This is an audio only version of a panel discussion webinar originally broadcast on July 12th, 2021. 

For more information, please visit our website at hsa-bc.ca

What will shelters, housing service providers and other service providers be doing in light of BC's restart plan?

This panel will focus on:
- Updates and context from Dr Daniele Behn-Smith,
Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Indigenous Health
- Worksafe BC guidelines and updates
- plans from shelter and housing providers: capacity, spacing, funding, staffing & programming

This panel is meant to aid service providers and front line organizations as they start to think about how to continue to provide services in the midst of a changing landscape, new rules and proceudres during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Panelists:

Dr Daniele Behn Smith – Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Indigenous Health

Redonna Levis – Occupational Safety Officer, Worksafe BC

Tanya Fader -Director of Housing, PHS Community Services Society

Alison Houwelling – Manager of Education and Community Programs, Turning Points Collaborative Society in Vernon, BC 

BC Housing & Providers: Challenges and Experiences During COVID 19
This podcast is a recording of a webinar panel discussion originally aired on May 5th, 2021. 
For more content, resources and upcoming trainings, please go to hsa-bc.ca 

Topics:

HSABC Webinar Host Sarah Kift speaks with BC Housing, Turning Points and PHS Community Society about the use of hotels and motels as community self-isolation sites & shelter expansions during the pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19, BC Housing worked with regional health authorities, municipal partners and experienced non-profit shelter and housing providers to develop community-based response plans, including the unprecedented use of hotels and community centres.
Join representatives from BC Housing and two shelter providers as they: share data, experiences and stories from the front-lines; discuss the successes, challenges and lessons learned from operating these sites; identify specific tools and approaches that have been useful in transitioning people from motels/hotels to housing; and Q&A with attendees.

Panelists:

• Dominic Flanagan, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives, BC Housing
• Danielle Scott, A/Director, Supportive Housing & Programs, BC Housing
• Alison Houweling, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW, Manager of Education and Community Programs, Turning Points Collaborative Society
• Tanya Fader, BA, BA Psych, MC, Director of Housing, PHS Community Services Society
• Duncan Higgon, Senior Manager of Housing, PHS Community Services Society

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar originally recorded on July 8th, 2020.

For the handouts, video and other resources, please visit us at hsa-bc.ca

The latest research on drug use, the effects on behaviour and skills to help as you support clients with addictions.  This HSABC webinar applies questioning and exploration to understanding, and learning about the physiological effects of certain drugs, including: hallucinogens, depressants, stimulants, anabolic steroids and cannabis.  During this webinar, participants will learn about:

What drugs are being used;
What someone looks like when they are on different types of drugs;
How to assess and manage someone you think is under the influence of drugs; and
How to manage a critical emergency.
The session will give an overview of harm reduction best practices, the overdose crisis and resources available to workers.
.

Instructor: Shari McKenzie-Ramsay

Shari McKenzie-Ramsay graduated from UBC as a Registered Nurse in 2015. She works at Lions Gate Hospital as an emergency nurse. Prior to this she was working in Mental Health and Addictions at the Hope Centre (acute psychiatry) and Magnolia House, a mental health transition house. She recently completed a Forensic Nurse Examiner course in Trauma in Health Care through BCIT and is a Take Home Naloxone program educator.

Shari is co-owner of Spiritus Wilderness Medical Training, since 2001, and has been teaching injury prevention since 1992. Shari is passionate about trauma informed care in health care and in a community setting.

This is an audio only recording of an HSABC webinar originally recorded on June 30th, 2020.

For the video recording as well as other resources, please go to hsa-bc.ca
 
Discussion and analysis of the provincial encampment guidelines with Anna Cooper of Pivot Legal, as well as panelists with lived experience of being in a tent city and being displaced. Attention will be given to advocacy, legal rights and considerations, and the stories of those whom these guidelines affect.

Chrissy Brett is an Indigenous activist who has been involved in founding, organizing and running a number of tent cities throughout BC. She fights for the rights of Indigenous homeless peoples to occupy unceded lands. She also stands with homeless settler folks who are forced to live outside. In May 2019 she founded Camp Namegans, which has since become known as “Namegans Nation” – the first urban reserve in Canada. Originally from Nuxalk Nation, Chrissy founded Namegans Nation in recognition that many Indigenous peoples will never know their Nations due to the history of the 60s scoop and other forms of displacement. She was a key organizers at Oppenheimer Tent City and a founding member of Namegans 2.0 (CRAB Park) tent city.
 
