Facilitator: Sue Ritchie Raymond, Principal Consultant, SLRR Consulting

Duration: 6 hours

This session will provide participants with a greater understanding of the theory and legislative frameworks that inform service system management and integration approaches.  Participants will develop a greater understanding of the range of current practices based on theory and legislative frameworks that inform decisions and encourage participants to consider options and embrace innovation to address the challenges and opportunities that exist in their CMSM or DSSAB.

Learning Objectives

• Theory and legislative background for human services program in Ontario
• Discussion about roles and responsibilities because of legislative frameworks by program and municipal structure
• Sharing information and encouraging discussion about the principles of human services integration and what that can look like across Ontario
• Examples of service system management approaches and practices, understanding key components of any system
• Sharing information and encouraging discussion about system integration with and outside of human services - best and leading practices in communities in Ontario and beyond
• Guest speakers - opportunity to hear from human service leaders in all program areas representing a mix of urban, rural and remote municipalities across Ontario. This will bring current day examples to the group and give them the opportunity to share the challenges they've faced, how they managed those challenges and where do they feel they've been successful and why

Facilitator: Catherine Chambers

Duration: 6 hours

This session is designed to provide participants with a deep understanding of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. It will offer historical and present-day perspectives that have been curated from data collection, scholarly research, and the lived experiences of members of under-represented, vulnerable, and racialized populations. Through engagement with primary source evidence, compelling case studies, and learning activities, participants will develop the knowledge and competencies to harness opportunities and address challenges associated with equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Learning Objectives

• Increase awareness of fundamental concepts associated with Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
• Understand the importance of practicing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility within Human Services organizations
• Identify strategies to develop capacity to contribute toward building and sustaining inclusivity in their workplace

Facilitator: Catherine Chambers

Duration: 6 hours

During this interactive session, participants will develop a nuanced understanding of a range of cognitive and structural biases. They will learn how to detect and mitigate the impact of bias on decision-making, relationships, and organizational performance. The workshop will also provide opportunities for participants to engage with a collection of curated resources that have been selected for human services practitioners. 

Learning Objectives

• Increase capacity to detect cognitive and structural biases (e.g. unconscious bias, racial bias, institutional bias)
• Develop strategies to reverse the impact of bias
• Create an action plan to commit to strategies for personal and organizational development

Facilitators: Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. and John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc.

Duration: 18 hours

Person Centric Strategies for Staff is designed to equip learners with the concepts, principles, practices, competencies, and tools to work effectively with service users, co-workers, community service providers, tenants, families, and any other individual or group engaging with human services staff.  

The Person Centric Strategies series of workshops, Understanding Behaviour, 3D MicroCoaching Model and Tools for Applying Micro-Coaching Competencies, provides learners with current research and thinking about human behaviour, including the rapidly and emerging vital concept of intersectionality.  The 3D Coaching Model is a foundation for delivering person-centric service, and developing a common language to capture person-centric thinking and application.

Learning Objectives

• Provide a review of current research and thinking about human behaviour that includes the concept of intersectionality as well as the psychological and behavioural outcomes associated with socio-economic conditions of poverty, social exclusion, trauma and scarcity.  
• Establish the service user as the central focus of every interaction though the staff application of knowledge, skills, and supporting behaviours (competencies) that promote service users' awareness and understanding.
• Analyze this research to determine and apply strategic staff competencies and workplace tools to produce the best possible outcomes.
• Supply workplace coaching tools that bring person-centric theories and practices to life in the workplace.
• Develop a common language to capture person-centric thinking and applications.
• Integrate person-centric strategies across the sectors providing services to this group.
• Support service integration at the local level by establishing evidence-based competency standards in service delivery across programs.
• Enrich service users' outcomes using a Three-Dimensional MicroCoaching Model as a foundation for a person-centric service, including for those in support roles, that can be applied in short-contact ('thin-slice') situations.
• Identify and expand upon the competencies necessary for effective MicroCoaching Use these competencies to level power through increasing the engagement of service users in the coaching process. 
• Strengthen intra- and inter-organizational relationships for more effective service delivery and results.

Facilitator: Sharad Kerur, Q.Med, C.C.Med, CCMC, ACC, CDP, WFI, CEO, Resolution Pathways

Duration: 6 hours

During the foundational workshop, Making Difficult Conversations Easier, we will explore the construct, traps and pitfalls of difficult conversations, why they may go wrong and how to approach, plan and execute them in a more successful manner, using practical tips, tools and real-world examples.

