Though the month seemed to zoom by, Care did welcome new team members!
4 Support Workers hired in Grande Prairie
2 Health Care Aides hired at Stone Brook
1 LPN hired at Stone Brook
September saw 12 internal referrals and one referral from
August was hired.
As the Fall season begins, we are saying good-bye to our Human Resources Team Lead. Nichole Radersma has decided to grab life by the kilt and move to Scotland! We wish you the best of luck and hope that you packed a raincoat.
Stepping in will be Kristina Ferrier and Kylee Lefebvre. Kristina will be looking after Recruitment Performance Management and Kylee WCB, Employee Management and as well as taking care of updating our systems.
Get to know Kristina;
I have been with Care Human Services since February of this year. I was hired into Human Resources as a Recruitment Coordinator. I have a love for the ever-changing role of HR, and it shows. I moved from Southern Ontario in 2014 and made Grande Prairie my home. I enjoy living in the heart of the city with my boisterous dog Otis. I also love to travel, and usually Otis comes along for the ride.
And Kylee!
I was born and raised in Bonanza Alberta just outside of Dawson Creek. I moved to Grande Prairie to attend GPRC in 2014 and graduated from there with my Office Management Diploma. I have and amazing fiancé and two babies (dogs) Sadie and Baxter who are my absolute world! I have always wanted to get into Human Resources and could not think of a better organization and team to build my career with!
In order to provide the best care for Individuals receiving
CARE supports, we do all we can to better understand what Individuals are going
through and experiencing.
Some Individuals receiving CARE supports live with schizophrenia
described as “a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in
the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty
perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and
personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental
fragmentation”.
To help understand what that means, CARE team members take the Hearing Voices That Are Distressing Workshop – a simulated training experience as presented by Alberta Health Services’ CONNECT Community Support Team.
The Workshop is described as a “groundbreaking
empathy-building exercise which helps students, mental health professionals and
first responders understand the challenges and strengths of people who
experience psychosis.”
It was developed by Patricia Deegan who was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was a teenager. She went on to get her B.S. and Ph.D. and is the creator of the CommonGround Program.
So, what is it?
Participants are given a set of headphones to wear and what
they hear are ‘distressing voices’. While having the voices play in their ears,
they are asked to complete simple tasks such as reading and comprehension or
putting together puzzles.
It is substantially harder for participants to concentrate
on the task at hand and can lead to feelings of frustration, distress, fear or
anger.
What is learned?
Participants leave with a better understanding of how hearing voices get in the way of day-today life.
Sometimes the voices relay negative messages and sometimes
the voices are sounds like humming or grinding. As explained in the workshop,
the voices can come from objects like windows or buildings or body parts. The
voices can resemble people the person knows, speak in a clear language or
mumble and not be understandable. Sometimes the voices whisper and sometimes
they yell.
Some voices engage in conversations while other voices
insist the person listen and obey orders given.
The voices can be triggered by anything and be heard
multiple times a day or just once.
What is also learned is that no two experiences are the
same.
In 1969, thePeace River and District Association for the Mentally Retarded organization registered under the Societies Act. It operated two schools and a dormitory called Sunshine House.
There were two classrooms in Falher and Cosmos School began
operation in Peace River.
After Falher formed its own organization and the Peace River
School Division took responsibility of running Cosmos School, Sunshine House
was turned into a group home and the Society began the task of re-identifying
its purpose.
The organization’s mandate changed in 1979 to include
physical disabilities. The
organization’s named was changed to reflect that, becoming the Peace River and District Association for
People with Special Needs.
Under the new name and mandate, the Independent Living
Skills Program was created, and Individual Program Plans were introduced.
Other programs followed such as the Language Development
Program and the Vocational Program.
As the
organization continued to grow and evolve. The General Service Plan was
established in January 1987 and in March of that year it was decided that the
organization’s name be changed to the North
Peace Community Living Society.
The
Society’s two major focuses now were education and housing. More programs were
added, and the Society developed businesses to serve as training and employment
centers.
In 2003 the
organization amalgamated with New Horizons and the Independent Living Society
creating Accredited Supportive Living
Society. This broadened our service area to include Grande Prairie.
Services
and programs continued to expand and in 2006 the organization changed from a
Society to an Incorporated Company: Accredited
Supportive Living Services Limited. ASLS
had 14 facilities in Grande Prairie, Le Crete, High Prairie,
Grimshaw and Peace River and provided supports through numerous programs;
Homeless Supports Program, Brain Injury Support Program, CAPCC Program, Family
Support Program, FASD Support/ P-CAP Programs, Designated Supportive Living
Program, Independent Living Program, Residential Supports Program and
Behavioural Supports Program.
Who we are now.
The organization changed its name in July 2019 to Care Human
Services Ltd.
Our CEO Rilla Websdale had this message to share:
We decided to take the opportunity of our 50th Anniversary of being a charity to roll out a new brand in 2019. Our new legal name will be Care Human Services Ltd.
