the diversity issue

Remaining Culturally Sensitive pg. 8

your organization, moving forward pg. 18

Adapting Your Resources for Those

Who Are Visually Impaired pg. 14

Council for Families

The BC Council for Families Magazine Winter 2013

FamilyConnections

editor Tina Albrecht

art director & design Tina Albrecht

contributors Bonnie Yeung, Cara Hykawy, David Sheftel, Joel Kaplan, Lena Bergcoutts, Tina Albrecht

subscriptionsBy membership with the BC Council for Families. www.bccf.ca

Family Connections is published four times per year by the BC Council for Families. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Council, its members or funders.

#208–1600 West 6th Ave Vancouver, bc v6J 1R3t 604 678 8884e editor@bccf.cawww.bccf.ca

Established in 1977, the BC Council for Families is a registered non-profit society. Registration #0488189-09-28

issn#1195-9428

officers of the societySylvia Tremblay · President, FraserJohn Thornburn · Vice President, FraserJoel Kaplan · Executive Director

board of directorsSultan Almajil · InteriorDeb Day · IslandKarl Eberle · NorthTim Fairgrieve · Vancouver CoastalAaron Francis · InteriorLynn Locher · NorthSandra Routledge · Vancouver CoastalKatie Tichauer · Vancouver CoastalJay Timms · FraserYing Xu · Vancouver Coastal

© 2013 BC Council for Families

Focus

8 Remaining Culturally Sensitive David Sheftel reminds us that it’s important to be mindful of cultural differences in

all the work that we do. David Sheftel

14 Adapting Your Resources for Those Who Are Visually Impaired Sometimes your organization’s resources aren’t accessible to everyone. Lena

Bergcoutts tells her story of how she worked towards inclusion. Lena Bergcoutts

Departments

3 From the Editor’s Desk

4 News & Notes

6 Toolbox

7 Good to Know

18 Balancing Act It’s important to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to making your

programs and services more welcoming and accessible.

19 Final Word Diversity is about what each individual is capable of, what their strengths are,

even if they have vulnerabilities.

volume 17, issue 3 winter 2013

2 Family Connections Winter 2013

FamilyConnections

LenaBergcoutts,coordinatoroftheEastVancouverNobody’sPerfectConsortiumshowsusthatalittleingenuitycangoalongwaywhenyouaretryingtomakeyourprogrammaterialsaccessibletoavarietyofpeoplewithinyourcommunity.ShewasfacedwiththechallengeofhelpingafellowfacilitatormakeNobody’sPerfectmaterialsaccessibleforavisuallyimpairedfamilywhowereattendingtheprogram.Herinitiativeanddriveisinspiring!

Onthefinallegofourdiversityjourneywelookintosomespecificstepsforyoutotakewithyourspace,yourstaffandyourmaterialstomakeyourprogramsandservicesmorewelcomingandaccessible.Alittlecangoalongwayandbeingproactivewithdiversitywillhelpattractandretainnewpotentialclients.

Itismyhopethatyoufindthisissuetobeinformativeandthatthecontentenhancesyourdailyworkwithfamilies.Thankyouforreading!Asalways,ifyouhavecomments,questions,orsuggestionsforarticlesorathemeforanissue,justdropmealineateditor@bccf.ca.

From the Editor’s Desk

Tina Albrecht,Editor

DiversityhasbeenonourmindshereattheCouncilalotlately.InthelastissueofFamilyConnections

wetalkedspecificallyaboutoneparticulartypeofdiversity,LGBTQ,butthisseasonwewanttotakeastepbackandlookatdiversitywithabitofawiderlens.Whenyouaretalkingfamilies,diversityreallyistheperfectdescriptor.Therecanbeamazingdiversitywithinthefamilystructure,nationality,ethnicity,primarylanguagespoken,gender,sexualorientation,socialclass,spiritualorreligiousbeliefsandphysicalandmentalability.Allofthesewonderfulvariationsarethingsthatweneedtotakeintoconsiderationwhenweareworkingwithfamiliesandtryingtocreatespacesandprogramsthatarewelcoming.

Inthiswinter’sissueofFamilyConnectionswearestartingthingsoutsimply,withareviewofaselfassessmenttoolthatyouandyourorganizationcandownloadanduse.Thisculturalcompetencytoolcanhelpyourorganizationavoidculturalgridlock,increasecreativeproblemsolvingandgrowrespectandtrustamounstyourstaffandclientele.

Nowthatwehaveyouthinkingaboutculturalcompetency,FamilyLifeEducatorDavidSheftel,shareswithushisexperienceofdevelopinganddeliveringaprogramforFirstNationscommunitiesacrosstheprovince.Hesharessomeofthechallengesthathefacedandsomeeffectivewaystodrawgroupstogether.Ifyouareconsideringrethinkingoneofyourprogramsforadifferentculturalgroupthiswillbeagreatreadforyou!