Christopher Livingstone is a Mental Health Outreach worker and founding member of the Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society (WAHRS), a Director of the Aboriginal Front Door Society, and a previous member of the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre. Christopher Livingstone is his colonial name. His traditional name is Ukurs Kots’a, that is his traditional hereditary Nisga’a’ name. His work has included doing harm reduction, cultural safety and other supports to  Indigenous Peoples living in tent cities, including at Oppenheimer park. He is also seasoned tent city resident, having lived at the Woodsquat in 2002, Victory Square in 2003, CRAB Park in 2003 and Anita Place in 2019.

Anna Cooper is a Staff lawyer at Pivot Legal Society where she focuses on Pivot’s Homeless People’s Rights campaign. She is a settler lawyer working within the colonial legal tradition to try and advance human rights.

Pivot Legal:

https://www.pivotlegal.org/

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar originally broadcast on June 24th, 2020. 

For the video recording as well as other resources, please go to hsa-bc.ca.

Sarah Petrescu, Senior Policy Analyst with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing walks you through the new Provinicial Guidelines around encampments as well as some practical tips to engage communities and stakeholders, and some history and context for how the guidlines came to be. 

Patrick Pouponneau, with the Portland Hotel Society, will share his experiences around getting people into housing out of the recent Oppenhiemer decampment effort. 

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar originally aired on June 23, 2020. 

For the video recording, as well as other resources, please go to hsa-bc.ca


Public health nurse and safe supply advocate Corey Ranger takes us through a review of the last four months and how the sector has changed and adapted in response to the pandemic, and some practical tips and problem solving around a way forward to continue delivering services in this ongoing crisis. 

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar originally aired on June 17th, 2020.

For the video recording, handouts and resources, please go to hsa-bc.ca


Residential Tenancy Law 101 webinar reviews the basic principles of residential tenancy law. This Residential Tenancy Law 101 webinar is a learning opportunity that provides participants with specific information about residential security deposits, lease obligations and condition inspection reports. There is also some new materials around the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to laws and moratoriums, etc. 

Presented in partnership with TRAC.

tenants.bc.ca

This is an audio only version of an HSABC Webinar originally broadcast on June 3, 2020. 

For resources, the video recording, handouts and support, go to hsa-bc.ca 


Corey Ranger, Public Health Nurse, and Alynn Gausvik, Senior Director of LA Family Housing, will be on the line to discuss how to safely and compassionately care for people from encampmnets/living outside who are now in emergency housing and hotel rooms being provided by government, and talk challenges, on the ground experience and practical tips for outreach and frontline workers based on their experience with large camps and complex populations in Victoria, BC and Los Angeles. 


Alynn Gausvik has worked in homeless prevention for families, youth housing research and policy development, Housing First for chronically homeless
adults, and now Engagement for families and individuals. She was recently involved in re-homing people from one of Los Angeles' longstanding encampments due to the COVID-19 crisis and is now part of an initiative to house over 700 people in 100 days in L.A. 

Corey Ranger started his nursing career facilitating a blood borne pathogens program in the Edmonton downtown core—since that time, Corey has worked on the Harm Reduction team in downtown Calgary, implemented and coordinated HIV programming in rural Alberta, as well as the take-home naloxone project and supervised consumption services in Medicine Hat. Corey is highly driven and passionate about ethical and evidence-based approaches to public health problems. He has a wealth of experience in both formal and informal education, having acted as instructor/coordinator for the practical nursing program at Medicine Hat College. Most recently, Corey has moved back to Vancouver Island and has taken on the role of project manager for the Provincial Peer Training Curriculum project with the government of British Columbia.  He has most recently been involved in advocacy, systems and frontline work in Victoria's two homeless encampments. 

This is an audio only version of an HSABC Webinar recorded on May 27th, 2020. For the video, handouts and other resources, go to hsa-bc.ca 


This presentation provides the employer information regarding restart of business in BC specifically.  The information includes specific resources and tools to help the employer established policies and procedures in accordance with WorkSafeBC, PHO, and BCCDC.  The focus of the presentation are the tools developed by WorkSafeBC in order for the employer to safety resume work activities for the Phase 2 of BC Restart process and WorkSafeBC’s role during the re-opening of businesses.

