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| :: Agency Updates July 2004 It has been a challenging few months at Alternate Shelter Society. Murrayville welcomed the introduction of a second youth into the program in mid-May. Changes to the Murrayville Program have demanded greater support to staff and youth, and as a result, less time has been available to address growth within the agency. Management is thankful for the dedication and hard work of the staffing team in making this transition as seamless as possible. April 2004 Alternate Shelter Society is pleased to announce that it has been accredited by CARF for the following programs: Valley House and Murrayville. A huge sense of accomplishment and relief is felt by all
individuals involved with Now that the goal of becoming accredited has been accomplished, Alternate Shelter Society is able to focus more on fundraising. We have an upcoming fundraiser in October (Just Singin’ Round). In addition, an individual who has been connected with Alternate Shelter Society for several years has expressed an interest in exploring the feasibility of opening up a thrift store under the Alternate Shelter Society umbrella. This could provide youth with valuable hands-on job skills, as well as could generate revenue that may support Alternate Shelter Society’s programs. The Murrayville Resource Team is exploring the possibility of placing a second youth in the resource. Although this will certainly add a stronger element of challenge to things, it will be of benefit for the longer-term Murrayville youth to learn to live cooperatively with other youth, as she nears the age of independence. A potential youth has met with the current youth in the resource, and this youth should be placed at Murrayville within the next few days. February 2004 This past month at Alternate Shelter Society has been challenging as all staff continue to prepare for our upcoming Accreditation Survey. In addition to the ongoing operations of the resources, all available effort has been invested into the Accreditation process. Alternate Shelter Society staff, management, and volunteers are looking forward to the sense of accomplishment that will hopefully follow our upcoming survey next week. January 2004 It has been a very busy few months at Alternate Shelter Society. The holiday season brought with it many events and festivities, including the annual Christmas Party, which was held in the office. It was wonderful to reconnect with many youth from years past, and was reaffirming to hear their passion and determination with respect to the temporary closure of the Nelson Island Program. This is a time of year where many staff can reaffirm why they choose to do this type of work, to see former youth and receive input on the type of impact that various staff have had on their lives at various points and time. Alternate Shelter Society participated in a fundraising 'mixer' where we managed to obtain a month for a very popular fundraiser, Just Singin' Around. We are currently scheduled for the month of October, 2004, and the fundraiser will be held at the Vancouver Rowing Club. We have received a date for our upcoming Accreditation Survey - February 25, 26 and 27. There is a strong focus on preparing for the survey, and many hours are being spent on the final details. As part of the Agency's Health & Safety Review, Alternate Shelter Society is pleased to report that we have not had any WCB claims for well over a year. All items the Health and Safety Committee identified at the resources have been addressed and followed up on in a timely fashion. Alternate Shelter Society is pleased to report that the Committee is functioning well - it is meeting monthly and has many sound Health and Safety Review Practices in place. This year was a great year for policy development and implementing systems regarding reviews and practices. November 2003 The annual Christmas Party will be held on December 17, 2003 at the Alternate Shelter Society office (across the hall). Past residents, volunteers, staff, board members, and other stakeholders are all welcome. Holiday preparation and accreditation continue to be the two main agency focuses at this time. We sent in our Intent to Survey to CARF, and expect to be surveyed in February or March of 2004. However, there is still a great deal to be done to prepare, including staff/stakeholder preparation, and ensuring that all standards have been reviewed and met. We would like to welcome a new member to our Administrative Team. Amy Smith will be assuming the position of Administrative Assistant. October 2003 Accreditation preparation continues to be a main priority of the Agency as we enter the fall months. As a requirement for accreditation, a mock survey was carried out on site by Alternate Shelter Society's mentor. The survey occurred on September 24, 2003, giving the agency insight into what still needs to be accomplished for the survey. In all, the mock survey was a success. The Health and Safety Committee continues to ensure that all health and safety standards and practices are met, as of their last meeting on September 16, 2003. Valley House received a facelift this month! BC Housing painted the exterior of the house grey with a burgundy trim. Lately, Valley House has been operating at a high rate of occupancy. The resource also welcomed several new members to the staffing team. Murrayville continues to run smoothly. Efforts within the program are now focused on the planning and preparation of the high school competition of the resident, while continuing to prepare her for the