Upcoming Events:

In-House Trainings

TCF Trainings in the Community

Two Day CPI Training Thursday & Friday, June 19 & 20

One Day Refresher CPI Training Thursday, July 3 @ Vancouver office

TCFTimes

CARF Survey A Big Success

Preparation pays! After 3 years of ongoing work and several months of intensive preparation, the CARF Survey went very

well. The 3 CARF surveyors, visited April 23-25. They were experienced Surveyors (one had done well over 300). The best

news is that for the most part they liked what they saw at TCF. While we won’t receive the official results for another 3-4

weeks, the extensive feed back shared on the final day of the survey was overwhelmingly positive. We can be confidant of a

3 year renewal of accredited status.

Staff in all areas of the agency contributed. Dennis and Helgi (and others) kept us on track and best of all, helped create

systems which will make the next Survey easier. This survey’s “Recommendations” amounted to a small fraction of the

recommendations we

received last survey.

Thanks to all for your hard

work. We can all be proud

of this result.

- Stephen Hockey

this issue P.1 CARF Survey a Big Success

P.2 Adopted Parents of People with FASD

P.3&4 Monthly Health & Safety Planner

P.5 Make a Difference Fund/Margaret’s Farewell Potluck

Upcoming Events

I S S U E

M A Y 2 0 1 4

15

TCF News Issue 15 May 2014

Dave Melnick, LICSW is the Director of Outpatient Services at NFI, Vermont. For the past 30

years, Dave has worked with children, adolescents and families in a variety of settings including:

outpatient, residential treatment, and schools. In addition to providing direct clinical work, Dave

consults with and trains professionals and parents throughout Vermont. His areas of expertise

include developmental trauma, family therapy, adolescence, and attachment. Dave is trained in

EMDR, DDP (Dr. Dan Hughe’s attachment model), and a variety of family systems models. The

ChildTrauma Academy acknowledges that Dave has completed NMT Training Certification

through the Phase II level. Dave is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and is an adjunct instructor at the

University of Vermont.

Day 1: Developmental Trauma: Supporting youth exposed to chronic trauma experiences

This training will focus on the core concepts of developmental trauma, examining both a descrip-

tion of the impact of chronic trauma experiences and various treatment models. Special attention

will be paid to the specific challenges that many of these youth face, including problems in the following areas: attachment

and bonding, biology, emotion regulation, cognition and learning, and behavior. Because the impact is often so severe, care-

givers, clinicians, educators and child welfare workers must be well versed in trauma theory, as well as the unique interven-

tions necessary to help these youth heal and grow. An integrative model of assessment and treatment will be discussed, with

a focus on the work of Patricia Ogden, Ph.D., Daniel Hughes, Ph.D and Daniel Siegel, MD.

Day 2: Advanced Training on Developmental Trauma

This training will focus on a more in-depth investigation of the ways in which youth are impacted by early trauma experiences,

as well as advanced assessment and treatment approaches. Discussion will also focus on ways to incorporate trauma-

informed practices into different settings and levels of care, and important skills for supervisors and clinical consultants. The

afternoon session will include case-presentations, with an eye towards treatment and safety planning.

Place: La Perla Ballroom (#230—810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster, BC)

Date: Thursday & Friday, June 5th & 6th, 2014

Time: 9 am—4 pm (Registration at 8 am, session starts promptly at 9 am.)

Tuition: $240 for both Day 1& Day 2 ($215 for students)

$125 for Day 1 or Day 2

(Refreshments and lunch included. Vegetarian choices will be available at lunch. Special diets feel free to bring food.)

