Projects & Issues Update: Vaccine, COVID Tests, SHSS, WorkSafeBC, Professional Development

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There have been a lot of changes around The Federation of late—both in terms of the work we are doing and the people doing that work. And there are a number of important issues and items that we wanted to update you about as we get ready to close out the year.

There are many projects and advocacy items that we are working on and tracking on behalf of you, our members. Some things are moving incredibly quickly after a lot of inaction and if it seems like a lot is happening all at once, it is. But rest assured that your Board of Directors and the entire Federation staff team are working on both the pressing, pandemic-related needs like vaccine mandates and the ongoing issues that you were struggling with before the public health crisis like recruitment and retention.

This update contains a few important announcements and updates that we wanted to make sure you didn’t miss—vaccine information for MCFD service providers, free COVID tests, residential services transformation, subsidized training opportunities, labour market development work, and more.

As always, please reach out and contact us if you have any questions, comments, or ideas about any of the work The Federation is undertaking or the issues you are dealing with.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director

Catherine Rana
Director of Programs and Services

Service Provider Vaccination Information

The Ministry of Children and Family Development has sent out new vaccination information for service providers relevant to MCFD contractors and subcontractors. It provides clarification on the November 18th Provincial Health Officer’s Order and the BC Public Service’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy (effective December 13th) and details how they affect MCFD’s contracted service providers.

Free COVID Tests

The Canadian Red Cross is helping to keep organizations and communities safer through the Stop the Spread and Stay Safe! program: COVID-19 Screening for Community Organizations. Non-profits, charities, and Indigenous community organizations with frontline workers in British Columbia (and select other provinces) may be eligible to receive free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests and support to implement a screening program for staff and clients. You can learn more and apply for the program here.

Specialized Homes and Supports Services

On December 15th, The Federation of Community Social Services of BC and the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) are hosting a joint engagement session on the implementation of MCFD’s Specialized Homes and Support Services transformation. Participation info has been sent to Federation members; contact info@fcssbc.ca to request the information be resent.

This session will build on joint conversations over the last several months and years and continue our commitment to work in partnership in areas that impact us all—discussing the change and how we might implement planned changes with the least disruption to the sector. As we move forward, everyone (including non-members) that delivers contracted residential services is invited to participate and will work with the ministry on the roll-out of these changes; those with existing services will work together with MCFD on the transformation of the services they deliver.

This process is being co-managed and co-hosted by MCFD and The Federation and the goal of this approach is to establish a collaborative model of working together and both sides are committed to this work and this approach.

Support to Practice

Registration is still open for The Federation’s Support to Practice Supervision training that is taking place from January to March. This training, offered in partnership with CAI and CityU, helps supervisors and managers understand the full range of supervisory responsibilities and teaches specific supervisory skills that enhance direct services—ensuring your organizations are supporting your staff and meeting the unique needs, preferences, and circumstances of your clients and communities. Learn more and register to participate today—spaces are limited.

Subsidized Professional Development

In addition to the Support for Certification/Education Individual Grant and the Support for Organizational Training Grant funding streams, The Federation is also coordinating a series of subsidized training workshops and webinars as part of the Community Social Services Training Fund.

The newest offerings will focus on reconciliation for non-profit organizations, risk management during COVID-19, and creating culturally welcoming and inclusive volunteer programs. There is a combination of free webinars and more in-depth multi-session workshops. You can learn more, register for the free webinars, and apply for a spot in the workshops on The Federation website. Please note: the workshops have limited space.

WorkSafeBC Advocacy

Earlier this month, The Federation and our partners at the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres wrote a joint letter to Premier Horgan and Minister of Labour, Harry Bains, about the need for social services sector representation on the WorkSafeBC Board of Directors.

The board of directors serves as the steward of WorkSafeBC and the workers’ compensation system and is responsible for approving compensation, rehabilitation and assessment policies, and occupational health and safety regulations. However, it currently lacks anyone who can bring the perspective of our broad and complex sector or anyone who could bring an Indigenous or decolonizing lens to the way things like compensation or mental health leave are governed and administered.

We will keep you, our members, informed about any responses and/or updates as this piece of work progresses.

