SPC Monthly Meeting Minutes (draft) - Sept 28, 2015

SPC Monthly Meeting Minutes - Draft

Sept 28, 2015 - 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Location: City of Williams Lake

In attendance (from sign-in sheet): Bruce Mack, Kathie Vilkas, Leah Selk, Larry Stranberg, Nancy Gale, Shannon Thom, Matt Neufeld, Joanne Meyrick, Jay Goddard, Monica Johnson, Jessica Knodel and Sharon Taylor.

Accept Minutes & Agenda

·   Review meeting minutes from Jun 22, 2015

MFSC to approve mins as presented

·   Review meeting agenda for Sept 28, 2015

MFSC to approve mins as presented

·   Revisit action items from last meeting

Laurie Walters will be invited back to talk about GP for Me Initiative

Guest Speaker - Joanne Meyrick, Women's Contact Society

Joanne Meyrick, from the Womens Contact Society gave a presentation on the Williams Lake Early Years

 Centre and new webpage www.wlchild.ca launching November 2015.

Summary:

-  A Survey was first developed for parents to develop a baseline of how parents and providers access

 information about programs and services for children in Williams Lake from 0-6 years old. The survey

 results are available by email upon request.

-  Based on feedback from families and service providers, the group proposed a new virtual Early Years

 Centre website for Williams Lake and the surrounding area.

-  A one-stop clearing house for information on early childhood resources and service providers.

-  Community partners such as a StrongStart BC Centre or the CCRR, or the Library will be trained

 navigators for parents in helping them access the site and will assist to promote the site.

-  The website will be supported by social media including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

-  The website will have a blog component where articles will appear covering current issues in 

parenting and child development.

This project has lead to the development of the new resource driven website: www.wlchild.ca 

(which is also formatted for people's smartphones).

More information on the exciting new Early Years Centre and Child Care Facility in Williams Lake was also provided. NEW - The Women's Contact Society's new Kidcare Daycare centre provides innovative and flexible child care options to families in Williams Lake. The facility will operate from 5am - midnight seven days a week providing non traditional options for childcare.  Call 250-392-4118 or email manager@womenscontact.org for more information. They will be accepting children by March of 2016

Question - is the Daycare accepting resumes and what certifications are being sought?

Answer - All certifications are being sought including the Responsible Adult designation (course costs $100).

Comment - Nancy Gale wants to review this current curriculum.

Year in Review

Highlights from the past year - Jessica Knodel

This year, 2015, is the official 20 year Anniversary of the Social Planning Council (but note - the group was formed prior to then in the early 90's). Until you do a review, you often forget just how much work has been done, and this year is no different. In the past year we have been involved with much including:

Meetings and Presentations:

·         Project Comeback

·         Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy,

·         Community Futures,

·         Business Improvement Association

·         Central Cariboo Arts & Culture Society

·         Child Development Centre,

·         Cariboo Regional District,

·         Glass Slippers Boutique

·         Let's Talk about Mental Health in the Cariboo

·         Canadian Mental Health Association

·         Williams Lake Hospice Society

·         Cariboo Friendship Society, and

·         Williams Lake Fire Department

Weekly Community Updates:

This SPC network is large and growing. We have over 300 active participants who are regularly connected via email and Face book. Our website was visited a total of 9866 total visits (averaging 822 monthly).

Regular weekly Community Updates via email, Face book and our webpage provides notices and more information on upcoming events, meetings, programs, services, fundraisers, and grant funding opportunities. This service also distributes detailed meeting minutes to people who are commonly unable to attend meetings in person.

Social Development Initiatives:

·    Official Community Plan - Reviewed progress of the Social Well Being Section (Coordinated Planning, Youth, Children & Families, Poverty & Access to Employment, Literacy, Homelessness, Sense of Belonging, Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity, Accessibility) and applicable parts of the Resilient Economy Section.

·   Developed new methods for communication with the City of Williams Lake via Darrell Garceau including development of a monthly brief.

·       Invited to the Economic Development Forum at TRU (event was postponed)

·       Participated in external review of Thompson Rivers University's Williams Lake campus.

·       Participating in the BC Transit's review of services in the City of Williams Lake.

·    Promoted the general public to cast a vote in the Municipal elections, School District Elections, Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Elections and the CRD Referendums via posters, face-to-face, online, and social media.

·     Participated in some Chamber of Commerce planning meetings for their annual All Candidates Forum, collected questions from the public and submitted questions related to the social development.