Winter 2013 Family Connections 3

nameafew)continuouslyevolve.FromaninformationpackedsessiononthenewFamilyLawAct,totipsforcommunicatingwithclientswhomayhavementalhealthissues,andalookintothecomplicatedworldofyouthwhousesocialmedia,theconferencehadsomethingonofferforeveryone. WeevengotalittleinnovativeourselvesasweLive-tweetedtheentireconference.Herearesomehighlights:• IsthenewFamilyLawActbetterfor

youngfamilies?Asofnowit’shardtosay!#APSYP2013

• Communicatingwithaclientwithmentalillness:Approachpersoncalmly,beunderstanding,consideryourlanguage,separatethebehaviourfromtheperson.#APSYP2013

• Nearly40%offamilieswithchildrenupto4yearsoldhavetheTVonmostorallofthetime.Kidstakeintheseimages.#APSYP2013

Thankyouforyourattendance,andwehopetoseeyouatnextyear’sconference!

reachingouttofamiliestogetthemtosharetheirstoriesandopinionsaboutchangesthatneedtohappenhereinBCtomakelifebetterforfamilies.Wanttoknowmore?Great! CheckoutalloftheLet’sTalkFamilysurveyreports.http://www.bccf.ca/all/resources/lets-talk-family-bc-survey-results StaytunedformoreupdatesaswecontinuetogetreadytolaunchourTAGproject.Andmostimportantly,thankyouforallyoudoforfamilies,everyday.

Innovation and Today’s FamiliesThispastOctober,wewerepleasedtowelcomeprofessionalsworkingwithyoungparentsfromallacrosstheprovincetoour2013AllianceofProfessionalsServingYoungParentsconference.Entitled,“Don’tStandStill:InnovationandToday’sFamilies”,itwasaparticipatoryandengagingdayfullofavarietyofinformativepresentations. Thethemewasinnovation,whichissomethingthatallprofessionalsconstantlyneedtobeawareofasthelandscapeoflaw,technology,andbestpractices(to

What Do Families Really Need? It’sagoodquestion,isn’tit?Whatarethesupportsandservicesthatwillreallymakeadifferenceforfamilies,andhowdowemakesureallfamilymemberscanaccessthem?TherearenearlyasmanyanswerstothisquestionastherearefamiliesinBC,andforthepastseveralweekswe’vebeenreadingthroughresponsessenttousbythemorethan2000peoplewhoparticipatedinourrecentsurvey,Let’sTalkFamily,BC! Readingyourideasandsuggestionshasbeenaninspiring,andhumblingexperience.Manyofyouwhorespondedtooursurveyhaveatremendouscommitmentandpassionforhelpingkids,parents,andfamilymembers,andyourenthusiasmispalpable.Wecan’thelpbeinghopefulaboutthefutureforfamiliesinBCwhentherearesuchdedicatedandmotivatedprofessionalsoutthereworkingontheirbehalf.We’realsoreallyexcitedthatsomanysurveyparticipantsareeagertogetinvolvedwiththenewonlineinitiativeforfamilieswe’regettingreadytolaunch:TAG. TAG=Talk,Act,GetInvolved.It’sawayof

WORDLE CREATED WITH THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED WORDS IN THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS OF

OUR LET’S TALK FAMILY BC! SURVEY (DETAILS ABOUT THE SURVEY BELOW).

4 Family Connections Winter 2013

News & Notes

5 Trainings in 5 Communities: Journey to Healing Theimpactofsuicideisarealityformanychildren,youth,families,andtheircommunities.InBritishColumbiasuicideisthesecondleadingcauseofdeathamongyouthaged15-24years.Thisiswhytheimplementationofsuicidepostventionisextremelyimportant.

What is postvention? It’samyriadofactivitiesthataredesignedtoprovideimmediatesupporttoyoungpeople(andothers)whoarelefttoprocessandhealfromthesuicidedeathofalovedone,friend,orpeer.

