The Connector - Fall 2013

Fall 2013ConnectorThe

Advocacy 101

Thank You

SummerInterns

Show and Shine 2013

Our SundrOpS... And their Stories

new Staff

2 • The Connector • Fall 2013• www.clementscentre.org

Adult ProgrAmsClements Community

sundroPs Centre

20 Supported Independent Living Program22 Supported Employment Program24 The South End26 Campbell Welcomes...27 The Adventurers28 Seasons Gardening30 Clem’s Adventures31 More Summer Fun37 Pictures Worth 1000 Words

04 From the Board05 A Message from our Executive Director10 Show and Shine 201311 Nellie’s Purple Hats12 With Our Appreciation14 Staff Profile: Kathleen Dean14 Christy Leslie Bids Adieu 18 Children and Family Support19 CFS Summer Intern: Evan25 Kelsey’s Summer at Clements

07 The Art of Advocacy

13 Staff Profile: Diana Sharpe

16 Our Sundrops and Their Stories

SundropsCentre

for Child Development

ClementsCentre forCommunity Living

I n s p i r i n g B e y o n d B e l i e f

ConnectorThe

Fall 2013

Published by:The Clements Centre Society

5856 Clements Street | Duncan, British Columbia |

V9L 3W3clementscentre.org

EDITOrIAL TEAMGrAPHICS, LAyOuT, DESIGN & EDITING | JILLIAN NAPIEr

COPy EDITING | DIANNE HINTON

With sPeCiAl thAnks to All our Contributors!

www.clementscentre.org • Fall 2013 • The Connector • 3

From the Editorial Team

OK. I admit it. I am a transplanted Ontario girl. I love BC, but one of the things I miss most about “back east” is the spectacular display of fall colours. Every now and again, I get a glimpse of a fiery crimson or blazing orange leaf out here and it brings back memories of cold, crisp and bright autumn days when people trade in their shorts for their fleeces and tuques.

This fall in BC has been slightly different from our typical grey and windy days. Other than a cover of fog that settled over our island for several days, this autumn has been brilliant, with beautiful sunshine and fairly warm temperatures. I know that eventually the dull grey skies and the rain will be back, but that is when we can look to the Clements Centre Society for the rays of sunshine that we need to get us through until Spring.

yet again, I am inspired by the families who belong to the Sundrops Centre community. In this issue, we highlight a wonderful little girl named Penelope. She, and her family, have faced so many challenges throughout her short life. yet, through all the heart-ache and stress, she shines through as a bright, active and social little girl who is

“blossoming” through her time with the Sundrops Centre - like a drop of sunshine from the dark, grey sky.

The adult programs from the Clements Centre for Community Living continue to thrive. From the active and lively excursions of the South-Enders and the Adventurers, to the hands-on Seasons Gardeners, folks are always on the go! The younger generation took Clem on their summer exploits and we have a few reports from them. When the weather starts to get a little chillier, you might want to check out the CFS pages where you can reminisce about the good old SuMMEr days at the beach.

And finally, in the waning autumn glow, you can read about a few of the successes of both the Supported Independent Living and Employment Programs. These remarkable stories showcase the value of a little support going a long way towards living truly engaged and inspiring lives.

As always, so much in our community is inspiring. Inspiring. Beyond. Belief.

Enjoy!

Jillian [email protected]

Check out our latest videos . You can find them on youtube (search for Clements Centre Society) or watch for them on our website and facebook pages.

Extra! Extra!


Introducing One of Our Board Members

Tom Walker’s career spanned 35 years working for the BC Forest Service. He was stationed in many towns and regions throughout the province of BC. Tom worked his way up through the ranks concluding his career as the District Manager of the former Duncan Forest District. This district covered Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, complete with a complex variety of forestry and environmental challenges.

His professional training includes a diploma in Business Administration from BCIT, and he is a graduate of the Forest ranger school specializing in the protection of our forests.

Tom and his wife Pat moved to the Cowichan Valley in 1979. He has been active in many civic, community and professional organizations over the years. He is the past president of several local organizations including the Forest Discovery Centre, the Duncan rotary Club, Cowichan Valley Crimestoppers, and the Probus Club. He has served on the boards of the Cowichan Valley Basket Society and CArA – Low CostHousing Society.

Tom has been active in municipal politics serving 18 years on the Council of North Cowichan, including 3 years as Mayor. He also served on the board of the CVrD including 3 years as Chair.

Tom brings a successful record of community service, and he looks forward to the opportunity to serve on the board of the Clements Centre Society.


A Message from Our Executive Director

This past summer, Clements Centre received a three year accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of rehabilitation Facilities (CArF). CArF is an international organization that develops a set of operational standards (policies and procedures) based on the best practices in the field. Altogether, there are over 2,000 standards that Clements is required to meet in order to maintain its accreditation.

Every three years, the folks from CArF pay us a visit and take a very close look at everything we do. This includes interviewing staff from Clements, MCFD and CLBC, parents, caregivers, and people we support. So it is no small feat that we achieve this accreditation. Credit for this effort goes to the staff and volunteers at the Clements Centre as it is their tireless efforts that make this achievement possible.

In other good news - since the last newsletter, Clements received two very generous donations for which we are extremely grateful. A huge thank you to Lorin Inglis, Dave Paige and the organizers of the Shawnigan Lake Car Show as they chose the Sundrops Centre for Child Development to be the charity recipient of the proceeds raised by this very popular annual event. They raised an amazing $9,300 for the child development centre!