By the conclusion, fear and apprehension of that difficult conversation will transform into confidence and encouragement.

During the foundational workshop Making Difficult Conversations Easier participants were introduced to a simple yet effective 4-step Empathy Loop that can make anyone an expert listener.  Armed with this specific skill one can more effectively build better human connections and collaborative relationships.

While learning about the skill is one thing, Having the opportunity to practice it and gain expert feedback is something more.  During the second part of the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to practice the 4-Step Empathy Loop and gain expert feedback on process and delivery of the technique.

Learning Objectives

• Overcome barriers and turn conversations from difficult to collaborative
• Explore the structure of conversations and how they can either snare you or release you from "conflict traps"
• Become aware of conflict styles, personalities and emotions, and how each hinders or help conversations
• Learn effective and practical communication tools, including:
• Avoiding communication "blockers"
• First words to use
• Agreeing vs. acknowledging
• Framing and asking good questions
• When to be empathetic, and when to be assertive
• Learn a simple yet powerful four-step technique to aid in having better and more collaborative conversations
• Repeatedly practice the 4-step listening loop of understanding in a safe, confidential and controlled environment
• Get guided feedback directly from the workshop’s instructor for improvement
• Test variations to determine what works and what doesn’t based on the participant’s own personal style
• Experiment with how looping might be useful across a variety of real-world situations

Facilitator: Megan Phillips, Registered Psychotherapist, Phillips Psychotherapy

Duration: 16 hours

This session is dedicated to understanding the impacts of traumatic events and how to best support highly traumatized clients by promoting a climate of awareness, safety, trust, collaboration and control. Learning to be trauma informed also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma exposure in the professionals who interact and support highly traumatized individuals and how to promote our own resiliency and self-care.

Learning Objectives

• Definitions of trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, vicarious trauma and trauma informed care
• General Adaptation Syndrome
• Fight-Flight-Freeze-Appease
• The impact of trauma on early childhood development and across the lifespan
• Normal brain development and the impact of trauma on brain development
• Signs and symptoms of trauma in people of all ages
• Principles of Trauma Informed Care
• Techniques for creating safety for people exposed to trauma
• Techniques for calming and grounding those impacted by trauma
• Supporting self-management
• Building resiliency building skills in your client
• Compassion fatigue
• Themes found in trauma exposure for professionals
• Self-care practices for professionals

Facilitator: Valerie Spironello, MSW, RSW, choosewellness.ca

Duration: 6 hours

Everyone who is in the helping field will at some point in their career experience some level of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, burnout, moral distress, frustration or stress, which can lead to people becoming negative, cynical, avoiding clients, calling in sick often, contributing to declining morale or leaving the profession. 

Are there solutions for people to help themselves? Who would have thought that those in the helping field would be affected by the countless stories heard across the desk?

This session not only defines and assesses your compassion fatigue, but helps you build the tools to effectively address and manage it.

Learning Objectives

• Have awareness of the impact of doing the work of human services
• Define and know the differences between compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, burn-out and moral distress 
• Understand the signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue
• Identify your own level of compassion fatigue
• Explore a variety of strategies to help you continue to do this work in a healthy way
• Leave with a resilience and a healthy well-being plan

Facilitator: Bonnie Corey, Certified Mental Health First Aid faciliator

Duration: 7 hours

Workshop participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis and encourage that person to:

• Talk about declines in their mental well-being
• Discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improved mental well-being
• Reach out to these support
• Assist in a mental health or substance use crisis
• Use MHFA actions to maintain one‘s own mental well-being

Facilitator: Dr. JP Gedeon, Transformative Directions

Duration: 6 hours

Everyone can be a leader. Leadership is a skill that can be developed over time. When you think about it, you have likely taken on leadership roles in your life and your work that you didn’t realize at the time. So, what makes a good leader? How can you tap into your leadership style, sharpen those skills, and put them to work for you in your career and your life, today?

This session will introduce cutting edge approaches to leadership. Approaches that affect the behaviour of leaders, the performance of teams, and workplace culture.

Participants will have a better understanding what motivates people, what moves performance,  what maintains constructive excellence and the evolution of how we think about leadership. 

