SOS PROGRAM OVERVIEW INFORMATION

Transcription

1 SOS PROGRAM OVERVIEW INFORMATION SOS Services SOS Village is the prime focus of all SOS Services, creating a therapeutically intensive environment working from a trauma informed perspective. Autism Services Camp Program Recreational Programs Cultural Exploration Program Caregiver Support Program Counselling Programs Family Reunification Learning Club Sounds of Learning Music Program TTA Transition to Adulthood (Critical Care & Year Intensive) Apartment in a Box (in cooperation with SOS Thrift Store Foundation) Caregiver Support/Professional Development Support to Foster Parents and Caregivers: Caregiver support provides foster parents and caregivers working with children in care with support and encouragement in individual and group settings, helping them to understand the complex psychological and behavioural dynamics that often accompany vulnerable children and youth. They are not only provided with a broad range of coping skills and given feedback on parenting strategies, but also given an opportunity to network with their peers in an effort to help combat feelings of isolation and burn out often associated with those involved in the caring field. In 2016 we have begun providing training and workshops in Trauma Informed approaches to child raising, and will be auditing the BC Caregiver training (courtesy of Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society), and commence the development of an advance professional development curriculum. Neurofeedback Training: We provide the only Neurofeedback Training service available to vulnerable children and youth for a nominal fee and with low barrier access. We have 2 clinical counsellors dedicated to providing this service that has been overwhelmingly successful in reducing symptoms and behaviours that interrupt a child s ability to experience a successful life. Neurofeedback Training optimizes brain function by helping the brain to re-organize and self-regulate more efficiently. Through this innovate intervention, symptoms and complaints of inattention, anger, hyperactivity, anxiety, traumatic reactions and depression naturally and effortlessly abate.

2 Cognitive Rehabilitation Counselling: Cognitive rehabilitation is a program to help brain-injured or otherwise cognitively impaired individuals to restore normal functioning, or to compensate for cognitive deficits. It entails an individualized program of specific skills training and practice plus metacognitive strategies. Expressive Arts Therapies: Children speak through play. SOS BC provides expressive art therapies that include play, art, and sand tray therapy in an effort to engage with children in their own language. Using this gentle approach, children are able to connect their conscious and unconscious using art and play as their tools. For children experiencing symptoms of trauma and with histories of abuse and neglect, this intervention is useful in developing the therapeutic relationship because it is client-directed with an emphasis on allowing their emotions to surface naturally. Individual & Family Counselling: A traditional form of counselling that offers support for individuals and families with a strong focus on resolving past or current issues/conflicts and building on communication skills. It operates as clientdriven in that it relies on the client s input and participation to be successful. It is a good tool in helping individuals and families bring issues to the forefront. It allows for collaborative goal-setting and real time feedback with a trained, certified clinical counsellor and is offered in conjunction with other services or independently. Learning Club: SOS BC initiated the Learning Club service at the Village in 2010 with great success. Learning Club is facilitated by teachers who have completed their Bachelor s degrees in Education and have met the requirements for certification. Teachers hired possess the educational requirements to teach, and see fully the benefit of supplementing children s learning. In addition, our teachers work on developing social skills and provide sound life advice about things that matter to children. Sounds of Learning: Music is something that is shared globally; while the sounds may differ, the idea of music is the same expression. Sessions are group-based and taught by certified music instructors. The sessions not only help to develop musical skills, but teach children to work cooperatively and support one another in trying new things. Kids can learn guitar, piano, drums, and even choir. Connecting kids with the culture of music and encouraging children to find their 'voice' of expression, the program builds skills while healing hearts.

