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Community social services: weekly bulletin July 4, 2024

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SOCIAL SERVICES NEWS

News, updates, and stories about social care in BC

Unveiling the latest developments in social services

July 4, 2024

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Table of contents

  • Communities & families
  • Reconciliation book club
  • Toxic drugs
  • Training opportunities
  • Children & youth
  • Homelessness & housing
  • Career opportunities
  • Health & mental health
  • Reconciliation
  • Good news

Communities & families

Surrey Family Preservation Program | The Children’s Foundation

Offers an intensive, 90-day, in-home family preservation service as an alternative to removing children from their families. Counselling, parenting, and life skills are taught, and families are linked to community resources that can assist them in sustaining the positive changes they make. Serves families with children ages 18 and under. Referral through Ministry of Children and Family Development child protection workers in Surrey.

Resources:

Reconciliation book club

Telling Truth: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada

The Federation’s Reconciliation Book Club, designed to be inclusive and accessible for all staff in member organizations, is a key resource for increasing knowledge of reconciliation issues. Book Club members meet regularly to discuss a new book, and Federation staff ensure that the discussions are enriched with supplementary materials, including discussion questions, additional readings, and author and publisher information.

We invite you to join us for the next meeting of the Reconciliation Book Club on August 28, 2024. The book we will be discussing is “Telling Truth: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada” by Michelle Good. Don’t miss this chance to be part of the discussion. Sign up for the book club here: https://fcssbc.ca/bookclub/

Toxic drugs

Sixteen-year-old girl dies after fentanyl overdose in Prince George, B.C.: RCMP | Kelowna Daily Courier

A 16-year-old girl in Prince George, B.C., tragically died after a fentanyl overdose. The police suspect that a fentanyl trafficker targeted her. The RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit is investigating and treating the case as a top priority. This incident underscores the urgent need for public awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. The girl was found unconscious at a home and had high levels of fentanyl in her blood. Police executed a search warrant at the house to determine the circumstances of the overdose and possible criminal activity.

Related:

Training opportunities

Children & youth

Kids, people with disabilities added to Canada’s dental plan | The Free Press

The Government of Canada expanded its dental-care program to include uninsured low- and middle-income children under 18 and people who receive a disability tax credit. However, the eligibility criteria and the incremental rollout of the program have faced criticism. The program has also been compared to a new disability benefit that was found to be underwhelming. The program’s reliance on the disability tax credit certificate has been a point of contention, and concerns have been raised about its coordination with existing provincial dental coverage. Despite the criticisms, the government is optimistic about the long-term impact of the program and has emphasized its commitment to providing oral health care for Canadians in need.

Related:

Homelessness & housing

B.C. weather: Floods affect at least 20 homes in Interior | CTV News

Flash flooding in the British Columbia Interior affected at least 20 homes, with no reported injuries or damage to critical infrastructure. The Trans-Canada Highway near Kamloops was closed due to the heavy rains and subsequent flooding but has since been reopened with speed reductions in place for repairs. The Interior Health Authority advised residents to avoid floodwaters due to potential contamination. The severe weather watch for the region remained in place through Monday, and residents were urged to subscribe to the local emergency alert notification system for updates.

Related:

Career opportunities

The Federation actively works to help our members recruit and retain skilled staff. Click here to check the current opportunities.

Health & mental health

Urgent and primary care centre coming soon to Cowichan | BC Gov News

A new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) is scheduled to open in 2025 in downtown Duncan, providing improved access to team-based longitudinal and urgent primary care for the residents of Duncan and the surrounding areas. The UPCC will offer urgent and episodic primary care with extended hours, as well as longitudinal primary care services for patients. It will cater to individuals without a primary care provider and those with urgent health needs that cannot be addressed within 12 to 24 hours. The centre will be approximately 930 square meters and operated by Island Health in collaboration with various partners, including Indigenous communities/organizations. The total capital cost for the UPCC is estimated to be approximately $7 million.

Related:

Reconciliation

Ottawa launches residential school map to help in search for missing children | CBC News

The Government of Canada has launched an interactive online map showing the locations of residential schools, aiming to aid in the search for unmarked graves of children who attended these institutions. The map includes historical and contemporary aerial photos of the school locations, providing valuable information for ongoing investigations. However, the tool excludes certain institutions, such as Indian hospitals and day schools, that subjected Indigenous children to similar harm as residential schools. Despite these limitations, the map is seen as a step towards countering misinformation and supporting Indigenous communities in their research and healing process.

Related:

Good news

If you have any feel-good, weird, fascinating or amusing stories you’d like to see included in this section, send them our way to giovani@fcssbc.ca!

Note

The articles in Federation newsletters are for informational purposes and do not relate to the Federation’s advocacy work. We want our membership to stay informed of news relevant to our sector; the inclusion of a story is not an endorsement.

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