SARC Update
Training
Consulting
Services
Winter 2015-2016
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Leadership
SARC U P D AT E Winter 2015 - 2016
Developing Intended Community Light of the Prairies’ first of p. 4 it’s kind program
New Health & Sexual Education Program at p. 5 COR
Growing Success at Cosmo Industries
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Winter 2015-2016
Contents 3 News from SARC Members Read updates from Member Agencies such Cosmopolitan Industries, Light of the Prairies Society, COR and others.
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Fall Conference This year’s fall confence theme was Updating Non-profit Itineraries: Journey with us as we explore leading edge practices.
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New Training from SARC Learn about SARC’s upcoming online Board development program, ELEVATE.
10 Celebrate Success Banquet Photos of this year’s fabulous award winners.
SARC is proud of all of the work that our Member Agencies accomplish. With so many dedicated individuals in the CBO sector, the focus of the Update is to share the amazing work that our Members do. We encourage you to send in an article for the next Update. Every community has great stories to share; this could be about anything from new initiatives or events to major milestones. We love to hear it all! We will also be sharing weekly posts on community champions in the CBO sector on our social media pages. Do you know a colleague, volunteer or client who goes above and beyond in their day-to-day work or whose positivity never fails to leave a smile on your face? Send us a photo of the individual, and briefly tell us why that person is a community champion. We will feature them on our social media pages. If you haven’t already, follow SARC on Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date with the latest updates in the sector.
12 EmployLink SARC launched a new network and website that aims to link job seekers with employment professionals and employers.
14 Safety Symposium Community service organizations gathered together to grow cultures of safety.
@sarc_sk
facebook.com/SARCSaskatchewan Enjoy the Winter 2015-2016 Update! Nicole Linzmeyer, Communications nlinzmeyer@sarcan.sk.ca (306)933-0616 ext. 239
SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
Growing Success at Cosmo Industries The Life Skills Training Division at Cosmo Industries has become a busy work area. Recently, the Horticulture Club became a successful opportunity for participants to develop skills and social awareness. What began as a participant’s interest to have an annual goal to plant a seed, and provide nurturing to see it grow, has turned into a larger success. This success has branched forward into an opportunity for many participants to take part in a greenhouse project. In March of this year, two small greenhouses were purchased and participants began working with popular bedding plants such as cherry and beefsteak tomatoes, peppers, basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, parsley and spearmint. In time, the program blossomed, with the participants assisting with buying supplies, planting the seeds, fertilizing, watering and finally the selling of the developed bedding plants. Sales were made during the Cosmo Open House and advertising of the project was made by word of mouth in the community. Tomatoes were a hot seller, with sales of over 175 plants, showcasing the success of this participant-driven project. Although the Horticulture infrastructure initially began with two small greenhouses, there was an expansion not long afterwards to add two walk-in
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greenhouses to accommodate participants that use a wheelchair or walker. This added space provided the opportunity for growth. In May, MD Ambulance volunteers provided the manpower to construct four raised garden beds for an outdoor addition to the garden project. Along with the inside greenhouses, the added garden space allowed participants to experience gardening with vegetables like spaghetti squash, cucumbers, and lettuce, as well as flowers like chamomile, marigolds, nasturtium, and tiger lilies. Having this added garden space will allow the participants enhanced quality of life opportunities by enjoying the outdoor work in summer as well the timely fruitful outcome. The Horticulture Club will continue to evolve as we prepare for next year. The efforts provided by all who have been involved is much appreciated. A big thank you to everyone who helped support our continued success in making this enterprise a reality! -Keith Fisher, Life Skills Supervisor Cosmo Industries
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SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
Developing Intended Community
Light of the Prairies is very pleased to be taking on a new multi-faceted community focused program that is the first of it’s kind in Saskatchewan. The “Walter Lane Intended Community” presents a unique opportunity for us to develop a large property to model and mirror an integrated community.