Why is it important? Oneofthegoalsofpostventionistoreducetherisksforsuicidecontagion(or‘copy-cat’suicides),whiledecreasingtheemotionalimpactoflossanddistressexperiencedbythoselefttolive. JourneytoHealing:SuicidePostventionforYouthisaworkshopthatgathersfamilyserviceprofessionals,schoolpersonnel,clergy,youthworkers,victimsserviceworkers,andmanyothertypesofprofessionals,toexplorethelivedexperiencesofbereavedyouth.Thetraininghighlightstheimportanceofrecognizingandbuildingontheuniquestrengthsofthecommunity.Theultimategoalofthetrainingistopreventyouthsuicideandadversementalhealtheffects,andtostrengthencommunitycapacity. JourneytoHealinggrewoutoffundingfromCommunityActionInitiative(CAI),who

supportedtheCounciltodevelopthetrainingandbringittofivedifferentBCcommunities:PortHardy,PrinceGeorge,CowichanValley,Kamloops,andBellaCoola.ThesetrainingsfocusedattentiononthesupportneedsofAboriginalyouth,andsuccessfullybroughttogethermanystakeholdersandprofessionalstostrategizeandbuildcommunityandindividualcapacity.ThenewJourneytoHealingworkshopbuildsonthesuccessesoftheoriginalprojectandallowsawideraudiencetobenefitfromthisessentialmaterial. Weareproudoftheworkwe’vebeenabletodoin2013throughtheJourneytoHealingproject,andwehopetocontinuingofferingthisimportanttrainingincommunitiesallacrossBC.LearnhowyoucanbringJourneytoHealing:SuicidePostventionforYouthtoyourcommunitybycontactingusat:bccf.@bccf.ca.

We need your creative ideas! Weneedyourhelptonameournewnewsletterandre-nameHealthyFamilies. Thankssomuchforyourgreatnewsletternamesuggestionsthusfar!We’vehadsomereallycreativesubmissionsthatarecurrentlyinconsideration.Weknowyou’refullofbrilliantideas,andwe’rereadyformore.Don’tbeshy;sendusyournamesuggestions!Wewantournewsletterstoreflectyourinterests,sowewantyoutohaveasayinwhatthey’recalled.

Tell Us: Whatshouldwere-nameourprofessionally-focusednewsletter(currentlycalledHealthyFamilies)?Whatshouldwenameourbrandnewfamily-focusednewsletter?

Sendusyoursuggestionsviaemail:bccf@bccf.ca,giveusacallat604-678-8884ext.101,ortweetus@BC_families. Welovereachingouttoyou,andweappreciateyourenthusiasticparticipationinourcontest.We’llbewaitingforyourinput.

Connect with readers. Connect with families.

Advertising in Family Connections is a great way to showcase your events or services. Family Connections helps you get your message out to family service professionals all across BC.

special member ratesTo book your advertisement, contact:Tina Albrecht, tinaa@bccf.ca

Our next ad deadline is January 31, 2014.

HealthyFamilies!Family news you need to know.• New research• Policies and programs• Reports and statistics• Trainings and professional

development• Events and updates from the

BC Council for Families

Free! Delivered to your desktop every second Monday.

Subscribe online: www.bccf.ca

Winter 2013 Family Connections 5

The Cultural Competency Assessment Tool: Evaluate Your Cultural CompetencyGlobalization is connecting people around the world more than ever through communications and trade. In light of this, it is important for organizations to be culturally competent so they can adapt to the ever-changing and diverse world. If organizations do not constantly strive to adapt to diversity and embrace change they may become stuck in an “organizational and cultural gridlock.” If an organization’s employees are culturally competent, they have increased creativity in problem solving from diverse perspectives as well as strategies and ideas. In addition, culturally competent organizations have increased respect and mutual understanding for all stakeholders, increased participation from multicultural groups, and increased trust and cooperation. There can be many types of diversity within an organization including nationality, ethnicity, primary language spoken, gender, sexual orientation, social class, spiritual or religious beliefs, physical and mental ability. Cultural competency refers to the ability of organizations to function and perform effectively in cross-cultural situations, and its principles include inclusiveness, reflecting and valuing cultural differences, and employment and service equity. The Cultural Competency Assessment Tool http://www.mmhrc.ca/sites/default/files/CulturalComptence_assessment_tool_0.pdf was formed to identify an organization’s strengths and weaknesses rather than as a pass/fail test. The tool was formed by the Ministry for Children and Families to aid the Vancouver region in enhancing its services

r e a d e r r e v i e w sWhat have you been reading lately? To contribute a review, contact us at editor@bccf.ca

and programs in their accessibility ethno-cultural and new communities. The CCAT rates many facets of an organization such as organizational statements or documents, and program policies and procedures on their level of cultural competency. For example, when rating organizational composition and climate, the composition of the organization is checked to see if it is reflective of the targeted client groups. The tool can be used internally or externally, and ratings are given on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 meaning the organization does not meet the criteria statement and 5 indicating that it meets most of the criteria statement). After assessment, an Action Plan is made to improve the organization’s cultural competency. After an organization has been assessed, its strengths and weaknesses of cultural competency can be identified. Some ways for effectively improving or implementing change in an organization include: ownership, mapping it out, working in stages and getting everyone involved. Ownership: By feeling like they are an integral part of an organization, members will better internalize their impact and take personal responsibility to enforce change. Mapping it out: It is important to keep organizational members well informed about the steps and details of cultural change. They should know exactly what is going on. Working in stages: It is better for an organization to take gradual steps towards cultural competency rather than rush prematurely. Getting everyone involved: Not only do members have to be involved in the change, but it is crucial that management

