Welcome to the June 23 edition of CLBC’s Update for Individuals and Families. As a reminder, you can find all Updates (including past editions)
posted on our website here. If you know of anyone who would like to receive future Updates, please share
the link to our sign up page with them. If you have a specific question, or feedback about this update, you can send an email to
CLBCInfo@gov.bc.ca.
CLBC and Government Updates
Important messages shared by Dr. Behn Smith on teleconference for self advocates
On the June 16 teleconference, Dr. Behn Smith, Deputy Provincial Health Officer, answered health related questions about COVID-19 submitted by individuals and self advocates. Many important questions were addressed in plain language, like this one about wearing masks:
Many people can’t wear a mask. Do we have to wear them?
Answer: The Provincial Health Office has said that masks can be helpful in some situations, but also said that some people have challenges wearing masks and we need to be flexible. Masks are recommended in situations if you can’t stay two metres away from other people, but organizations should accommodate those who cannot wear a mask. If you choose to wear a mask, it’s really important to wash your hands before you put the mask on and after you take it off.
A plain language summary of the call, as well as an audio recording,
can be found on the CLBC website here.
Submit temporary Emergency Funding requests by June 30
Recently, CLBC sent out a message that included people with Direct Funding Standard Agreements (DFSA), Person-Centered Societies (PCS) or Microboards with a request that temporary emergency funding requisitions submitted in June be sent in no later than
June 30, 2020. The deadline will help CLBC contribute to the province-wide collection of information about the impacts of COVID-19. DFSAs, PCSs and Microboards can find out more about eligibility and the application process for temporary emergency funding for vital residential services
on the CLBC website here.
CLBC recognized National Indigenous Peoples Day
On June 21, CLBC joined people in communities across the province and country in celebrating the
heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of the Inuit, the Métis, and First Nations.
Learn more about how this day was marked on the CLBC website here.
As a reminder, you can also
find indigenous resources related to COVID-19 on our website here, and suggest new resources to be added by emailing
CLBCInfo@gov.bc.ca
Have your say on B.C.’s recovery
As the province continues to move through the recovery process from the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government is inviting British Columbians to share their feedback. There are three main ways for people to share their ideas, experiences and priorities before July 21:
Click here for more information, including full details about how to take part.
Toolkit for Health Care Settings During COVID-19
A team of people with disabilities and their families, supported by a number of organizations within B.C.’s community living sector, have create a toolkit for people with disabilities for health care settings during COVID-19.
The toolkit can be accessed by clicking here, and includes checklists, template letters, link to resources and Ministry of Health information.
Staying connected and supported
myBooklet BC training sessions
The Family Support Institute of BC is inviting you to join an online workshop on myBooklet BC presented by its creator Lydia Kang. myBooklet BC is a FREE online tool that individuals and families can use to create a beautiful and personalized information booklet to store and share their strengths, gifts, goals and more.
Lydia will introduce and showcase the exciting myBooklet BC updates and upgrades coming soon. If you want to learn how to create a personalized “All About Me booklet” with individuals with diverse abilities and their families, this session is for you!
There are two upcoming sessions which are free to join by clicking the links below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
If you have any questions, please contact Lydia Kang via email
lkang@fsibc.com or call 604-862-6807.
Guided mindfulness meditations
Mindfulness can be practiced in many different ways and can be done at almost any time. To help people practice mindfulness at home, Dr. Dzung Vo from BC Children's Hospital has recorded some of the mindfulness meditations that he uses with his mindfulness groups.
Click here to find all of these recordings, which you can listen to on your computer or mobile device.
Foundry offering virtual drop-in counselling sessions
Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and social service centres for young people ages 12 to 24. Foundry centres provide a one-stop-shop for young people to access mental health care, substance use services, primary care, social services and youth and family peer supports.
Learn more about them at their website here.
Foundry is now offering virtual drop-in counselling sessions, peer support check-ins and group offerings to young people and their caregivers.
Call 1-833-308-6379 to book an appointment or learn more about services available. If you’re in Vancouver, you can call 604-283-2234. Sessions are available through voice, video and chat, and
you can click here for more information.
