Wednesday, June 21st is the first day of summer!
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Celebrate National Indigenous History Month
June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Metis. In recognition of this month, BCNPHA is offering a workshop series, facilitated by the Indigenous Perspectives Society, to foster a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives, and develop actionable ideas to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.
This four-part series includes:
- Introduction to Cultural Competency – June 22 1pm – 2:30pm
- Understanding History – July 12 1pm – 4pm
- Dispelling Myths and Stereotypes – August 9 1pm – 4pm
- Building Local Relationships – September 6 1pm – 4pm
Participants are welcome to register for as many sessions in the series as they are interested in.
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Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at this free community event
The celebration will include dance and storytelling, and feature numerous Indigenous artisans. The roster of artists will include Métis singer Sandy Scofield, traditional Coast Salish song and dance group, Tsatsu Stalqayu (Coastal Wolf Pack), Plains Cree poet/rapper and spoken word artist Tawahum, among more. Admission is FREE!
WHEN: Wednesday June 21st, 12 – 5pm
WHERE: Edmonds Plaza and Park (7433 Edmonds Street, Burnaby)
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Centering Indigenous Joy: A Celebration of Literature, Arts, and Creativity
In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, SFU is thrilled to co-host a celebration of Indigenous literature, art, and creativity. The evening is curated by artist and storyteller Nathan Adler and the Word Vancouver literary festival, and presented in partnership with 312 Main, City of Vancouver, Government of British Columbia, Canada Council for the Arts, Pace Accounting, UBC School of Creative Writing, and SFU Library.
Doors will open at 5:30 PM, with vendors’ tables, food, and refreshments. This all-ages event will begin at 6:30 PM, with Indigenous storytellers and artists performing until 9:00 PM.
This event is free, but donations to the Urban Native Youth Association are encouraged. Donate directly to UNYA online.
WHEN: Saturday June 17th, 2023 5:30 – 9pm
WHERE: 312 Main Street gathering space
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Women Trailblazing in Canada Event
In recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21st), this storytelling event “How We Changed It” will showcase and celebrate Indigenous women who have met the challenge and made bold moves to make a positive change in STEAM and within the Indigenous community. Whether they are creating something new, calling attention to important issues, or educating and inspiring future generations.
During this in-person event, resilient women will share their five-minute stories about “how we changed it”. We look forward to the sharing of these stories from women who succeeded in STEAM and the ties to their Indigenous ways of Knowing.
WHEN: Monday June 26th, 6pm – 8:30pm
WHERE: Science World, 1455 Quebec Street
Admission is FREE but registration is required.
Click here to register and for more information
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Create! Arts Festival
Click Here For More Information
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Share your Story of Success with the Self Advocate Net
SelfAdvocateNet (SAN) publishes up to four stories per month from self advocates across BC. There is $100.00 paid for every story published.
For 2023, SAN is looking for stories of success that encourage others and celebrate achievements. This could include:
- Employment successes
- Achieving personal goals
- Advocating for increased accessibility in the community (like transportation, building access, dispelling stereotypes etc.)
- Taking on a leadership role
- Learning new things (like school, training, hobbies or cooking)
Stories need to be under 350 words, must include a photo and not contain the names of others (use friend, sister, support worker etc. instead).
Click here to submit stories and for more information
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STEPS-Forward September Openings
STEPS Forward provides inclusion support for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to access post-secondary education. Through partnerships with post-secondary institutions across the province, STEPS-Forward supports students to select a program of study of their choice, enroll in courses that are modified as much or a little as the student requires, and to engage in campus life.
There are currently spots available for the fall at:
- Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT Merritt)
- College of the Rockies (COTR Cranbrook)
- University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO Kelowna)
Click Here for More Information
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Still Moon Colour Me Local Gardeners’ Gathering
Come and work with the Still Moon team in the Colour Me Local Dye Garden, and learn how to grow/tend plants used for natural dyes. You can get your hands dirty, while connecting with other gardeners in the community.
- Tools will be provided, feel free to bring some if you have (gardening gloves, hand trowels)
- What to bring: Snack, water, closed toed shoes, weather appropriate jackets/warm layers, knee pads/mat to kneel on if you have one!
- Note: There are no restrooms onsite (there are some at the community centre about a 5 minute walk away). That said, we highly reccomend going before you come 🙂
Note: You can choose to attend one or all of the gatherings, that’s up to you!
Bonus: At some of these events we will bring a dye pot and fabric test strips so we can experiment with natural dyes while we work!
Creativity: If you play an instrument, feel free to bring it along and join in with the chorus of neighbours who jam in the garden!
UPCOMING DATES:
- Saturday June 24th, 11am – 1pm
- Thursday July 6th, 5:30 – 7:30pm
- Saturday July 22nd, 11am – 1pm
WHERE: 3958 Renfrew Street #3998, Vancouver
Attendance is free!
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Extreme Heat Preparedness Workshop at MPNH
Join this panel discussion for older adults and seniors, as well as their family and friend caregivers. You will gain information, resources, and practical tips to protect your health and your loved ones during extreme heat events. Hosted by Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House with Dr. Michael Schwandt of Vancouver Coastal Health and Sarah Hunn of the City of Vancouver’s Emergency Management Agency.
ASL sign language interpretation. Prize draws for cooling kits! Light refreshments served.
WHEN: Saturday June 24th, 10:30 – 11:30am
WHERE: Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House, 800 E Broadway
Admission is FREE!
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CNH Senior’s Kundalini Yoga with Lillian Chin (+55)
Drop in and relax, renew, and rejuvenate through breathing, exercises, stretching, and meditation. No class July 3rd or August 7th!
When: Mondays from 9 – 10am
Where: CNH Main Site, 5288 Joyce St.
Drop-in $4.50.
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New Emergency Travel Assistance Provider
Effective July 1, 2023, your 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).
Recap of the changes
- GEM will replace Allianz Global Assistance (Allianz).
- 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 their 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 the my Sun Life mobile app, they’ll receive a prompt to download their new travel card.
- In July, we’ll send an email to all plan members with ETA coverage, if we have their email on file.
If you have any questions regarding Travel Benefits, please email HR at hr@spectrumsociety.org
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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