Another huge thanks goes out to the Duncan Volunteer Firefighters as this year their magic show raised the highest amount to date for the Clements Centre. The whopping $15,000 they raised goes

directly towards enabling us to have additional Occupational Therapy staff and helps reduce the long wait list we have at this time for that service.

On a less happy note, I am disappointed with the government’s decision to neglect to provide a global increase in funding to help agencies pay for the wage lift that the government negotiated in the last collective agreement. One of the biggest challenges facing us in the coming year will be to find a way to continue to fund this deserved increase in wages for our staff without cutting any of our services.

And to end on a positive note, I am thrilled to announce that coming up on November 14th and 15th, the Clements Centre Society is holding an Appreciative Inquiry Summit. This one and a half day gathering will bring together staff, parents, caregivers, board members, therapists, program participants and community partners in order to share ideas and work together to help create a vibrant and sustainable future for the Society. There is an open invitation to everyone connected to Clements Centre as we want to hear from the community. See the poster in this newsletter for more details and please join us for this exciting and important event.


Sundrops Advisory CommitteeFor more information, contact Delta McDonell at

[email protected]

Have Your Say

Join the Sundrops Advisory Committe

to help guide and support the Sundrops Centre in the delivery of accessible, quality child development

programs and services.


Creating a plan for advocacy can be a daunting task, especially for busy families with young children who may require extra supports. Community members have a role to play in supporting families and children but the personal stories with specific requests from families are more likely to influence public support and political decisions.

The Sundrops Centre for Child Development, a program of the Clements Centre Society is organizing an introductory workshop on advocacy for November 2013. Please watch for your invitation to the workshop or check our website in the near future for further information.

Families are the first and best advocates for their children.

Families know what their children need, to grow and thrive, and families know what they themselves need, to foster the healthy development of their children.

Families make daily decisions about what to provide to promote the health and well-being of their children.

Families decide on the food the children might eat, the activities the children might engage in, the routines that will make it all work for them and their child.

From time to time, families go outside their immediate circle for support in raising their child.

Families look to health professionals, educational supports and the community at large to support them in raising their children.

When those supports are not there, families may need to advocate for the services that we, as a community and a society, should be providing.

An advocate has been defined as one who

pleads in support of another and advocacy is defined as individuals banding together, rising up, and raising their voices in unison for what they believe in. When families are seeking more affordable child care, better access to child development services, a living wage to support their families or extra support at schools for their child, an advocacy plan may be part of the solution.

5 Steps to Building an Advocacy Plan for your Child

by Delta McDonell

ad·vo·ca·cy [ad-vuh-kuh-see]the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending

1. Identify the issue and your story about how it impacts you and your child

2. Define your specific request based on the facts related to the issue

3. Find other individuals who have the same issue as you and groups in the community who are sympathetic to your cause

4. Together, create a plan with specific tactics for getting your request in front of the right people or groups who have the authority to make the changes needed to address your issue

5. Take action and keep it going until you get the resolution you are looking for.


Effective Advocacy Strengthens Communities

Join the Family Support Institute and Sundrops Centre for Child Development in a workshop that can help you with effective advocacy skills to get the support and services your family needs!

DATE: Thursday November 21, 2013

TIME: There is a choice, either 10:00 AM to Noon or 6:30 to 8:30 PM

LOCATION: In the Agricultural Building right next door to 5856 Clements Street, Duncan.

The workshop is free but registration is required. Bursaries for travel or child care are available. To register, you can either;

• Call Diane Salo at 250 746-4135 local 273 or Ana Biello at 250 746-4135 local 272 or

• E mail Ana Biello at [email protected]

• Please register by Nov 15, 2013

SundropsCentre

for Child Development

ClementsCentre forCommunity Living

Appreciative Inquiry SummitNovember 14-15, 2013at Lunch on Clements

Help shape the future of the Clements Centre Society.

For more information, please contact Dianne Hinton at [email protected] or 250.746.4135 extension 222.

?


Show and ShineThe sun was shining, the chrome was glistening, it was a beautiful day for the Shawnigan Lake Show and Shine. This year, the organizers of the Shawnigan Lake Show and Shine decided to donate the proceeds from the show to the Sundrops Centre for Child Development. We were thrilled with the idea and wanted to participate so we brought along some activities for the children.

Keeping in mind a couple of activities that have gone over very well at other events, I decided to bring Imagination Station craft materials and bubbles. When I drove into the site and looked at all those beautiful cars with bright paint sparkling I realized I had made an error. I didn’t think the car enthusiasts would be pleased if children started blowing bubbles all over the place. I could just imagine that my name would be mud when bubbles started bursting on all those shiny cars. I left the bubble stuff in my car and set up the Imagination Station.

We had a great time, the children enjoyed the cutting, gluing, stamping and creating. The Sundrops team members who came to help with the children’s activities admired the cars, enjoyed the sunshine and participated in the silent auction.

by Delta McDonell


Nellie’s Purple Hats

The organizers of the event, Lorne and Dave in particular, did a fabulous job. There was music and food and cars and more cars, of all vintage, make and model. There were even a few motorbikes.

When the dust settled and the tallying was done, the Shawnigan Lake Show and Shine group presented Clements Centre Society with a cheque for $9300.00 for the Sundrops Centre for Child Development.

As we struggle with inadequate budgets, cramped quarters and increasing caseloads, this money is very much appreciated.

And even more than the money, the community support and acknowledgement of the work we do means so much to us.

So a very heartfelt thank you to the Shawnigan Lake Show and Shine folks for a great day and the very generous donation.