C.E.U.’S applied for: Canadian Counselling Association

Day One Child Developmental Trauma: Successful Strategies for Caregivers

and Professionals by David Melnick (provisional title)

IMPORTANT NOTE These are 2 one-day workshops. All are welcome to day

one, but day 2 requires a foundation in child trauma. Day 1 (June 5,2013) pro-

vides that foundation as does Melnick ’s last workshop here last March 6, 2013

Thursday, June 5, 20014; 9-4; La Perla

Ballroom, #230 - 810 Quayside Drive

New Westminster, BC

Day Two Child Developmental Trauma: an in-depth breakdown of the model by

child’s domain of functioning. For Caregivers and Professionals by David

Melnick

Friday June 6,2014 9-4; La Perla Ball-

room, #230 - 810 Quayside Drive New

Westminster, BC

Supporting Youth Exposed to Chronic Trauma & Advanced

Training on Developmental Trauma Workshop by David Melnick

The CARF surveyors with Helgi and Dennis. Each surveyor is an ED of a similar agency. (in Wyoming, New York, and North Carolina respectively)

The Differential Fund has been Renamed Many of you will remember that the agency has had a fund of donated money called the Differential Fund. This fund is used to help

families and kids with significant need. Most often this has been used to contribute to such things as an overdue utility bil l, a damage

deposit, moving costs, care seats and most commonly food vouchers. Most often the fund goes to emergency needs, as it should.

There is also some allowance for developmental needs of a child. There will always be some gray areas in approving Make a Dif fer-

ence Funds. Of course the fund cannot sustain signing up every child for sports teams, music lessons or tai kwon do. But occasionally

with clear evidence that it will “Make a Difference” even these needs will be considered. Many staff have found the fund to be an addi-

tional meaningful way to help our clients.

The fund name, differential fund, has been confusing. For that reason it has been renamed the “Make a Difference Fund”. This fund

is comprised of 100% donated funds from people who really want to make a difference. To make this work we need program staff to

notice the need. We collect anonymous client stories from those who have been helped. These stories are used to encourage more

donations.

So when you notice a need, remember any worker can apply by completing these 2 short forms and giving it to the person you report

to. It will usually be approved within a few days by the Program Director, if under $500. If the request is for more, it needs to wait for

approval at a management team meeting. Following are the links to the application forms:

Differential Funding Application Form

Make a Difference Funding Accounting Form

- Stephen Hockey

In 2005 – The Children’s Foundation launched the FASD Keyworker Program in the Vancouver office. Within the

first couple of months we received a referral of an adoptive parent who was struggling with raising her adoptive

child who was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. In receiving services from the Key Worker

position, it became apparent to this adoptive parent that there are very limited services for the adoptive community.

With the support of the Key Worker, this parent was able to set up an organization that strictly provides support to

adoptive families and received 3 years of funding from the Victoria Foundation.

APP FASD is a parent-led non-profit organization that facilitates network evenings, retreats, and education and

experience-sharing events for adoptive parents of children, youth or adults suspected of having, or who have been

diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Our growing community of parents offers to reach out and help

others through the sharing of their experiences and the resources they have found useful and to provide adoptive

parents of children, youth or adults affected by FASD an opportunity to build support networks.

The APP FASD network evenings are designed to provide an opportunity for parents to connect with other parents

and find mutual support. Each network evening is focused on a specific theme and the evening allows for

discussion around this topic as well as free time to simply chat and network. Light food (a meal) is usually also

provided.

The APP FASD retreats are usually a full day event and designed to provide parents with opportunities to share

stories of their challenges and triumphs, to listen and to learn from one another and from FASD professionals, to

strengthen parent-child relationships, and to have some respite time away from their special needs children. Most

important, though, is the chance for parents to develop friendships and support. Our retreats are planned

specifically for parents in this unique and stressful

situation.

In 2012, the funding was no longer available to maintain

the retreats that were held out in community forums – this

was extremely upsetting to all those that attended as the

adoptive parents all felt the gap in services when children

were adopted and not in the care of The Ministry of

Children and Families.

In 2012, The Children’s Foundation graciously opened

their doors to support the vision that was created by AP-

PFASD. Over the last two years, APPFASD has been

able to use the Children’s Foundation facility to continue

providing networking evenings for all their members.

During these networking nights, we invite professionals

from the community that will share information, provide

hands on strategies, and being able to share and receive

support from others that may be experiencing similar

stressors.