The intended community offers the unique opportunity to create an environment ripe for integration and inclusion by way of a multi-system development. The intention of the property is to develop residential, vocation/ employment, social and other initiatives that would bring people together into a community that generally would not live alongside one another. It is our hope that this 150 acre property will be a melting pot of persons from many different walks of life with various needs, abilities, strengths and skills. It is also our intention that through the various partnerships already existing, that employment opportunities will be developed to benefit individuals with and without disabilities. We believe that residential integration is also another primary opportunity for natural “intended community” to occur. We believe that where relationships are being built, community is happening. If we are seeking to achieve an integrated community, we need to develop the
opportunities for the community and those on the fringes to live life together. At present, we have seen the beginnings of success. We have three residents receiving supports in a home on the property. Another four individuals living with cognitive disabilities have been designated to move into a residence soon. The remainder of the residential development has been designated to the general public. A small section of the property is presently rented by a rancher who cares for horses, goats and chickens which are frequently visited by animal owners and the general public. Our resident’s are well known by the rancher
as he lives in a suite of their home. Individuals living in the home often pick fresh farm eggs or spend time feeding and petting animals or just hanging out with people visiting the property. We believe that success will result from growing relationships and partnerships. We are optimistic and believe that more relationships will create more opportunities for integration in a variety of places. Our immediate plan is quite simply to begin researching opportunities and building relationships with agencies, businesses, systems, families, service providers, and the general public. The initiatives that are developed will be designed carefully to ensure that the philosophy of the program is manifested clearly in its operation. Light of the Prairies is thankful for this opportunity and appreciative of all of the present and future partners that will come alongside us in this exciting program. Bo Mahlangu, Program Co-ordinator, Light of the Prairies Society.
SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
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TELL IT LIKE IT IS. Tell It Like It Is is a Health and Sexual Education dropin class offered over a nine week period. The purpose is to assist diverse learners and the people who support them in making life choices that promote optimal health and wellness in all dimensions of life.
Using a compassionate approach, each module offers various learning opportunities through such topics as: Communication Skills, Self-Confidence, Nutrition and Hygiene, Developing Goals and Dreams, Building Healthy Relationships, as well as Sexual Education and the protection and prevention of different infections, diseases and pregnancy. Classes are offered during fall and winter seasons. Canada’s (2008) Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education states that “sexual health education should be accessible to all people and should be provided in an age appropriate, culturally sensitive manner that is respectful of an individual’s right to make informed choices about sexual and reproductive health.” It is an individual’s human right to gain accurate information so they have the ability to make healthy and informed choices, therefore it is our responsibility to provide them with that information. There is a lack of access to broadly-based education that provides the essential information and skills to enhance the health and well-being of those we serve and prevent negative outcomes. COR is committed to providing high quality education, tools and resources around the varying
topics to assist these learners and supports as well as external community: 1. To help learners develop effective communication skills and build a strong sense of self-esteem to make decisions and build relationships. 2. To help learners recognize their own value and self-worth and to understand and respect the value in others. 3. To provide learners the opportunity to build a strong sense about the importance of good personal hygiene, nutrition and hydration. 4. To help learners understand that some decisions are more difficult to make than others and that certain decisions we make can affect the people around us. 5. To help learners understand and recognize healthy vs unhealthy relationships. 6. To provide learners the opportunity to understand general boundaries for touch and talk within different types of relationships. 7. To help learners recognize the differences between types of sexual communication with a romantic partner. 8. To ensure learners are receiving accurate sexual education information to be able to make informed decisions. Throughout the sessions participants are encouraged to be involved directing their own learning, and to foster their growth in using their voice to state their feelings and opinions in a safe and healthy atmosphere. We have the information but it is our goal to help them seek and understand the information independently through shared experience and their own
current knowledge on the topics. Each module is interactive and is modified to fit the individual learning needs of the group. If you would like more information or are interested in participating in Tell It Like It Is, please contact the COR office at 306-546-4441.
