After 33 years with Canada Post I have decided to retire!
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the wonderful generosity the Special Needs and Moving On Projects have given our son Blaise and our entire family for so many years. The funding has made a huge difference in our son’s life and has allowed him numerous opportunities and life experiences! Our family has been blessed and extremely fortunate to have been a part of this amazing supportive resource. It feels quite odd to be saying goodbye after all these years.
We will be “Moving On“ and moving forward with whatever the future holds for us as a family. Please know that the care and support of such a wonderful program through CUPW/UPCE-PSAC Special Needs and Moving On Projects has been vital to our sons needs and a lifesaver to our entire family. A special thank you to our compassionate and respectful advisors over the span of many years, especially Vicki S. Her friendly phone calls and emails have provided several creative ideas and positive suggestions which our family always found both comforting and hopeful. Encouraging independence, in a supportive environment and fostering community involvement has always been our main focus for Blaise in his daily life. Everything that this program represents has helped us move in this positive direction. It has truly been a life-line.
Thank you so much,
PO-4 Postal Clerk
Windsor, ON
“Riding her bike to the Post Office”
Welcoming Our New Partner - Breton Ability Centre
Our Special Needs Project (SNP) has a long history that began in 1996. We worked closely with our first partner, SpeciaLink to develop and administer a pilot project aimed at meeting the additional emotional, physical and financial challenges our members face in trying to work and raise young children with disabilities. This pilot project quickly became a permanent fixture of the CUPW Child Care Fund and in 2003 grew to include our Moving On Project.
In 2002 we found a permanent home for our SNP at Family Place Resource Centre, a federally funded, non-profit organization. Family Place took on administering the SNP while three dedicated SNP staff coordinated the day-to-day operations from our office in Baddeck Nova Scotia.
This year, 2020 marks another milestone for the SNP. While we say good-bye to our partnership with Family Place, we welcome our new partner, Breton Ability Centre. We are excited by the new opportunities this partnership presents and the rich knowledge and experience Breton Ability Centre can bring to our work.
Breton Ability Centre (BAC) is a dynamic organization that is committed to providing quality services and supports to people of varying disabilities. They serve individuals who are coping with complex challenges due to severe developmental disabilities, mental health challenges and/or complicating physical disabilities. They support individuals to learn and develop personal, social, vocational, and educational skills to enable their transition to other community living options and participate actively in their communities.
The Breton Ability Centre’s Mission is simple, “To help change the world for people with disabilities”.
We encourage you to go to their website to learn more about them and their programs and services http://www.bretonabilitycentre.ca
WELCOME BRENDA!
I would like to formally introduce you to Brenda Duchesne. Many of you have spoken to Brenda as she is the person who most often answers the phone in the Special Needs and Moving On projects office. Brenda has been working with the projects since late 2018 in a term position. As of April 1st she became a full-time permanent employee. Brenda has proven she has amazing organizational skills, a remarkable ability to adapt to an ever-changing situation, and is pretty much “unflappable”. Add a ready smile and good nature to that picture and you have an idea of who Brenda is. Her skills and abilities are a true asset to the team and much appreciated. Brenda is very active in her community. When not supporting other community activities you can find Brenda and her partner Jim attending music related events across the island. She is also a proud grandmother of seven year old twin boys, William and Jaxon.
The children’s drawings in this newsletter belong to the children or grandchildren of the Special Needs Project staff. We would love to use your child’s, or grandchild’s, drawings. Maybe they can draw of picture of you, or where you work! Please send them to the contact information on the back of the newsletter.
Hello, we’re pleased to introduce ourselves!
At Breton Ability Centre, we strive to make the world a better place for individuals with varying abilities!
We offer a wide variety of individualized programs for residents of Nova Scotia with an aim of helping our clients achieve their full potential.
Facilitated by our great staff, we offer our clients safe residential living options, customized learning and educational programs, opportunities for supportive employment through our social enterprises, and a full calendar of in house and community based recreational programs. These all help in connecting our clients to the community at large and supporting our goal of full community inclusion.
Plus, we have a lot of fun!
We are thrilled to be a partner with the Special Needs and Moving On Projects and look forward to serving you!
Sincerely,
Harman Singh
CEO, Breton Ability Centre
After almost twenty years with the Special Needs Project I retired eight months ago.