- Jag McMillan

Adopted Parents of People with

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

(APPFASD)

Sadly, Margaret will finish her Cedarwood supervising role at TCF May 16th, due to budgetary circumstances. On May 6th she was

honoured by an impressive feast, beautiful flowers and warm accolades. Among other things, Margaret is renowned for her steady

support to her team and clients, her great sense of humour, and of course her patient support to all regarding Penelope. We wish her

the very best. TCF, though, is

fortunate to have Margaret take

on her new role as a Family

Counsellor in the Surrey Family

Preservation Program (SFPP).

Margaret will also be beginning

a partial leave of absence,

which includes her taking on a

temporary position, that of Care-

giver Support Network Facilita-

tor before beginning her SFPP

position next year.

- Zdeno Rusnak

Margaret’s Farewell Potluck

TCF Staff Survey is coming up!

Survey link will be emailed

and the link will be open from May 15th to May 30th.

It is with great sadness that I announce the ending of the term for

Amber Foster and James Stumph on the Health & safety Commit-

tee. Amber joined the H&S Committee in 2005 and James in 2006.

James stated that he joined the committee because he wanted to

be part of a new avenue with the agency and wanted to learn, grow

and lead in the area of health & safety. Of particular interest to

James was helping to lead and guide others in times of uncertain-

ty, particularly in the area of emergency preparedness. Benefiting

from over 4 workshop trainings provided by the BC Federation of

Health & Safety, James was able to carve out a unique leadership

role in Emergency Preparedness. Bringing energy and enthusiasm

to learning, his leadership in emergency drills in the North Surrey

Site was evident throughout his involvement with Health & Safety.

With a generous smile on his face, he successfully made drills in

the rain completely cheerful. Behind the scenes, he diligently

checked all the earthquake supplies and first aid kits, quietly ensur-

ing that there would be everything needed in the event of an emer-

gency at work.

In addition to his leadership in emer-

gency preparedness, his patience and

positive attitude made him a natural go

to in the North Surrey Office. And he

stayed on top of all H&S Concerns

shared and expressed to him and re-

ported them to the Committee – every-

thing from aggressive dogs to air quali-

ty was handled and responded to per-

sonally. For the years he acted as our

Co Chair, he stayed on top of our

minutes and paper – demonstrating his keen organizational skills.

He is, in my mind, the model of due diligence, a H&S rep who took

all reasonable care to “prevent occurrences through information

and instruction, training and support.”

A pleasure to work with, James is a playful, positive and co work-

er. Spend anytime with him you learn quickly that he is a natural

team player. Although his road hockey team, the Surrey Crushers,

lost at our First Annual Agency Wide Wellness Event, held in Van-

couver last June, James took it all in stride and demonstrated his

deeply embedded commitment to the agency as well as his natural

road hockey skills and his sportsmanship. Overall, he has been a

fantastic ambassador for Health & Safety for the agency and we

are all better off for his leadership. We only ask that next November

he will once again take a lead role in Movember and raising aware-

ness for prostrate cancer. Thanks James for your energy and your

courage.

Amber Foster joined the Health & Safety Committee in 2005. Like

many previous committee members, she was “voluntold,” to join.

Amber accepted the assignment because she knew at the core

Health & Safety affects everyone - staff, our loved ones as well as

person’s served.

H&S Honours the Contribution of Outgoing Members, Amber Foster & James Stumph It was these interconnected layers of