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SARC Update SARC Update Winter 2015-2016 Winter 2015-2016
Summer Fun Highlights Cosmo Industries - The recreation team at Cosmo provides
a wide variety of recreation opportunities for the participants that take place at Cosmo and in and around Saskatoon. Over the summer months some of the activities that the participants enjoyed included attending the Saskatchewan Roughriders Training camp (and getting photos and autographs), the Arabian Horse trotting show, a Powwow, the Saskatoon Exhibition, a trip to the Saskatoon Forestry Farm, and a tour of Aberdeen and Pike Lake. Several special events and concerts were also held at Cosmo which included: the Alpha Kids (break dancers), Sassy Sisters, It’s Too Late Baby, The Saskatoon Symphony, Fred Sasakamoose (the first First Nations NHL player), Scott Duffee (fiddler), Corey Morgan (Steel Drummer) and Cash Back. Everyone enjoyed a wide range of entertainment throughout the summer. Cosmo was fortunate to receive funding from a Community Grant through the City of Saskatoon and Sask Lotteries which provided some financial support towards many of the exciting activities. Everyone is looking forward to more activities and events over the winter months.
Handi-Works - The town of Nipawin is in the process of
making a town square and needed someone to take on the task of watering the flower planters. Handi-Works was up for the challenge and did a great job. With this volunteer opportunity, we also received a contract planting, watering and caring for the local Co-op grocery store’s flowers. We received many compliments for the loving care that the crew demonstrated in their task. For the first time we also bagged fire wood at the Regional Park, and close to 2000 bags were filled, a job well done! Along with our jobs we were able to have a few days of relaxation as well. In September, 56 people went to the Forestry Farm in Saskatoon, we went swimming at our local pool, and had BBQ’s. We would like to also thank SaskTel for their wonderful program called Let’s Connect. This program provided 16 of our participants with and iPad and eight hours of training around the use of iPads, internet safety, different apps available and help customizing each person’s device to their needs and likes. Everyone is using their iPads and enjoying them. All in all, the summer was productive, busy and fun all at the same time.
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SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
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Light of the Prairies Supports Breast Cancer Fundraiser October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Light of the Prairies Day Program clients and staff wanted to contribute to the cause. As members of the community, the clients were happy to join the Pink Bra Challenge. Each person committed to wearing a Pink Bra (sticker) for a day in order to collect money from sponsors. By days end they had helped fundraise over $215 for the C95 Radio Marathon. Later in the day, clients went down to the radio marathon at the Centre Mall to present their donation.
Partners in Employment Saskatoon Present at 2015 Contact Conference The Saskatoon Branch of Partners in Employment, a division of the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, was pleased to be invited to present at the 2015 Contact Conference. The 2015 conference theme was “Future Forward….Careers by Design” and took place on April 21-22, 2015 in Saskatoon. The 11th annual Contact Conference was a wonderful opportunity for career development practitioners to learn from and interact with colleagues, speakers and presenters. Three staff from the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, Janine Baumann (Saskatoon Branch Program Manager), Terri Thompson (Partners in Employment Job Developer), and Emily Hurd (Partners in Employment
Senior Supervisor), presented to the Contact Conference audience. The presentation was titled, ‘Partnering with Purpose’ and explored trends and issues around finding employment for persons with disabilities. It was an opportunity for Partners in Employment to share job searching techniques used by our staff to assist individuals with barriers to employment. It was also a great opportunity to illustrate some of the creative solutions used by Partners in Employment to connect people to employment in Saskatoon and surrounding area. The presentation concluded by sharing the vocational journeys of three Partners in Employment clients. We shared the way in which clients with barriers to employment found lasting success through our programming. This was a powerful way to demonstrate the various ways our agency can assist individuals find success in community employment. Through these client
stories, we were also able to speak to the way in which we work closely with community employers to create opportunities for the clients we serve. Partners in Employment is grateful to the Contact Conference for this opportunity, and we look forward to future venues to share the work we do with other career practitioners, employers and the wider Saskatoon community.