We chose Care because it is a clear and simple statement of our values. We are compassionate and empathetic humans providing respectful and skilled support to the people we have been entrusted to provide care to, ensuring their needs are met in a way that fosters their growth, development, and meaningful community inclusion.
Our new logo speaks to what Care means to each of us. It is reminiscent of a tree, suggesting life and growth, being an integral part of the environment, and providing shelter. The circular shape suggests a gentle embrace, and the safe space we provide for Individuals to live and be supported. The upward projection of the arrows represents empowerment, and the success and growth we all aspire to witness in each Individual, and one another. And finally, the base of the logo speaks of the support that ensures a strong foundation for Individuals to flourish in their lives.
We have also taken this opportunity to update our existing Stone Brook brand, which is now better connected to the overall Care identity.
Thank you for being part of ASLS and your continued dedication, as we move into the next 50 years of providing empowered care to Individuals in Alberta.
August flew by and much like July saw some new hires.
Taking a
look back on August there were;
3
new Community Support Worker hires in Peace River and Grimshaw
1
new LPN hire at Stone Brook
There were
also 9 internal referrals this month.
HR spotlight: Anita Giesbrecht
We are welcoming back Anita to the Care team! Here is her story:
I started working for Care (ASLS) in June of 2016. I originally planned on working part time. That quickly changed to full time as I loved the new challenges I was facing.
I was a full time CSW and worked a lot of extra hours. I enjoyed being with the individuals we supported.
I saw the Saskatoon Lake property grow. A position of Supervisor opened up and I applied. My role of supervisor was very enjoyable and I enjoyed this for many months.
A position of Team Lead opened up and I took on the new challenge. Work was busy and again, so enjoyable.
In November of 2018 I made the hard decision to resign as my family needed me at home. Fast forward to June 2019 and the part time position of Food Support Worker came up. It was the perfect opportunity for me to ease back into work.
Have you tried GOeVisit yet? It is a Virtual Healthcare network for full-time Care employees and there are NO limits on the number of times you use it!
Where is it?
You can find the link in the Employees tab on the carehelps.ca website or you can download the app.
How it works:
After you have created your account and signed in, click on your profile.
Now you choose what health concern you need care for. There are numerous options; everything from bladder infection to ear pain, birth control to acne. There are more than 450 medical conditions to choose from.
Once you choose your health concern you will be prompted to start your SmartExam.
From there
you will be asked a series of questions to get a better understanding of your health
concern and symptoms.
At anytime
you are able to restart the exam.
Once all your information is compiled and analyzed, you will be given instructions of what to do. That could be seek immediate care from a hospital, make an appointment for care or a representative will call you and help fill your prescription at a pharmacy of your choosing.
The
SmartExam can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
Under the name The Peace River and District Association for People with Special Needs, our organization received funding confirmation in January of 1982 for another group home.
Initially, the organization looked to build in Peace River but there was opposition from some members of the community. The Town of Grimshaw contacted our organization asking if they would consider building a home there, in Grimshaw as the community was already in favor of it. The Society agreed and land was purchased.
A fundraising committee was established to raise funds
for home furnishings.
The first-of-three fashion shows was held March 9,
1983 and was called “Changes ‘83”.
The event raised over $2,000.
Construction on the home in Grimshaw was complete in
April of that year and the Grand Opening was held November 16, 1983. It was
attended by the organization board Vice-President Cindy Wagner and Association
Executive Director Susan Magee as well as numerous community members.
The second fashion show “Jubilation ‘84’ was held
February 28 & 29, 1984 and raised over $3,400.
The third and last fashion show “Alive ‘85” was held
May 23 &24, 1985 and was called a success as well.
Our organization now owns numerous homes in Grimshaw as well as the Designated Supportive Living facility Stone Brook which just celebrated its 5th Anniversary this past March.
(L to R) Cindy Wagner, association vice-president; Wayne Wywrot, CMHC program manager; Susan Magee, executive director; Jeanne McCandless, residential coordinator and Gerard Rowe, social services area managerStone Brook
Our organization, then called The North Peace Community Living Society completed accreditation in 1995, three years after starting the process.
The achievement was celebrated with an event that saw the organization’s first president and founding member Al “Boomer” Adair return as guest speaker.
The President of the Board of Directors at the time, Roger L.R. Morgan
had these words to say:
“The government plans to turn over delivery of many services to the community. This provides an opportunity for innovative agencies to expand their mandate and serve a larger community.
I believe the future of Alberta services will include accreditation.
Accreditation is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It tells
consumers that the agency meets high standards and is monitored regularly to
ensure consistency between what is said and what is actually done. This
provides a high level of comfort to persons accessing services as they are
assured of quality service. It also benefits board members, funders, the
community at large, as well as professional and direct service staff to know
the organization is progressive and meets the required standards.
Quality is not an accident. It requires a great deal of preparation, training
and monitoring. Teamwork and open communication are vital to ensure the service
is client centred and cost effective.