Nellie has been clicking for babies again. This year, she knit 77 purple hats for the Click for Babies campaign (clickforbabies.org), in support of the provincial Shaken Baby Awareness Program. Nellie says she started knitting when she was a small child. Her favorite thing to knit is baby hats. It doesn’t take too long to knit a hat, she says. Nellie also knits baby hats in other colours for the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary here in the Cowichan Valley. The hats are sold in the Auxiliary’s gift store at Cowichan District Hospital and in their thrift store in downtown Duncan as part of their fundraising efforts for the hospital.

Nellie says she will knit purple hats for the campaign again next year. She pays for most of the wool with her pension money. She does accept donations of soft yarn, purple or other colours. If you wish to join Nellie in supporting these worthwhile causes, you can

drop off your donations of soft baby yarn or knitted hats for newborns at 5856 Clements Centre.

Thank you Nellie, for using your excellent knitting skills in support of babies here and across the province!

by Delta McDonell


With Our Appreciation...The Clements Centre Society relies on financial contributions from our community to be able to offer the highest quality of support to as many people as possible. reductions in government funding, combined with a new provincial collective agreement resulting in increased wages for our staff, have put even more pressure on our operating budget. Since the last edition of the Connector, the following three organizations have come forward with large donations that will help the Society to continue to serve the people of this community.

Thanks go to the royal Bank of Canada foundation who started the ball rolling with a generous donation this summer. More kudos to the organizers from the Shawnigan Show and Shine car show, held this past June, which raised an impressive amount for their inaugural donation to the Sundrops Centre. And finally a heartfelt thanks goes out to the Duncan Volunteer Firefighters for their largest donation to the Society in their 20 year history with Clements.

Royal Bank Foundation $5,000

Shawnigan Show and Shine $9,300

Duncan Volunteer Firefighters $15,000

Thanks to:

The Sundrops Centre team receiving the cheque from Shawnigan Lake Show and Shine.


Hello! I am Diana Sharpe, an Occupational Therapist with the Sundrops Centre. I am grateful to have joined the Child Development Team at Sundrops in August. It is a gift to be able to serve families.

This fall, I am meeting parents of children born in 2009 and screening their child’s strengths and needs in the areas of motor skills and visual perception. I aim to form groups of children so we can practice together, in a playful way, the rhythms and activities of “school” (taking turns, following instruction, attending, singing, cutting, coloring, crafting, washing hands, cleaning up).

I enjoy all aspects of pediatric occupational therapy including feeding, toileting, play, and positive behavior support to enable best function! I have worked with over 50 families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the North Okanagan since 2004.

“I loved working with Diana… she forced me to reflect so that I was always giving the best of myself for myself and for my clients. Forward thinking, amazing “can-do” attitude and conscious of evidence based practices. Well rounded, both in practical and technical. Diana was an amazing individual to have worked with and to have learned from!”.

-from a past colleague

I am keenly interested in supporting parents in their journey while improving life skills and leisure abilities in children with ASD. I aim to target and support foundational skills that act as a bridge to improved peer relationships and quality of life.

In April, I relocated to Cowichan Bay, where I live with my husband and 3 young children. When not at work, I most enjoy being outside, biking, skating, and creating simple, delicious food in my kitchen. As a parent myself, I recognize parenting is the toughest job! I am energized being part of a service (Sundrops) which is family-centered and multi-disciplinary – it really does take a village to raise a child. I believe when professionals and teams work together with families, the greatest gains are made.

Staff Profile: Diana Sharpe, OT


Staff Profile: Kathleen Dean

Christy Leslie bids adieu

Hi, my name is Kathleen Dean. I am very excited to join the Clements Centre team in October as your new scheduler. I have an extensive background in administration and accounting.

One of my favourite work experiences was the time I spent working with Beacon Support Services in Victoria. I was involved in creating accessibility manuals for Beacon’s accreditation preparation and alsocreated spread sheets for scheduling and payroll.

I was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley and am looking forward to returning to work in the community.

Some of my interests include the native culture of the Cowichan Valley, camping, my pets, cooking and spending time with my friends and family.

I look forward to meeting and working with everyone. Please come in and say hello when you are in the Clements building.

Occasionally in life you meet someone and there’s an instant connection, a sense of ‘right-ness’. The day Christy Leslie walked into Clements is an example. It was as if Christy belonged at Clements. She had a wonderful dry humour, and an ability to get along with seemingly everyone she met.

Christy was hired at a time of transition in the administrative department. Changes to staffing and job descriptions, building

renovations and a move from offices to cubicles were underway. Somehow, even in her newness, Christy brought stability, calm and a sense that everything was going to be OK. Over time we settled into our new roles and into ‘cubby land’. Long after things quieted, it remained true that whenever things got a little crazy and it felt as though workloads were becoming a bit too much, Christy would be there, reminding us to relax, to breathe, and that everything would be OK!

by Dianne Hinton


“Pet friendly” - Megan

“Spirited” - Terri

“Fantastic” - Laura

“Forgiving” - Wendy

“Irrepressible and Irreplaceable” - Sheila (breaking the rules!)

“Very friendly” - Amber

“Extra-ordinary” - Kate who didn’t want to break the one-word rule!

“CFL-fan” - Jim

“Warm” - Julieta

“Concerned about the environment” - Shelley

“Only one?”

- Kayla

“Story teller” - Myna

This is not to say that she was a pushover! In fact, quite the opposite. When presented with the opportunity to protect the interests of the agency, Christy was able to tap into what I referred to as her ‘inner pit bull’. Now that she’s moved, I’m going to miss that pit bull!