Facilitator: Megan Phillips, Registered Psychotherapist, Phillips Psychotherapy

Duration: 12 hours

Learn to understand and reduce anxiety to support yourself, your staff, and/or your clients as we continue to live in uncertain times. This interactive workshop will give you the understanding and skills you need to help yourself, staff and clients move forward with more focus and manage their anxious minds.

The second part of this workshop will teach you about the causes and types of depression, the signs and symptoms of depression, and the most up-to-date techniques currently used to intercept depression‘s progression. The workshop will also highlight the approaches used to support individuals in coping with and overcoming their depression symptoms and prevent future depressive episodes. 

Learning Objectives

• Understanding the pathways of anxiety in the brain
• The root of anxiety: understanding the amygdala
• How the cortex creates anxiety
• Taking control of your anxiety
• Reaping the benefits of relaxation
• Understanding anxiety triggers
• The importance of exercise, nutrition and sleep for anxiety reduction
• Restructuring thought patterns that cause anxiety
• Identifying and learning the signs, symptoms, causes and types of depression
• Learning the cognitive and lifestyle changes necessary to combat depression
• Breaking the procrastination-depression connection
• Recognizing depressive thinking and overcoming depressive thoughts
• Albert Ellis‘s ABCDE Method for overcoming depression
• Overcoming hopelessness thinking
• Coping with depressive symptoms
• Attending to anxieties
• Confronting negative emotions
• Behavioural methods to feel good again
• Putting an end to depression planning

Facilitator: Kirby Steinhoff, OMSSA Facilitator

Duration: 6 hours

Learners will focus on the importance of documentation to provide person-centered supports in human services. Focusing on use of documentation and how it can facilitate person-centered activities and supports. 

Learners will review the relationship between quality of life and person-centered approaches in human services. Examining the importance of language choices and their impacts upon person-centered supports and trauma-informed care. 

Learners will examine implicit bias and the impact on documentation practices, working to reduce bias in documentation, describing factors that influence judgement and decision-making. 

Learners will use both interactive exercises and case studies to recognize role of documentation in promoting person-centered supports and resources. Apply documentation strategies and best practices focused on person-centered approaches and outcomes. 

Learning Objectives

• Greater knowledge of case planning activities and focus on life stabilization and supporting person-centered services navigation. 
• Examining implicit (hidden) biases and impacts on decision-making looking to person-centered and trauma-informed approaches.
• Understand how documentation plays an integral role in human services. 
• Review how consistent approaches to services and documentation improve client-centered outcomes. 
• Share best practices for documentation standards. 

Facilitators: Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. and John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc.

Duration: 6 hours

Ongoing application of the theories, competencies, principles and practices found in all curricula within the program, is necessary for the integration of each participant’s learning in their everyday work.

During these sessions, learners will receive tools and resources to build their learning portfolio, illustrating how their competencies will be applied in their day-to-day work.

Over the summer, July and August, there will be Learner Check In sessions (dates and times to be negotiated with the cohort), to talk with facilitators about theories and concepts, competency development and application, learning portfolio development and preparing for fall courses.

Facilitator: Sue Ritchie Raymond, Principal Consultant, SLRR Consulting

Duration: 6 hours

This workshop will help participants in management level positions to enhance their understanding of systems thinking in planning, managing and delivering services, service system management and how that can look in a variety of program areas including housing and homelessness, children’s services, social assistance and employment. 

The workshop will support participants in building action plans, assessing the outcome of initiatives and responding when anticipated outcomes are not achieved.  Participants will be able to apply course learnings to address system challenges and take action in their CMSM or DSSAB.

Learning Objectives

Applying Systems Thinking and Accountability to Human Services

Overview of the theory and legislative background for human services program in Ontario

• Discussion about the complexity of roles and responsibilities because of legislative frameworks by program and municipal structure – examples of current challenges
• Sharing information and encouraging discussion about moving beyond the principles of human services integration, reflection of their organization and their approaches, the impacts, and opportunities for future planning.  

Building a Plan

Building on Module 1 (Systems Thinking), this section will focus on:

• Overview of key steps in building an action plan that includes
• Defining the issue
• Who needs to be involved in the solution both planning and action
• Understanding internal business processes and authorities
• How to create a proposal
• How to build support for your plan (internally including Council and externally with your organization such as the provincial and federal government)

Participants will have a greater understanding of the complexities of the Service System Management role and integration approaches with a focus on accountability of the Service Manager and how to work effectively with your Council, senior leadership and community stakeholders.