future independence. September was a sad month for the agency as Beaver Lodge was sold. The house was cleared out, and although we do not have the property anymore, many fond memories will remain in many hearts, along with lessons learned and skills gained. The Nelson Island Program is still on Hiatus. August 2003 The Annual General Meeting will be held on August 14, 2003. The Board of Directors for the 2003/2004 term will be elected, and we are hopeful they will provide ongoing support, feedback and guidance as the Agency evolves within the current MCFD climate. A strategic planning session occurred in May, and the Management Team has been inspired by the dedication and commitment displayed by the individuals that participated in the session. The Health and Safety Committee continues to convene regularly, with its last meeting in June. Accreditation preparation continues to be a priority of the agency throughout the summer months. With the recent departure of the Accreditation Support Worker, the agency focused on completing the bulk of the accreditation work within these months. This involved the revision of the Policy and Procedures Manual and Training Manual, as well as numerous training sessions for staff. The Outcomes Management Summer Student has now assumed the Accreditation Support Worker's Responsibilities on a part-time basis. The annual audit occurred early in the summer. The auditor had some valuable feedback for Management as well as the bookkeeping firm, who are hoping to meet to strategise around ensuring that the issues identified by the auditor have been resolved. The Nelson Island program is still on hiatus. May 2003: On May 12 and 14 staff attended a workshop entitled "Accreditation: Preparing for the Survey -- Part I" facilitated by the Accreditation Support Worker. This workshop introduced staff to the format of the accreditation survey. February/March 2003 A number of new/revised policies have been approved by the board, including the Admissions policy, the Stakeholder Feedback policy, the Fair Hiring Practices Policy, the Human Rights policy and the Business and Clinical Conduct policy. The responsibilities of the Health and Safety committee have been finalized and provide added direction for the group. Unfortunately, the agency received news that it was denied Gaming Funds due to some issues in our by-laws. The agency is currently reviewing its by-laws to prevent similar difficulties in the future. The accreditation process continues to be a priority. The accreditation committee and staff continue to work hard at ensuring our success, while attempting to complete the considerable amount of work left. Volunteers have become critical in the process and are providing large amounts of support to staff in the process. The Murrayville program is experiencing some stress, as needed community supports are very limited at the current time. This in turn is very frustrating for staff. Future planning for when the youth reaches the age of majority has become paramount lately. The Valley House program has been operating very successfully of late. There is a new emphasis on high quality informative report writing and comprehensive assessments as of late to ensure that youth are receiving needed services. Valley House has also been affected by community program cuts and is trying to respond to the gaps in services as best as possible. Valley House has been temporarily changed to an all female resource due to a critical shortage of beds for girls in the region. B.C. Housing recently completed their annual inspection of Valley House and will make some much-needed improvements in the near future. The Valley House contract has been renewed until March 30, 2004. On February 25, 26 and 27 staff attended a workshop on "Preventing Violence in the Workplace", facilitated by CSSEA, the Community Social Services Employers' Association. The Nelson Island program is still on hiatus, but expenses from the Beaver Lodge program are an issue of some concern. January 2003 The Society has recently been making small financial gains. The Health and Safety committee has started meeting regularly. The specific responsibilities of this committee are currently being drafted. The administrative office received a much-needed face-lift when volunteers from a local investment relations firm, Vanguard Shareholder Solutions, donated their time to paint and rearrange the office. They also kindly donated several beautiful plants to our space. The Valley House program operated at close to full capacity during the holiday season, with a stable group of youth remaining for a period of several weeks. Valley House is also working on acquiring a new vehicle, in order to utilize a very generous Air Canada grant. The Murrayville program experienced a pleasant holiday season. One staff member has moved on and a new member has been added to the team. On January 30 staff attended a very informative Fire Safety Training Session, facilitated by Jason Hindson a firefighter with the Coquitlam Fire Department. On December 3 and 5 staff attended a very important workshop entitled "Rights of Youth in Care -- Staffed Standards for Residential Services" facilitated by the agency's Management Team. Accreditation continues to be an agency priority and all staff and Accreditation Committee members are working hard at fulfilling the tasks assigned to them to ensure we meet the appropriate deadlines. Fundraising has become a major priority for the agency in the New Year. The Nelson Island program is still on hiatus.
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