3 Camps and Recreation: Camps and Recreation programming ensures our children are developing social skills (engaged in teamwork and team play), broadening their horizons, developing a strong sense of belonging and allows them to understand their own life experience as they grow to be part of a bigger community. A mentorship approach has helped many of our children overcome social disorders and emotional trauma. One program, SaIi's Farm, facilitates this process and the children learned how to care for animals. The skills they learned from taking care of animals helps children learn empathy and in turn learn how to take care of each other. One of our global SOS partners, Louis Vuitton, provided art workshops in partnership with local Vancouver artists to bring a sense of the art world to our kids. They were all a huge success and the children learned to break creative walls, all while producing beautiful art in different forms including, textiles, sculpture, book binding, and painting we came together when another SOS International partner, Cirque du Soliel, who works with us to present a social circus. Cultural: Aboriginal children are disproportionally represented in the child care systems across Canada, and our Village is no exception. 80% of the children in our Village are aboriginal and we believe in walking alongside them and supporting efforts to retain or establish relationships with their cultural communities of origin. From elder storytelling sessions, dancing, drumming, and other activities, SOS seeks to ensure not only a pride, but an engagement in the cultural heritage of every child in the Village. Caregivers are also provided with opportunities to discuss areas of development to help increase their knowledge and understanding of dealing with aboriginal children in care. There are also cultural opportunities in partnership with local Aboriginal agencies to ensure we are acknowledging, learning, and staying abreast of cultural practices. Youth Services - Transition to Adulthood Program: The Transition to Adulthood Program provides vulnerable youth in the Surrey, BC area with 1:1 support that assists them to develop life skills, find employment or training, secure housing, and become more independent. Our experienced youth workers help youth set clear goals and give them the support they need over a period of 6-9 months to make a successful transition to living on their own. We help youth gain life skills, make meaningful connections with their community, achieve their goals for independence, and begin growing into healthy and contributing members of society. In addition, we offer support and guidance in the following key areas: daily living skills, obtaining safe and affordable housing, financial skills and money management, preparing for and finding employment, career and educational planning, self-care skills, including referrals to drug and alcohol and mental health counselling, and connecting to other community agencies.

4 Youth Services Year Intensive Housing Program: The Year Intensive program seeks to help our youth aging out of care to continue living in a supported environment while they attain the essential skills for independence. The program offers support to our youth much like our Transition to Adulthood Program, however, in the housing program, a stronger emphasis is placed on life skills, self-management, and wellness. Living at our Village, youth will have access to resources and staff for support a few steps away from their suite. The Village center serves as a hub for life skills development classes, and counselling offices for youth who wish to seek counsel for personal matters. Youth Services Direct Incentive, Direct Impact: The goal of this subprogram is to identify young adults at high risk of not completing high school and through the use of incentives ensure that they graduate and commence on additional education, be it University or Vocational Training. Utilizing the existing structure of the Transition to Adulthood Program to provide wrap around support the individuals qualifying for this program can receive up to four years of financial support. The incentives are developed in alignment with both what the young person needs and what will motivate them. A car so they can get to a University campus, a new computer, or tools for a trade, whatever it takes to focus and motivated them. Youth Services After Care: Our commitment to permanency, the program is a life-long engagement youth in SOS Programs. In 2016 we will commence our Phone Home outreach to reconnect with the over 70 children and youth who have lived in our Village since Short Term Goals a) Provide a positive and safe network of resources to help youth transition from foster care to independence b) To assist the neighboring communities, organizations, and agencies, to work towards preparing youth for success c) To advocate for the rights our young adults and to ensure they are receiving assistance and support while they find stability Long Term Goals a) To prevent youth from moving in and out of homelessness in inner city communities b) To give youth a sense of independence and the opportunity to be contributing members of society

5 c) To ensure youth are led down a positive path to success and stability d) To create a sense of permanency amongst our youth population to ensure youth will always have a place to turn, even after support is needed. Steps or strategies are being (or have been) implemented to address challenges: a. We have enhanced our donor/foundation outreach and engagement activities and are planning to better utilize our global partners Cirque du Soleil, Louis Vuitton, Intact Insurance, Angelina Jolie, to name but four to raise the local awareness and status of SOS BC. b. We are engaged in an ongoing dialogue and education of current and prospective policy and decision makers in the government, ministry, and community. The current Minister for Children and Family, Stephanie Cadieux, is a long-time friend of SOS. We are undertaking a biannual briefing of Provincial MLA s on both sides of the house. We are making available, free of charge, offices and other resources for the use of Ministry personnel, and providing documentation of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of support for foster children and caregivers, at no cost to the government. c. Both our Thrift Stores are located in areas of high real estate demand and are very cost sensitive. A huge threat would be any change to the leasing costs of store space. We are working with real estate agents in both locations (in one area we may be shortly agreeing to a ten year plus lease), but also have funding from Vancity to study the viability of opening stores in three other locations.