Shifting Gears – Evaluating the Outcome of Your Strategy

Building on Module 2 (Building a Plan)

• Assessing strategy outcomes – evaluating progress and delivering on commitments
• High level review of process for reviewing strategy impacts and identifying when results don’t lead to the anticipated outcomes
• Discuss processes to consider when strategies and approaches don’t lead to the planned outcomes
• Identify barriers and solutions-focused approaches to address barriers
• Identify root causes
• Identify key stakeholders and how could they be engaged in solutions
• What would be your action plan including communication approaches

Participants will have the opportunity to work with peers to look at strategies and plans from a variety of perspectives and practice evaluating the outcomes, reviewing situations where outcomes are not met and developing skills to determine next steps

Facilitator: Catherine Chambers

Duration: 6 hours

This session builds on the foundational knowledge of theories, historical and present-day issues, and conceptual frameworks associated with Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA). Through a variety of immersive learning activities, participants will be encouraged to practice competencies that champion IDEA priorities.  

The session will provide participants with the opportunity to Analyze IDEA legislation, policies, and sectoral practices, and will determine the relevant applications within their organizations and increase their capacity to manage IDEA issues in several contexts, and in response to complex issues, including: Artificial Intelligence (AI), and economic shifts

Learning Objectives

• Evaluate the potential for IDEA strategies to affect measurable and sustainable change
• Identify strategies for mitigating personal and systemic challenges

Facilitator: Catherine Chambers

Duration: 6 hours

In recent years, complex social tensions have converged on organizations, reinforcing the perception that the workplace is a microcosm of society. Calls for necessary social reform and correspondent expressions of opposition have sparked social dissent. Through human interactions, the problem of dissent has been made manifest within workplace environments, affecting a myriad of critical relationships. To address these, bias mitigation strategies require the ongoing development of competencies. 

Learning Objectives

• Able to reflect on and share personal perspectives and challenges with respect to disrupting bias
• Evaluate organizational approaches to mitigating bias
• Identify key characteristics of sustainable bias mitigation strategies;
• Explore future considerations and challenges, including research on bias in Artificial Intelligence and the resultant impact on marginalized groups
  

Facilitators: Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. and John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc.

Duration: 18 hours

These sessions build on Person Centric Strategies 1 for staff and applies the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) model. This module engages participants and their teams/organizations in examining post-professional development application of competencies. The collaborative process helps ensure effective, inclusive, integrated, and coherent team/organizational person-centric services.

This advanced applications module also explores the impact of intersectionality on both service providers and users. An understanding of intersectionality enlarges our appreciation of the impacts of the social, political, and economic forces that shape human experience. This module explores the PCS Intersectionality Model as a guide to applying PCS competencies in our work with service users, co-workers, and community members.

Learning Objectives

• Explore a sector-specific model of Intersectionality to facilitate person-centric practices that acknowledge and accommodate service users' lived experience.
• Facilitate the shift from knowledge to action through problem-identification and problem-solving.
• Acquire knowledge of these problems at the team and organizational level.
• Assess the barriers and facilitators to knowledge use in day-to-day work (e.g., implementation of the workplace tools in PCS).
• Choose interventions to address the issues.
• Monitor the effectiveness of these measures.
• Evaluate the results.
• Sustain the necessary changes for success.

Facilitator: Sharad Kerur, Q.Med, C.C.Med, CCMC, ACC, CDP, WFI, CEO, Resolution Pathways

Duration: 4 hours

During the foundational workshops Making Difficult Conversations Easier and Improve Your Listening with the 4-Step Empathy Loop, participants examined what makes conversations difficult, why they occur and how to manage them. We outlined and practiced the key skills of de-escalating angry emotions, empathetic listening and asking good questions to unpack and focus on interests instead of positions. In addition, we explored the proper sequencing of the conversation along with how best to be both empathetic and assertive.

Now, in this advanced workshop, we will pick up where we left off and discover:

• How best to prepare for a difficult conversation,
• Additional conversation tools that can be used to move the conversation to positive results
• A multi-faceted questioning technique that zeroes in on the core areas where the causes of the conflict and impasse lie
• Participants will also walk along the Resolution Pathway, a robust and comprehensive step-based process that ties everything together from start to finish and, if followed, is guaranteed to lead to a positive conclusion and relationship.

