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Team News

New England's power grid operates reliably during six-day July heat wave - ISO Newswire

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Community Living BC | Support for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, Autism and FASD CLBC UPDATE

Community Living BC releases new plan to improve accessibility

Community Living BC has released its 2023-2026 Accessibility Plan. It sets out important goals with 30 steps that will be completed over three years. CLBC is also launching a public feedback mechanism to help it continue to improve.

CLBC’s Five Areas of Action were developed after listening to how individuals with developmental disabilities experience barriers:

  • Relationships make all the difference: People want consistent relationships with staff who know them and understand their accessibility needs.
  • Clear, timely communication is key: CLBC policies and processes are complex, and predictability makes all the difference in reducing barriers.
  • Information needs to be shared in many ways: More information in plain language with visual aids is helpful in reducing barriers. Having information available in multiple languages and formats, including ASL and braille, helps address some accessibility barriers.
  • Welcoming physical spaces: People want to feel that they belong in the physical spaces they enter.
  • Accessible employment is necessary: Inclusivity has to be embedded into the workplace culture and structures.

CLBC conducted research and listened to barriers people were experiencing in getting help from CLBC staff, getting to and around CLBC offices, getting information from CLBC, working at CLBC, and how they felt they were treated by CLBC staff. In the process of making the plan, CLBC:

  • gathered information from experts
  • hosted five virtual workshops
  • engaged in conversations with community partners
  • received over 400 responses to an online survey

Along with the plan, CLBC is launching a new way people can provide feedback on accessibility on their website here.

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Trout Lake Lantern Procession and Lantern Making Event

Lantern Procession around Trout LakeLantern Procession around Trout Lake - Trout Lake Community Centre

The Grande Finale Lantern Festival is returning to Trout Lake on Wednesday August 23rd! Join in on the creation and decoration of luminous lanterns at 6pm to 7:30pm, followed by the Lantern procession around the lake at 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Both events are FREE! For the Lantern making event all supplies with be provided, but please pre-register here as space is limited.

No open flames due to fire ban! Please use battery operated tea lights and lanterns, and they will provide one per lantern.

(Children under 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult.)

WHEN: Wednesday August 23rd, 6pm – 8:30pm

WHERE: John Hendry Park Grass Area SE

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Community Living BC | Support for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, Autism and FASD CLBC UPDATE

Focus on Employment! 2023 WOW Award Nominations Open

CLBC wants to support people to reach their employment goals, and to recognize employers who are championing inclusive hiring. That’s why this year, we are asking you to nominate an inclusive employer in your community for a 2023 Widening Our World (WOW) Award! By nominating an employer, you can showcase the work they are doing to support inclusion and diversity, and to create a workplace where every employee has opportunity for growth and to feel valued, respected and included. CLBC wants to share the stories we receive through the WOW nominations during Community Inclusion Month and throughout the year to encourage other employers to understand the benefits of inclusive hiring. How Can You Help? Please share this message with your community, and/or the people, families, service providers and partners you work with. This small action can help us gather stories to support the growth of inclusive employment in B.C. and help people CLBC serves find and keep employment.    How do I Nominate an Employer? You can fill out an online nomination form here, or print a form here and mail it in (the address is on the form). If you have a question about WOW, please write to wowclbcawards@gov.bc.ca. Nominations are open now to September 7, 2023, at 5 p.m.Award recipients will be chosen in September 2023 by an evaluation committee of self-advocates, family members and CLBC staff, and recognized through presentation events in their communities starting in Community Inclusion Month in October 2023.

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CNH’s 55+ Tenant’s Rights Seminar

Join the +55 Social Club at Collingwood Neighbourhood House for a Tenant’s Rights Seminar. The seminar will be conducted in English, but folks can also ask questions in Mandarin and Cantonese. Participants are welcome to enjoy the Social Club refreshments and games while waiting to ask questions.

WHEN: Monday August 28th, 1 – 3pm

WHERE: CNH’s Multipurpose Room, 5288 Joyce Street

Click Here to Register

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PNE & Playland Accessibility

Both the PNE Fair and Playland accept Access2 Program cardholders. For a Playland Admission, there is a 2 for 1 discount where the cardholder pays the regular rate, and the attendant gets in free. For the PNE Fair, just show your Access2 Card indicating that you require an attendant. Guests can purchase a Gate pass which allows an accompanying attendant to receive a complimentary admission.

For more information in obtaining your Access2 card please visit www.access2card.ca.