Health & Safety that Amber was deter-

mined to bring to the forefront of the com-

mittee’s work. Knowing very little about

Health & Safety when she signed up , Am-

ber did what I have come to know about

her character, she rolls up her sleeves,

asks what needs to be done and then asks

herself what she needs to learn to make it

so. It is this “can do” attitude and her “out of

the box” thinking style that has helped the

joint Health & Safety Committee grow, de-

velop and flourish over the past 8 years . One of the biggest challenges

of the Health & Safety Committee faced was how to engage all stake-

holders to help build a culture of safety. Amber quickly became a cen-

tral figure in leading the committee to re- think its position and role in the

agency. She took this question so seriously that she found herself under-

taking a Masters of Arts in Leadership at Royal Roads University while

she sat on the committee, supervised at Kennedy House and was par-

enting two young children. Where she found the time and energy to do

all of this is at once a source of mystery as well as an inspiration. But

anyone who spends less than 15 minutes with Amber immediately catch-

es her endless sparks of energy and her natural ability to dig in and prob-

lem solving. Amber’s Masters thesis, Enhancing Committee Effective-

ness by Foster Employee Ownership, an action research project con-

ducted at TCF, helped not only the H&S Committee reposition itself with-

in the agency, but also expand across the agency to include strategies to

enhance employee ownership in all committee work and in the agency

overall. Amber has been on the forefront of helping lead the agency to a

healthy place of engagement and ownership and her work has helped

set the stage for more employee voice at the agency. She has been a

great mentor to me as committee chair and she has graciously supported

my growth in systemic organizational thinking. Amber, on behalf of the

Health & Safety Committee and on behalf of The Children’s Foundation, I

thank you for your deep commitment to systemic wellness. May you con-

tinue to engage, exemplify, encourage and enable in all your future en-

deavors.

Both Amber and James are self sacrificing, dedicated TCF employees.

If you were aware of the fraction of they work that have done on behalf of

health, safety and wellness at TCF, that I have witnessed you would like

me be awe struck. I feel so very fortunate to have worked along side two

daring and innovative staff members. Through thick and thin and all the

growing pains of health & safety, Amber and James have been true pio-

neers in helping forge a fully functioning joint Health & Safety Commit-

tee at TCF. These two have made the agency a stronger, healthier and

safer place to be. It was an honor to have served with them and I thank

them deeply on behalf of the agency for all the sacrifice and hard work.

Although their official term is up, in true style and form, both Amber and

James have graciously stayed on to help us through the accreditation

process and to train and mentor our new members till May 8th, 2014.

After that they will stay involved, both as Emergency Wardens and for

consultation when needed.

-Lisa Lowe

Plan for An Earthquake with Your Family

Did you know that there is a 1 in 3 chance of a major earth-

quake in Vancouver in the next 20 to 50 years? Given the 6.7

quake that happened near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island in

April, it’s a great time to review your earthquake readiness.

First and most importantly it’s important to remember that you

and the other members of your family might not be together

during a disaster or other emergency. It is important to have a

plan that will help you communicate and find each other after

the emergency.

You also need to make sure that every member of your fam-

ily knows what to do if they are at home alone during an

emergency.

Create a family emergency plan, and then review it with

your family regularly - every six months, when the clocks

change - to make sure that everyone understands it and re-

members it.

What your emergency plan should include

When you create your family emergency plan, you should:

Identify objects in your home that could be dangerous

during an emergency

Plan evacuation routes from every room in your home

Pick two meeting places where you and your family can

get back together if you get separated - one close to your

home, and one a little further away

Ask an out-of-province relative or friend to be your family

contact person

Prepare your emergency kits including:

Water, one gallon of water per person per day for

at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable

food

Battery-powered ofr hand crank radio and extra

batteries

Flashlight and extra batteries

First aid kit

Whistle to signal for help

Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plas-

tic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for

personal sanitation

Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

Manual can opener for food

Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Teach family members how to turn off utilities, use a fire

extinguisher, and call 9-1-1

Make arrangements for seniors and family members with

special needs

Save digital copies of important documents - such as

birth certificates and financial records - on a memory stick, or

make photocopies of them

- Lisa Lowe

The Differential Fund has been Renamed Many of you will remember that the agency has had a fund of donated money called the Differential Fund. This fund is used to help

families and kids with significant need. Most often this has been used to contribute to such things as an overdue utility bil l, a damage

deposit, moving costs, care seats and most commonly food vouchers. Most often the fund goes to emergency needs, as it should.

There is also some allowance for developmental needs of a child. There will always be some gray areas in approving Make a Dif fer-

ence Funds. Of course the fund cannot sustain signing up every child for sports teams, music lessons or tai kwon do. But occasionally

with clear evidence that it will “Make a Difference” even these needs will be considered. Many staff have found the fund to be an addi-

tional meaningful way to help our clients.