Learning Objectives

• Properly prepare for a difficult conversation
• Develop greater questioning skills by examining the root causes of behavior (including broken promises) using a model that contains six sources of influence
  • Learn more advanced, effective and practical communication tools, including:
  • Managing the angry person
  • Delivering bad news
  • Making it safe to talk
  • Understanding unconscious bias
  • Tone, volume and cadence
  • Unpacking the importance of the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)
  • Summarizing and Paraphrasing
  • Futurizing
  • Reframing
  • Reality testing
• Learn a comprehensive step-based process known as the Resolution Pathway that ties everything together from the foundational and advanced workshops
• Practice skills using real-world case scenarios

Facilitator: Bonnie Corey, Certified Mental Health First Aid faciliator

Duration: 7 hours

Workshop participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis and encourage that person to:

• Talk about declines in their mental well-being
• Discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improved mental well-being
• Reach out to these support
• Assist in a mental health or substance use crisis
• Use MHFA actions to maintain one‘s own mental well-being

Facilitator: Megan Phillips, Registered Psychotherapist, Phillips Psychotherapy

Duration: 16 hours

Motivational interviewing is a counselling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and uncertainties to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. It is a practical, empathetic, and short-term process that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes.

This workshop will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to help the people they work with move forward, help them get "unstuck", and find their inner motivation to create positive and lasting change. 

Participants will learn what to say, how to effectively communicate with those we work with and be provided with tools, to individuals in taking that first step towards change to build their inner resources.

Learning Objectives

• Understanding the stages of change
• Tools and strategies for eliciting change talk
• Tools and strategies for strengthen change talk
• Working with resistance
• Helping those you work with recognize and build their inner resources
• Confidence building
  
• What to avoid in motivational interviewing

Facilitators: Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. and John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc.

Duration: 6 hours

Ongoing application of the theories, competencies, principles, and practices found in all curricula within the program, is necessary for integration of each participant’s learning in their everyday work. 

During these sessions, learners will receive tools and resources to build their learning portfolio, illustrating how their competencies will be applied in their day-to-day work.

Facilitator: Valerie Spironello, MSW, RSW, choosewellness.ca

Duration: 9 hours

It is well known that stress and exposure to trauma can lead to burnout, caregiver fatigue, retention challenges, physical and mental unwellness. We know that workers in the human service field are suffering and are at risk, especially in this present-day climate. 

There is significant evidence supporting the positive effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on mental and physical health, including lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms; greater ability to cope with stress; greater cognitive capacity; improved mood and energy.  

Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, developed the evidence-based Mindful Self-Compassion program, recognizing that we often neglect to have compassion for ourselves especially while being of service to others.  

Research has shown that self-compassion greatly enhances emotional wellbeing. It boosts happiness, reduces anxiety and depression, and can even help maintain healthy lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise. Being both mindful and compassionate leads to greater ease and well-being in our daily lives. (Neff and Germer, self-compassion.org) 

By staying connected to themselves and being mindful of their empathic distress, clinicians can acknowledge how difficult it can be to witness and listen to another’s suffering and can allow for self-kindness during these difficult moments. Self-compassion also allows a clinician to recognize and meet their own needs so that they can sustain the ability to be present and available for others. Hategan et al. Humanism and Resilience in Residency Training (2020) p.66 

During these sessions, participants will learn skills that can be used on the job and to provide a safe space for self-compassion topics to be explored.  

As participants of this program, there is an opportunity to develop a sense of community and shared experience that will be developed and sustained.  As participants learn these skills and increase their own sense of well-being, they may offer support to other colleagues ultimately impacting the overall culture of care. In turn, this culture shift will impact the care given to the service users being served.

As opposed to other self-care techniques, self-compassion practices can be used on the spot while at work with service users and colleagues.  As a participant of the program, you can learn tools to use throughout the day to: 

• Care for yourself while caring for others
• Be able to listen with compassion
• Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
• Reconnect to the values that give your life and work meaning

Participants will learn practical strategies to address compassion fatigue and increase resilience.