and executives are enthusiastic about it as well. Managerial support and acceptance for a new plan unites the organization and members are able to adjust more easily. Whether an organization changes or not, Canada, and especially BC, is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, gender, culture, and more. It is beneficial for organizations to adapt to these changes in the environment. The CCAT is one of the tools organizations can use to assess its cultural competency so it can have a better understanding of what they needs to focus on in terms of becoming more culturally accepting. The involvement of managers, mapping out and systematically going through stages of change, and having organizational members take ownership, will result in an organization becoming more culturally competent.

References http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-organizations/main

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/techniques-implementing-change-organization-10032.html

Bonnie Yeung is currently a student at the

University of British Columbia studying Human

Resources and Marketing. She helps the

communications department at the BC Council for

Families and is passionate about learning more on

how to support healthy families in BC.

6 Family Connections Winter 2013

Toolbox

BC, especially the Lower Mainland, is more culturally diverse than ever

• From2006–201166%ofBC’spopulationgainwasduetointernationalmigration

• Foreign-bornimmigrantsnowmakeup40%ofthepopulationinthemetroVancouverregion.

• In2010themajorityofimmigrantswerefromChina(21%),Philippines(15%),andIndia(13.5%).

• 36.3%oftheseimmigrantswereprofessionalswithauniversityeducation.

BCimmigrationanddiversityfactsandtrends

There are people of all levels of physical and mental ability in BC communities

• In200912.8%ofBritishColumbiansbetween15-64indicatedtheyhadadisability(355,430people).

• Themostcommontypesofdisabilitiesarethoserelatedtomobility/activitylimitations,includingpain(9.6%),mobility(8%),andagility(7.5%).

Good to Know

British Columbia is a diverse province, with people of many cultures,

orientations, and levels of ability.

• About39.0%experiencedasevereorveryseverelimitation,whereas33.9%experiencedamildlimitation.

• Ofthe355,430disabledpersons,136,720werenotinthelabourforce,and18,060wereunemployed.

LabourMarketOutcomesofPersonswithDisabilitiesin

BritishColumbia(2009)BCStats

Many people of diverse sexual orientations and identities reside in our province

• 1.1%ofCanadiansaged18-59reportedin2009thattheyidentifyasgayorlesbian

• 10.3%ofCanada’ssame-sexcouplesresidedinVancouverin2006

• Therewere45,300same-sexcouplesin2006.Oftheseabout7,500(16.5%)weremarriedcouples,and37,900(83.5%)werecommonlawcouples.

Source:“2006Census:Families,maritalstatus,

householdsanddwellingcharacteristics,”TheDaily,

Wednesday,September12,2007.

StatsCan2011

Winter 2013 Family Connections 7

Focus

Remaining Culturally Sensitive David Sheftel

Walking into someone else’s community is like being a guest in someone’s home. It’s important to be both mindful and gracious.

that brought together the stakeholders and prospective participants to talk about the issues, their needs and what we should consider in developing and delivering the workshops. These gatherings were critical in building initial relationships – we realized how important those relationships with First Nations organizations and people would be, to ensure buy-in from the community and to help us with recruiting the right people to attend the workshops. Many of these relationships took months of nurturing to achieve a level of trust and support – something we tend to spend little time on in many areas of coordinating and delivering professional development in the non-Aboriginal world.

We had Elders talking about traditional beliefs and practices that were challenging to accept; given our knowledge of western practice and current thought around suicide. One Elder told us that First Nations people would traditionally view suicide as a brave act – a warrior’s honourable way out of a bad life situation. We also heard the approach that talking about suicide with young people would bring dark spirits to the family, creating danger for other children. Or the belief that sharing feelings about a friend’s suicide could encourage more darkness and pain to visit that community. We knew we should

remain respectful, open and non-judgmental to every thought or practice that was shared in the groups, even though they weren’t shared by all. Having Elders participate in each training was invaluable; for their wisdom and thoughtful support of the group. They often shared perspectives that gave everyone comfort or new insights into both the pain of the past and positive possibilities for the present and future.

