Strategic Connections with diverse communities

- some SUCCESS experiences

Presentation at

Strategic Connections for Inclusive Communities

A Symposium on engaging culturally diverse communities

May 26th, 2010, Vancouver, BC

Ronald Ma MSW RSW

Director of Employment Services

S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

www.success.bc.ca

History

Formed in 1973 by a group of Chinese-Canadian professionals

Have evolved into a multicultural, multi-service agency assisting people at all stages of their Canadian experience.

Location & staff

• 26 offices in the Lower Mainland, Abbotsford, Fort St. John, Taipei, and Seoul.

• 400 full time staff speaking over 20 languages

Major Services

12 1/2 %

12 1/2 %

12 1/2 %

12 1/2 %

12 1/2 % 12 1/2 %

Employers /Business

AssociationsGovernment

Parents /parent

associations

Volunteers

Community Organisations

Professional / Associations

Schools

Universities16 2/3 %

16 2/3 %

tyt

16 2/3 %

16 2/3 %

16 2/3 %

Family & Youth

Counselling

Immigrant & settlement

Group & Community

Development

Small Business Development

Seniors & Women Program

Health services, senior care home,

adult day care

Clients

Holistic – Integrated

Approach of Services Delivery

Community Partners …

…OPTIONS: Services to Communities Society ;Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society ;Richmond Addiction Services ;Richmond Public Library ;Richmond School District ;School District #43 ;SHARE Family and Community Services Society ;Simon Fraser Society for Community Living ;Simon Fraser University ;Small Business BC ;South Burnaby Neighbourhood House ;Surrey Public Library ;The Asian Women's Health Clinic ;The Canadian Immigrant Magazine ;THEO, BC ;Tri-city Family Place ;Triumph Vocational Services ;UBC Law Student's Legal Advice Program ;University of British Columbia US Commerce Department (Vancouver Office) ;Vancouver Chinese Diabetes Education Centre ;Vancouver Coastal Health ;Vancouver Multicultural Society ;Vancouver Public Library ;Venture Kamloops ;Victoria Disability Resource Centre ;YMCA Child Care Resources and Referral and Family Resources Program ……

Community Partnership Acknowledgement (Not listed in specific order)

Example of community Partners

Vibrant Abbotsford Abbotsford Chamber of

Commerce Chilliwack Chamber of

Commerce Tourism Abbotsford South Fraser Community

Futures Development Corporation

Fraser Valley WICWP Project University of the Fraser

Valley’s Centre for Indo Canadian Studies

Integral City Discovery Centre for

Entrepreneurship New York Institute of

Technology (Vancouver campus)

Why Partnership ?

Agency Vision and Mission: building bridges Holistic and Integrated approach of services delivery Client centre: - to enhance the social functioning of clients

andBest uses of scarce resources

– Maximization– Comparative advantages– 1+1>2

Type of Partnership

Expertise Partners Service Delivery Partners: To outreach to

other geographical location or target groups Resource Partners: money, space and

marketing channel

__________________________ Experience sharing, Support letters, references, Referrals,

Cross training, funding application, service development, research, knowledge building, etc.

Type of Partnership – cont’d

All levels:– Program– individual– Division– Agency wide– Local service centers– National– international

Strategic partnership: benefits:

Tangible – intangible

Present – future

Direct - indirect

Guiding principles:

Follow agency vision and mission For the ultimate benefit of our clients Fairness Win-win, mutual benefit Mutual understanding (allies can be competitors) Openness Long term perspectives

Challenges:

Looking for long-term, sustainable partners Relationship not to stop because of:

– Funding– Completion of task– Changes of staff

A more responsive formation of partners (efficient internal decision mechanism)

To encourage all levels of staff in partnership creation

Thank YouRonald Ma MSW RSW

Director of Employment Services

S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Vancouver, BC, Canada

ronald@success.bc.ca

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