Topics for the 6-week sessions: 

1. What is Self-Compassion?
2. Practicing Self-Compassion
3. Discovering your Compassionate Voice
4. Self-Compassion and Resilience
5. Self-Compassion and Burnout
   
6. Making it Count

Facilitator: Karine Silverwoman, MSW, RSW

Duration: 6.5 hours

This workshop aims to support those in leadership positions to build on their trauma-informed practice, communication, debriefing and leadership skills. Participants will engage in reflection on their own leadership styles while also critically reflecting trauma, power and privilege in relation to leadership. Participants will:

• Learn how trauma relates to practice, lived experiences and policies
• Discuss and debrief the complexities of implementing trauma-informed practice
• Review issues from a trauma-informed perspective
• Identify vicarious trauma/impact of the work including the physical, emotional and somatic components
• Confidential space to talk about triggers
• Professional coaching

Learning Outcomes:

• Outlining the fundamentals of trauma-informed leadership
• Gain confidence in using trauma informed tools and strategies
• Reflection and insight into one’s own individual leadership style
• Deepen skills on supervision, debriefing, self-reflection, navigating crisis and communication

Facilitator: Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres 

Duration: 8 hours

The process of Indigenous Cultural and Impact knowledge transfer, Indigenous Reciprocity skill development, Indigenous Relationship building, and implementation requires a multi-layered Indigenous pedagogy approach. Dedication of time and resources, commitment, and a willingness to promote change will ensure any organisation reaching a level of true Reconciliation.

ICCT Cycle 1 Course Description:

Indigenous Cultural Competency Training (ICCT) is designed for the development of necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values that will support participants in building meaningful and informed relationships with urban Indigenous communities.

Cycle 1 focuses on the early relationship between the Crown, Canada, and Indigenous peoples. Through an interactive presentation and group breakout sessions participants will explore:

• OFIFC’s Relationship Framework
• The Urban Indigenous Action Plan
• History of the Friendship Centre Movement
• Legal Terms and Cultural Understandings of Identity
• Settler Colonial Logics
• Legislative History
• Residential Schools and Intergenerational Impacts

ICCT Cycle 2 Course Description:

Building off Cycle 1, Cycle 2 provides an in-depth overview of legislative policies, how they impacted Indigenous communities and the resurgence of Indigenous activism.

Cycle 2 Explores:

• Intergenerational trauma
• The White Paper
• Gender discrimination in the Indian Act
• The 60s Scoop
• The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
• The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

In this Cycle participants will be encouraged to critically reflect on how they currently build relationships with Indigenous peoples and organisations, and identify the next steps required to strengthen them.

Facilitator: Catherine Chambers

Duration: 6 hours

The importance of organizational leadership cannot be overstated during these challenging, post-pandemic times. Traditional, top-down and positional models have been replaced with competency-based models that emphasize leadership at all levels of the organization. In recent years, inclusive leadership has been identified as an area that must be developed to ensure that relationships are managed appropriately and in accordance with the unique needs that present based on gender, culture, disability status, and a range of other factors. 

In this two-part workshop, participants will evaluate their own leadership competencies and identify those that they can develop. They will also examine inclusive leadership models that have been implemented in human services and throughout the social sectors. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to select resources that can be applied in their daily activities. 

Facilitators: Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. and John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc.

Duration: 9 hours

Municipalities are faced with unprecedented crises and demands across human services due to interconnected harsh realities:

• Food and housing cost inflation and insecurity
• Income support shortcomings (inadequate base disproportionately eroded due to the scale of inflation) 
• Staff shortages
• Environmental damage (events increasing in number and scale)
• Immigration and refugee settlement issues (unhoused visa students, unaffordable housing, lack of social supports)
• Unmet mental health needs
• An overall lack of community resources and infrastructure to meet needs

Within this context of program operations, Competency-Based Case Management is designed as a critical vehicle to help equip municipal staff, teams, organizations, programs and local service systems to optimally meet service user needs. Case management is examined holistically along the continuum of service delivery, from fostering relationships to mapping resources and planning how to best deliver services to individuals, families and groups served by your organization.

Learning Objectives

• Examine the concept of case management in municipal human services delivery by examining the language of case management (vs. case planning, service planning, action planning and case coordination). 
• Consider case management as an overarching coordinating effort and structure that includes:
  • Multiple service system providers (past, present and possible) and engaged parties. 
  • Multiple case plans from the various community service partners/providers.
  • Understanding service user needs holistically (both those being met and those left unmet). 
  • Understanding both service user and service system obligations.
  • Optimize program goals, means, assets and resources.
  • Work to overcome system and program deficits and shortcomings.
• Prepare and apply competency-based responses and interventions to help service users improve upon their circumstances as impacted by their presenting and emerging issues and needs.
• Clarify staff roles and responsibilities and relationships (internal, intra-team, intra-organization, intra-governmental).
• Document case work in accordance with privacy legislation and policy, technology and ethical standards.
  