Officer Redonna Levis is an Occupational Safety Officer for over 7 years.  She was a healthcare worker for 17 years in California specializing in Occupational Medicine.  In 2007, she moved to Vancouver BC and went to BCIT to pursue OHS Diploma.  Since then, she worked in large organizations as an Occupational Health and Safety Advisor.  In 2013, she became a Board Officer at WorkSafeBC.  Her portfolio specializes in healthcare, community and social services, corrections for adult and youth, and general industry.  

Part II of our series on the principles and applications of Harm Reduction. 

This is an audio only version of an HSABC Webinar recorded on May 27th, 2020. For video, handouts and other resources, go to hsa-bc.ca. 


Corey Ranger is a registered nurse with experience working in harm reduction across Alberta--he has facilitated blood-borne pathogens programming for street-entrenched individuals in Edmonton's inner-city core; worked on the harm reduction team in Calgary; started HIV programming in Brooks; and most recently been responsible for implementing naloxone programming and supervised consumption services (SCS) in Medicine Hat. Corey has been a post-secondary instructor for community and mental health nursing at Medicine Hat College, and is an advocate for evidence-informed, pragmatic public policy. Corey is currently project manager for BCcampus, responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a provincial peer training curriculum and standards of practice (SOP).

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar originally broadcast on May 20, 2020. 

For the video, handouts and links, please visit our website at hsa-bc.ca 

Dr Heather Fulton talks about how to help people experiencing paranoia, psychosis or other mental health issues that make it difficult for them to trust service providers - as well as providing a psychological background for conspiracy and paranoia in the context of COVID-19 - why it's happening now and what can we do to ensure that our clients are getting the help they need and communicate in way that is effective and compassionate when it comes to following social distancing and other health precautions. We know the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting mental health across society.  One observed impact reported by HSABC webinar attendees (as well as noted in various media reports) has been the notable rise of conspiracy theories and paranoia- and that these beliefs are negatively impacting care.  This webinar will review these topics as well as offer practical suggestions for how to manage these complex and difficult situations.

Agenda:
Defining and understanding paranoia and conspiracy theories
What are they?  Why do they occur?  How might they make sense?
How can paranoia and beliefs in certain conspiracies impact care during COVID-19?
What can we do to help people when paranoia and conspiracy-related beliefs are negatively impacting the clients we serve?

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar originally broadcast on May 19th, 2020. 

For the video, handouts and resources, please visit us at hsa-bc.ca

This webinar provides an overview of what vicarious trauma is and its impact. (e.g. absenteeism, high turnover etc). The session focuses on the prevention and intervention of vicarious trauma in the areas of organizational culture, work load, work environment, education, group support, supervision, and resources for self care. Context for the particular collective trauma of the pandemic will also be provided. 

Amanda Theissen specializes in helping individuals and organizations manage workplace stressors and make positive changes.

As a ‘Stress Strategist,’ Amanda works with individuals through the process of inquiry to support people in gaining clarity and finding solutions to challenges. She offers a range of workshops to organizations to facilitate the creation of safe, supportive, and positive work environments.

Having worked for over 15 years in the non-profit world, she has firsthand knowledge of the kinds of experiences that exemplify working in front-line capacities. Her experience includes working in the areas of addiction, victim services, mental health and developmental disabilities.

Although Amanda has a BA in Psychology, a Bachelors of Social Work and a MA in Theology, her greatest accomplishments remain being a loving partner, a devoted mother, and a good friend.

This is an audio only version of an HSABC Webinar originally aired on May 20, 2020. 

It covers an overview of Harm Reduction as a philosophy and goes through the history and context of how this came to be, with some practical tips on how to apply it in your workplace. 

For the video, handouts and other resources, please visit our website at hsa-bc.ca 

Corey Ranger is a registered nurse with experience working in harm reduction across Alberta--he has facilitated blood-borne pathogens programming for street-entrenched individuals in Edmonton's inner-city core; worked on the harm reduction team in Calgary; started HIV programming in Brooks; and most recently been responsible for implementing naloxone programming and supervised consumption services (SCS) in Medicine Hat. Corey has been a post-secondary instructor for community and mental health nursing at Medicine Hat College, and is an advocate for evidence-informed, pragmatic public policy. Corey is currently project manager for BCcampus, responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a provincial peer training curriculum and standards of practice (SOP).

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar recorded on May 6th, 2020. For the video recording and handouts and materials, please go to hsa-bc.ca. 