I have to recognize that these are my thoughts only and that readers should not take my word for it! Instead, I challenged people to offer their own description of Christy with ONE WOrD. What fun!


Our Sundrops...John and I both grew up in the Lower Mainland, but recently moved to the Cowichan Valley from Cranbrook - the place we still seem to call home.

We are a blended family of five: John and I have two children together - Mira (8) and Penelope (3) - and then there is John’s eldest, the girls’ wonderful big sister Amber (11), with whom we share time regularly.

To be honest, we don’t get out much, but when we do, I’d say our favourite activities involve the water - the pool, the beach, wherever! Both the kids enjoy tubing, or fast rides on Grandma and Grandad’s motorized dinghy and we all had an amazing time at the Surf’s up surf camp this year in Tofino. We also LOVE the monthly Blind Beginnings outings we’ve attended. The girls all love, and show an affinity for, climbing, and as I was an avid climber (and instructor) a lifetime ago, we are trying to find a way to get out and do this! Over Thanksgiving the girls’ uncle Peter - John’s brother - helped us build an indoor climbing wall.

Our little Penelope is three years old. She is bright and active and social - the perfect final addition to our family. She was born with relative ease, following an uncomplicated pregnancy. Her big sister Mira is blind, and while genetic testing had not come back to confirm a genetic link, we knew there was still a possibility her blindness was genetic in nature and that our new little babe could have the same condition.

We asked our midwife and nurses not to check for blindness right away: We know people have a difficult time hiding their dismay around a child’s blindness, and we didn’t want other people’s sadness to change the tone of what was a very

happy moment for us, whether our child was blind or not. regardless, we both knew right away.

Our well-meaning Paediatrician delivered the news with a cheery smile, that Penelope had a “totally different” eye condition than her sister: “just a quick cataract removal and she’ll be able to see just fine!” We didn’t believe it, but because the doctor said it, that is the story we sold family and some friends. We knew what her outcome would be, but we wanted to break the news gradually... gently.

At six days, Penelope (then still “Baby Girl Cotter-Taylor”) and I flew to Vancouver for the first of four or five

surgeries to try to repair Penelope’s retina. After multiple “unsuccessful” surgeries (including an accidental retinal tear, and a seizure in response to pre-surgery meds) we decided we were not on board with further surgeries - the best outcome we could hope for at this point was intermittent light perception in one eye, and it was not worth the trauma of travel, sedation, surgery. Having been there, done that, we felt well equipped to tackle any developmental issues arising from her blindness and knew we were in good hands with our local Infant Development Program, many of whom had become close family friends via Mira.

A Little About Us

Penelope

Penelope enjoying a visit to the pumpkin patch.

by Bridie Cotter


...And Their StoriesPenelope continued to progress well, a little behind from both a gross and fine motor perspective, but VEry social. She was just pulling to stand and cruise a bit before her first birthday, but by the last week of February, had been unable to bear her own weight. Three weeks later, a week before the appointment we’d made to discuss her diminishing mobility, she broke her femur.

In the hospital I flippantly suggested she had Osteoporosis Pseudogliomoa Syndrome (OPPG) - flippantly because (though a rare disorder) I’d tabled it after hearing from the Paediatrician at Sunnyhill (when I suggested Mira might have it) that it was

“impossible.”

I have to admit to being a little unsettled when the locum who attended her fracture took me seriously and made a referral, but I couldn’t be more grateful that he did. We learned that Penelope, in addition to her broken femur - had several spinal fractures, which had been impacting her ability to bear her own weight. Subsequent genetic testing confirmed that she had OPPG. From here, we were able to confirm her big sister’s diagnosis of OPPG, uncovering several of her own undiagnosed spinal fractures, accumulated over the years, but that is another story...

Penelope recovered from her fractures relatively unscathed and began semi-annual bisphosphonate infusions to help with her bone density. She continued to thrive and though she was behind developmentally, was growing into a very happy-go-lucky little girl. In March 2012, my husband was offered a job in Duncan, and we began to prepare for a move.

Infant Development teams have been an important part of our family life since Mira was six weeks old. They followed her through infancy and toddlerhood; through two different communities and right into Kindergarten. The relationships we made with our team in Cranbrook were lasting and our consultants and therapists became part of our core social group. Our IDP consultant (by that time a close friend) even came on a midnight emergency road trip from Cranbrook to Calgary to help with Penelope when Mira was taken to Foothills by helicopter after going into respiratory failure following an attempt to stop a particularly bad seizure.

Prior to having children of my own, I was working in early intervention as a behaviour therapist. I deeply believe in the value of addressing a child’s developmental needs as soon as possible. With this philosophy so ingrained, and with our overwhelmingly positive experiences with our previous IDP teams, the first call I made upon learning we would be moving, was to the Sundrops Centre. I wanted to start to make some

connections and get services for Penelope in place for our arrival.

Honestly, the consultants and therapists at Sundrops have been a lifeline for our family since our move. It has been a

really, really tough transition and Penelope’s health has been challenged quite a bit since our move - she started having status seizures in October, pneumonia in January, became severely ill with anemia due to bone marrow suppression in February, broke her leg in April and then again in May (the day after her cast removal.)

Everyone we have come into contact with has been wonderful, but in particular, Melanie, Namma, Terri, Diane and Bev have shown us so much kindness and warmth and compassion. They have all worked hard to support Penelope’s development through her triumphs and her setbacks alike, and have provided me tremendous emotional support while I struggle to adjust (reluctantly) to my new community.

recently, Penelope had a chance to attend a playgroup and her experience was nothing short of amazing. She really blossomed in her brief time away from me each week, having an opportunity to be with other children, under the guidance of this truly caring team. I am so grateful we had this experience. For me, some much needed downtime, and for Penelope, a huge opportunity for growth!

