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Update: Gender Affirmation Coverage now more accessible
In 2019, Sun Life launched coverage to help plan members through their gender affirmation journey. In response to plan member feedback, they’re making this coverage more accessible by removing barriers to treatment. These new changes will be available as of July 16, 2023. This coverage helps supplement provincial or territorial coverage across the country, covering feminization or masculinization surgeries not typically covered under medicare programs.
This type of coverage will become more accessible, by:
- Creating a new Sun Life specific Prior Authorization Process.
- Offering increased annual maximum options to choose from.
- Allowing assignment of benefits (if applicable).
Please Click Here for More Information
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Adult Colouring Club at Collingwood Branch Public Library
VPL is hosting an Adult Colouring Club at the Collingwood Branch from June until July. Colouring pages and pencil crayons will be provided and admission is FREE!
Where: 2985 Kingsway
When: Thursdays, June 8 – July 13, 2:30 – 3:30pm
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Champlain Heights Seniors Social – Tea and Sweets
The Champlain Heights Youth Council will be hosting a Seniors Social on Saturday June 3rd from 11:30 am to 1pm at the Champlain Heights Community Centre, 3350 Maquinna Dr. It will be a great chance for Champlain youth and seniors to mingle and enjoy games and activities together. Tea and sweets will be served, and admission is FREE!
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Renfrew Community Centre Senior Summer Luncheon
Click Here for More Information
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This year’s National AccessAbility week is happening from May 28th – June 3rd! This week is a great opportunity to appreciate the leadership and contributions of people with disabilities, the work of organizations breaking down barriers, and reflect on the goal of becoming a more accessible and inclusive country. The Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion will begin the week by hosting a virtual career fair for persons with disabilities.
Click Here for More Information
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A special presentation announcement “Natural Authority” by Yuji Kajiwara and Angela Clancy (Family Support Institute).
This will talk about the importance of supporting decision-making rights to everyone.
Where: Spectrum Society’s Barb Goode Training Center, 3223 Kingsway
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Save with Hub’s Digital Marketplace
This is an exclusive online portal to insurance products and discounts. It includes:
• Access to an insurance platform that provides you with multi-company rate comparisons. We shop your insurance with many of Canada’s largest and most trusted insurance companies. You will also gain access to insurance company rates not available to the general public.
• The Digital Marketplace includes insurance to cover your most important assets including Home, Condo/Strata and Tenant packages, Pets, Boat, ID Protector, Sports Equipment and Contents in Storage.
Digital Marketplace – Frequently Asked Questions
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Emergency Travel Assistance provider is changing
Effective July 1, 2023, the emergency out-of-country and out-of-province travel assistance provider, will change to Global Excel Management (GEM). GEM will replace Allianz Global Assistance (Allianz). The goal is to ensure an easy transition.
What this means:
Allianz will continue to manage claims incurred prior to July 1, 2023 for the remainder of 2023.
Plan members can download their new travel card on mysunlife.ca or the my Sun Life mobile app on or after July 1, 2023. There will be no change to your coverage. And since the telephone numbers remain the same, there’s no impact if a plan member hasn’t downloaded their new travel card yet.
As of July 1, 2023 when plan members log in to mysunlife.ca or my Sun Life mobile app, you will receive a prompt to download the new travel card.
Sunlife will send an email beginning July 4, 2023 to all plan members with ETA coverage, if they have your email on file. Plan members will also have access to a website where claims can be submitted and tracked.
If you have any questions regarding Travel Benefits, please email HR at hr@spectrumsociety.org
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Compass Works – Hospitality Training at Easter Seals House
A 22-week on the job work experience program that gives certification to obtain entry level employment in the hotel industry.
Training & Certification
Receive skills and certification training in:
- disability management
- upskills, essential skills, and soft-skills
- basic computer skills for employment readiness that includes resume building, interview skills and networking
- SuperHost, WHIMIS, FoodSafe, and Foundations of Workplace
- job-specific skills related to housekeeping, front desk reception, and guest services with the support of a job coach.
On-The-Job Work Experience
CompassWorks runs out of Easter Seals House in Vancouver where you will learn to apply your training at the front desk, in housekeeping and guest services
Skills for Success
The skills you’ll learn will help give you the confidence and experience you need to be successful working in the hotel industry.