Want to know more about how residential tenancy dispute resolution is working during the COVID-19 pandemic, and any changes to the rules and how to be an effective advocate in the process? Join HSABC for a one-hour, informative webinar learning experience that teaches the skills you will need to present your case more effectively. Presented in partnership with TRAC.

Instructor: Zuzana Modrovic

This is an audio only version of a webinar recorded on May 5th, 2020.

For handouts, resources and the video recording, please go to hsa-bc.ca

Corey Ranger and Sarah Kift provide an overview of how to work safely and support your clients and staff in the midst of the pandemic: 

Topics covered:

COVID 19 Symptoms and Basics
Screening and testing: How to screen for COVID-19 and where to get tested/get your clients tested
Shelter and outreach contexts: how to set up and maintain safe spaces
Personal Protective Equipment: Masks 101 and PPE
Safe supply: how to get people on safer versions of substances
Overdose and First Aid Protocols
Harm Reduction Resources 
Current Public Health Orders, Guidance and Recommendations in BC
Up to Date Resources and Contacts 

Corey Ranger, Public Health Nurse, and Alynn Gausvik, Senior Director of LA Family Housing, will be on the line to discuss how to safely and compassionately transition people from homeless camps to the emergency housing and hotel rooms being provided by government, and talk challenges, on the ground experience and practical tips for outreach and frontline workers based on their experience with large camps and complex populations in Victoria, BC and Los Angeles. We also hear from Duncan Higgon and Tanya Fader from PHS talk about their efforts in Oppenheimer and other camps during this process. 

The BC Government announced a public safety order on April 25th to dismantle encampments and move inhabitants to the emergency housing and hotel rooms being secured and the deadline is set for May 9th. 

Alynn Gausvik has worked in homeless prevention for families, youth housing research and policy development, Housing First for chronically homeless
adults, and now Engagement for families and individuals. She was recently involved in re-homing people from one of Los Angeles' longstanding encampments due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Corey Ranger started his nursing career facilitating a blood borne pathogens program in the Edmonton downtown core—since that time, Corey has worked on the Harm Reduction team in downtown Calgary, implemented and coordinated HIV programming in rural Alberta, as well as the take-home naloxone project and supervised consumption services in Medicine Hat. Corey is highly driven and passionate about ethical and evidence-based approaches to public health problems. He has a wealth of experience in both formal and informal education, having acted as instructor/coordinator for the practical nursing program at Medicine Hat College. Most recently, Corey has moved back to Vancouver Island and has taken on the role of project manager for the Provincial Peer Training Curriculum project with the government of British Columbia.  He has most recently been involved in advocacy, systems and frontline work in Victoria's two homeless encampments. 

Organizational trauma and burnout specialist Amanda Thiessen takes a look at the challenges facing front line staff, managers and leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic and talks through practical tips, strategies and tools to mitigate burnout and overwhelm in your staff and yourself.

Amanda Thiessen specializes in helping individuals and organizations manage workplace stressors and make positive changes. 

As a ‘Stress Strategist,’ Amanda works with individuals through the process of inquiry to support people in gaining clarity and finding solutions to challenges. She offers a range of workshops to organizations to facilitate the creation of safe, supportive, and positive work environments. 

Having worked for over 15 years in the non-profit world, she has firsthand knowledge of the kinds of experiences that exemplify working in frontline capacities. Her experience includes working in the areas of addiction, victim services, mental health and developmental disabilities. 

This is an audio only recording of an HSABC Webinar, recorded on May 1, 2020. For the video recording and additional materials, please go to hsa-bc.ca

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar, recorded on April 29th, 2020. For the video recording and pdf materials, please go to hsa-bc.ca

Dr Hillary McBride provides useful practical strategies for understanding stress and anxiety and responding to it. The tools and insights she presents in this course pull from the most current research in the field of psychology and neuroscience to help you learn to find calm, right where you are.

This content is also tailored to reflect the high stress situations that we are finding ourselves in during the Coronavirus Pandemic, and incorporating a front-line worker's perspective on how to deal with the anxieties you may be facing in your work right now. 

This episode is an audio only recording of an HSABC webinar recorded on April 28th, 2020. For the video and related materials, please go to hsa-bc.ca.


Dr. Daniele Behn Smith, Aboriginal Health Physician Advisor with the Ministry of Health, Justine Patterson, the Executive Director of the Overdose Emergency Response Centre at the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, and Jane Buxton from the BCCDC, will be on the line discuss the overdose response recommendations and provide more information for front line shelter workers and homelessness support agencies around harm reduction during COVID-19. 