Honestly, the consultants and therapists at Sundrops have been a lifeline for our family since our move.

“

“

The Sundrops Centre

If you have a Sundrops story to share, please email

us at:[email protected]


Children and Family Support


As a summer student at Clements Centre in July and August 2013, I could not have asked for a better experience.

I was kindly welcomed by the staff and openly greeted by the clients; I quickly found my place in the CFS summer program. Although I had limited experience working with children who have disabilities, I felt that I was presented with an opportunity to learn and grow as both an employee and as an individual at Clements.

Additionally, I was presented with the opportunity to swim, bowl, and visit IMAX movies with a perpetually enthusiastic clientele.

As I return to the busy schedule of a university student, the staff and clients from Clements are never far from my mind. The summer of 2013 was very kind to me, and my position at Clements was an integral part of the ultimate summer. I have been inspired to continue working with children with special needs, and I look forward to returning to Clements in spring 2014.

Our CFS Summer Intern: Evan

I have been inspired to

continue working with children with

special needs...

““

by Evan Matthews


SILP & SEPCindy Collins - Program CoordinatorLibby Searle – SEP job Coach and Community DeveloperVicki Eason – SILP (SEP as needed)Marlene Smiley – SILP (SEP as needed)Jennifer Kosh – SILP/SEP

supported independent living Program or silP – what exactly does that mean? yes, we support people with disabilities who live independently. And, yes, our primary role is to find community resources that allow the individual to maintain their independence without the use of a caregiver model. But this is still a question left unanswered for most.

If you have read our program description on the website, you may have a general idea of what services we offer to people with disabilities, but that description does not capture the essence of our work or the exciting challenges the team in SILP has overcome. In the following bio, we hope to share one of those successes. In order to protect confidentiality, we have not used a real name and have blended clients with similar needs using similar resources into one person.

Thomas was referred to the SIL program after repeated emergency visits to the hospital for seizures and eventually being admitted to the psychiatric ward even though he did not present with any mental illness. The staff in the hospital advocated for a support plan before he was released.

Thomas has had various kinds of support through the years…. unsuccessfully. He is very independent and has had negative experiences in the past with group homes and support workers, so he was resistant to all efforts to help him. His seizures were out of

control and, although he takes his own medication, he often forgot to take them or chose to take too much. He also lived in a high risk home that he wanted to leave, but was unable to for various reasons. He suffered from suicidal thoughts and was at risk of harming himself at times, so police were often involved as well as a very frustrated Crisis Line. And he wanted to work.

Today, with the support of SILP staff, Thomas’s seizures are better managed with a new doctor, a neurologist, and regular medication. SILP staff were also able to negotiate with CLBC for funding to purchase an automatic medication

by Cindy Collins


Thomas is one of many people who just needed the right connections and support to be successful living on their own. The SILP team has supported up to 19 people at one time in various ways, and each time we have gained more knowledge and discovered new resources within our own community. Although we access many resources for a diverse group of individuals, the resources used to support Thomas included:

• Developmental Disability Mental Health Team (DDMHT)

• Vancouver Island Community Support Services (VICSS) - Behaviour Consultant

• Home Support Services (in-home medical support)

• Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (Nutritional Supplement)

• E-Pill (online resource)• Wal-Mart – “Good Works Committee”• VIu – Hairdressing Program/Hair Salon • Community Living BC Cowichan Valley Food

Bank• Providence Farm Free Store (clothing)• Warmland Shelter (food, small clothing items,

laundry, and community information)• Clements Centre Society and Supported

Employment Program• Pharmasave

dispenser that sends an alert if medication has not been taken. The pharmacy is presently learning about this exciting new technology, and Thomas will begin using it next month!

Thomas now lives in a beautiful apartment that he is very proud of. With the help of SILP staff he has obtained additional funding from the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation that will cover his nutritional needs better; we helped him acquire some clothing at no cost from Wal-Mart’s “Good Works Committee”, Providence Farm Free Store, Warmlands Shelter and from generous donations by staff’s personal contacts; and we located free haircutting for Thomas with the hairdressing students at the VIU Salon.

He has forged relationships with not only SILP staff but with a number of people in the Clements circle. He continues to expand his personal connections with others.

With the involvement of the Developmental Disability Mental Health Team (DDMHT) and the Behavioural Consultant (VICSS), Thomas’s suicidal ideation has virtually disappeared. And, finally, Thomas is being paid for some contract work and is actively seeking employment with our very own job coach (see more about Supported Employment on the following pages).

We are fortunate in this type of work that we sometimes can have very tangible results for the people we are supporting. For Thomas it is from the smile on his face when we see him, his own report to DDMHT that on a scale of 1 to 10 he is feeling 10, and the comments from family and professionals that Thomas is doing better than he ever has before!


Supported Employment ProgramWhat an exciting year for a small, but growing program! With only one fulltime staff and minimal supervisory time, we have still managed to push forward in both of the goals for SEP – expanded community development and successful job coaching in a desired place of employment.

Supported Employment is unique in the services it provides to individuals with disabilities, as well as employers, in our community. Our motto is

“real Work for real Pay” and our role is to support individuals who are referred by CLBC (and are employment-ready) to search for, prepare for, and obtain employment, in an integrated work site of their choosing.