Facilitator: Sharad Kerur, Q.Med, C.C.Med, CCMC, ACC, CDP, WFI, CEO, Resolution Pathways

Duration: 2 hours, including one 90-minute individual session

This workshop is aimed at improving one’s conflict competencies through a behavioural lens.  By looking at what constitutes constructive vs. destructive conflict behaviours, how they can be active or passive, and examining the hot-buttons that influence these behaviours, participants will learn how to channel conflict from negative stressful situations to positive stress-free ones.

Conflict in life is inevitable and because no two individuals have the same interests, conflict is a natural part of our interactions with each other.

A key question though, is how people respond when they find themselves in conflict situations.  Some kinds of conflict can be productive, providing different points of view that can lead to creative solutions to problems.  However, it’s the negative conflict that often causes us turmoil.  While the style of individuals in each circumstance is important to how conflict is managed, ultimately behaviour determines actions and outcomes. The good news is that people can change their behaviours once they become aware of what triggers and drives negative conflict.

Learning Objectives:

• Assist participants to improve their conflict management competencies
• Understand the differences between positive vs. negative conflict
• Explore active vs. passive responses to conflict
• Understand the 15 behaviours that make up constructive vs. destructive conflict responses and which are most desirable
• Explore the 9 hot-buttons of other people’s behaviours that trigger and upset us
• Preview the Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment instrument
• Understand practical strategies and approaches to better manage conflict responses and hot buttons

Catherine Chambers is a researcher, organizational development consultant, and Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT). She began her career in the social assistance sector where she worked as a caseworker, trainer, and program analyst. Her work has taken her across Canada and the United States. Catherine has had the opportunity to work with individuals from a range of professional backgrounds and areas of expertise on projects at: CBC-Radio Canada, Ontario Ministry of Health, Ontario Council for Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), Simcoe-Muskoka Children’s Aid Society, and various corporations including Microsoft USA. 

Catherine has been an instructor in the Teacher of Adults program at Centennial College, and in the Bachelor of Adult Education Program at Brock University. She holds 2 graduate degrees in education (Master of Adult Education and Master of Teaching) from the University of Toronto where she is currently completing her PhD.  Her research focuses on the impact of diversity and inclusion on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Bonnie Corey was an Ontario Public Service employee for over 35 years. Her work has span across the young offender, day care and children's services and developmental service sectors. In roles as a child and youth worker, probation officer, licensing manager, program supervisor and as a corporate project lead Bonnie has been respectful and compassionate with individuals receiving care and services, as well as supportive to staff and managers to identify and acknowledge mental health illnesses and a respectful approach. Understanding mental health is a strong start to providing first responder support to individuals we live and work with and Bonnie is dedicated to sharing this knowledge and information with as many people who are interested. We all have experience with mental health and this course provides information and a safe environment to share and learn from each other. 

Dr. JP Gedeon is one of North America's foremost experts on Transformative Leadership in the public sector. He is an award-winning keynote speaker, respected executive, sought-after strategist and transformation consultant, and internationally published author. He has worked for top corporations in Canada and the United States, in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

John Howley and Marianne Seaton are the pre-eminent designers and deliverers of professional development curricula in Ontario Works and related social services programs and agencies throughout the province, and beyond. Marianne has been consulting in the social services sector as the principal of Collaborative Strategies Inc. since 2008 and John through his company, Labour Market Partners Inc., since 1997. Their work encompasses many Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards, from the largest urban municipalities to the most rural and remote.

Following their careers as social assistance and employment program front-line workers and managers, each achieved subsequent success and recognition as a leader in program development and change. Marianne is the former Acting Executive Director and Director of Professional Development for the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA). John is the former Director of Employment and Training for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, Social Services Division (now the City of Toronto).

Their work in helping multi-barriered Ontario Works clients achieve success in the world of work includes the design and delivery of SAIL for Clients, a competency-based program that they have delivered in various areas of the province, often in association with community colleges, including Sault College, Confederation College and St. Clair College. John and Marianne also collaborate on designing and delivering employment programs for social assistance clients in a range of other programs, including Movement to Employment (employability profiling); Movement to Improvement (life skills development), and Movement to Learning (literacy and skills training preparation).

Sharad Kerur has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and Master of Industrial Relations from Queen's University, with a focus on negotiation theory and alternative dispute resolution methods.   

