However, both the Cultural Safety training and the Support to Practice training were great successes.

And that’s why I am very pleased to announce that we will be offering three more cohorts of the Support to Practice training through the fall of 2021.

Supporting Practice, Improving Service Delivery

As you all know very well, working in the community social services sector requires you to make difficult judgement calls all the time—you have to deal with a lot of tough and complex situations. But for the most part, “clinical supervision” is focused on staff only in therapeutic roles.

This training, offered in partnership with Community Action Initiative and CityU, endeavours to support all of our valuable employees. It explores and shares what we are calling a “Support to Practice” framework custom-built for all staff in supervisory roles that translates to a wide range of service delivery areas.

The cohort-based series of workshops teaches supervisors and managers how to understand the spectrum of supervisory responsibilities and helps them develop specific supervisory skills that enhance direct services—ensuring your organizations are supporting your staff and meeting the unique needs and circumstances of your clients and communities.

Each cohort of participants will follow the same two-part training structure. (See workshop descriptions below.)

> One 6-hour virtual workshop on Principled Engagement with Indigenous People
> Four 3-hour virtual synchronous workshops on Support to Practice Supervision

Three cohorts will be running from September through January and registration for all three is open now. (Additional cohorts will be offered in 2022.) We encourage only 1-2 participants from each organization to attend this training in order to allow a diverse range of perspectives and service areas in each cohort.

Supporting Members, Strengthening The Sector

These training topics (Cultural Safety, Staff Supervision) were selected based on feedback from Federation members, Leadership 2020 participants, our sector partners, and through the Social Services Labour Market Research Project.  They also support The Federation’s ongoing goal of building a stronger and more sustainable community social services sector.

As always, if you have ideas or feedback about ways we can support your organizations and employees please get in touch with me.

Rick FitzZaland
Federation Executive Director

08/05/2021: Member Support and Information Recap

/in /by

Hello Federation Members,

Thank you for joining us on Thursday, August 5, 2021, for our ‘Covid-19 and Your Organization’ members call.  You can find the recording of this COVID-19 call, and email notes on our Members only page early next week. Below, please find updates for this week.

  • Guest Citizen Services BC
  • Federation Member Survey
  • Member Call to Change as of September
  • National Residential School Crisis Line
  • BC Restart Plan
  • Accreditation Community of Practice

Guest: Citizens Services BC

Today we host Citizens Services BC to discuss the Covid-19 Equity Research Project that speaks to how people access and use information and services around Covid-19. The Service and Content Design Team from B.C.’s Government Digital Experience Division has been conducting research and engagements on equitable access to healthcare over the last 7 months. These findings have been used to inform how COVID-19 and vaccination information and services have been delivered. The team recognizes the vital role that community and non-profit organizations play in supporting those who face systemic and structural barriers to accessing care. During our call today, we learned about the team and learned about their health equity work and that they hoped to work more closely with community organizations, like the Federation membership.

You can review their presentation Vaccine Experience: Multilanguage and Health Equity Research here. They also shared a fact sheet on their findings related to systemic barriers faced by vulnerable groups during the vaccine rollout.

Federation Member Survey

The member survey link was sent out on July 7. The key purpose of this survey is to get feedback on how we are doing. We acknowledge that the past year and a half have been full of chaos and confusion and many, many changes. Your organizations had to shift and adjust in many ways and The Federation did our best to respond to your changing needs. We want to check in with you, our members, to get feedback on some of those changes and to find out how we can best support you in the months ahead. The link is posted in the chat.

Member Calls Changing in September

On the last Covid-19 calls, we discussed what would be helpful as we all move forward in the recovery stages. Moving to once a month seems to make the most sense to members. Members would like to know ahead what the topic is, including any guests. Circle introductions and lots of time for discussion would remain the same. In September we will be shifting our Covid-19 and Your Organization Member calls to monthly member calls to the 2nd Thursday of the month, beginning September 9 at 10:00-11:00 AM. The new name for the meetings will be Member Support & Information Exchange.

National Residential School Crisis Line

A National Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support to former students. This 24-Hour Crisis Line can be accessed at 1-866-925-4419. At the Federation, we are renewing our commitment, as an organization and as individuals, to take personal responsibility for truth and reconciliation, to make sure our words translate into actions, and to use the power and privilege we have to drive change and decolonize those systems to which we are connected.

BC’s Restart plan

We continue in BC’s Restart Plan Phase 3. You can check BC Gov’t News Releases and Guidance & Support for BC Gov’t Restart plan for updated information.

Vax for BC & Walk-In Wednesday Clinics

BC Govt introduced an escalated plan to increase vaccinations rates by implementing Walk-in Wednesday Clinics, along with vaccinations for youth aged 12 years and up. You can call or register online for a walk-in appointment on August 8 or continue to get registered for the first dose and follow-up second dose. Check these web pages out for a collection of most things COVID-19 related or Vax for BC.

Accreditation Community of Practice

If you are looking for support for your virtual accreditation, please join Federation members on the active virtual accreditation monthly calls. They happen on the 3rd Friday. The next call is Friday, August 20, from 11:00-12:00. Please contact Pam or Stephanie for more information at pam@fcssbc.ca or stephanie@fcssbc.ca

 

Please reach out and let us know how we can support you. Looking forward to seeing you on our next call, August 19, 2021. The dates and log-in information for future member calls can be found on our webinars page.

Wishing you a lovely August 😊

Stephanie Martin, Program Assistant
Michelle Bell, Child Youth and Family Strategic Lead