“In one community, a woman talked about how when she was a girl her grandmother died – not of suicide, of natural causes – and how she hadn’t been allowed to attend the funeral.” Karen remembered. “It had been over twenty years since her grandmother had died, but in telling the story, she cried. Her loss was still so raw, because she felt she’d never had a chance to say goodbye properly to her grandmother. But then Elders who were there at the workshop were able to explain to her that kids weren’t allowed at funerals because children are more vulnerable to dark spirits, which can be present at funerals. It’s a time of risk, and keeping kids away is to protect them. Hearing the reasons explained like that, really helped her to understand and to feel less excluded from the grieving. It opened up a discussion about how to make sure that cultural practices around

S uicide is an epidemic among First Nations youth in Canada,

especially in BC. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for

youth, after motor vehicle accidents. Suicide rates are five to seven

times higher for First Nations youth than for non Aboriginal youth. The

Journey to Healing :: Suicide Postvention for Aboriginal Youth project was

designed to help bring this topic to the forefront, by stimulating discussion

and collaboration in five communities around BC. Postvention consists of

conscious and deliberate activities that follow a suicide, to support friends

and loved ones left behind.

During this project, my colleague Karen Moss and I learned many valuable lessons. While each community we visited had a different mix of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants, it was critical to get First Nations participation and support for the project to make it successful and meaningful. But as we learned, getting this participation required developing a specific cultural awareness and sensitivity.

We felt it was important right from the start, to acknowledge with the group that Karen and I were two urban middle-class non-Aboriginals bringing our Vancouver-developed workshop into their community. We expressed that we were not there to teach or speak as experts, but to bring together different people and organizations, to talk about this critical issue; what has worked there and elsewhere, and what could work for them in the future. I make the same acknowledgment here – that I’m certainly not an expert in this area, and my understanding of working with First Nations groups and organizations is based on my own experience and learnings, filtered through my Western background and perspective.

We also went into each community months before the workshop, to hold a gathering

10 Family Connections Winter 2013

Focus

Having Elders participate in each training was

invaluable; for their wisdom and thoughtful support

of the group.

death and grieving are understood by youth, and about how to help youth feel included in the traditional practices, and not just that there’s a standard of behaviour that they have to live up to.”

First Nations history: colonization, residential schools and intergenerational trauma had to be acknowledged in our discussions – as a key factor in the current mental health of every generation today. Parents’ and grandparents’ capacity to support young people in their life journeys can be both hindered and enhanced by their own history and upbringing. Karen and I often felt how critical it is to support the older generations to be healthy, to have the capacity to be the solid base for young people, to act as a beacon in a storm of grief and loss that surrounds a suicide.

My own belief is that all the history and family trauma has become concentrated in today’s Aboriginal youth, even though they may not be conscious of its impact; only that they may feel a sense of loss, sadness or hopelessness. The challenge for any professionals wanting to intervene with or support these youth is to learn how those issues have led this generation to sometimes feel lost or in need of spiritual guidance. We heard of wonderful traditional practices that are being taught and shared with young people – giving them new strength, values and hope for the future. These were some of the most exciting and positive outcomes of our discussions and the great work being done in many communities.

One interesting awareness I had was how different each community’s beliefs and traditions were, even though there were some commonalities. As a non-Aboriginal person, it was enlightening to hear the variety of ideas and values expressed across the communities; differences between urban and rural, and between different Nations and bands. We

noted how in the larger urban centres, the mix of population coming from different Nations and parts of the country created a more diverse range of traditions, so that it

was critical not to assume that, for example, all Aboriginal youth in Kamloops had the same kind of family values or experience.

Another challenging area was the intersection between traditional First Nations and modern Western values, which many Aboriginal youth may experience as a dilemma. In my own experience working in Duncan, I know of families where a young person could have more of a cultural identity than his or her parents, others where the reverse is true. Since many young people feel the pull of Western culture, they may go through the very common phase of rejecting their parents’ more traditional values, to fit in with

their peer group. Of course, colonization and historic trauma can also lead the older generations to have conflicted feelings towards their heritage, and so there are also

families where the younger generation is more excited and interested in learning and practicing their traditions. When it comes to a traumatic event like the suicide of a friend, it is important to let young people decide their own way of grieving, with guidance and support of their family and the community. This can cause conflict within families, but if there are good community supports blanketing the family, positive growth is possible.

One story from a participant: after the death of a teenaged boy’s mother, he was expected by the family to cut off his long hair and place it in the coffin. This created real conflict – he knew how much his mother loved his hair –on

Winter 2013 Family Connections 11

12 Family Connections Winter 2013

David Sheftel

David Sheftel has been a leader in the family support

and education field for over 12 years. He is a Certified

Canadian Family Educator, holds a certificate in Infant

Mental Health, and worked for the BC Council for

Families as coordinator of the Father Involvement

Network of BC and the provincial Home Visitor

Training Initiative. He currently works with the Duncan

RCMP as a Victim Services case worker and as a

consultant trainer for the Council. He believes strongly

in the importance and value of supporting families and

especially fathers. David is married and is a committed

and involved father of Ben, 22 and Jesse, 20.

him – and that she would have wanted him to keep growing it. But the pressures of his family and community also weighed heavily, and he didn’t want to go against their wishes. This

kind of clash requires thoughtful and respectful discussion on all sides to avoid bringing more pain to anyone in the midst of a tragedy.

