PROGRAMS
Children/Youth/Families
KELLI
Mother Goose
Community Living
Affordable Housing
Nutritional Support
Kamloops Community Gardens
RESOURCES
Support to Family Care
Network
Youth Links
Community Links
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT &
EVENTS
Agency Events
A Year in Review
VOLUNTEERS
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MISSION STATEMENT |
YOUTH AND FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
Parenting After
Separation |
Parenting Awareness and Individual Development |Youth
Mentorship |
Transitional Life Skills Worker |
Adolescent Day |
Families in Transition |
Family Enrichment
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Family Development Response |
Family Service Program | Early
Connections l Safe
Spaces |
Supervised Access |
NOVA Conflict Resolution Centre
l
Street Services |
Literacy Outreach
Parenting After Separation
Parenting After Separation
is a three-hour information session for parents, sponsored by the Ministry of
Attorney general. Its purpose is to help parents make in formed choices about
their separation or divorce, which take into account the best interests of the
children. Parenting After Separation is available to all adults who are dealing
with issue of child custody, access, guardianship and/or support. Parents are
registered in separate sessions. This program accepts both self-referrals and
those that are referred by the Attorney General.
Parenting Awareness and Individual Development
The P.A.I.D.
program is a parenting program that provides education, support and counselling
for parents who are experiencing challenges in their role as parents. The
program structure consists of ten to twelve week sessions offered three times a
year. Groups’ sessions take place twice a week followed by one to one sessions
weekly. Referrals may be made by; self, Social Worker, Public Health Worker or
other professionals in the community.
Youth Mentorship
The Youth
Mentorship program seeks to respectfully join with youth to develop strategies
that will enhance their lives and assist them in making healthy choices. This
program also provides support to guardians and caregivers involved in the lives
of these youth. Youth between the ages of 13 and 18 who are in the care of the
Ministry of Children and Family Development may access Youth Mentorship.
Referrals are made through the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Transitional Life Skills Mentor
Through one on one mentorship,
the Transitional Life Skills Mentor will teach youth the skills needed for
healthy adaptation toward independence. The mentor will be introduced to each
new resident of Acadia Place within one week of the youth moving in, and will
maintain consistent contact for the duration of the youth’s membership within
the program. The youth and mentor develop realistic expectations that pertain
directly to the youth’s goals through increased sense of self worth, increased
opportunities, knowledge of essential life skills and increased sense of
belonging. A formalized screening process will provide the program with an
opportunity to identify those youth most likely to be successful with mentorship
support.
Adolescent Day
The Adolescent Day
Program is a short-term day program for youth involving work experience,
lifeskills, training, recreational/educational outings and therapeutic groups.
This service is available for youth 13 to 17 years of age who are living in a
foster home. Referrals are accepted through the Ministry of Children and Family
Development. Limited space is available for foster parents to access the
service directly.
Families in Transition (F.I.T.)
F.I.T. is
designed to provide intensive in-home response to families in crisis. It is
specifically developed for families with children 0-12 years who are at risk at
home, at school and in the community. Team members respond to the families
within 24 hours. The team offers 4-6 weeks of intervention with 10-15 hours of
direct client service time per week. F.I.T. is accessed through the Ministry
for Children and Family Development.
Family Enrichment
The Family Enrichment
Program is a preventative family support service. This in-office based program
is based on the premise that given timely support, families have the capacity to
find their own solutions. Families or individuals with children between the
ages of 6 and 18 years are eligible for the program. Individuals or families
who are interested in the self-referral component of the Family Enrichment
Program may contact the program directly by contacting ICS.
Family
Development Response
Family
Development Response (FDR) is a new approach that MCFD is currently piloting in
their efforts to help families and communities keep children safe. MCFD may
utilize an FDR response to confirm and ensure the safety of a child. MCFD have
partnered with ICS staff to help ensure families have the resources and supports
they need to be healthy and happy. The approach is solution-focused and
requires the cooperation and willingness of family members to develop a safety
plan and set goals. MCFD Social Workers, ICS staff and the participating family
work collaboratively to address identified risks and to create a plan to achieve
the outcome of building family capacity and to care for children safely. ICS has
identified two staff that will be assigned family referrals identified by the
MCFD-FDR team that may benefit from this new approach to child protection.
