Join VAD as we talk with our membership about local resources available to VAD members and in the community.
In this podcast, we speak with Donna Phillips from WJS Canada about their services and programs.
Join VAD as we talk with our membership about local resources available to VAD members and in the community.
In this podcast, we speak with Donna Phillips from WJS Canada about their services and programs.
00:00:00 Teresa Makarewich
Welcome to the voice of Albertans with Disabilities, AKA VAD Society's October podcast of 2022.
00:00:08 Teresa Makarewich
I'm Teresa Makarewich your hosts and VAD program service manager.
00:00:13 Teresa Makarewich
Thanks for joining us today.
00:00:15 Teresa Makarewich
In today's podcast, we continue speaking with bad organizational members about the resources they offer the community, and how they work with individuals and disabilities.
00:00:26 Teresa Makarewich
WJS Canada has been a VAD member for many years and we are pleased to invite Donna Phillips, Regional Service Director of Disability Services to join me on the podcast.
00:00:36 Teresa Makarewich
Together we hold the power.
00:00:38 Teresa Makarewich
Please welcome Donna Phillips.
00:00:40 Teresa Makarewich
Hello Donna.
00:00:42 Donna Phillips
Hi Teresa, thank you for this opportunity.
00:00:45 Teresa Makarewich
Thank you for coming.
00:00:47 Teresa Makarewich
So we'll jump right in.
00:00:48 Teresa Makarewich
So according to your website, WJS Canada provides social services to children, youth, adults and families facing difficulties.
00:00:57 Teresa Makarewich
You take a personalized trauma informed approach to care in an environment of cultural respect and support.
00:01:05 Teresa Makarewich
Can you explain an overview of the services that your organization provides.
00:01:09 Donna Phillips
Sure, so WJS Canada has been nurturing change and healing in children, youth, adults and families and communities across Canada for more than 30 years.
00:01:21 Donna Phillips
All of our programs provide high quality, personalized and culturally responsive care in even the most complex cases.
00:01:30 Donna Phillips
Our dedicated and caring staff help those we serve, overcome their challenges and develop their strengths.
00:01:36 Donna Phillips
We forge friendships and a sense of belonging, encourage Community inclusion for all.
00:01:42 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada provides services in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
00:01:48 Donna Phillips
My role in the organization is Regional Service Director.
00:01:53 Donna Phillips
I always see the diverse ability services in Alberta.
00:01:56 Donna Phillips
Currently we provide services in Edmonton, Barrhead, Westlock, Fort McMurray, Slave Lake.
00:02:03 Donna Phillips
Bakerville, Bonnieville and Cold Lake area.
00:02:06 Donna Phillips
Our wide range of programs and services include supported homes, independent and semi independent living behavior, behavioral counseling, and mental and physical therapy.
00:02:17 Donna Phillips
Will offer community living, life skill coaching, career development, rest and relief for caregivers and family support for children with diverse abilities.
00:02:28 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada comes from a strength based approach to providing supports to persons with disabilities.
00:02:35 Donna Phillips
We look at the whole individual and their needs.
00:02:39 Donna Phillips
DJs Canada provides supports to persons with diverse abilities for the whole life cycle.
00:02:45 Donna Phillips
FSCD supports 2 children which include.
00:02:48 Donna Phillips
In and out of home respite residential and behavioral supports residential supports for youth through FSCD, who then can transition into PDD without having to.
00:03:01 Donna Phillips
We provide lifetime homes to adults with the developmental disabilities.
00:03:07 Donna Phillips
Individuals are encouraged to find housing of their choice and WJS will come in and provide the necessary staffing.
00:03:15 Donna Phillips
We also provide supports to individuals with brain injuries.
00:03:19 Teresa Makarewich
Wow, that's a lot.
00:03:21 Teresa Makarewich
That's awesome. Good job.
00:03:23 Teresa Makarewich
Your site says you help people with diverse abilities become active in their communities.
00:03:28 Teresa Makarewich
Voice of Albertans with disabilities believes in full participation in society.
00:03:33 Teresa Makarewich
How does WJS Canada fulfill this commitment to the community?
00:03:38 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada helps people with diverse abilities become active in their community, in your communities and reach the highest possible levels of independence.
00:03:48 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada encourages every individual we serve to participate in the development of their care plan, and we also invite family members.
00:03:58 Donna Phillips
And loved ones to become involved.
00:04:00 Donna Phillips
This way we can be sure the individual's unique strengths, personal goals and activity preferences are taken into account when the individual does not have an extended support system, WJS Canada staff advocates for them and ensures they are heard, valued, and treated with respect.
00:04:20 Donna Phillips
Most of our diverse ability services are offered in smaller communities in northern Alberta.