We work collaboratively with the individual to determine skills, abilities, and interests as well as potential barriers (such as required training, transportation concerns, and medical or other issues) before we begin the job search process. We may even use our own resources to connect qualified

individuals to the employer. But the client, with our assistance, will obtain the job on their own merit. What a satisfying way to start a job!

At this point, we deviate from the practises of other, equally skilled, employment agencies in the Cowichan Valley. This program is the only one offered in the Cowichan Valley that will provide long term on-site training for the new employee (job coaching). We will coach the individual in their job as long as necessary, and, even after stepping back, can be asked to provide assistance if needed. The employer gets SEP staff for free! The following are 2 stories that presented different challenges for the individual, the employer, and/or the job coach and highlights what was done to address them in order to be successful in new jobs.

To maintain confidentiality, real names have not been used.

by Cindy Collins

Bonnie is a young woman with a lot of experience in banquet room cooking and a small restaurant. She has skills in prep work in both environments, and wanted to continue working in the kitchen at a restaurant/ bar. She left her previous job to move back home and is now looking for work.

Bonnie lives in a small town outside of Duncan and does not drive, which we identified as a transportation barrier due to inadequate bus routes. While we initially helped her look for work within walking distance of her home, we were not successful with the local employers in this community.

We turned to an existing employer who is a strong supporter of individuals with disabilities in the workforce and we were able to set up interviews for a location that was on the bus route from Bonnie’s home. The job coach then spent time riding the bus with Bonnie so she could learn the route and assessed Bonnie on the job to determine other training or supports that would be needed during job coaching.

The Manager at this location was also new to employing people with disabilities and needed some skills in coaching someone with cognitive processing challenges. The job coach and Bonnie worked together with the new Manager to better understand Bonnie’s learning needs.

Bonnie is happy to be working and is quite satisfied with the job she is presently doing, as we continue to coach and support her.


Donna is a middle aged woman who has not worked for a number of years and did not have any paid work experience. She has multiple physical disabilities but was determined to find employment and was willing to try just about anything!

Donna lives independently and has for many years, but wanted to supplement her meager income by obtaining a job. In SEP, we recognize the difficulty for individuals having to survive on their disability cheques, so initially we offer a short term training program that allows us to assess employment readiness while individuals are paid minimum wage for the work they do.

Donna willingly joined any crew she could and was obviously ready to start employment.

The job coach (now wearing the community development hat) had been learning more about a small grocery business and was just waiting to place the right person. We felt Donna might be that person.

Initially, the potential employee would be working with food, so would require Food Safe Certification. The job coach attended Foodsafe with Donna, and through lots of preparation and some modification of the exam (i.e. oral test), Donna passed.

The surprise for us came when Donna started her job and the Manager said that he would like to give her some time to learn different parts of the store gradually and without the support of a job coach, unless needed. He was adapting the job to suit the individual – we call that customizing, and most employers need coaching themselves to do this!

Donna continues to have regular check-ins from the job coach, but is doing well and gaining new skills all the time. Her employer is happy with her work and reports how well she doing. Another success for both parties!

SEP has a caseload of 14 individuals, but, as with SILP, the desire for employment is spreading and more individuals are being supported by CLBC (through additional funding) to access our service. While much of the work in SEP is geared to the individual planning and support, a great deal of the “leg work” is being done in the Community Development role.

libby searle, our coach and developer, is involved in various committees and events that promote who we are and what we can do for businesses and employers in our community. Her involvement in Community resource Awareness Day, the Chamber of Commerce, Sprott Shaw, Employnet, and various local events, provincial initiatives, and employer sensitivity training has begun to put the CCS Supported Employment Program on the map. Well done, Libby!


South End ProgramThe South End Day Program has grown so much in the 5 ½ years we have been operating. It all began in humble surroundings - the Auld Kirk, a tiny church building in Shawnigan Lake Village with a handful of participants and staff and a vision of a great future. Participants and staff shaped the program to include community involvement, volunteering, employment and lots of fun.

And then we grew in numbers and we had to say goodbye to our tiny church and move on to a church rectory house that belongs to St John’s Anglican Church in Cobble Hill. The house was bigger, the yard was beautiful and we had a rural setting in which to grow. And grow we did.

We grew so much that we once again had to move, this time to another retired church in the Village of Cobble Hill. We are here to stay; Clements Centre purchased the building last fall, 2012. We are constantly evolving our program to cater to the needs and desires of the participants. We put out a weekly schedule which is driven by the participants. It includes Monday Music, swimming, baking, cooking, newspaper delivery, library, a weekly daylong outing, and twice a month, we celebrate Friday with lunch out at a restaurant. Our group also splinters off to include participants who wish to volunteer at the Salvation Army, wash police cars, visit friends in Activation Leisure, and soon, some will be participating in Karate class.

The summer was fun here at the South End and PIC Program. We welcomed two participants to the program boosting our numbers to thirteen. Summer activities (in addition to our regular activities that we do throughout the year) included: painting pottery at the Crafty Cuppa Café in Chemainus, sailing with the Pirate Ship Adventure in Victoria, swimming in various lakes within the Cowichan Valley, attending the Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington, walking to the Kinsol Trestle, listening to live music at Duncan Days, enjoying Transfer Beach, attending Intercultural Days, walking the Nanaimo Waterfront, attending a play at the Chemainus Theatre, enjoying a BBQ at Goldstream Park, going to the Luxton Fair...just to name a few!