For many First Nations, storytelling is an important way of communicating ideas and values. Since much of Western understanding is communicated with research, with a value placed on facts, figures and concise explanations, we had to slow down, listen and really witness the truths that were often shared through stories in the workshops. Allowing people to share their stories – a balance for the group to listen and really hear personal experience and history; or going too far into individual lives and trauma... How do we know when to interject, without being disrespectful? This is a common issue in many groups, but we found it especially challenging in this environment, when we were trying to be aware of the cultural issues – and not wanting to silence an important voice. We often found ourselves questioning how long to allow personal story sharing to continue, and the training evaluations described both kinds of reactions in the group: a feeling that some people were allowed to take too much group time, while other people felt it was really valuable to hear the stories and that we were sensitive to their needs. A key factor here was that so many participants had

been personally or professionally touched by suicide, and we knew that if we didn’t allow their stories to be heard, they might not be able to move past the personal trauma and

into the world of postvention.

We discovered that there were times when approaching these sessions with an openness to humour and fun was key. It’s hard to imagine anyone sitting in a group for two days talking about suicide, without a break for team-building or energizing games, or an opportunity to laugh to defuse some of the tension that can build up. Laughter brings people together, regardless of cultural differences, and our evaluations often confirmed that participants valued the fun and active moments we tried to create to break up the sessions. We knew that for anyone to leave the workshop feeling hopeful and informed, their needs for sharing and fun would have to be nurtured.

We also learned that making mistakes was ok – an incorrect assumption or honest mistake about a practice or an idea was alright, as long as we were open to admitting and correcting. I think acknowledging our human-ness and desire to learn was the key here.

Overall, we felt, and the evaluations bore out, that we were considered to be culturally sensitive and that our openness and inclusive approach was what allowed true connections to be formed and valuable sharing to happen.

Laughter brings people together, regardless of

cultural differences, and our evaluations often

confirmed that participants valued the fun and active

moments we tried to create to break up the sessions.

The need for support and strategies around youth suicide were seen to be overriding concerns, which encouraged collaboration towards positive change.

Winter 2013 Family Connections 13

14 Family Connections Winter 2013

Focus

Adapting

Your Resources

for Those Who

Are Visually

ImpairedI was somewhat caught off guard when Ken

Hopkins, Nobody’s Perfect Facilitator with MOSIAC, contacted me in late July asking if

I could send him materials for his upcoming group, including materials for two parents who are visually impaired. The request itself was completely reasonable, as the Program Coordinator for the East Vancouver Nobody’s Perfect Consortium; it is my task to prepare the kits of learning materials for all of the agencies in the Consortium. What really struck me was that I had never before been asked to provide materials for those who are visually impaired, and I had no idea if we had resources available for these parents.

Nobody’s Perfect is a six-week course for parents with children aged 0-5. The goal of the program is to give parents, especially those who are isolated or vulnerable in different ways, the opportunity to meet other parents, discuss their experiences and challenges and learn about their child’s development and needs from the program materials and group discussions. Participation is free; as is lunch, transit fare, and two hours of child-minding. The funding is provided by the Provincial Health Services Authority. Nobody’s Perfect exists across Canada and has been hugely popular in BC for the past 24 years. The original books have been translated into

French, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Punjabi and many other Languages.

After checking the online Bookstore on the BC Council for Families’ website, and looking through every nook and cranny of my fairly organized storage space for Nobody’s Perfect supplies, I turned to Ruby Banga, Nobody’s Perfect Program Coordinator at the BC Council for Families. She was quick to respond but said they would have to check with the national office in Ottawa.

