REMINDER: Spectrum’s Office will be closed Monday, July 3rd

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CLBC UPDATE

Learn about CLBC’s Cultural Safety Policy in New Video

CLBC created its first Cultural Safety Policy in the fall of 2022. This policy describes cultural safety principles and practices that will guide CLBC staff and service providers on how to engage, support, monitor, and plan with First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals, as well as their families, support networks and communities. This policy is an important step towards ensuring CLBC’s and the community living sector’s actions align with the rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is a key goal of the current CLBC Strategic Plan. CLBC has released a new video to assist in awareness and understanding of the six principles that guide the Cultural Safety Policy:

1. Culturally Responsive Programming
2. Indigenous Anti-Racism
3. Indigenous Trauma Informed and Responsive Approach
4. Promoting, Maintaining and Sustaining Connections
5. Person-Centred Approach
6. Promoting a Coordinated Service Approach

Click here to watch CLBC’s Cultural Safety Principles video

The video, along with the Cultural Safety Service Provider Practice Guide, is a tool to support service providers and CLBC staff to learn how to offer all services in ways that are as culturally safe as possible.

If you have any questions, please email CLBCIndigenousPracticeAdvisor@gov.bc.ca

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CNH’s Rooftop Garden Drop-Ins

Beginning Monday June 26th, Collingwood Neighbourhood House will be hosting free drop-in gardening sessions every Monday for the summer! Participants can start their own plants from seed, transplant into the garden, help with weeding and maintenance, or just hang out and socialize with other gardeners. This event is free and tools will be provided! Please contact collingwoodurbanag@cnh.bc.ca for more information.

WHEN: Every Monday starting June 26th, from 10am – 4pm

WHERE: CNH Main House, 2nd Floor, 5288 Joyce Street Vancouver

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PosAbilities Fellowships: Build Social Media Skills

The PosAbilities mission is to “assist persons with developmental disabilities to lead meaningful and healthy lives by partnering with the community to provide a comprehensive range of person-centred services for individuals and the families who care for them.” They are offering fellowships for people with disabilities focused on using social media as a tool for self-discovery, building confidence and making connections. The first course being introduced is Social Media Exploration, a four-month certificate course designed to teach participants diverse skills around using social media and creating content.

There are two separate cohorts within the fellowship: people in the Greater Vancouver area can attend in-person and online; people from every else in B.C. can take part online.

If you have questions please contact hannah.nolan@posAbilities.ca.

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Norquay Food Forest Drop-Ins

Discover the native edible plants and cooling atmosphere of the Norquay Community Food Forest. Weekly drop-ins will provide participants with information about 30+ native species for self-guided tours, invasive plant removal, and a healing space to relax. Contact collingwoodurbanag@cnh.bc.ca for more information.

WHEN: Every Wednesday from 4 – 6pm

WHERE: 2732 Horley Street, Vancouver

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Health research team looking for diversity in survey

A research team called the British Columbia Patient-Centred Measurement Steering Committee is currently doing a study called “Equitable People-Centred Health Measurement (EPHM)”. The study looks at measuring health and well-being in a way that shows different points of view and experiences of all people. The goal is to create health surveys that are short, accurate and modified to show the unique experiences, cultures, and social situations of diverse people.

Click Here for more Information

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REMINDER for Spectrum’s Annual Summer Picnic!

WHEN: Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

TIME: 2pm – 6pm

WHERE: JOHN HENDRY PARK – TROUT LAKE – PICNIC GAZEBO

Join us for the Annual Spectrum Summer Picnic and enjoy a selection of burgers, hot dogs, chips, salads and cold drinks!

We are also looking for volunteers that would like to assist in the set up, clean up and take down of the event. If you’re interested in being a part of the picnic team, please email Spectrum’s office at reception@spectrumsociety.org

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone for a fun day of socializing, good food and sunshine!

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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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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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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:

• 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

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What is happening in Vancouver in July?

Click on the link below to see what’s happening:

https://www.destinationvancouver.com/events/calendar-of-events/vancouver-events-in-july/

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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. www.academieduello.com

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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.

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