The fund name, differential fund, has been confusing. For that reason it has been renamed the “Make a Difference Fund”. This fund

is comprised of 100% donated funds from people who really want to make a difference. To make this work we need program staff to

notice the need. We collect anonymous client stories from those who have been helped. These stories are used to encourage more

donations.

So when you notice a need, remember any worker can apply by completing these 2 short forms and giving it to the person you report

to. It will usually be approved within a few days by the Program Director, if under $500. If the request is for more, it needs to wait for

approval at a management team meeting. Following are the links to the application forms:

Differential Funding Application Form

Make a Difference Funding Accounting Form

- Stephen Hockey

In 2005 – The Children’s Foundation launched the FASD Keyworker Program in the Vancouver office. Within the

first couple of months we received a referral of an adoptive parent who was struggling with raising her adoptive

child who was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. In receiving services from the Key Worker

position, it became apparent to this adoptive parent that there are very limited services for the adoptive community.

With the support of the Key Worker, this parent was able to set up an organization that strictly provides support to

adoptive families and received 3 years of funding from the Victoria Foundation.

APP FASD is a parent-led non-profit organization that facilitates network evenings, retreats, and education and

experience-sharing events for adoptive parents of children, youth or adults suspected of having, or who have been

diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Our growing community of parents offers to reach out and help

others through the sharing of their experiences and the resources they have found useful and to provide adoptive

parents of children, youth or adults affected by FASD an opportunity to build support networks.

The APP FASD network evenings are designed to provide an opportunity for parents to connect with other parents

and find mutual support. Each network evening is focused on a specific theme and the evening allows for

discussion around this topic as well as free time to simply chat and network. Light food (a meal) is usually also

provided.

The APP FASD retreats are usually a full day event and designed to provide parents with opportunities to share

stories of their challenges and triumphs, to listen and to learn from one another and from FASD professionals, to

strengthen parent-child relationships, and to have some respite time away from their special needs children. Most

important, though, is the chance for parents to develop friendships and support. Our retreats are planned

specifically for parents in this unique and stressful

situation.

In 2012, the funding was no longer available to maintain

the retreats that were held out in community forums – this

was extremely upsetting to all those that attended as the

adoptive parents all felt the gap in services when children

were adopted and not in the care of The Ministry of

Children and Families.

In 2012, The Children’s Foundation graciously opened

their doors to support the vision that was created by AP-

PFASD. Over the last two years, APPFASD has been

able to use the Children’s Foundation facility to continue

providing networking evenings for all their members.

During these networking nights, we invite professionals

from the community that will share information, provide

hands on strategies, and being able to share and receive

support from others that may be experiencing similar

stressors.

- Jag McMillan

Adopted Parents of People with

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

(APPFASD)

Sadly, Margaret will finish her Cedarwood supervising role at TCF May 16th, due to budgetary circumstances. On May 6th she was

honoured by an impressive feast, beautiful flowers and warm accolades. Among other things, Margaret is renowned for her steady

support to her team and clients, her great sense of humour, and of course her patient support to all regarding Penelope. We wish her

the very best. TCF, though, is

fortunate to have Margaret take

on her new role as a Family

Counsellor in the Surrey Family

Preservation Program (SFPP).

Margaret will also be beginning

a partial leave of absence,

which includes her taking on a

temporary position, that of Care-

giver Support Network Facilita-

tor before beginning her SFPP

position next year.

- Zdeno Rusnak

Margaret’s Farewell Potluck

TCF Staff Survey is coming up!

Survey link will be emailed

and the link will be open from May 15th to May 30th.

Upcoming Events:

In-House Trainings

TCF Trainings in the Community

Two Day CPI Training Thursday & Friday, June 19 & 20

One Day Refresher CPI Training Thursday, July 3 @ Vancouver office

TCFTimes

CARF Survey A Big Success

Preparation pays! After 3 years of ongoing work and several months of intensive preparation, the CARF Survey went very

well. The 3 CARF surveyors, visited April 23-25. They were experienced Surveyors (one had done well over 300). The best

news is that for the most part they liked what they saw at TCF. While we won’t receive the official results for another 3-4

weeks, the extensive feed back shared on the final day of the survey was overwhelmingly positive. We can be confidant of a

3 year renewal of accredited status.