Dr. Behn Smith works alongside, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer. Dr. Behn Smith provides independent advice and support to the Ministry of Health on First Nations and Aboriginal health issues. In support of the Ministry’s strategic agenda, Dr. Behn Smith focuses on closing the gap in health outcomes between First Nations and other British Columbians.

Justine Patterson is a psychologist with 15 years of clinical and leadership experience in mental health and addictions. Before coming to Canada, Patterson worked in mental health and addictions in Australia.

Jane Buxton is a physician epidemiologist for hepatitis and the medical lead for harm reduction at BCCDC. She is also a professor and practicum director in the UBC School of Population & Public Health.

They talk to the HSABC team about on the ground applications of provincial guidelines for safe overdose intervention and harm reduction during COVID-19. 

Marsha Goldford and Jill Westlake, HR and non-profit organization specialists review the emergency employment insurance resources and supports available for non-profit organizations and help you navigate the avalanche of information during the coronavirus crisis.  

"To say these are unprecedented times is becoming the understatement of the century.  COVID-19 is not only taking its toll on our physical health, but it is seriously impacting our economic and emotional well-being. In response, federal and provincial governments have introduced a range of measures to assist individuals and families in weathering the short and medium term financial burden they face arising from actions to contain the virus.  This webinar walks you through the various types of assistance available and how you can guide your employees in taking advantage of them.  It focuses on what is available, who is eligible and what they can do to access these supports - information that is critical to your employees' peace of mind during this uncertain time."

Andrew Sakamoto, the Director of the Tenant Resource and Advocacy Center, discusses and guides you and your clients through the latest BC government measures, supports and policies put in place during the pandemic. He takes your questions and give updates on the eviction moratorium and other measures as they develop. 

http://tenants.bc.ca/

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar. If you'd like to view the video recodring or find other resources, please go to our page at hsa-bc.ca

Pivot Legal Society provides a brief overview of the current legal landscape, and highlights the particular impact of COVID-19 on the communities we work with and related campaigns (i.e. drug policy, sex workers’ rights, police accountability, rights of unsheltered people & Project Inclusion). 

pivotlegal.org

This is an audio only recording of an HSABC webinar recorded on April 14th, 2020.

Dr. Daniele Behn Smith, Aboriginal Health Physican Advisor with the Ministry of Health is on the line discuss the Social Service Provider fact sheet and provide more information for front line shelter workers and homelessness support agencies during the COVID-19 Crisis.


Dr. Behn Smith works alongside, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer. Dr. Behn Smith provides independent advice and support to the Ministry of Health on First Nations and Aboriginal health issues. In support of the Ministry’s strategic agenda, Dr. Behn Smith focuses on closing the gap in health outcomes between First Nations and other British Columbians.

Dr. Behn Smith is Eh Cho Dene (Big Animal People) of the Fort Nelson First Nation in B.C. with French Canadian/Métis roots in the Red River Valley. Since getting her Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University and completing residencies at the universities of Ottawa and Manitoba, Dr. Behn Smith’s career has spanned the country and the globe. 

She has practiced rural medicine in remote communities across Canada and is currently a family physician at Tse’wulhtun Health Center in the Cowichan Valley. She was a board director for the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, the director of education for the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Health Initiatives Program and the site director of the University of British Columbia’s Aboriginal Family practice residency.

This is an audio only version of an HSABC Webinar recorded on March 31, 2020. 

Corey Ranger and Sarah Kift discuss and update the latest in news, support, public health and government directives and resources for frontline workers in the shelter sector. Other guests from the sector may be on as well. 

This is a place for you to get support, share resources, talk about what's going on for you and your team, and get some expert advice and help during this crisis. 

People who are homeless are often more vulnerable than other populations and have compromised immune systems. As the situation changes rapidly, and new protocols and restrictions are put in place, frontline workers need to know what to do to support their clients and those who are homeless. 

This the audio only recording of an HSABC webinar recorded on March 25th, 2020. 

Mark Friesen, the executive director of Columbia College and former ED of Vantage Point reviews the resources and supports available for non-profit organizations.

Pandemic Planning: key functional areas to focus on in your response plan

Who can you turn to for support: sector leaders and organizations you can reach out to for support right now

Planning for tomorrow: in an unpredictable environment, how to approach scenario planning to equip your organization for resilience.