·       Community partner for students from the UBC's Human Geography program. Our groups focus was on barriers to transportation and made recommendations regarding proven successful alternative methods of public transportation. The report was praised by BC Transit as a significant contribution to their current review of services in the City of Williams Lake.

·       Provided a regional social planning update to MLA Donna Barnett.

·     Direct communications with School District to increases community dialogue regarding the proposed user-fee rate structure changes at School District No. 27

·       Participated in the Enterprising Not for Profits workshop lead by United Way

·     Ongoing participation in the joint stakeholders group for the "Let's talk about Mental Health in the Cariboo" initiative by the CRD and Interior Health (100 Mile - Williams Lake)

·       Emergency Preparedness presentation, Q&A and info out to network

AGM Planning  (Nov 23/15)

This year, for the SPC's AGM, we are hosting a Trade Show style meeting at Signal Point Gaming to showcase (y)our individual organizations and what is available within the large networks in our community. Mark your calendars for Nov 23, 2015 from 11:30 - 1:30 pm.

Using AGM to highlight the various organizations.

AGM business within the meeting - is this feasible at the meeting? Yes

Benefit - know what we are all doing.

Invite - medical community including Trevor Barnes

Loose agenda:

Formal business at 11:30

Show Event at 12:00 pm

Address from & to the mayor

Even without displays - it's OK to just bring yourself.

Suggestion - if you can think of people (inc First Nations), please forward their names for us to contact.

  

Action - Larry will send a one pager on making the most out of the time at a trade show style event

Roundtable Updates

Sharon Taylor (IMSS)- two new programs are underway. Childminder for day classes (looking to hire). For children 6 month -  5 years (over the 2 hour class time). Renovations are underway. Second program - Professional language for ESL learners (specifically for people already in the workforce, but need improvements in their language to advance). 12 people are required per class (might be a problem for WL to get this many people but the proposal is written by people in Price George). Took a role in the CMHA's Walk for Harmony last week (1000 cranes for peace were made - by Sharon!). Tomorrow eve at 5pm at CMHA people/group will meet regarding the possible sponsoring of a refugee. Contact Sharon or Margaret Anne Enders for more info. Five years ago, locals sponsored a Kurdish family from Iraq (afterwards they went  to London Ontario - for jobs etc). If you cannot make the meeting, but want to get involved please contact Sharon.

Kathie Vilkas- WL Hospice Society - Hospice is reinstating their drop in group program which is small right now by word of mouth only. From 1 - 2:30 pm at the Senior Activity centre with Oct 7th being the first meeting. Twice a month for now to see how it goes (old program that was dropped). Loose and casual at this time because there is not enough of grief support and this drop-in is filling this gap.

Training begins again. Rewarding, and not scary at ALL. It's a gift anyone can give (no specialization required). AKA human being training.

Leah Selk - CCACS - Performances in the Park was successful again this year (Angela expanded it this year to include food vendors, mini farmers market, kids corner etc.). Lot of internal work including strategic planning (accreditation process right now), grant projects underway. Culture Days happened this weekend and contracts are under renewal.

Larry Stranberg - Community Futures - Oct 22nd - open house from 11am - 2pm (refreshments). Thirty year anniversary celebration. Some past clients will say a few words from 12 - 12:30 pm-ish and snacks and refreshments will be available. Small business DOES work in this community!

Nancy Gale - CDC Upcoming Signal Point Gaming event that is working for charities utilizing the "Found money" program new from the Gaming Centre to put money back into the community with the event called "Festival of Trees" (info will be sent out via community updates).

Autism program has taken off! Not a soft launch - tons of NEED. First parent support group (8 families this time around). Every second month it is planned. Is homeschooling better? How to get your child back to sleep - both common questions that are asked.

Pacific Autism Centre (news release re: funding), and a MOU/MOA with this Centre is in the works. Someone gave 5 million to this centre.

Discussions and Q&A which followed:

Question - do you have working behaviour interveners? Answer - yes, a few already and others in training at this time. Working with the Denver Model (includes training for identification markers by 6 months of age). Speech language pathologist is also a goal. Making multiple services available to families (rather than needing to go to the Coast for some things). Discussion (Jay) - behaviour intervener positions (regional programming is being discussed at TRU as programming option as our area has an identified need). Nancy will keep our group posted. Autism Stats - 1 in 160, now 1 in 148 (Jay (see - diagnostic criteria - it was very narrow, and as this new criteria is being embraced, number stats are misleading). Learning disabilities was a previous diagnosis for many people with Autism. Also, it is a spectrum (Monica - Stats also follow funding trends).  Autism does follow (it is now a business too - e.g. practitioners can ask). "Neural Tribes" book (Author Steve Silbermann)

Shannon Thom - WLES Federally, Disability month is October, but provincially it is September! Therefore, an open house is currently running (today until 3 pm) for job seekers, service providers and employers. No Doctor referral is needed.