Job Search and Follow Up Support
Learn new skills in building your resume and sharpen your interview skills. Plus, you’ll receive follow up support with your job search.
Who Can Apply?
This program is best suited for persons with disabilities, with equal opportunities for Indigenous with disabilities.
Register Today!
Contact your local WorkBC Centre to meet with a Case Manager who will determine if you are eligible for this program.
Contact Information:
3981 Oak Street, Vancouver
Easter Seals BCY: 236-521-4608
vmanyamba@eastersealsbcy.ca
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For those receiving benefits with Spectrum, we offer our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) to provide 24/7 confidential support to our employees. If you are not currently receiving group benefits but are in need of support, please reach out to your supervisor or Human Resources at hr@spectrumsociety.org so we can provide you with accessible options of support. For immediate access to set up assistance, you can click here: Lumino VC (dialogue.co) OR download the app directly onto your smart device by going to the App Store and searching Lumino Health Virtual Care. The graphic is as follows and you will need your benefit group number and Access ID to set it up:
Improving the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) experience
Sunlife has added two new service enhancements to the Lumino Health Virtual Care EAP:
- a new phone number for immediate support,
- 24/7 service support by Dialogue across all Lumino Health Virtual Care products.*
- When accessing EAP via the app is not possible:
- Plan members can get access to immediate help through their EAP by calling 1-844-342-3327. A Member Service Specialist will assess your needs and coordinate care with the appropriate resources.
Plan members are also able to access the EAP through the app or online.
New 24/7 Dialogue support*
If you or your dependents are having trouble using the app or website and need help accessing your account, they can:
- contact Dialogue by emailing sunlife-support@dialogue.co Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
- visit help.dialogue.co and use the chat feature for assistance, for after hours and weekend support.
For questions regarding benefits plan information, you can
- contact hr@spectrumsociety.org
*Applies to all Lumino Health Virtual Care products – Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Primary Care, Stress Management & Well-Being
Spectrum recognizes that our teams do an incredible job of supporting people in our services. The work that each of you do is valuable and at times, difficult. Please do honor what your body/mind may be communicating. If you feel increased stress or grief, please pay attention to those signals and reach out to the EAP or us for resources of support.
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What is happening in Vancouver in June?
Click on the link below to see what’s happening:
https://www.destinationvancouver.com/events/calendar-of-events/vancouver-events-in-june/
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Is there anyone you know that is looking for meaningful work?
If you have a friend, family member or meet someone in the community that is interested in joining the team and you refer them to Spectrum, you could be eligible for a referral bonus!
If the person referred is hired and maintains at least 6 months of consistent employment with Spectrum, we will award a $250 Referral Bonus.
*for more information on the program, please email hr@spectrumsociety.org
We thank you for bringing us quality applicants/employees!
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ACADEMIE DUELLO
www.academieduello.com
The art of the sword at Academie Duello is a group activity for 4-8 people; social + exercise!
They are looking for fellow introverts to find a group of people to organize smaller private classes with instead of going to the much larger drop-in classes and for a reasonable price. See for yourself what wielding a sword like in RPGs is like!
The length of each class depends on # of participants
$170 for 10 credits in one month, ~2 classes a week
1 credit = 10 minutes private lesson duration
Examples of the possible split of credits/class frequency/length depending on the number of people
2 people = 20 credits
3 people = 30 credits
4 people = 40 credits
5 people = 50 credits
6 people = 60 credits
7 people = 70 credits
8 people = 80 credits
For anyone interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Sarah Woollacott at sarah.woollacott@spectrumsociety.org
| Home – Academie Duello – Learn Swordplay
International Centre for Swordplay – Learn Longsword, Rapier, Sidesword, Polearms, Mounted Combat, Archery, martial arts, axe throwing. |
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Submitting Coordination of Benefits claims via the my Sun Life mobile app
Managing your benefits is easier than ever. We’re happy to share that you can now submit Coordination of Benefits claims (COB) on the my Sun Life mobile app.
You can now submit medical-related COB claims on the my Sun Life mobile app.* Plan members can continue to make COB claims involving vision, drugs, or dental online at mysunlife.ca.
Changes like this are part of our ongoing mission to continually improve our digital experience.