In the meantime, I learned more about Braille, the tactile writing system used by the

Lena Bergcoutts

Winter 2013 Family Connections 15

Lena Bergcoutts

Lena (BA, Sociology & French, Uppsala & Gothenburg

University, Sweden) focused her first thesis on the

sense of belonging for immigrants and her second

on comparing two conflicting current ideals of

womanhood. She studied Mandarin in Beijing, China

and assisted orphaned children and taught drama in

Strasbourg, France). Before immigrating to Canada

she was a coordinator of translations in multiple

languages (Gothia Translations, Särö, Sweden). Today

she coordinates the East Vancouver Nobody’s Perfect

Consortium out of Kiwassa Neighbourhood House,

where her role includes coordinating Community

Arts, teaching ESL for seniors, and facilitating NP, My

Tween & Me and Family Place.

microphones we had around the house and settled with a program on my laptop. That night, I read aloud the entire Feelings book. When it was recorded, saved, and exported as an MP3-file, I went on and recorded

the Mind book as well. Having minimal exposure to audio recording in the past, but a bit of training in voice and enunciation from teaching ESL and participating in drama groups, I found it an exciting challenge. It was an interesting experience trying to communicate the information from the books with my voice alone, and I soon realized that there were illustrations and visual formatting that could also be included to make it more comprehensive.

Once Ken received the audio files by email, he was inspired to take the process to the next level and went ahead and recorded the remaining three Nobody’s Perfect books so that the family would have access to a full set. In his reporting to me at the end of the six sessions, he mentioned how much it had meant to these parents that we had spent some of our time working to meet their needs and were willing to include them fully in the group. We discussed how great it would be if audio files could be made available either on a CD that could be sent to agencies directly, or made available for parents to download.

Looking back on this experience, I think of the efforts the BC Council for Families has already put into making the Nobody’s

visually impaired, and about different ways to capture audio recordings. Ken, the Nobody’s Perfect group facilitator, emailed me again looking for some direction as to what to do, since he had already registered the parents

and didn’t want to let them down. The group was scheduled to start the following week, and so I told him I would try to find a good solution. Ruby then got back to me with the information that the national office had some materials for the visually impaired in French, but have never received a request for the same materials in English.

As a family support worker, I’m constantly encouraged to step outside of my personal paradigm, and picture myself in the shoes of the parents and children I am working with. I thought of these parents, with a five-year-old child, who had learned about Nobody’s Perfect and signed up for a group to join. They would come to the program the following week only to find themselves excluded from receiving program materials. This would mean that they could not take part in the self-study between sessions that is a core component of the program and the whole foundation for group discussions and individual learning. It didn’t seem fair. I wanted to help the facilitator to include this family more fully in the learning process. I remembered that my husband had some recording equipment at home amongst his music instruments and I started exploring the idea of making audio recordings of the books. We tested different recording tools and

As a family support worker, I’m constantly

encouraged to step outside of my personal

paradigm, and picture myself in the shoes of the

parents and children I am working with.

Perfect books available in multiple languages and adding supplementary materials to welcome fathers and parents of children with FASD, and how much this has enriched the program. Still, I am concerned with the situation in BC today for parents who are visually impaired or have other barriers to accessing written material. Their needs will only be met when we make ourselves aware of their existence and urgency. Since we are working towards a society that celebrates diversity and is constantly growing and improving, I am hopeful to see new doors to our programs open up for these families!

16 Family Connections Winter 2013

Year End Sale!!Now’s the time to stock up on pamphlets for your programs! Receive 15% off your order.*Sale begins January 14 and ends March 31, 2014. Place orders online at: www.bccf.ca

*While supplies last.

Your materials• Adapt your program materials to include

photos of diverse people.• Make sure the content is culturally

sensitive and does not discount non-Western viewpoints.

• Get your program materials translated into the most widely spoken languages in your area.

• Consider adapting your materials for those who are visually impaired – audio files, or Braille.

• Don’t use language that assumes heterosexuality (i.e. husband and wife – use of the terms partner or spouse is more inclusive).

Taking steps to ensure your work environment is welcoming and inclusive of both your staff members and your clients is a great way to boost feelings of loyalty, maximize participation, and create a healthy, friendly office climate. Don’t wait until people who have diverse needs come to you! While putting in the time and effort to make your space more accessible for all types of people may seem like a lot of work in the short term – in the long term, it pays off.

referencesMaking Space for Everyone Booklet – SPARCBC

The balance between what you currently do in your work with families, and the necessity for organizations to forge ahead on a path of growth and expansion is a tenuous one. Our world is constantly changing and policies, practices, and resources cannot remain static. It’s not only important but also time-efficient to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to making your programs and services more welcoming and accessible. There are many diverse populations that require the use of community social services, such as: Those from different cultures, or who do not speak English fluently, individuals with different levels of cognitive and physical ability, or people who are of different sexual orientations or gender expressions. Some programs may not have a lot of participants who primarily speak another language, have different levels of ability, or identify as LGBTQ. Maybe this is because those groups don’t require certain services, but the more likely explanation is that they do not feel that the programs are accessible to them, or they are not sure whether they will be gladly welcomed. Making sure that your organization is ready to integrate these clients before they show up at your doorstep is a step in the right direction towards becoming more accommodating. Maybe you’ve never really put much thought into making your organization, programs, and materials more inclusive, and that’s okay! It’s never too late to get the ball rolling. But perhaps you’re wondering what kinds of practical steps you can take to start

making this a reality. We’ve curated some tips and suggestions for you:

