Continuity News
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CONTINUITY NEWS Supporting families in Manitoba to plan for an enriched quality of life for their family member with an intellectual disability DECEMBER 2011 Mike Keane Celebrity Hockey Classic The 2nd Annual Mike Keane Celebrity Hockey Classic was held at the MTS Iceplex on November 9th & 10th, 2011. This event allowed 18 corporate sponsored teams with over 250 local hockey enthusiasts to team up with former NHL greats to play hockey and raise funds for the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation and Continuity Care. The tournament kicked off with an exciting Draft Night experience held on the evening of November 9th, where each participating team had the opportunity to draft an NHL alumni to play with their team throughout the tournament. Draft positions were determined by the total dollars raised by each team. Congratulations to the Richardson Pioneers for raising the most money and earning first pick in the draft, choosing Dale Hawerchuk - HHOF. Continuity Care was the official volunteer provider for the event and we would like to thank all of the volunteers for donating their time to help out with the driving of the pros, registration, ticket sales, rink coordination and security. Your commitment and support was an integral part of the success of this year’s event and we are so happy to have had the opportunity to share the excitement with you. We couldn’t have done it without you! We would like to give special thanks to Mike Keane, the NHL alumni, the Chipman family, Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation, Jackson Events, the businesses that sponsored teams and the event, the tournament players and to the many wonderful people that NHL alumni that participated in the tournament: made donations to support this year’s Mike Keane (of course), Dale Hawerchuk, Steve Shutt, Lanny McDonald, Marcel Dionne, Brad Park, event. The Tournament was an exciting Bryan Trottier, Billy Smith, Thomas Steen, Keith Tkachuk, Dave Ellett, Charlie Simmer, Brian Bellows, fun filled day and we hope you all had Dean Kennedy, Dave Babych, Dave Manson, Laurie Boschman, Brian Skrudland and special celebrity guest Rod Black. fun. See you next year! INSIDE THIS ISSUE Manitoba Disability News pg 2 Sharing Circle Program pg 3 iBelong Website pg 3 New to the Resource Library pg 4 Holiday Giving pg 4 Baby Boomer Café pg 4 Top fundraising team Richardson Pioneers and the NHL alumni Manitoba Disability News Accessibility Advisory Committee Members Announced – December 2nd In recognition of the United Nations International Day for Persons with Disabilities (December 3rd), Minister Jennifer Howard announced the membership of the 12-person Accessibility Advisory Council. The Council is made of members of the disability community and other stakeholders and will make recommendations on: Introducing legislation or regulations that would establish a process to identify, prevent and remove barriers faced by people with disabilities Determining policies, practices and requirements that can be implemented by government to improve accessibility Developing long -term accessibility objectives The 12 members of the Accessibility Advisory Council are: Jim Derksen – Chair, Yvonne Peters – Vice Chair, Eileen Clarke, Dianne Driedger, Jim Baker, Scott Jocelyn, Lanny McInnes, Doug Momotiuk, Chris Summerville, Diane Scribe Niiganii, Judy Redmond and Karen Pirnie. The Advisory Council will consult with people with disabilities and organizations that may be affected by its recommendations. This includes employers and businesses as well as representatives from Manitoba’s municipalities. One of the Council’s first tasks will be to further develop the legislation that will set out accessibility standards. They are scheduled to meet on a semi monthly basis to the end of April 2012, and will make initial recommendations to the Minister by early summer. For more information please visit www.manitoba.ca/dio/acc/index.html The website will post information on future public consultations and invites the public to submit questions, comments or concerns regarding the Council. If you do not have access to a computer, you can contact the Disabilities Issues Office directly at (204) 945-7613. Province Announces Human Rights Complaint Against Manitoba Developmental Centre Settled The Province of Manitoba, Community Living Manitoba (CL-MB) and the Office of the Public Trustee have agreed to a mediated settlement that resolves a human rights complaint involving the Manitoba Developmental Centre (MDC), Minister Gord Mackintosh announced on November 25, 2011. “We believe this agreement supports the right of residents at MDC to choose to live in the environment that best suits them, reaffirming some of the core goals of our services to adults with intellectual disabilities,” said Mackintosh. “We look forward to working closely with CL-MB to explore the option of community living for those residents who are interested, while continuing to offer the