More Transformative Reconciliation

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Apply to participate in the program’s next cohort!

In 2020, The Federation partnered with Dr. Dustin Louie from the University of Calgary (now at UBC) to create a custom-built, cohort-based, year-long program called Transformative Reconciliation in Community Social Services.

The program was designed to provide a more intensive learning program for Federation members and community partners who want to deepen their learning and apply reconciliation-based approaches to their organizations and programs. We wanted to create an opportunity to engage in transformative reconciliation through collaborative discussion, learning, design, and practice.

The first two years have been a resounding success (the second cohort is in its last few months) and we are excited to launch applications for a third cohort of participants! You can find details about the program, the application form, and program dates and fees on The Federation website.

“Throughout this course, we have learned and been guided to understand how we can decolonize our programs and what is required to do so. Being able to implement actions that will have a direct impact on reconciliation within our organization has been an exciting experience for me and I dare say my colleagues as well.” – 2020/21 Participant

The program’s action-oriented design has been tailored for organization staff and leaders who are keen to create real-world approaches to reconciliation that are founded on decolonizing principles and Indigenous Knowledges within their specific local context.

The program was built to be inclusive of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. Everyone interested in this work is welcome. If you want to explore your own positionality and responsibilities and learn how to identify and disrupt the colonial foundations of our practice and systems, this opportunity is for you.

We encourage and invite you to learn more about this program and sign up to engage in difficult conversations in a supportive space—working together to transform our practice and embody the important calls to action that we have a responsibility to take up.

And as always, if you have any questions about this initiative (or any Federation initiative), please get in touch with us. We are always available!

 

Catherine Rana, Director of Programs and Services
catherine@fcssbc.ca

Rebecca Lang, Associate Executive Director
rebecca@fcssbc.ca

Cultural Safety Workshop Evaluations

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Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on The Federation’s Cultural Safety Workshops hosted by Riley McKenzie. The Federation and Riley value your feedback and will use this information to guide future workshops and inform future professional development topics.

Workshop Evaluation Form

New grant funding for technology

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Supporting the long-term sustainability of our sector

Back in 2020, we launched the Community Social Services Training Fund—a pool of grant funding provided by the provincial government to support broad and inclusive training and development efforts throughout the community social services sector. Last week, our government colleagues announced a new fund to address gaps in another area of our work.

I am very pleased to announce the Community Social Services Sector Technology Fund, $1.5 million in grant funding, administered by The Federation, that will go toward helping community social-service sector agencies across the province upgrade their technologies and improve clients’ access to virtual supports, learning opportunities, and employment.

During the pandemic, our sector responded quickly and creatively and used technology in new ways to ensure that the families and communities we serve were not left more isolated and vulnerable than they already were. These funds will help make some of those changes permanent and also address the increasing costs of connecting with clients, working remotely, and managing data and information appropriately.

How we got here

When the Social Services Sector Round Table was created in early 2019, sustainability (in addition to compensation and recruitment and retention) was top of mind for many organizations. While subcommittees were struck to focus on procurement and compensation and HR, everyone at the Round Table also understood that IT was a key factor in the long-term sustainability of our sector—especially for rural and remote communities.

When we presented the findings of the Social Services Labour Market Research Project Final Report and explained that sufficient information technology is absolutely necessary for organizations to (among other things) meet service delivery and reporting requirements, our colleagues listened. The COVID-19 pandemic made that necessity even more clear.

This funding commitment is a huge success for our sector and I am very grateful and appreciative of everyone who helped to make this happen—my colleagues at the Round Table and our allies elsewhere. This is the result of the government and the sector working together, identifying shared goals, and turning information and insights into action and change. This funding will help to address some significant gaps in the sustainability of our sector.

Sign up for Technology Fund updates and announcements.

What comes next

We have updated The Federation website with information about the Community Social Services Sector Technology Fund. Any organizations that are interested in receiving updates about the Training Fund (including notification when applications open) can subscribe to a mailing list using the form on our website. (Please Note: the training funds are available to all social services organizations, not just Federation members.)

The Federation team is working hard on getting the Technology Fund ready to launch for late summer or early fall and we are very excited to support our members and colleagues in identifying and supporting their information technology needs. And I am also excited about what the Social Services Sector Round Table will be able to accomplish as it devotes more attention to issues related to the strength and sustainability of our sector.

In addition to the $1.5 million technology grant, the government has also announced $1.5 million to support research into the long-term sustainability of our sector. This work will be informed by the 2021 Social Services Labour Market Research Project and will explore how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into organizations and the potential to expand peer-support models of delivering services.

There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but it also feels very good to celebrate the successes that result from working in collaboration. To me, this is what altogether better is about. And I am very thankful for the leadership and collaboration demonstrated by all of my colleagues at the Social Services Sector Round Table.

If you have any questions about this initiative, the other work of the Round Table, or any Federation issue or initiative, please reach out and contact me. I’m always available.

Rick FitzZaland, Executive Director
rick@fcssbc.ca