We kept Terje busy throughout the summer. He painted the portable building, repaired the roof, installed an internet cable and much more. The portable, for those who don’t know, is a building, behind the South End building. The PIC Program (first initial of each of the three participants who attend) is accessed from there. The portable is now furnished and operates independently.

by Kim Welsby


My Summer at Clementsby Kelsey Highsted

I had a fantastic and inspiring summer. I was involved in the administration side of the Centre. A few of my tasks included helping to redesign the policies and procedures manual, got to help out at the reception desk and the best part, interacting with the clients! I met some wonderful people, and there wasn’t a day that I wasn’t laughing at some point. I learned so much in this job, I learned about the importance of community

programs and services. This job was a great stepping stone for me because I am currently enrolled in the Community Family and Child Studies Program at Camosun College. Working at Clements cemented for me that I am going in the right direction career-wise. I loved getting to know all of the people supported by the Centre. I really appreciated the opportunity to work at Clements this summer, I loved it!!

CLEMENTS

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““I was asked to write a little something

about my summer as a student at Clements, so I thought it would be a good

idea to come up with some words that I associate with the Clements Centre.


Welcoming Our Latest Addition to Campbell StreetThe Campbell Street group is happy to welcome Steven Thompson to his new home. Steven will be 32 years old this November and comes to us from Bowser, BC. He will usually greet you with a huge smile as he enjoys meeting new friends.

Steven loves to help anywhere he can around the house with things such as cooking meals, baking treats and putting the laundry in the washing machine. He helps take out the garbage and puts the groceries away. Steven enjoys working so much that he already has several jobs including garbage pickup, visiting cats at the SPCA, distributing flyers for the Cowichan Men’s Group and helping at the food bank. He brings a lot of excitement to his jobs and looks forward to his working days.

Steven is also a collector...he saves newspapers, magazines, stuffed animals, coloring books and pop cans, which he exchanges for money, music CDs and DVDs. Some of his other favourite things are shopping, singing at Karaoke and having a drink while there.

Steven is happy to be at Campbell Street with his new housemates. If you see him around Clements Centre, be sure to say “HI!”, as he is always excited to make a new friend.

“... Steven loves to help anywhere he can around the house...”

by Jan Bradford


Once again, it was a busy summer with numerous activities. We attended a BBQ in Coombs, hosted by our friends Chris and Larry, with others from Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum. Always nice to head up that way and make some new friends!

We participated in the new “Hippo Tours” out of Victoria. This amphibious bus took us on a tour of downtown Victoria and then “splashed “ into the water and gave us a tour of the Inner Harbour. The best part….the Hippo Splash!! And on that note, let’s not forget the Pirate Ship Adventure. This has become an annual event, which lets us be pirates for a couple of hours, and it has become a much loved event by clients and staff alike!

Moving on to firmer ground, we visited the Chemainus Theatre for some fun with a robert Munsch compilation performance.

We finally made our way to the go-cart track at Western Speedway - a client request that was a long time in coming. That was an interesting experience...but lots of fun!

We had some of our athletes head off to Langley for Special Olympics Provincials this summer as well. They brought back lots of stories, excitement and medals!!

To end the summer, Donna, Heather and 3 fans of the Twilight book/movie series, went to Forks, Washington (where they are based) to see the landmarks. Vampires and werewolves, OH My! It was a fun and exciting 2 days. Lots of sights to see, beautiful scenery, beaches and, of course, shopping!

We did the usual Cowichan and Nanaimo Exhibition and the Luxton Fair. rides and animals galore. We also participated in the normal summer activities of baseball at the Duncan Community Lodge and lots of picnics.

It was an enjoyable summer but, alas, fall has set in and the fun and frolicking has ended. Now we begin the indoor, rain-avoiding, activities!

Out and About with the Adventurersby Donna MacPhee


The Seasons Gardening group has been very busy this spring and summer. We have fully utilised our new raised beds that we built in the spring, growing an abundance of flowers for dried

arrangements. These will be for sale as well as for the participants’ use.

The raised beds included an arbour used to grow gourds - some for crafts for Clements participants and some for sale. We are also

using the arbour to train a grape vine and a kiwi plant, hopefully with fresh fruit next year.

Next year, we hope to make more raised beds if we can get lumber donations, as it is expensive. Our perennial beds have grown larger this year as we added plant divisions from the garden at the Clements Centre as well as new ornamental grasses. We have also added new herbs to our collection; some of them have been used in food dishes in Lunch on Clements.

These herbs will also be for sale. As the plants grow they will be offered for sale both fresh and dried.

This year, we grew lots of flowers so we could replenish our seed supply as the old ones were outdated and seeds are expensive - also you don’t get very many, so hopefully this will

bring us lots of new flowers next year.

We grew some pumpkins this year in one of the unused beds at ryall from old seeds we were going to throw away. We ended up with some small ornamental ones as well as a few large ones. Lunch on Clements made some delicious pies as well as pumpkin tarts for all the garden group - thank you LOC!

We would also like to thank Dan’s group, The yard Wrestlers, for all the work they do helping keep the

grounds at ryall looking great and helping to keep the weeds down as there are so many and only so much we can do. We would also like to thank those who donated composted manure to help our garden grow.

by John Madden


There have been a few changes to the garden at the Clements Centre. Things have become a little over-grown so we will be dividing up more plants both this fall and spring. Also we will be moving things around in the garden and adding new plants to the beds. Don’t worry we will make it beautiful!

The birds seem happy this year as they haven’t left the garden and they have had two sets of young. The fish have all survived and have become tame as they will come to the surface looking for food.