Your space• Put up posters of diverse types of people

in your office.• Put up a rainbow decal, or other indicator

that your space is LGBTQ-friendly.• Make sure your space is accessible to those

with various impairments.• Ramps, wide doorways and handrails for

those with mobility impairments; • Open floor plans, bright lighting, and

informational listening devices for those with visual impairments;

• Visual alarm signals, clear, readable signs, and TTD stations for those with hearing impairments;

• Use of plain language, the encouragement of questions and engagement, and choice of activities that do not limit participation for those with cognitive impairments.

Your staff• Have staff trained in cultural competency

as well in regards to sexual orientation and levels of ability.

• Have staff learn the correct language to use when referring to people of different levels of ability or different sexual orientations and identities.

• Make sure your policies enforce non-discrimination on any basis.

• Hire staff members who are from diverse cultures, orientations, abilities, ages, etc.

Your organization’s policies, practices, and resources cannot remain static.

Your Organization, Moving Forward

Balancing Act

18 Family Connections Winter 2013

People across our province are becoming more accepting and inclusive of diverse populations. This is, of course, a good thing. But do we walk the talk? Knowing that you are an accepting person with inclusive attitudes is a great first step! But it’s time to harness these beliefs and put them into action. Although acceptance and inclusiveness are important attitudes they must also be translated into behaviours.

Diversity is about valuing what each individual is capable of, what their strengths are, even if they have vulnerabilities. Treating people who are of a diverse cultural background, level of ability, or speak a different first language with respect means more than just the absence of discrimination. It means focusing on inclusion. This is an active endeavor, not a passive one, and it entails taking the time to learn about people who are different from you.

Learning what language to use when discussing people who are different from you, what accommodations you need to make in order to communicate properly, and what modifications you may need to apply to your space for it to be accessible, these are all action items that you can engage in to make those inclusive attitudes a tangible reality.

Walking The Talk: Actively Promoting Acceptance and Inclusion

The Final Word

Whether it’s through modifying our materials to make them accessible to people who speak different languages, or have a visual or hearing impairment; to making sure our facilitators are knowledgeable about different cultural practices and considerations; or having our employees represent a range of backgrounds, the Council is dedicated to acting on our values of acceptance and inclusion.

With our suite of trainings that we host throughout the year, and our program materials that are tailored to diverse populations, we are working towards promoting the idea of inclusion and practical accessibility for all types of people. We are continually updating our programs, services, and materials so that they contain the latest information. The Council is committed to being an organization that walks the talk, because we know how important it is to be welcoming and inclusive in order to foster a strong sense of community, and to help families of all varieties flourish and succeed.

Joel Kaplan, ExecutiveDirector

Winter 2013 Family Connections 19

Parent Child Mother Goose Program January 10 – 11, 2014SurreyContact Katherine MacIntyre, katherine.macintyre@options.bc.ca to registerJanuary 18 & 25, 2014VancouverContact Lupita Boris, children@pirs.bc.ca to registerThis two-day teacher training workshop covers the methods and principles of the program. Preventative in nature, Parent-Child Mother Goose helps parents create positive family patterns during their children’s crucial early years.

Nobody’s Perfect Facilitator Training January 20 – 23, 2014VancouverNobody’s Perfect is a parenting education program where parents can safely share their experiences and concerns and receive the support of other parents – in addition to the support and resources brought by two skilled and knowledgeable facilitators.View Details

Integrated Strategies for Home Visiting training February 3 – 7, 2014VancouverIntegrated Strategies for Home Visiting trainingThis engaging, interactive training program is packed with information, discussion, and activities specifically designed to ensure home visitors will emerge with the knowledge and practical skills to implement successful services for families.View Details

Risk Management for Home Visitors TrainingFebruary 22, 2014VancouverRisk Management for Home Visitors is a practical and research-based one-day workshop that will equip outreach workers with the skills, awareness and strategies to stay safe and healthy in their work.View Details

My Tween & Me Leader TrainingMay 7 – 8, 2014VancouverThroughout the two-days of training, you will focus on building the skills you need to help parents establish close, enduring relationships with their children. The training incorporates current research on the key developmental milestones of children from 7 – 12.View Details

Nobody’s Perfect Facilitator Training June 2 – 5, 2014CranbrookNobody’s Perfect is a parenting education program where parents can safely share their experiences and concerns and receive the support of other parents – in addition to the support and resources brought by two skilled and knowledgeable facilitators.View Details

Upcoming Training & Events