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Winter 2015/2016
Fall Conference: Updating Non-profit Itineraries The SARC Fall Conference, held on October 21 & 22, 2015 at the Saskatoon Travelodge Hotel, was attended by over 120 senior management and Board Directors who are involved in a nonprofit organization. The theme for the conference was “Updating Nonprofit Itineraries: Journey with us as we explore leading edge practices” and featured sessions involving new and exciting topics in the disability services sector. A huge thank you goes out to all of our sponsors. Their generosity brings high quality professional speakers to the conference (see back cover for full listing). Allan Kehler, a motivational presenter based out of Saskatoon, opened the conference with “Hello Life, Goodbye Stress”, and reminded us that we need to stay grounded as leaders and work together for the common good. There was an array of concurrent sessions targeted towards Executive Directors, Management and Board Directors. Sessions included Creative Board Recruitment, The Board and Management, Coaching for Success, Financial Responsibilities for Managers, HR Strategic Planning, Employee
Wellness, Board Conduct, and Board Succession Planning. The Outcomes Based Service Delivery task team was in attendance and presented an interactive session called Outcomes 101 that included supplying an Outcomes Based Checklist, and information on how to use the logic model for outcome service delivery. We were pleased to have Michal and Celina, who came all the way from Poland, to present to us their cutting edge webbased platform for Agency information management called Quality Life Assistant. Read more about QLA on pg. 13! Michael Dunne, a Calgary-based HR expert, closed the conference by reminding us that we need to take the ideas presented at the conference and successfully implement them if we want to see change. In addition to conference sessions,
there was an exhibitor area set up in the lobby of the hotel. Attendees were provided with a ‘passport’ when they first arrived, encouraging them to visit the seven exhibitor tables that were arranged in the lobby of the hotel. When they visited all seven – SARC, EmployLink, Quality Life Assistance, Out from the Shadows (Allan Kehler), Butler Buyers, CPP&SP, and ELEVATE – they were provided with a stamp. If they received all seven stamps, they were entered to win the grand prize of an iPad. Congratulations goes to the winner, Kerry Receveur from KIN Enterprises in Prince Albert. Thank you to all our presenters and exhibitor booths for helping make our conference a huge success!
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SARC’s new online leadership program, ELEVATE, is a user friendly program specifically for Boards of Directors in the nonprofit sector. It is a modular based program that can be accessed online at your convenience.
ELEVATE provides information and tools in a variety of areas, including: characteristics of high performing Boards, legal and financial responsibilities, while maintaining a minimal time commitment.
ELEVATE is an excellent opportunity to supplement your knowledge of governance best practices and the various roles and responsibilities of Board Directors.
ELEVATE will help your organization show leadership and maintain a standard of excellence in the non-profit sector.
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Winter 2015/2016
Celebrate Success Banquet
Pictured above, from left: Josie McGuire, Patrick Flaman, Jennifer Wiebe, Noah Gmeinweser, Hon. Donna Harpauer. Pictured below, from left: Robert Flaman, Patrick Flaman, Michael Lavis, Linaea McEwen.
Pictured above, from left: Dave Thickett, Hon. Donna Harpauer, Gavin Oseemeemow, Ivory Singer, Amanda Matchee , Evan Haubrich, Sabrina Rabin.
The evening portion of SARC’s annual Fall Conference is always an exciting event. The Celebrate Success banquet recognizes the recipients of our annual Employer of Excellence, Volunteer of Distinction and Al McGuire Awards. This year, we also had a new addition to our program; recognizing the first graduating class of SARC’s Leadership Excellence Advancement Program. The banquet was attended by the Minister of Social Services, the Honourable Donna Harpauer. She posed for photos with the award winners, and brought greetings on behalf of the province. This year’s LEAP graduates were recognized by being presented with their graduation certificates by Amy McNeil, SARC’s Executive Director. After, we enjoyed the presentation of the Employer of Excellence award. This year’s recipient, Meadow Lake Extra Foods, is an incredible example of just how important it is to hire people of all abilities in the workforce. The employees who work at Extra Foods
Pictured above, from left: Mary Neufeld, Dawn Desautels.
