Thank you to everyone who joined us online on May 17 and in-person and online on May 26-27 for our Family Leadership Series in Richmond!
Families living in the Lower Mainland are invited to attend a series of FREE sessions. Learn ways to strengthen your advocacy and access resources to help build a good life for your loved one with a disability. Join other families in sharing knowledge and developing community support.
Cost:
FREE (Scholarship for childcare available, see details at the bottom of registration)
When:
- Pre-Session Virtually Wednesday, May 17, 6-8 pm.
- In-Person and Virtual May 26, 5:30-8:30 and May 27, 8:30-4:30
Where:
Seedling Child Care Center 6380 No. 3 Rd, Richmond, BC, by Brighouse Skytrain station.
Who:
Families and caregivers living in the Lower Mainland who support loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Pre Event
Wednesday, May 17
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Rights, Processes, and Advocacy
- Learn about what your rights are, how to exercise them, and how to advocate for yourself and your family member. We go over how the systems of MCFD (Ministry of Children and Family Development), CLBC (Community Living BC), and Education work and their hierarchies. We will also touch on Health and Early Childhood.
Day 1
Friday, May 26
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Self-Determination Opening and Elder Welcome
- Discussion: Self-advocates and families tell their stories of life and successes. Learn from the discussion about how they make choices and manage their own lives and from a family member about how they support self-determination.
Local and Provincial Resources
- Multiple organizations will be present to tell you what they do and how to access them.
Day 2
Saturday, May 27
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Micro Skills, Skills that Support and Strengthen Relationships
- Learn how Micro-Skills such as listening, open body language, mindfulness and responding with empathy, assist rapport and build trust and healthy relationships. Micro-Skills coupled with a person-centered mindset, assist people in creating spaces that enable people to feel safe and secure and promote self-growth. These skills support people’s journey through advocacy and building a network around you and your family members.
Parent Panel and Discussion Families to Families
- All families are leaders and have experiences to share. Listen to the family panel and contribute what you have learned.
Transitions and services ages 0-15
- Hear from people in the field about navigating the transitions in early childhood, and all the transitions through the school years (Elementary, Middle and High school). Run concurrently
Transitions and services ages 16+
- Hear from people in the field about navigating the transitions as the adult years approach like Graduation, Employment, Community Living BC (CLBC), Services to Adults with Developmental Disabilities (STADD), Post- Secondary Education, and even relationships. Run concurrently
Future Planning
This session will cover three aspects of planning:
- Financial: Learn about options for planning financially. Topics to be discussed: Registered Disability Savings Plan, Disability Tax Credit, Wills, and Estates. This session will bring information about funds and grants available to all families of children with a disability; both before and after their 19th birthday.
- Advance Care Planning: A Social Worker from Fraser Health will share information on the importance of having meaningful conversations with your family, friends, and your health care team. We will be discussing how Advance Care Planning is for everyone – no matter where you find yourself on your health care journey. Whether you are a young adult or older adult, are healthy or have a chronic illness, now is the best time for you to start planning
- Dreams for the future: There are many techniques and strategies for planning for an inclusive future. Come learn about different planning tools that will help support your vision for life in community. We will talk about home, education, employment, and being part of your community.
Scholarships and Childcare
Inclusion BC is able to offer some scholarships for childcare or other types of support to facilitate families’ participation.
We also will have in-person childcare available at the event.
Please fill out this form if you would like to have at-event childcare.
Event Contact
Jay Sandhu
1 844 488 4321
jsandhu@inclusionbc.org
Partners
Thank you to all of the partners that made this event possible.
- Vela Microboard Association
- BC Centre for Ability
- Aspire Richmond
- BC Self Advocate Leadership Network
- Intellectual Disabilities Society
- Milieu Family Services
- posAbilites
- Spectrum Society for Community Living
- Canadian Deafblind Association – British Columbia
- North Shore Disability Resource Centre
- Family Support Institute of British Columbia
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