MCFD Social Workers determine eligibility and suitability through their
screening process and access family support services through the Intake
Coordinator at ICS.
The Family
Service Program
The Family Service Program is
an outreach intervention service to children, youth and their families who are
experiencing difficulties and who are potentially at risk of family or placement
breakdown. Risk factors may include issues such as safety concerns for the
child/ren, behavioral management, parenting skills, relationship dynamics, and
mental health issues. The main purpose for the Family Service Program is to
restore family functioning by supporting to discover ways of finding their own
solutions, make positive choices and decisions about their situations, and to
help families utilize community resources. Program components include
family assessment, goal setting, therapeutic planning and intervention, as well
as transition planning. Strategies provided may include approaches to; managing
crisis, enhancing child safety, encouraging healthy parent/child relationships,
behaviour management, decision making, as well as supporting families to access
community resources.
Safe Spaces
Safe
Spaces is a service for youth ages 14-25, who identify as gay, lesbian,
bisexual, two-spirited, trans-gendered or questioning. It is a youth driven
service offering weekly group meetings; one-on-one appointments; drop-in;
workshops and presentations for the Kamloops and surrounding communities; a
resource and lending library and a referral system. The Safe Spaces project was
developed under the direction of Bill Ryan from the Centre for Applied Family
Studies at McGill University, Montreal. Kamloops was chosen as one of only four
Canadian sites to implement the model as a pilot project. Safe Spaces is a
self-referral service.
Supervised Access
The
Supervised Access Program offers families an opportunity to be together in a
controlled safe environment. The supervisors support parents in their learning
and in identifying the needs of the family. They focus on the parents’
strengths and support families in improving relationships within the family
system. Families with children who require or could benefit from a supervised
environment are eligible for the program. Any community professional can make a
referral by calling Interior Community Services and asking for the Supervised
Access Program. The program is available on both a fee-for-service basis and
Ministry of Children and Family Development referral.
NOVA Conflict Resolution Centre
The NOVA program is an Interior Community
Services program recently funded by the Ministry for Children and Family
Development that not only provides direct service to youth, families and
community members but also conflict resolution training to individuals
such as teachers and community workers. The staff at NOVA believe
that by teaching and modeling the skills and attitudes that re part if our
conflict resolution programs we are creating the climate necessary to
create a world where there is a celebration of diversity, a tolerance for
differences and the ability to communicate effectively. We also
believe that making a difference starts with one person...one person to
choose peace over violence. Take a stand against violence.
Take back your humanity and help create a world of peace.
All NOVA programs teach the
following basic components:
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Conflict and Violence Definitions |
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Peace Rules |
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The Role of Perception |
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Anger Management |
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Communication Skills |
All programs are tailored to fit specific groups of participants by adding components relevant to that group but the core components remains the same throughout the programming.
NOVA Registration Form
NOVA Fall
Schedule
Adult Getting to Win Win
Do
It...For the Kids
Adult
Plus: Problem Solving
Good Parent Better Parent
Parent Plus:
Discipline Teaches
Parent Plus: Sibling Rivalry
Street Services
Street Services
offers non-residential, support services and short-term residential stays
(14 days) for youth. Street Services encourages youth to make safe,
responsible choice in order to work towards creating positive changes in
their lives. The Safe House is for youth 13 to 18 years of age, who are
in need of a safe place to stay or who require support or assistance are
eligible for the program. This is a self-referral program that is open
and staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Services are provided to
assist those who are street involved adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Literacy Outreach
Street School is an
adult continuing education program designed for learners who are unlikely
to attend school in a structured or traditional academic setting. Street
School provides an opportunity for students to learn basic literacy skills
and acquire accredited high school courses that can be used towards a
grade 12 diploma. The school offers individual instruction, self-esteem
building, one to one tutoring, flexible hours and a hot lunch program. In
addition to academics students will have the opportunity to receive
additional support in accessing community resources and services if
needed. Street School is offered in partnership with Twin River Education
Center and School District No. 73.