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Spectrum Office Closures for 2023
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Office closed on Monday, October 2, 2023
Thanksgiving
Office closed on Monday, October 9, 2023
Remembrance Day
Office closed on Monday, November 13, 2023
Christmas and Boxing Day
Office closed on Monday and Tuesday, December 25, 26, 2023
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REMINDER: 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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CNH’s Better at Home Program
Collingwood Neighbourhood House still has spots available for housekeeping support for Seniors (+55) living in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood, at $50 for a two-hour minimum.
Contact Susanna at schu@cnh.bc.ca or call 604-435-0375 for more information!
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Killarney Community Centre Open House
You can explore the array of NEW and exciting programs being offered this fall at the Killarney Community Centre, as well as meet the dedicated Society Board members, Seniors Council, Park Board staff, and instructors.
For fitness enthusiasts, there will be FREE orientations of the KCCS Fitness Centre, and other information booths on other available facilities.
WHEN: Saturday September 9th, 11am – 3pm
WHERE: Killarney Community Centre Main Floor, 6260 Killarney Street
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Renfrew Park’s Chronic Conditions Self-Management Program
Renfrew Park Community Centre is offering a FREE 6 session workshop this fall on how to manage different aspects of health and improve practical skills such as goal-setting, decision making, and problem solving. Caregivers welcome! Presented by Self-Management BC, University of Victoria and the BC Ministry of Health. Registration is required.
WHEN: Mondays starting September 18 until October 30, 1 – 3:30pm
WHERE: Renfrew Community Centre, Room 108
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Quality Connections for Adults with Disabilities
Sexual Health Education and Socialization for Adults with Diverse Abilities
Power Up Education is offering 6 socio-educational evenings for adults with diverse abilities in Central Vancouver Island. This opportunity will allow for adults aged 18 and older to learn more about their bodies, better understand consent, and how to navigate relationships in an interactive and supportive environment.
Lesson topics include sexual health basics and common language, healthy vs unhealthy relationships, consent, and dating. We ask that staff, caregivers, guardians and parents use their judgement as to whether attendees will require the presence of a support person throughout the event.
Pricing is $150 for all 6 evenings (Includes participant and a caregiver). $25 per session.
Dates:
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Saturday, February 17, 2024
WHERE: ClayTree Society, 838 Old Victoria Road, Nanaimo
WHEN: 6:30 – 8pm
Click Here for More Information
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Still Moon Arts Society’s Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Click Here for More Information
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CNH’s Community Lunch Menu for September
Tuesday, September 5: Cream of cauliflower soup, smoked salmon on a bagel, salad, ice cream and fruit
Thursday, September 7: Butter chicken/veggie option on rice, salad, raspberry almond cupcake
Tuesday, September 12: Congee (rice porridge), roasted beef sandwich/veggie option, salad, vanilla pudding
Thursday, September 14: Baked fish with risotto, salad, brownie
Tuesday, September 19: Cream of mushroom soup, turkey or veggie enchiladas, salad, honey lemon cake
Thursday, September 21: Meat or veggie pie, salad, blueberry tart
Tuesday, September 26: Borscht soup, egg sandwich, salad, maple syrup tart
Thursday, September 28:Veggie or meat lasagna, salad, semolina and coconut cookies
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Vicki’s Barkery is Now in Business!
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!
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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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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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EcoWisdom Nature Wellbeing Program
EcoWisdom Forest Preserve is hosting a FREE Accessible Nature Wellbeing Program (ANWP) through Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing), meant to enhance relaxation and social connection.
They work to accommodate differences in ability, and resources are provided to support people not well enough to attend the entire session. EcoWisdom’s programs are most suitable for people living with physical limitations associated with disability or chronic illnesses, as well as those experiencing social isolation, pain, and fatigue for any reason. Hosted by EcoWisdom Forest Preserve and Technology for Living in collaboration with the Individualized Funding Resource Centre.
WHEN: September 23rd, 12 – 4pm
Contact anwp@ecowisdom.ca for registration and more information.
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Become A Youth Accessibility Leader with EAF
Employment and Social Development Canada is calling for young Canadians to help make Canada more accessible. The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) is looking for dynamic youth who want to demonstrate leadership and a commitment to their communities by applying to become a Youth Accessibility Leader (YAL). The unique role of a YAL is to help identify accessibility barriers within their communities, and then partner with local organizations to help secure up to $10,000 in accessibility project funding to address the barriers in community spaces and workplaces.
To be considered eligible you must be:
- between 15 and 30 years of age at the time of the application
- legally authorized to work in Canada
- either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or individual who has been granted refugee status in Canada.
Youth are invited to submit their expressions of interest in being named a YAL by October 10, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EDT online. Eligible organizations are invited to submit their funding application(s) in collaboration with the YAL by October 31, 2023 at 5:00p.m. EDT online.
Click Here for More Information
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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 September?
Click on the link below to see what’s happening:
https://www.destinationvancouver.com/events/calendar-of-events/vancouver-events-in-september/
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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