I had no real plans but was not anticipating returning to the Special Needs and Moving On projects. Then Shellie Bird, the Child Care Coordinator, called asking if I might be interested in working with the new employer, Breton Ability Centre. I took it as an opportunity to work again with people I appreciated and a chance to look at the projects with fresh eyes.
Working with Breton Ability Centre provides the project staff with access to their vast experience and knowledge working with individuals with disabilities and their families. They have a large team with a broad range of skills and expertise. I am looking forward to an opportunity to tap into those resources in the future. For now Dorothy, Brenda and I are working hard to make the transition a smooth one and keep everything on track through these challenging times. Breton Ability Centre took over the project April 1st, just as social distancing was in full swing. With great tech support we’ve managed to keep things running with a combination of time in the office and working from home.
We’re thinking of you through these challenging times. Not only is the work you do essential to keeping all Canadians connected but you are essential to your families and your children with special needs or disabilities who need you. We hope that you manage to stay safe and find time to take care of yourself.
I look forward to hearing how you’re doing, either directly or through your advisor.
All the best,
Gail Holdner
Project Coordinator
Special Needs and Moving On projects
After 33 years I have retired. A lot of those years the Special Needs Project was helping us with advice and support. We were on a family vacation this year and went to New Brunswick and PEI and off to Nova Scotia. We visited the Special Needs Project office in Baddeck. We wanted to thank the staff for all the work they do to help their clients. The kids are doing great and on to new adventures. We are grateful to have found the Special Needs Project over the years. Thank you!!
MSC
London, ON
What you said...
...about support services for your child
During a recent Advisor-Member interview, you shared information about the types of support services you need for your child, which of these services you are currently accessing and if you need more of these services.
Here are some of the highlights of what you said.
THE NUMBER OF SERVICES YOU NEED:
On average, members in both the Special Needs and Moving On projects need 10 types of services for their children with special needs. Some members need one or two types of services while others need up to 24 types of services.
“These questions help me to really identify my needs with (my son). I will be able to verbalize them to the social worker and the Youth worker.”
THE TYPES OF SERVICES YOU NEED:
“Several members in the Special Needs project commented “some of the services I answered NO to will be needed, but in a few years and not now.”
A high percentage of both SNP and MO members identified the “GWL benefit plan” and “Connection with peers” as support services they need for their child.
ACCESSING THE SERVICES YOU NEED AND NEEDING MORE OF THOSE SERVICES:
“I want to see more expansion of the social skills development for my daughter as she is often alone. She needs more support with relationship building.”
“My daughter currently receives 30 minutes of OT support at school once per month. This is not enough to meet her needs.”
A high percentage of both SNP and MO members identified “Advocacy” and “Individualized funding” as support services they are accessing but need more of.
HOW YOU FELT ABOUT ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS:
“These questions show that the willingness to understand the reality of families in general is progressing.”
“It is a relief to learn that somebody will be assigned to help parents navigate the different resources.”
“I feel that this project could help families find resources.”
“Quite frankly, parents like us are often helpless when it comes to finding support resources. I think that (Support Navigator) is a good thing. At least we’ll know where to turn…”
What you’ve told us about support services will help guide us as we develop the new Support Navigator position and the CUPW_211 disability supports portal.
Thanks to you all!
My son Shelden resides in a group home.
Shelden is a 31 year-old autistic young man. He is basically 80% non-communicative but is able to express his needs and wants when probed. It has been very difficult for me and my kids to not see Shelden. We are not able to go to his house and he is not able to come home.
My worries, my stress level has increased for fear he may contact the virus from a worker or elsewhere. I pray faithfully for him and the staff. I am able to facetime with him using the staff’s cell phone. The best thing one of his workers did was bring him to my home. They stayed in the van wearing gloves and mask. I was 6’ away from the window of the van. The look on his face, the smile, the eyes, all expressed excitement. I don’t think he comprehends what’s going on as he has had a few behaviours. I would like to thank my advisor Ellen who made some suggestions as well as referring me to a site where I can take care of my well-being and be able to be strong enough for Shelden and myself and family. Thank you Moving On Project for your help.
PO-4
Scarborough, ON
“Mailing a letter to Granny.”
To everyone at the Special Needs Project:
I would like to thank you all for your support for my son Sean. Your financial assistance has provided a tutor for Sean for the last six years. He has worked very hard to overcome his challenges and the lack of acceptance that he experienced in Elementary School.