Labour Market Development

Earlier this year, The Federation released the Final Report and Aggregated Data of the Social Services Labour Market Research Project. We are now in the next phase of this ongoing project—working with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres to develop a 2–to–3 year Labour Market Development Plan.

The plan will identify relevant recommendations from the Final Report and design projects, proposals, and frameworks for implementation with the guidance of a project advisory committee. We are currently finalizing the contract for the plan and expect work to be underway in the new year.

Indigenous Child Welfare Guidebook

This month, the ShchEma-mee.tkt Project (an initiative of the Nlaka’pamus Nation Tribal Council) released an updated and expanded version of Wrapping Our Ways: Indigenous Peoples and Child Welfare Guidebook. The excellent, in-depth resource provides guidance for Indigenous communities and individuals, the legal community, and social work teams.

The book is also a guide for Indigenous communities and parents on how they can work within the Child, Family and Community Service Act to protect Indigenous children. It explains how Indigenous communities and parents can be involved in child welfare decisions outside of court and at court, outlines the child welfare process, and defines child and their human rights, including ways of protecting cultural identity. You can view and download the guidebook here.

MMHA Research Guidance

The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions is undertaking a research project to identify a research agenda around mental health and substance use in BC. They are inviting representatives from the community organizations to share their opinion on gaps in knowledge and themes for future mental health and substance use research that will benefit them the most.

Ministry staff have identified four engagement areas that they would like feedback on: current gaps in knowledge, research to help close those gaps, populations that would benefit from new knowledge and resulting practice change, and outcomes of actions inspired by the new knowledge. Anyone who would like to participate can email Mikhail Torban (mikhail.torban@gov.bc.ca) at the BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction. Put “Mental Health and Addictions Research Agenda” and identify yourself as a member organization of The Federation.

A New Team Member Has Appeared…

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Hello Federation Members,

My name is Catherine Rana and I am the new Director of Programs and Services at The Federation. There is a lot going on in our sector and across our province and I wanted to reach out and introduce myself as one of your main points of contact at The Federation.

Prior to this role, I managed a number of government-funded community programs. In each, my teams centred around the transformative power of community collaboration. I have designed and delivered social, educational, and employment programming for youth, with 10 years specifically dedicated to supporting Indigenous young people. I was the Mentorship Program Manager at Urban Native Youth Association, the Manager of Youth Employment Programs at the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, and the Marketing and Outreach Consultant at Immigrant Services Society of BC.

I know as we as you that providing valuable front-line services to children, youth, families, and seniors is rewarding and challenging work. It is necessary work and it is work that requires a great deal of advocacy and engagement in order to be done well and made sustainable. And I believe such advocacy efforts need to be informed by the realities of those families and young people as well as the experiences of the caring, committed people delivering the services they depend on.

That belief and those values are what drew me to The Federation. You, our members, do important work. And by being a part of this organization, you are also helping to bring about long-term, important changes to the systems of care that we are a part of. You are both doing the work and making the change and I am very excited to do my part in amplifying your voices and using your ideas and expertise to make this sector stronger and more sustainable.

As a social services professional myself, I also have an inherent interest in ensuring that social services staff are well-trained and supported. That is why I am extremely pleased to be taking charge of The Federation’s ongoing Support to Practice program and helping coordinate the Community Social Services Training Fund.

And perhaps most importantly, I am very happy to be overseeing The Federation’s Transformative Reconciliation program. As a non-Indigenous person, I believe it is my responsibility to make change and demonstrate my commitment to reconciliation not just through words but through tangible, meaningful actions and I look forward to being part of this important initiative.

I am very pleased to be joining The Federation. I know the staff of our many member organizations are committed and passionate, and I am looking forward to meeting more of you over the weeks ahead.

I also want to thank The Federation staff team for making me feel so welcome in my first few weeks as I continue to get up to speed on the services, programs, and issues that we will be working on together. As you know, this is a dedicated and hard-working team and they have made me feel welcome and inspired.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone or email. Or say hello at the next Reconciliation Book Club meeting in January.

Catherine Rana
Director of Programs and Services