CLC Facilitators Training Session Update - February 22, 2003

Thanks to financial support from the Vancouver Foundation, Vancity Community Foundation, BCACL, Spectrum Society, AimHi, Langley Association for Community Living, Ridge Meadows Association for Community Living, and Mainstream/Proactive we were able to support 18 CLC/IFFC facilitators to attend the Friday, February 21st CLC meeting and the all day Saturday, February 22nd information session. Nine people came from outside the Lower Mainland.

The communities represented were:

Penticton/Summerland
Comox Valley
Vernon
100 Mile House
Nanaimo
Port Alberni
Smithers
Sechelt

Al Etmanski provided a vision and overview of the CLTSC report and the history of the family movement that lead to it's development.  Doug Walls provided an update on the work of the Community Living Services Interim Authority and the Co-Management Team.

There was an opportunity to hear the questions and concerns facilitators were hearing in their own communities. The Communications Committee will use these questions as a guide for a Question and Answer document for facilitators.

Ernie has established a secure on line discussion group for the CLC Facilitators and it has already been well used.

There was also an opportunity in the Saturday session for small groups, using scenarios from their own communities, to suggest creative solutions for supports based on the CLTSC vision and report recommendations.

We also enjoyed a presentation on Communication strategies for local communities from Jennifer Pybus, an SFU Communications Graduate.

As requested during the information session, Maria Glaze, with support from the Communications Committee, will gather information for distribution to facilitators . The Communications Committee members share the responsibility of responding to questions posed through the CLC discussion group.

As well as thanking the funders, the CLC Communications Committee and the Individualized Funding Family Coalition would like to thank Al Etmanski and Doug Walls for taking time from their Saturday to attend, as well as Jennifer Pybus and Lori Emanuels for all their assistance in ensuring this event was a success.