Ride Passes are not a part of the Access2 offering for the PNE Fair. All guests are required to have a purchased ride pass to ride.

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sunlife-logo

Sun Life Health acquires Dialogue

Sun Life has announced that they have expanded their strategic partnership with Dialogue solidifying both organization’s commitment to providing Canadians with access to the care they need. This acquisition follows several prior investments in Dialogue and the roll-out of Lumino Health Virtual Care, powered by Dialogue in 2020.Dialogue is a Canadian leader in the emerging, high-growth market of employer digital health solutions – and over the course of 3+ years, a great partnership has developed. Dialogue will operate as a standalone entity of Sun Life Canada. They will maintain their own products, processes, people, systems, and brand.What does this mean for you and your plan members?There will be no changes or disruptions to your plan. All active plan members will continue to receive access to the same 24/7 digital health tools that they do today. Questions?Please contact Sun Life directly or you can email hr@spectrumsociety.org 

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MANDT System – Building Healthy Relationships

The Mandt System® program presents an education and training system of gradual and graded alternatives for de-escalating and supporting people, using a combination of interpersonal communication skills and physical interaction techniques designed to reduce injury to all the participants in an encounter.

We are pleased to offer Mandt Training to our staff.  Please speak with your program manager to be referred to attend an upcoming session.

Two Day Mandt Training

  • In-depth training over two 6 hour classes

Training will take place in the Barb Goode Training Centre at 3223 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC

10am to 4pm each day.

Next session:  September 14 & 15, 2023  – Limited Spaces available

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Social Support Group for 2SLGBTQIA+ with Disabilities

Connecting Queer Communities (CQC) is a 1 year initiative from Real Talk being funded by an Accessibility Projects grant from the Disability Alliance of BC. CQC supports 2SLGBTQIA+ people who are labeled with learning disabilities to connect with one another and with the wider 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the Greater Vancouver area.

Their goal is to be peer-led, helping support 2SLGBTIQA+ folks with cognitive disabilities attend the queer events, festivals, social gatherings, peer support spaces, and other events of their choosing. They are providing staff support at 2SLGBTQIA events and can help with transportation and event ticket costs.

Click here for more information and to see their upcoming events!

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Vicki’s Barkery is Now in Business!

20 Most Expensive Dog Breeds To Insure – Forbes Advisor

Vicki is selling homemade healthy dog treats made with love.

Promotion price– $2.00 /goody bag. They can be picked up at the Spectrum office. Vicki accepts cash at the office & E-transfer as payments. Etransfer details are at the office.

Menu– Peanut butter cookies (natural peanut butter, oat flour, egg, water.) Limited bags available at the Spectrum office now, more to come!

To reserve a bag/place an order- please email janelle.cole@spectrumsociety.org

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Come Toward the Fire

A family-friendly Indigenous-led festival in advance of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. This year’s festival will include music performances, workshops, film screenings, food vendors, an Indigenous artisan market, and more. Everyone is welcome!

All festival events are FREE for Indigenous community members. 

WHEN: Saturday September 16th, 1pm – 9:30pm

WHERE: The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, 6265 Crescent Rd. Vancouver

Click Here for More Information

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Collingwood Neighbourhood House Community Lunch Menu for August

Tuesday, August 22: Lemon spinach lentil soup, ham/mushroom quiche, salad, vanilla pudding

Thursday, August 24: Salmon/veggie burger, salad, raspberry cake

Tuesday, August 29: Cream of corn, chicken/falafel sandwich, salad, orange cupcake

Thursday, August 31: Spaghetti and meatballs/veggie option, salad, garlic bread, blueberry muffin

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CNH x Fresh Roots Summer Market

Happening every Friday until September 15th, you can come explore a wide range of fresh produce grown locally, community connections and occasionally local musicians!

WHEN: Every Friday, 4pm – 6pm

WHERE: 5288 Joyce St

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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:

Participants are welcome to register for as many sessions in the series as they are interested in.

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Pros & Cons of Employee Assistance Programs | Nivati

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:
Lumino Health Virtual Care – Apps on Google Play

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.*
New EAP phone number
  • When accessing EAP via the app is not possible:
    • Plan members can get access to immediate help through their EAP by calling 1-844-342-3327A 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:

 For questions regarding benefits plan information, you can

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 August?

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

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

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Employee Referral Program Vector Art, Icons, and Graphics for Free Download

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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sunlife-logo

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.

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 COMMITTEE Hard Hat Labels - Brady Part: 42244 | Brady | BradyCanada.ca

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