Sean is now in his 5th year of High School, and he has been an honour student since grade 9. Your financial assistance to cover the cost of tutoring has made it possible for me to provide martial arts training and musical instruments for my son. These two things ground him and are a very important part of his daily life. A very big thank you to Arlie, my advisor. I have looked forward to and have enjoyed every one of our chats. Thank you for your kindness.
It pleases me to share that Sean is now preparing for his post-secondary education in Mechanical Engineering. Thank you so much.
RSMC
Milton, ON
Both the Moving On and Special Needs Project members have been asked about the changes in their lives as result of Covid 19 precautions. At the time this newsletter was being put together we have results from some of the Moving On interviews. You can read what members have shared with us in the boxes below.
“I have no one to stay with my son except my mother, who uses a walker and is very fragile. My son does not understand why he can’t go out so one day he opened the door and ran out to the park and the dogs followed. Luckily a neighbour assisted in getting him back home. This is clearly not safe. I heard about the arrangement with management that people who need to be home to care for children and hope that I could do this, but I need my pay check.”
“I have an auto immune issue and am at high risk. I was granted leave with pay, but chose to remain at work because I need to stay busy or I become depressed. I work the night shift and sometimes do an 9-hour shift. It’s the parcels. I look for places to do my work where there are fewer people. I am very cautious because I don’t want to take the virus home to my family, especially my son with a disability and my 85 year-old mother who lives with me.”
“I am on a return to work – part days with enough hours that I need full-day support for my son. Day supports are twice the cost of my sons’ usual program that is closed. My son is having a very hard time because nothing is consistent the way it was before COVID.”
“It is causing a lot of stress for my family. I had to take special leave because my son is at high risk because of the fear and anxiety created by the uncertainty of COVID.”
“We go for a walk everyday but every other support has stopped. We use masks because we are older – we fall into the category of high-risk. We are worried about how it would affect our family.”
“We are worried about who will be able to care for our daughter when her dad has to return to work. We have lost all of our traditional support systems because of COVID.”
“I am dealing with depression which has gotten worse with COVID. We can’t get out of the house to see friends and family – it is really hard. My daughter is very reliant on me even with her dad’s active involvement. We are also trying to make do on less because my husband was laid off one of his jobs.”
“I took two-weeks to support my son initially. He is home all the time now and I find it difficult. He just wants to be able to do the things he used to do. Teaching him to wash his hands has been a challenge.”
“Things at home are so different. We can’t get out and go anywhere, but for the essentials. I am concerned about going back to work and contracting COVID and bringing it home. We kept our daughter out of her day program which has now closed. Me and my partner do our best to share her care. It’s not easy and my daughter just does not understand why things are so different.”
“Everyone is stressed. We are older and in the high-risk population. The boys (with disabilities) are worried we will die. At first, we had to reassure them a lot. When the kids hear news about COVID they get worried all over again. They were depressed and are becoming more so. We try to reassure them to look for the good in life and to be hopeful.”
“With increased overtime we are exhausted by the end of the day. Our son cannot take part in his usual day program, so we rely on our son’s other siblings to help with his care. The rest of the kids do their best to be around to help out while we are at work. It’s a lot. ”
The new normal
Marie-Claude is not at home. It’s week eight of the COVID19 lockdown in Montreal, and, like other essential workers, she’s at work.
Some of you will relate to this. If you’re reading this, then there is a better-than-average chance that you or someone in your family was working throughout a lockdown too. And if you live in Quebec, you’ll know Marie-Claude as your Special Needs Project advisor—a role she’s been in since 2012.
We reached Marie-Claude on her lunch break at the pediatric hospital where she works full-time. As you might imagine, her days right now are long and often stressful. She gets home after a full day of work, disinfects her keys and phone, showers, washes her clothes, and walks her dog (Lady—a lab/greyhound mix). Most nights it’s 8 PM by the time gets to eat dinner. And twice a week she shops for groceries and other essentials and delivers them outside her parents’ door.
Her days sound exhausting, but Marie-Claude is taking it in stride: “It’s definitely the new normal. I think we’re all getting used to it now. And it won’t go on forever—things are slowly getting better, and people are getting better at dealing with the situation too. We’re getting creative, learning new technologies and new skills.” For example, Marie-Claude’s dad helped her with a plumbing job over FaceTime. And the family celebrated Easter over FaceTime too, with Marie-Claude and her siblings (both in Ontario) learning how to prepare the special Easter bread that her parents usually make.