00:04:27 Donna Phillips
Staff encourage individuals to be part of their community by volunteering and working.
00:04:32 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada also hosts community events for the people to attend, as well as a couple of summer camps which are opened up to other individuals with developmental disabilities from different communities.
00:04:46 Donna Phillips
This promotes opportunities for friendships.
00:04:49 Donna Phillips
Local community members have come out to volunteer at these camps to provide additional support.
00:04:55 Teresa Makarewich
Can you tell Me about the LEAP program that WJS Canada offers.
00:05:00 Donna Phillips
Sure, in Edmonton, WJS Canada offers learning employment action plan for LEAP for short.
00:05:07 Donna Phillips
This is a free employment program for youth and young ages 15 to 30, which is funded by the Employment and Social Development Canada for the Youth Employment and Scale Strategy program with a focus on youth facing employment barriers.
00:05:24 Donna Phillips
The youth or young adults may be living with developmental and mental health challenges, physical challenges, or have any other barriers to employment.
00:05:33 Donna Phillips
By delivering strength based customized skills, development training, LEAP participants develop necessary skills and knowledge in order to overcome employment barriers and actively participate in the current and future labour market by obtaining real work for real pay opportunities.
00:05:52 Teresa Makarewich
Is there a referral program for that LEAP program?
00:05:57 Donna Phillips
Yes, so once you receive a referral, we complete a person-centered strength based planning process to create a personalized profile and identify ideal conditions of employment.
00:06:10 Donna Phillips
This profile includes hopes and dreams, learning style, communication, abilities, interests, preferences, strengths and capacities and support needs.
00:06:21 Teresa Makarewich
Oh wonderful, I see you work with residential options for adults with developmental disabilities.
00:06:27 Teresa Makarewich
Can you explain how that is different from independent living and family support, Residential support you provide?
00:06:34 Donna Phillips
Sure, WJS Canada personalized planning provides a wide range of residential options for adults with developmental disabilities.
00:06:44 Donna Phillips
From lifetime homes to supported and shared living options and residences for those with complex care and therapeutic needs, we tailor living experiences to each individual needs and encourage independence, social engagement, emotional and physical well-being.
00:07:03 Donna Phillips
Shared living supported homes are for individuals who are better served in a family environment than on their own or in a group home.
00:07:10 Donna Phillips
Our host families provide stable and safe places to live and the individual in their care becomes part of the family unit.
00:07:19 Donna Phillips
Those families receive training and support to ensure individuals receive the best care and WJS Canada Staff support access to daily activities, life skills and other programs.
00:07:33 Donna Phillips
Our resilient homes provide long term support to the individuals with high intensity behaviors.
00:07:40 Donna Phillips
That overwhelm traditional caregiving.
00:07:43 Donna Phillips
These individuals display behavior that is significantly more aggressive, self-harming or complicated by substance abuse, mental health, diagnosis or involvement with the law.
00:07:54 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada does not own the homes individuals went through in homes and choose where they want to live.
00:08:02 Teresa Makarewich
Wow, so you work with quite a few people who have some just different behavior disorders then.
00:08:09 Donna Phillips
Yes, yes, we’re very strength based and we really want to support all individuals.
00:08:16 Donna Phillips
So we have a variety of supports to help with that.
00:08:20 Teresa Makarewich
You mentioned that whose families get training?
00:08:23 Teresa Makarewich
What kind of training do they get, and is there a Cost for that.
00:08:26 Donna Phillips
So WJS has an Online learning program to that all our host families can access as well, which provides a wide range of opportunities as well as we also use open futures which is an online platform as well.
00:08:45 Donna Phillips
So all the training is free that we do provide to them.
00:08:49 Teresa Makarewich
Wonderful you offer community Living life, skill coaching, career development, rest and relief for caregivers and family.
00:08:57 Teresa Makarewich
Support for children with diverse abilities.
00:09:00 Teresa Makarewich
Are there other services for adults?
00:09:02 Teresa Makarewich
The WJS Canada offers as well.
00:09:06 Donna Phillips
WJS offers a wide range of programs and services, including resilient homes, supported homes, respite independent and semi-independent living.
00:09:17 Donna Phillips
Employment supports and community access options.
00:09:20 Donna Phillips
We also have our own clinical team to help with the complex needs of individuals.
00:09:27 Teresa Makarewich
Perfect.
00:09:28 Teresa Makarewich
Uhm, I really appreciate WJS ability to support and advocate in the community.
00:09:34 Teresa Makarewich
Is there anything I should be asking you about WJS Canada that I haven't asked?
00:09:40 Donna Phillips
I wanted to share a success story with you of an individual. We have served.