best quality of care to those residents who remain at MDC as it moves from a traditional institution setting to a new focus on outreach and continued specialized residential services.” In June of this year, the province announced an advisory committee would work on a new, long-term plan for MDC with a focus on determining how it can be redeveloped to provide specialized services including options for crisis stabilization, respite, day and residential supports, and community services. This would include the development of homes in the Portage la Prairie area so individuals could move out of the centre and choose to access MDC for professional services like day programming and recreation. The province and the public trustee have always maintained the personal choice of the resident and/or their substitute decision-maker is paramount in considering any change to care or living arrangements, Mackintosh said, adding the government remains committed to ensuring the best possible residential settings for persons with intellectual disabilities including those at MDC. The government will continue to invest in necessary health and safety upgrades at MDC but any new development at MDC will be focused on specialized residential care and community-based services, the minister said. The full news release can be found on the Province of Manitoba’s website at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2011/11/2011-11-25-115600-12683.html 2 Sharing Circle of Support Program A “Sharing Circle of Support” or “Sharing Circle” is Continuity Care’s term or model of a support network for a person with an intellectual disability. A Sharing Circle is a group of people who genuinely care about the person at the center of the circle and want to be a part of their lives, now and in the future. The goal is to build and strengthen friendships and relationships to support people who are vulnerable and help them live an active, enriched life in the community. The key is that collectively, a Sharing Circle increases the amount of social and recreational opportunities and can enrich the person’s life in a variety of ways. A Sharing Circle can help to support the individual by: Developing friendships Helping to connect with services and Exploring social opportunities supports that are needed Assisting in supported decision making Assisting and responding to life changes Problem solving Promoting health and wellness Advocacy Ultimately sharing the caring and the Promoting safety responsibilities Individuals may, or may not have family members who are part of their lives. In either case, a sharing circle can help to build and strengthen relationships and enhance the support that is provided by agencies/paid service providers. A Sharing Circle can also help provide peace of mind for parents, knowing that there are others who will be part of their child’s life, now and in the future. Members of a Sharing Circle are usually volunteers in a person’s life and are not paid to support the individual. They can be family members, friends, former staff, neighbours, co-workers, members of church or spiritual community, members of cultural groups or organizations or people from the community who share common interests. In some cases, paid service providers become friends and become part of a person’s Sharing Circle. A Sharing Circle of Support is not meant to replace the formal supports or paid supports already in place, but rather work with them to provide the individual with the best supports possible. Continuity Care offers two options to assist individuals and their families or supporting agencies in creating a sharing circle. The first option is a resource tool kit will be available for those who would like to get started on their own. Continuity Care will offer direction and support and share practical tips and resources. Continuity Care can also come out and present a workshop on Building a Sharing Circle of Support to your group or organization. This workshop provides practical information on how to get started and how to maintain a sharing circle of support over time. As a second option, Continuity Care is providing a service to families and agencies who wish to work with a facilitator to develop and/or maintain the sharing circle of support. Continuity Care has currently hired 5 Facilitators on a contract basis to work with individuals and their families/agencies. The services of a Facilitator are available on a fee for service basis. Support will not be contingent upon the ability to pay. If you would like more information about Continuity Care’s Sharing Circle of Support Program, please contact our office at 779-1679. If you are a young adult with an intellectual disability who wants friends, this website is for you! www.ibelong.ca L’Arche Canada launches a new website about friendships for young people with intellectual disabilities. Here you will find videos, stories, ideas and resources about how to make friends. You will also find information for others who want to help you form lasting friendships.