Self-help booklet series
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres in its field.
The CAMH has created a self-help booklet series for people with intellectual disabilities that can be used with the support of family members, friends, staff and health care professionals. The booklets are intended to give people with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to talk through their feelings and make plans for staying well at this difficult time. There is a how-to guide accompanying each booklet.
Booklets in the series, which include “Feeling Anxious”, “Good Night’s Sleep” and “You can do it”, can
all be found on the CAMH website here.
Self Advocate Corner
Video: Tips on wearing personal protective equipment
Krista Milne demonstrates how to safely put on, wear and remove personal protective equipment, or PPE, in
this helpful video posted on Uniti’s YouTube channel. This information is useful for anyone who is supporting a loved one with a disability. Thanks to Krista and Jasper who created the video!
Camille shares her story on Self Advocate Net
Thank you to
Self Advocate Net for sharing many stories of hope and encouragement during this challenging time.
Here’s a great story from Camille about her positive approach when adapting to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have a story of your own to share?
Click here to find out how you can.
Ask an advocate
Ask An Advocate is website developed by
Sources BC to help people easily find basic and clear information about income assistance and other income support programs, disability benefits (provincial and federal) and tenancy, and to empower people to advocate for themselves. The site provides clear information in easy to understand formats, including videos, answers to frequently asked questions, quick reference guides, training resources and links to other services.
Visit the Ask an Advocate site by clicking here and you can use the live chat button at the lower right of the page to have your question answered in real time by a member of their team.
Stories of hope and encouragement
Thank you to Dr. Behn Smith
Many of you have joined our CLBC teleconferences for individuals and families during COVID-19 and will recall the calm, gentle and reassuring voice of Dr. Daniele Behn Smith. We are so grateful to you, Dr. Behn Smith, for making the time to address the fears and questions of the people we serve, their families and all our community partners working hard to keep everyone safe, healthy and connected. The information and messages you share are easy to understand and support us all through these challenging and unknown times. Thank-you, from the bottom of our hearts, here at CLBC and across the community living and self advocacy sector.
A little bit about Dr. Behn Smith:
Dr. Daniele Behn Smith works as Deputy Provincial Health Officer for Aboriginal Health for the Office of the Provincial Health Officer. She is Eh Cho Dene (Big Animal People) from Fort Nelson First Nation and French Canadian/Métis from the Red River Valley. She is a family physician whose career has spanned the country and the globe.
In 2006, she had the remarkable opportunity to travel around the world and learn about traditional medicine from Elders and medicine people as part of a documentary series entitled
Medicine Woman. She returned to Family Practice grounded in Indigenous approaches to health, however found it challenging to incorporate these approaches within the conventional medical model.
In 2014, she discovered functional medicine and began her training with the Institute of Functional Medicine. In functional medicine, she has discovered a rigorous, evidence-based medical model that shares core beliefs about health with many Indigenous teachings. She became a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner in 2016.
Her passions for Indigenous health and functional medicine have extended to Public health. She is currently the Aboriginal Health Physician Advisor to the Provincial Health Officer. She sees great possibilities to improve health and wellness of whole communities by returning to teachings about food as medicine.
She loves working with other people to understand the root causes of their illness and collaboratively identifying small, foundational practices that they can work on to re-establish balance of mind, body and spirit.
An Astronaut’s guide to self isolation
As someone who spent almost 150 days in space, Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield has a unique perspective on living in an isolating environment. He shares some thoughts and ideas for staying positive and productive
in the video on his Youtube channel.
Updated Support and Connection Toolkit highlights resources and activities
In each edition of this update, we share an updated version of the
Support and Connection Toolkit which gathers links to resources and activities into one document for easy access.
See the current document here.
Signing off
As the warm summer weather arrives, many people are beginning to safely explore the great outdoors again. For anyone who needs a little inspiration to get outside, or for those who would like to vicariously enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of home, check out this
virtual hike video of the Juan de Fuca Trail on Vancouver Island. Until next time.