The next offering of Job Skills Employment Training for Older Workers takes place Oct 26th for those aged 55 - 64. The requirements are being unemployed, and legally entitled to work in Canada. Contact WLES for applications and more information at 250-398-5133 or inquiries@hortonventures.com

Matt Neufeld - Boys & Girls Club- Daycamp was full everyday, the baseball program was very popular (18 last year, 53 one week this year). Haunted House Oct 24 - 25 (by donation of a non perishable food item). World AIDS day Dec 1st (Dec 3rd event with school board and interior health regarding testing - celebration of testing). After school program has some space avail ($10/day, subsidies, or even payment plans are available).

Monica Johnson Working with CCPL on a new program. AND 2) Monica is now a Certified Adult Educator now (school is finished!). Speed skating is entering it's 5th season, and DOES have an adult program (everyone from 4 years - 50 or older). Lots of skates are available for use if you don't have a pair. The sport is easy on the body (low impact etc.). Friday (noon hour adult skate - drop-in). ALL ages!!

Jay Goddard - TRU Education Assistant Program (has 22 students). Looking for Practicum student project ideas (Jay will be in contact with people). 2nd year of diploma program is less attended). Different schedule format (2 or 3 courses for 6 week periods).

ADVANCE NOTICE - TRU Course Apr 15/16 from 10am - 4:30 pm ($179) - Gabor Mate, Peer Orientation: Why Children are Stressed, Why Parents and Teachers are Disempowered and How to Restore a Healthy Balance in Adult-Child Relationships. Call 250-392-8010 to register.

Bettina Egert CMHA (via Jessica Knodel) CONNECT Parent Group Workshops (until Dec 9th)

Sometimes wonder and worry about your child’s behaviour? Concerned about your relationship with your child? Feel like you just don’t know what to do? Past methods have focused on controlling the behaviour. Many parents and caregivers have struggled with this as it does not produce the results they hoped for.

THE CONNECT PARENT GROUP is a series of workshops in Williams Lake that takes a different approach than most other parenting groups. Rather than focusing on behavioural management techniques, the Connect Parent Group focuses on enhancing the building blocks of attachment, improving the parents’ ability to reflect before acting, and adjust their feelings so they respond more constructively to conflict. The series of free 10 one hour sessions is delivered over 10 weeks.

Parents watch role-plays presented by two facilitators that open new choices for responding to their adolescent’s difficult behaviour. Parents learn, for example, that conflict is part of attachment and is particularly acute during times, such as the transition through adolescence. Parents learn to ‘step back’ in emotionally charged situations, recognize and modify their own feelings, while considering the possible meanings behind their adolescent’s behaviour.

Throughout the sessions parents are also encouraged to reflect upon their own experiences — when they were adolescents as well as their present circumstances.

Helping parents feel more knowledgeable in these areas helps them understand their adolescent’s behaviours and needs. This allows parents to keep their emotions in check when dealing with difficult situations and use parenting strategies that clearly sets limits and expectations but does it in a way that maintains relationships.

Connect has promising outcomes, both short and long term. Parents report feeling less stressed and more effective in parenting; they see fewer behaviour problems and better social functioning in their teen. Parents who have participated in the group have provided positive feedback and indicated they feel respected and supported in the group.

Wednesday's from 5:30 - 7pm (until December 9^th, 2015)

There is no charge but pre-registration is required due to limited space.

Food and refreshments are provided.

To register or for more information on this program please contact Canadian Mental Health Association-Cariboo Chilcotin Branch 250-305-4487

Bruce Mack - CCPL - CCPL applied for funding (Community Action initiative grant - large network). Team of four went to workshops on social innovation - how can we better get parents and educators involved together. Little Moccasins, and Friendship Society partnership. Develop a process to determine what is working, and not working. How can we use this info to help address the gaps or local needs identified. Substantial funding for a two year program. This is long overdue, and very exciting. Monica is working on the evaluation side of it (later process under development now). Facilitator will be hired soon.  Want to start ASAP.  Critical role for supporting children's education (parental involvement in their schooling is VERY important).

Monica (adds from above). How can we measure the outcomes of this program? Creative ways to do this. Monica is working on this. Advisory group has began. Robust and dynamic measure of outcomes (not just a tick tick on a sheet of paper).

Meeting adjourned at 12:53 pm. Next meeting is Oct 26th location TBA