What is Coordination of Benefits?
Coordination of Benefits is when more than one plan covers a person. COB lets plan members submit their claims and any remaining amounts to another plan. This allows them to get the maximum payment possible. This typically means an employee has coverage through their workplace plan and their spouse or partner’s workplace plan.
Check out our brochure that gives a step-by-step guide on submitting COB claims. This is accessible via the my Sun Life mobile app.
Tip:
Employees can learn more about Coordination of Benefits by signing in to mysunlife.ca > Benefits centre > Coordination of Benefits.
*Claims must be made for the Medical e-claim category only. Submissions for Vision, Drug and Dental categories, or changes to the COB can continue to be made via mysunlife.ca. Availability based on plan design.
Questions?
Please call Group Benefits Client Care Centre at 1-800-361-6212, Monday to Friday,
8 a.m to 8 p.m. EST.
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Ray’s Retro Friday Night Music
- Hosted by Self Advocates of the Rockies society (SAOR)
- Meets the third Friday of every month from 5:00pm – 6:00pm MDT / 4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT
- Join the group on Google Meets by clicking here or dial: (CA) +1 587-688-3336 PIN: 599 330 504#
Breaking Away from the Covid Blues with Lynnetta
- Hosted by Self Advocates of the Rockies Society (SAOR)
- Meets the third Wednesday of every month from 1:00pm – 2:00pm MDT / 12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT
- Join the group on Google Meets by clicking here or dial: (CA) +1 613-916-1823 PIN: 337 088 313#
Phone Tree
- Hosted by Self Advocates of the Rockies Society (SAOR)
- Every Thursday: 2:00pm – 3:00pm MDT / 1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT
- SAOR will be holding weekly group phone calls to catch up with friends and meet new advocates from around the province.
- To register, email j.moore@realmbc.ca or call 250-426-3393 by 3:00 pm on Wednesdays. Spots are limited to five per call so make sure to sign up to reserve your spot.
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HEALTH & SAFETY NEWS
What do you do if you or someone you’ve worked with has been injured?
All Spectrum employees are covered by WorkSafe BC. Employees who sustain an injury while performing their daily work are eligible to receive compensation from WorkSafe BC. For all accidents (whether time loss occurs or not) a Workers’ Report of injury form must be completed and returned to the immediate supervisor who will forward the form to Human Resources for processing, or the employee can return the completed form directly to Human Resources. Claims submitted into WorkSafe BC must be reported within three (3) days.
Policy 9(d): https://sscl.sharevision.ca/public/PolicyDirectory/Personnel%20Policies/P09.0.HealthWelfareBenefits.pdf
Injury/Accident Report forms can be found on our Spectrum website under Human Resources, left hand menu “Forms” or you can email hr@spectrumsociety.org and one will be emailed to you.
Reporting Helps Us To learn, grow and improve together
Accidents happen and one of the main purposes of our accident/injury reporting is to collaborate with WorkSafe BC, our teams and employees to ensure that any employee who is injured receives the proper medical care and support they may need. Our reporting process also provides an opportunity to assess our workplaces for potential hazards so we can continue to improve and determine preventative measures to mitigate future risks. Think of reporting your injury as an opportunity to help yourself and your team.
Why it is important to report an incident, even if you are feeling okay?
Even if you feel ok, there is an obligation to report potential risks or hazards to your supervisor and HR. It’s good news that you’re ok but the next person might not have that same experience. We want to ensure that we are aware of and reviewing any potential risks of injury in your places of work. We have an obligation to ensure the well-being of all employees and review and investigate any potential hazards. Please keep us informed and assist us with keeping you and our teams safe!
Most importantly remember to Take care of yourself.
Employees who take care of themselves and their own needs will be better prepared to care for others on the job.
For example:
- Don’t accept more work than you can handle.
- Recognize signs of stress and take the necessary steps to alleviate stress in your life.
- Let your supervisor know if you need assistance with something.
- Don’t place yourself or others at risk by taking on more than you are prepared for.
Enjoy your work! If you don’t, then be honest with yourself and your supervisor about it. You may need a break.
If you have any Health & Safety related questions, please email safety@spectrumsociety.org
Be Safe. Be Calm. Be Kind