are all part of one big team, no matter what their abilities are. Extra Foods works with people experiencing disability and provides employment opportunities that focus on the strengths and talents of each individual. The Volunteer of Distinction was presented to Mary Neufeld who volunteers at the Wood N’ Needle shop in Waldheim, providing the expertise of a seamstress and the comfort of a friend. Everyone who works with Mary at the Wood N’ Needle enjoys her presence thoroughly. The Al McGuire Awards for 2015 were presented to deserving recipients in Saskatoon and Regina. In Regina, Patrick Flaman was the recipient of the Transition to Employment award for his employment at SaskTel. Patrick is an important part of the service department at SaskTel, and we were happy to be able to recognize his contributions. This year, three award recipients came from Saskatoon: Sherri Lumbis, Jennifer Wiebe and Noah Gmeinweser.
Pictured above, from left: Josie McGuire, Jennifer Wiebe.
SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
Pictured below, from left: Josie McGuire, Sherri Lumbis, Alison Martynuk, Mark Krasko.
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Pictured left: Noah Gmeinweser.
Sherri and Jeninifer both work at the Saskatchewan Abilities Council – Saskatoon Branch in the sewing department. Jennifer was recognized for her volunteerism at St. Anne’s Seniors Village in Saskatoon. Sherri was recognized for her continued demonstration of independence in her living situation. Sherri and her husband Dale have been living independently for over twenty years.
Every year the McGuire Family of Regina selects the award recipients. The four Al McGuire Recipients were presented with a cheque for $300, thanks to a trust fund established by the McGuire family. Recipients were also presented with a certificate of recognition and a beautiful plaque These individuals have demonstrated perseverance and determination and reached milestones in their lives
Noah was the recipient of the Lifeskills Enhancement award. Through working with community supports such as Elmwood Residences and the Canadian Mental Health Association, Noah has gained a tremendous amount of independence and is now a productive member in his community.
All of the above Award recipients had a video-vingette created about them which highlighted their story. These videos are available on SARC’s website under ‘Celebrate Success’. Congratulations to all award winners!
Celebrating Leadership Top left-right: John Paul Hickie Vanessa Elviss, Chris Weeding, Tamara Jackson, Sandy Prychak, Debbie Yurkoski. Bottom left-right: Rosa Smith, Phyllis Edgington, Sharisse Dyer, Lee Ann Walker.
The Leadership Excellence Advancement Program, a learning opportunity for up-and-coming and existing leaders in the nonprofit sector, had an extremely successful first year. Congratulations to the 22 graduates from all around Saskatchewan on your successful completion of the program. The LEAP graduates were honoured at the Celebrate Success banquet, as part of the Fall Conference, on
October 21. They were presented with a certificate of completion and will receive a discount of 10% on SARC training events going forward. Congratulations, LEAP graduates! Your commitment to Leadership will continue to make our communities throughout Saskatchewan strong.
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SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
SARC Launches EmployLink Network and Website In October, SARC launched a new initiative called EmployLink. The EmployLink website, Employlink.ca features pages with tools and resources for Job Seekers and Educators. Phase 2 of the EmployLink launch is scheduled for early 2016 which will feature a page for employers. Employers can contact EmployLink Network members who are listed on the website. The EmployLink Network offers an opportunity for Community Based Organizations to purchase an annual membership and gain the benefits of membership. EmployLink Members have access to a secure website with tools and resources and receive a 10% discount to SARC’s new Supported Employment courses that are launching in the new year. EmployLink Members will have their organization listed on the Educator, Job Seeker and Employer pages as organizations to be contacted for support. Plans are being made for an annual gathering of EmployLink Members for networking opportunities.
Not an EmployLInk Member yet? Now is the time to join! Visit www.employlink.ca for more information!
SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
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Quality Life Assistant Quality Life Assistant is an integrated family of web-based applications that support the entire process of Agency information management. QLA connects all levels of service delivery including front line support, management, core support teams and funders/stakeholders. It is a very user-friendly program that is customizable to the needs of an organization. Using Quality Life Assistant can greatly reduce the amount of time staff spend managing paper documentation. Staff members can quickly access participant information and can easily develop and personalize a participant’s plans and transfer them to front line support. Management can analyze and visualize key agency data allowing for more informed decision making. The system has been created in relation to the typical roles that occur in an organization such as: Direct Support Professional, Team Leader, Program Coordinator, Executive Director, Medical Care Team Members, Direct Care Team Members, HR Staff, Social Workers, Family Members, and IT Administrators. It also takes into account all important relationships
among the roles with regard to the organizational chart.The system is very flexible and allows the administrator to grant various privileges. QLA is unique in that participant’s progress can be tracked in real time. Employees who support residents can report all activities immediately after the activity has occurred. In addition, all events (e.g. incidents, new skills developed) are recorded in the system just after they occur. All data is stored in the database and may be used for charting and reporting. QLA can generate standard reports as well as prepare custom queries. Query results may be used for electronic or hard copy reports including detailed data, summaries and different types of charts, such as: • • • • • • • • •
Interaction Reports. Serious Incident Reports. Medication Errors. Seizure Activity. Daily Care. Medical Appointments History. Plan Development. Participant Profiles and Plans. Profiles Management.
Quality Life Assistant is the first system of its kind. Its capabilities offer efficiency, accuracy, and time
savings for Community Based Organizations which will create a significant positive impact to the individuals that they support. If you are interested in learning more about Quality Life Assistant visit the SARC website or, qualitylifeassistant. com.
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SARC Update Winter 2015-2016
Safety Symposium 2015 The 2nd Annual SARC Safety Symposium took place on November 18 & 19 in Regina. It was enlightening to have a conference entirely geared towards the topic of safety, and to have a group of participants who were all so focused on ensuring the safety of themselves and those around them. Delegates shared their thoughts and experiences with each other and fully embraced a culture of safety. The conference had a variety of topics of topics that pertained to both the workplace and everyday life. Sessions included: • Addictions in the Workplace. • Safe Lifting. • Violence in the Workplace and Keeping Safe. • Ergonomics. • Slips, Trips, and Falls. • Working Safely Alone. • Distracted Driving. • Introduction to Mental Health First Aid. • Shiftwork Stress and Fatigue. • Hazard Identification. • Planning for an Emergency. • Safety in Saskatchewan (legislation changes). • WHMIS/GHS 2015.
Pictured above: George Marshall, CEO SHSA.
We also had a very powerful opening keynote presentation by Duane Janiskevich that reminded us to never sacrifice safety in an effort to save time, effort or money. Eldeen Pozniak was the closing keynote for the conference. She was a great speaker with a fantastic message on safety that really brought all of the other information learned over the course of the two days into perspective.
Pictured above: Duane Janiskevich, Stop Cutting Corners.
Pictured above: Delegate trying out SGI’s Driving Simulator.
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#SARCSafetyPledge A key message shared at the Safety Symposium is that having a culture of safety in the workplace and at home is crucial for not only yourself but for the important people in your life. We asked delegates to answer one of two questions: Who are you committed to safety for? Or, why are you committed to safety at home, work and play? Participants were then asked to share their answers on social media with the hashtag #SARCSafetyPledge. We had a number of great responses, here are just a few:
All of those that shared a photo were entered into a draw for an iPad. Congratulations to the lucky winner Bukola Adefarakan from Ranch Ehrlo Society for her big win! A special thank you to our platinum sponsor, the Service & Hospitality Safety Association (SHSA), who also presented on a number of the topics we had at the conference, your contributions were much appreciated in making this event a success. To see photos from the conference, check out SARC’s Facebook Page!
Fall16 Conference 2015 - October 21 & 22, 2015 - Saskatoon, SK.
Thanks to our sponsors for helping us create another successful event! Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsors www.crownshredandrecycling.com