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Nov. 22 Biweekly Update: Social Services Key Insights

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SOCIAL SERVICES NEWS

News, updates, and stories about social care in BC

Unveiling the latest developments in social services

November 22, 2024

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  • Housing
  • Reconciliation Book Club
  • Communities
  • Opportunities
  • Health
  • 2025 Social Policy Forum
  • Mental Health
  • Career Opportunities
  • Toxic Drugs
  • Homelessness
  • Good News

Housing

An Examination Of The Most Acute Housing Needs of BC’s Newcomers: A Refugee Housing Strategy | AMSSA

The Examination Of The Most Acute Housing Needs of BC’s Newcomers: A Refugee Housing Strategy by AMSSA outlines key challenges and recommendations for improving housing access for refugees in British Columbia. It highlights barriers such as affordability, discrimination, and inadequate transitional support, emphasizing the need for cross-sector collaboration. The report suggests strategies including increased funding for housing initiatives, better data collection, and culturally appropriate housing support services to address unique refugee needs. These measures aim to create sustainable and inclusive housing solutions that foster successful refugee integration into communities.

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Reconciliation Book Club

Fatty Legs (10th Anniversary Edition)

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 December 18, 2024. The book we will be discussing is “Fatty Legs (10th Anniversary Edition)” by Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and Liz Amini-Holmes. Don’t miss this chance to be part of the discussion. Sign up for the book club here: https://fcssbc.ca/bookclub/

Communities

Living Wage Increases Across BC, Reaches $27/hr in Metro Vancouver, Says Economic Think Tank | CBC News

A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reveals a significant increase in the living wage across British Columbia, with Metro Vancouver now at $27.05 per hour and Kamloops experiencing a 13.3% rise, partly due to inadequate public transit. Whistler’s living wage is the highest in the province at $28.09, while Grand Forks has the lowest at $20.81. Housing costs, childcare, groceries, and transit are key drivers of rising living expenses, with nearly 37% of Metro Vancouver workers earning below the living wage. The report urges employers to offer living wages and calls on all levels of government to enhance affordability through affordable housing, expanded transit, and $10-a-day childcare. The B.C. government cites measures like raising the minimum wage and tax cuts as steps to address the affordability crisis but acknowledges more work is needed.

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Opportunities

The Federation actively works to help our members stay up to date with what is happening across the community social services sector. Check our calendar for training opportunities, webinars, and events.

Health

BCNU Congratulates New Cabinet | BC Nurses’ Union

The BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) congratulates the newly appointed provincial cabinet, highlighting its eagerness to collaborate with new health minister Josie Osborne on strengthening BC’s health-care system. The union emphasizes priorities such as implementing and expanding nurse-to-patient ratios, addressing workplace violence, and negotiating a collective agreement focused on recruiting and retaining nurses. BCNU also acknowledges outgoing health minister Adrian Dix for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his role in introducing minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

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Register Now!

2025 Social Policy Forum

Join us in Victoria, BC, from February 12-14, 2025, for the Social Policy Forum, hosted in partnership with the Federation of Community Social Services of BC, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC), and Board Voice. This year’s forum will bring together members from these organizations, government officials, and sector partners to explore critical social policy topics, including decolonization and anti-racism, cybersecurity, the health of the social services sector, and advocacy strategies.

Featured speakers include Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, BC’s Representative for Children and Youth; Karla Verschoor, Executive Director of Inclusion BC; Shane Simpson, Board Chair of Community Living BC; Dr. Paul Kershaw and the Gen Squeeze team; Richard Watt from Total Support Solutions; and Suncha Satney, a Workplace Psychological Health and Safety Consultant with CSSHSA.

Early Bird registration is now open for members at $279 until January 13, 2025. Afterward, the regular fee is $329 for members and $449 for non-members. Special accommodation rates starting at $164 per night are available at the Inn at Laurel Point until January 13, 2025.

Secure your spot today to take advantage of Early Bird rates, and don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leaders in social policy and shape the future of our communities.

Register Now

For more information, contact us at info@fcssbc.ca.

Mental Health

The State of Mental Health in Canada? It’s Alarming, a New Canadian Mental Health Association Report Finds | CMHA British Columbia

The Canadian Mental Health Association’s State of Mental Health in Canada 2024 report reveals alarming gaps in mental health care across the country, with no province or territory meeting adequate spending levels, averaging only 6.3% of their health budgets on mental health—far below peer countries and national recommendations. Canadians report mental health three times worse than before COVID-19, with millions unable to access the care they need. While British Columbia leads in early intervention, crisis care, and harm reduction, it faces critical challenges, including the highest rates of stigma and discrimination and barriers to accessing care due to housing, income, and social support shortfalls. The report calls for federal action to enshrine mental health care in law, ensure adequate funding, and address inequities to uphold human dignity and well-being nationwide.

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Career Opportunities

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

Toxic Drugs

BC Doctors Set up ‘Unsanctioned’ Overdose Prevention Sites at Hospitals | CTV News

A group of BC physicians has established unsanctioned overdose prevention sites (OPS) outside two Vancouver Island hospitals to address the urgent need for safe spaces for people struggling with addiction. Led by Dr. Jess Wilder, the initiative at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital aims to save lives and highlight the feasibility of operating such services in hospital settings. Operating without approval from Vancouver Island Health Authority, the sites consist of tents for drug use and medical support, running weekdays. Dr. Wilder emphasizes the critical need for hospital-based OPS, citing frequent overdoses on hospital grounds and the risks posed by re-criminalized drug possession. Despite existing political and workplace safety concerns, she hopes the initiative will inspire government action to integrate OPS into hospitals, addressing the toxic drug crisis that continues to claim six lives daily in BC.

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Homelessness

BC Tenant Faces Legal and Financial Hurdles to Reclaim Rental Suite after Landlord Locked Her Out | CBC News

Megan Wood, a tenant at the Ramshorn Motel in Lumby, B.C., is struggling to reclaim her rental suite after being locked out by the landlords in August, despite a Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) ruling and a court order in her favour. The motel owners, citing unpaid rent and alleged damages, have defied these orders, leaving Wood homeless and unable to access her belongings. Without legal representation, Wood faces significant hurdles navigating the B.C. Supreme Court system, which requires costly enforcement measures that she cannot afford. Her case highlights systemic gaps in B.C.’s tenancy regulations, which lawyer Paul Hergot argues leave vulnerable tenants unprotected and calls for better enforcement mechanisms under the RTB. Meanwhile, Wood remains displaced, emotionally drained, and frustrated by delays in enforcing the rulings.

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Good News

If you have any feel-good, weird, fascinating, or amusing stories you’d like to see included in this section, send them 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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