The staff of the Society are to be commended for bringing the agency to Accreditation standards in less then three years. This is a considerable feat and bodes very well for the future of the society.”
The Society was re-accredited in 1998 for three years and received a plaque from the Office of the Minister of Alberta Family and Social Services in recognition of the accomplishment.
In 2017, our organization received it’s 1-year Accreditation through CARF following an intensive review process. Throughout that year, ASLS continued to improve our processes and systems to align with CARF standards. In 2018, our accreditation was renewed for another 3 years.
The summer month of July seemed to fly by as we welcomed back a former employee and said ‘hello’ to seven new CARE team members.
Taking a look back on July there were;
– 6 new Community Support Workers in Grande Prairie Region
– 1 new Community Support Workers hires In Peace River & Grimshaw Region
There were two promotions in July as well!
Congratulations to Krista Winsor, who has been promoted to Residential Coordinator for one of our Grimshaw residences.
Congrats also goes out to Shannon Sutherland who has accepted the Peace River Team lead role!
And in case you missed it, we did change our name from ASLS to Care Human Services mid-July. Here is a message from our CEO Rilla Websdale.
“We decided to take the opportunity of our 50th Anniversary of being a charity to roll out a new brand in 2019. Our new legal name will be Care Human Services Ltd.
We chose Care because it is a clear and simple statement of our values. We are compassionate and empathetic humans providing respectful and skilled support to the people we have been entrusted to provide care to, ensuring their needs are met in a way that fosters their growth, development, and meaningful community inclusion.
Our new logo speaks to what Care means to each of us. It is reminiscent of a tree, suggesting life and growth, being an integral part of the environment, and providing shelter. The circular shape suggests a gentle embrace, and the safe space we provide for Individuals to live and be supported. The upward projection of the arrows represents empowerment, and the success and growth we all aspire to witness in each Individual, and one another. And finally, the base of the logo speaks of the support that ensures a strong foundation for Individuals to flourish in their lives.
We have also taken this opportunity to update our existing Stone Brook brand, which is now better connected to the overall Care identity.
Thank you for being part of ASLS and your continued dedication, as we move into the next 50 years of providing empowered care to Individuals in Alberta.”
Dana Laliberte was a North Peace Community Living Society board member in the late 1980’s.
Dana lived and grew up in the neighbourhood that included Sunshine House in Peace River. She remembers playing with the youth living at Sunshine House and would babysit some disabled children also living in an area duplex.
For years, Dana was a Special Education Teacher in the Catholic school system, later becoming the Special Education Coordinator and was invited to sit on the NPCLS Board of Directors.
The organization believed in community integration with supports says, Dana. “We fought to get them into the school system. So that was very challenging because the philosophy on the board and a few of us in the school setting was very different than most people. And so, we were really fighting an uphill battle, people really felt they didn’t belong in the school system, they felt they had nothing to offer, nothing to contribute.”
Back in the late ’80s, Dana says Sunshine House was not used as a residence for Individuals but as offices for staff and her main responsibility was sitting on the Personnel Committee.
She says it was challenging as a board member, working with personnel but says she felt like they were making headway.
“If you’re on a board like North Peace Community Living Society, you have to be ahead of the game, always. You are always out front. This board was really out front.”
“It was a really challenging time,” remembers Dana. “Because we were fighting against what most people believed. And people didn’t want a group home next to their house, there was a lot of that.”
“I am grateful for the work that they have done over the years because it hasn’t been easy.”
Dana says the organization was key in promoting the message of inclusion. “They stood by it and breathed it and I am very grateful they were in our community doing that because those young people deserved it, they needed someone advocating for them.”
In the late ’90s, the North Peace Community Living Society held industry-related conferences, much like ACDS does today.
The inaugural conference was October 24-26, 1996 titled Transitions: Partners in Change and approximately 145 were in attendance.
The keynote speaker for this event was Dr. Rick Freeze – The Transition Planning Process. It focused on supporting Individuals after high school graduation as they transitioned into adulthood
The second annual conference was held September 10 & 11 1997, with guest speaker David Hingsburger who spoke about sexuality.
Third annual conference “Another Piece of the Puzzle; Understanding Behaviour”, was held October 22 & 23, 1998. Along with numerous speakers, there was also a self-advocacy panel where Individuals “shared their experience growing up with a developmental disability.”
The 4th annual conference was titled “Inclusion – Breaking the Barriers”. It focused on what Inclusion means from the perspective of Individuals as well as their families.
The 5th and last conference was held on October 19 & 20, 2000.
“Colors of the New Millennium” featured speaker Rob Chubb and his ‘colors’:
– Orange: Courageous
– Green: Conceptual
– Blue: Compassionate
– Gold: Conventional
He was quoted in the Peace Regional Record Gazette as saying” We need all four in our lives. When we use all four in our personal lives, all four in our community, then we have a more effective community.”
The annual conferences came to an end in the early 2000s as another similar conference began in Edmonton.