Staff in all areas of the agency contributed. Dennis and Helgi (and others) kept us on track and best of all, helped create

systems which will make the next Survey easier. This survey’s “Recommendations” amounted to a small fraction of the

recommendations we

received last survey.

Thanks to all for your hard

work. We can all be proud

of this result.

- Stephen Hockey

this issue P.1 CARF Survey a Big Success

P.2 Adopted Parents of People with FASD

P.3&4 Monthly Health & Safety Planner

P.5 Make a Difference Fund/Margaret’s Farewell Potluck

Upcoming Events

I S S U E

M A Y 2 0 1 4

15

TCF News Issue 15 May 2014

Dave Melnick, LICSW is the Director of Outpatient Services at NFI, Vermont. For the past 30

years, Dave has worked with children, adolescents and families in a variety of settings including:

outpatient, residential treatment, and schools. In addition to providing direct clinical work, Dave

consults with and trains professionals and parents throughout Vermont. His areas of expertise

include developmental trauma, family therapy, adolescence, and attachment. Dave is trained in

EMDR, DDP (Dr. Dan Hughe’s attachment model), and a variety of family systems models. The

ChildTrauma Academy acknowledges that Dave has completed NMT Training Certification

through the Phase II level. Dave is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and is an adjunct instructor at the

University of Vermont.

Day 1: Developmental Trauma: Supporting youth exposed to chronic trauma experiences

This training will focus on the core concepts of developmental trauma, examining both a descrip-

tion of the impact of chronic trauma experiences and various treatment models. Special attention

will be paid to the specific challenges that many of these youth face, including problems in the following areas: attachment

and bonding, biology, emotion regulation, cognition and learning, and behavior. Because the impact is often so severe, care-

givers, clinicians, educators and child welfare workers must be well versed in trauma theory, as well as the unique interven-

tions necessary to help these youth heal and grow. An integrative model of assessment and treatment will be discussed, with

a focus on the work of Patricia Ogden, Ph.D., Daniel Hughes, Ph.D and Daniel Siegel, MD.

Day 2: Advanced Training on Developmental Trauma

This training will focus on a more in-depth investigation of the ways in which youth are impacted by early trauma experiences,

as well as advanced assessment and treatment approaches. Discussion will also focus on ways to incorporate trauma-

informed practices into different settings and levels of care, and important skills for supervisors and clinical consultants. The

afternoon session will include case-presentations, with an eye towards treatment and safety planning.

Place: La Perla Ballroom (#230—810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster, BC)

Date: Thursday & Friday, June 5th & 6th, 2014

Time: 9 am—4 pm (Registration at 8 am, session starts promptly at 9 am.)

Tuition: $240 for both Day 1& Day 2 ($215 for students)

$125 for Day 1 or Day 2

(Refreshments and lunch included. Vegetarian choices will be available at lunch. Special diets feel free to bring food.)

C.E.U.’S applied for: Canadian Counselling Association

Day One Child Developmental Trauma: Successful Strategies for Caregivers

and Professionals by David Melnick (provisional title)

IMPORTANT NOTE These are 2 one-day workshops. All are welcome to day

one, but day 2 requires a foundation in child trauma. Day 1 (June 5,2013) pro-

vides that foundation as does Melnick ’s last workshop here last March 6, 2013

Thursday, June 5, 20014; 9-4; La Perla

Ballroom, #230 - 810 Quayside Drive

New Westminster, BC

Day Two Child Developmental Trauma: an in-depth breakdown of the model by

child’s domain of functioning. For Caregivers and Professionals by David

Melnick

Friday June 6,2014 9-4; La Perla Ball-

room, #230 - 810 Quayside Drive New

Westminster, BC

Supporting Youth Exposed to Chronic Trauma & Advanced

Training on Developmental Trauma Workshop by David Melnick

The CARF surveyors with Helgi and Dennis. Each surveyor is an ED of a similar agency. (in Wyoming, New York, and North Carolina respectively)