But there have been moments of great sadness too. Marie-Claude recently lost her aunt to COVID19. It’s very difficult to say goodbye when you can’t hold a funeral, but she’s thankful that her mom got to speak to her sister over the phone one last time.
Marie-Claude says calming practices like meditation or yoga and support from friends are helping her cope. In a few weeks it will be time for the next round of calls with the families she advises for the Special Needs Project, and she’s eager to hear how they’ve been coping too.
All children need routines, and it can be especially hard on kids with special needs to have their routines so disrupted.
“Some families might be having a hard time,” says Marie-Claude. “Many members are still working, plus they have kids with special needs at home, and in some families both partners work at Canada Post.
But there’s also a lot of pressure for the parent staying home. A lot of people are anxious right now. Some children will pick up on that anxiety, too.”
Does she have any advice for the members she advises?
“Everybody can just do the best they can in this situation. Don’t expect miracles. Do what you can. Do what your energy level permits. And don’t feel bad about it.”
This may mean allowing more TV and other forms of screen time. “That’s fine because parents need to be able to take care of themselves too,” Marie-Claude says.
“Just take care and try to enjoy the moment together and finding other ways of doing things. I’m looking forward to hearing how people stayed connected.”
MANAGING ANXIETY AND FEAR
DURING COVID-19
Here are some helpful tips for positive coping, using three antidotes to fear and anxiety: creativity, humour, and curiosity.
CREATIVITY
Activities that draw on our creativity allow our emotions and actions to come together in order to help our emotions move and shift. This can be anything that has a beginning and an end, and allows us to use our senses to create something we enjoy.
crafts
cooking
baking
puzzles
making music
scribbling
dancing
woodworking
building
sewing
organizing
drawing
HUMOUR
Spending time with anything that brings you joy – whether it’s through your own activities or enjoying other people’s expressions of joy – relaxes our minds and bodies.
Tell a joke, read a funny book, get silly with your family, or watch a comedy. Finding humour and engaging in joy is a healing activity!
CURIOUSITY
When we are under a lot of stress, it is easy to catastrophize and have fearful thoughts take over. This is part of our mind’s way of trying to protect us by getting ready for anything that might happen. This is when it is important to remember:
DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK!
Some strategies to help us stay curious:
Catch the “what-ifs” and worries in your thoughts, and label them. They are just thoughts – label them as “anxiety,” “fear,” or “worry.”
Use reality checking to sort out which thoughts to listen to, and which ones to let go.
Reality checking steps:
Notice and name it: “anxiety,” “fear,” “worry.”
Is this true? Even though something is possible, is it probable?
What parts do I know are true, and what parts of it might not be true?
What steps can I take? What is in my control?
STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN
DURING COVID-19
ACKNOWLEDGE FEARS & BE REAL
Be honest and give age-appropriate information
Occasionally be open about your own emotions
Help children see it is okay to have feelings AND show them that you can manage them
HELP MANAGE NEWS INTAKE
Children look to the adults around them to learn how frightened they should be
It’s helpful if adults take in the news and then convey it to children, rather than children viewing news on their own
Discuss news in the context of a supportive relationship and in manageable bits
Help children learn about credible news sources
BE CURIOUS WITH THEM
Ask about what they are hearing and thinking
Respond to their questions with facts
Use developmentally appropriate language and relatable examples
Follow their lead of where their thoughts are going, and help them limit the amount of time spent focusing on them.
YOUR PRESENCE AND ATTENTION ARE KEY
Be available for questions or expressions of emotion
It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers; your presence can help them tolerate not knowing
Find simple activities to keep busy and shift attention when they’re ready
ROUTINE!
Participate in regular activities as much as possible
Eat, sleep, bathe, and play at regular times that children are used to
Help children know what they can do – this builds self-efficacy (this may include chores around the house, creating new things, continuing to play, etc.)
© ACHIEVE Centre for Leadership & Workplace Performance
www.achievecentre.com 877.270.9776
Specialisterne is an internationally recognized leader in helping businesses and employers understand, value, and integrate the unique perspective and capabilities of people on the autism spectrum, and those who identify with other neurodiversities.
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for Specialisterne is to enable 25,000 jobs in Canada, contributing to global goal of one million.
Mailing her letter to Aunt Laura
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