00:09:46 Donna Phillips
A young man came into.
00:09:47 Donna Phillips
Our service is just Over three years ago, he was 680 pounds and when we.
00:09:52 Donna Phillips
Were approached to provide services The RCMP had asked that he moved to a rural setting.
00:09:59 Donna Phillips
Instead of living in the small community, had many challenging behaviors and the numerous complaints had been made from his neighbors, he was required to build a fence around his yard and when we started services, we had a 2 to one staffing model.
00:10:18 Donna Phillips
Several revisions to his Behavior support plan and a consistent approach with extensive training to both staff and the individual.
00:10:26 Donna Phillips
There was a decline in incidence
.
00:10:29 Donna Phillips
Today he is 500LBS and the RCMP just dropped by to say hi as they're not responding to any complaint.
00:10:37 Donna Phillips
He is down to a one to one staffing model and his relationship with his mom has been repaired.
00:10:44 Donna Phillips
She currently will come over and spend the evening or overnight with him with no staffing.
00:10:50 Donna Phillips
He is also starting to participate in the community.
00:10:54
So this is 1 Of many success stories we have seen, so I just wanted to share that with you.
00:11:00 Teresa Makarewich
That's amazing, well done.
00:11:03 Donna Phillips
Thank you.
00:11:04 Teresa Makarewich
What is an interesting fact about WJS Canada that everyone should be talking about?
00:11:10 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada is very unique as we're an employee owned company.
00:11:15 Donna Phillips
Therefore everything we do is inspired by the commitment and passion of our employees to provide not only the best programs and services to those in our care.
00:11:25 Donna Phillips
I've heard several times from staff how they feel.
00:11:28 Donna Phillips
WJS Canada is Like a family, we work together to think outside of the box to provide solutions to individuals we serve.
00:11:36 Teresa Makarewich
If I was a client who wanted to get involved with WSJ is there a referral service.
00:11:41 Donna Phillips
So most of our services are PDD funded so.
00:11:45 Donna Phillips
You say our referrals come through PDD.
00:11:47 Donna Phillips
We also have a brain injury program in Edmonton which is a self-referral process.
00:11:54 Donna Phillips
We also provide supports to FSCD which again is through.
00:12:01 Donna Phillips
You get a referral and then family seek supports through us.
00:12:05 Teresa Makarewich
OK, and just to touch back on the advocacy.
00:12:09 Teresa Makarewich
What kind of advocacy in the community do you guys offer?
00:12:14 Donna Phillips
We encourage our individuals to be fully integrated into the Community, and with that our staff will come.
00:12:21 Donna Phillips
Like I said, we host community events which you know our individuals are participating in.
00:12:28 Donna Phillips
They are usually involved in any of the day-to-day activity, so it is very common, especially in smaller communities where people who grocery store, at the bank, all know our individuals and they are there to help support their day-to-day needs.
00:12:46 Donna Phillips
So our staff are just. Yeah, providing support, but our individuals do the actions if they're capable of.
00:12:54 Teresa Makarewich
Perfect.
00:12:56 Teresa Makarewich
Well, Donna, thank you again for joining VAD’s podcast.
00:12:59 Teresa Makarewich
I appreciate your time and commitment.
00:13:01 Teresa Makarewich
Is there anything else that we need to?
00:13:03 Teresa Makarewich
Know I don't.
00:13:04 Donna Phillips
Think so.
00:13:05 Donna Phillips
I just want to thank you for this opportunity.
00:13:08 Teresa Makarewich
Well, thank you for coming on and talking about WJS Canada.
00:13:12 Teresa Makarewich
So voice of Albertans with disabilities is a cross disability nonprofit organization oven for people with disabilities.
00:13:21 Teresa Makarewich
WJS Canada is an organizational member of VAD and their web link is available on our website at vadsociety.ca/resources.
00:13:30 Teresa Makarewich
Donna, can you tell us?
00:13:31 Teresa Makarewich
How to get ahold of you and.
00:13:33 Teresa Makarewich
Get involved in the different services your organization offers.
00:13:37 Donna Phillips
I can be reached through our website at WJSCanada.com or through e-mail at dphillips@canada.com or we have a toll free number at 1-800-867-1987.
00:13:56 Teresa Makarewich
Perfect thank you very much. VAD is guided by the principles of full participation, accessibility and equity. Learn about VAD services on our website at vadsociety.ca or call 780-488-9088 For more information e-mail myself VAD@vadsociety.ca.
00:14:17 Teresa Makarewich
Podcast topic ideas, speaker suggestions or your feedback?
00:14:22 Teresa Makarewich
Signing off for the day.
00:14:23 Teresa Makarewich
Together we hold the power.