For over 30 years, Sharad held senior level positions in the union and association sectors. His most recent position was Executive Director of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA), Canada's largest non-profit housing association. As a result, he has a strong grasp on the business of non-profit organizations and associations, and real-world experience in negotiation and mediation.

Sharad is Harvard-trained, having obtained a Certificate in Mediating Disputes and a Certificate in Negotiating Difficult Conversations from the Harvard Negotiation Institute (Harvard Law School) and also holds a Certificate in Dispute Resolution and an Advanced Certificate in Dispute Resolution, both from the York University in Toronto.

Amongst his credentials, Sharad is:

• a Qualified Mediator through the ADR Institute of Canada, 
• an accredited Chartered Community Mediator through the Ontario Community Mediation Coalition, 
• a Certified Conflict Management Coach, coach-mentor and trainer with CINERGY®
• an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, 
• a certified Personal and Business Coach through the Coach Academy (Canada)
• a certified Conflict Dynamics Profile practitioner through Eckerd College in Florida, and
• a certified Senior Workplace Fairness Analyst accredited by the Workplace Fairness International.  

Sharad also leads his own consultancy firm known as Resolution Pathways, which assists people and organizations to transform conflicts into collaboration.  With his knowledge, expertise, and experience, he currently provides services in:

• 1-to-1 conflict management coaching
• "understanding-based" mediation services
• training on managing difficult conversations and navigating conflict relationships
• assistance in the development of high-performing teams
• workplace conflict assessments and fairness restoration strategies

Megan Phillips is a Registered Psychotherapist with over 18 years of experience working in multiple roles within community and social services. As a former Case Worker and Manager with Ontario Works, as well as a Concurrent Disorders Specialist in a community mental health program, Megan utilizes her additional award-winning experience in instructing post-secondary education to bring captivating, illustrative, relevant, and humorous educational seminars to a variety of non-profit agencies and organizations.

As an experienced presenter, Megan has dedicated herself to the educational advancement and enhancement of her fellow colleagues and community professionals in areas such as Motivational Interviewing, Burnout, Resiliency Building, PTSD, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Compassion Fatigue and Working with Clients with Multiple Barriers.

Sue is passionate about building opportunities for growth, innovation and excellence and brings over 30 years of experience in human services creating partnership-based solutions to improve the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities.

Sue’s comprehensive system level experience in the public (municipal and provincial) and not-for-profit sectors uniquely enables her to envision strategic solutions and align diverse stakeholders. 

Her collaborative approach and strategic perspective have supported organizations to take bold steps in the creation of innovative approaches to address the complex issues of poverty, housing and homelessness through service and system design. 

She began her career as a child and youth case worker and over her career took on increasingly complex and progressive roles in social assistance, employment, community programs, homelessness and housing. 

Sue has a Masters Certificate in Public Sector Leadership from the Schulich School of Business, York University; a Certificate in Advanced Health Sector Leadership from Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; an Addiction Studies Diploma, McMaster University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree, McMaster University.

Valerie Spironello, MSW, RSW, choosewellness.ca, has been a social worker for over 35 years working in a variety of settings including health care (palliative care, chronic illness), child welfare, and domestic violence. Valerie is an Assistant Professor (PT) with the Department of Family Medicine teaching in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.  She has provided workshops and presentations to service providers on a variety of topics such as compassion fatigue, work/life balance, mindfulness and end-of-life care.  Valerie is also a meditation teacher trained in the use of mindfulness in the clinical setting. In her private practice Choosewellness.ca, she provides counseling, groups, workshops and retreats to assist others in living well in Body, Mind and Spirit. After experiencing compassion fatigue herself, Valerie committed to using her ‘re-found' sense of humour to help others look at, and live their best life. She is very excited to be collaborating with OMSSA to offer this knowledge as support to its members!

Kirby Steinhoff has been in the employment and social services field for over 10 years, starting as a frontline crisis counsellor in a domestic violence shelter transitioning to Ontario Works case management with Norfolk County and is currently employed with Halton Region as an Integrated Case Manager. Kirby has worked as a trainer and policy developer within Halton Region and is considered a subject matter expert and has trained both front-line and supervisory staff on various SAMS modules and directives, while with Halton Region.

Kirby has completed an Undergraduate degree from Western University in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research, a diploma in Human Resources from Fanshawe College and Master of Arts in Labour Studies from McMaster University with research focused on social policy, inclusion and contemporary work. 

More information coming soon.