Another thing we have done is give the front garden bed at Clements Centre a new look. We have removed a lot of the old plants that we will pot up and offer for sale - mainly creeping thyme. The plants we have chosen are small and will only reach about three feet high so as not to block out the windows and because there isn’t a lot of soil in the bed, these plants have to adapt with smaller root balls until they grow. When they do get bigger, we will move a few of the older plants around. In the meantime, there will be space for annuals until they grow. We still have to put the green house together and there is always lots of fall clean up to do as most of the plants are deciduous.

Happy gardening and stay tuned for our spring report!


For a little guy without a suitcase, Clem sure gets around. We figure that Clem is proabably the most well-travelled member of the Clements community and we are guessing there is photo evidence out there to prove it. If you have photos and a story about one of Clem’s travelling adventures, please send it to us at [email protected], so we can include it in upcoming editions of the Connector.

Laura, Julie and Amber enjoying a drink with Clem in Vancouver.

This past summer, Clem made it over to the big city for a concert with a few of the younger, hipper crowd. Here are a few submissions of their adventures.


More Summer Fun

In August, Laura, Maria, Debbie and I

went to the PNE. It was so much fun.

The first thing we did when we got off

the ferry was go wait for our bus. The

first bus was full, so we took a taxi.

Then we got there we went on the

Tea Cups which were so much fun.

Later we went on the balloon ride, the

rollercoaster and bumper cars. After

that, we ate our way through the fair

and got to see Family Feud. It was

funny and awesome - that was one of

my favourite parts of the day. I really

enjoyed hanging out with the ladies at

the PNE.- Julie

This summer, I graduated. I like when

I have a lot of fun at Cowichan High

Secondary School, when I had a fun

grad year. Its fun! I danced with Steen.

When I start Clements I am working in

the kitchen.I love to hang with my friends - with

Laura and Amber and Julie - we are a

great Moving On Young Adults Group

(MOYA).

- Arreanna

We took Clem to Vancouver in July to

a New Kids on the Block concert. We

took him to the restaurant. He had a

drink of pop. Clem slept with me and

Julie in the bed. We had fun

at 98 Degrees & Boyz II Men. We took

the taxis to the ferry boat on the way

to Vancouver. We took the bus to

the hotel. We had a relaxing time.

We had pop and treats. We had

cazzies for a snack in the room

then we went for supper then we

went to the concert. We got back

to our room at 11:00 at night.

Then we caught the ferry back

from Vancouver. Me, Laura,

Julie and Julie’s mom took us.

- Amber

Mom and I took Amber and Julie with

Clem to Vancouver for New Kids on

the Block with 98 Degrees. It is fun

and we went to BC Summer Games.

It is all so fun. Before everything we

took a photo of us having fun with

Clem.

- Laura


C h r i s t m a s

V a r i e t y

S h o w

2 0 1 3

Please join us on Wednesday December 11th

for the Christmas Variety Show

from 1:00-3:00 in Activation/Leisure.

Everyone is welcome!


Sock Drive 2013

Help us eradicate cold feet

in the Cowichan

Valley.

Not everyone has proper footwear for the winter months. It is important that they at least have warm

socks. That is why we aim to collect

2013 pairs of socks by December 11th.Help us to meet our goal by donating new socks to the Clements Centre Society. They can be any colour, size,

or material - we’re not picky! We’ll make sure they find their way to chilly feet.

You can drop them off at 5856 Clements Street in Duncan, by December 11th.


Quality, affordable yard care service with

outstanding customer care.

We are the yard Wrestlers. The yard Wrestlers is a co-op partnership run by individuals with developmental disabilities. We provide a quality, reliable and affordable range of yard care services to fit your needs - from lawn mowing to weeding and rubbish removal. We do it all!

Our business idea started with one word community. Community is where we live, where we work and the place we are proud to call home. Communities thrive when we all support one another.

Let us get a hold of your yard!

The Yard Wrestlers

provides self-employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to be active and productive employees within their community.

Please contact Dan Cairns at the Clements Centre for Community Living at 250-746-4135 ext. 243 or [email protected] for more information.

The Yard Wrestlers


SmileCardFundrais i ng P rog ram

Help Us Raise Funds for:

____________________________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Group Name:

Contact Name:

Contact Email:

Contact Phone:

________________

________________

Our Fundraising Goal:

Funds Accumulated to Date:

$

$

When shopping at Thrif ty Foods , here is an easy way to support our cause!

u Pick up a Fundraising card from the group contact

u Load your Fundraising card at any Thrif ty Foods store

u Shop for your groceries

u Continue to reload the card before each grocery shop

It ’s that Simple!

Thrif ty Foods automatical ly donates 5% into our group account based on funds loaded from each member card .

Clements Centre Society

Use as much as

possible so we

can earn the

maximum amount

from Thrifty’s!!

3rd Annual United Way Cowichan

Run for the Claus

December 8, 2013 6km run &

3km walk, or shuffle

$20 Registration, includes Santa Suit!

TO REGISTER ONLINE www.cowichan.unitedway.ca

or call Tel: 250-748-1312

· 10:00-10:30 Registration

· 10:30 warm-up

· 11:00 START!

To join the Clements team for the run, please contact

Lisa Chileen at 250-746-4135 ext. 233 or

by email: [email protected]


We could simply tell you about how much fun we have around here, but for this edition, we thought some photo evidence would be even more convincing!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Join us for our next edition of the Connector,

coming this spring.

Follow us on facebook or check out our web site at www.clementscentre.org

Supported by the United Way.

The Connector - Fall 2013

Documents

Transcript of The Connector - Fall 2013