Time sensitive!

In partnership with Shelter Net BC and BC Society of Transition Houses, the Woman Abuse Response Program at BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre will be delivering free training on Improving Women’s Safety in Co-Ed Shelters in 7 communities around the province. This training will enable front line shelter staff to learn more about how to keep women safe in a co-ed shelter environment. The training is open to all service providers who work with vulnerable populations, though priority will go to co-ed shelter staff.

ONE DAY FREE TRAINING for front line workers to learn more about how to keep women safe in co-ed shelter environments. Training will provide information on women’s experiences of violence and how it is connected to homelessness; impacts of violence, including mental health and addictions; barriers women face accessing services and trying to achieving safety; and examining policy and practices in shelters that impact women safety. This training is funded by ShelterNet BC, and jointly developed by BC Society of Transition Houses and BC Women’s Hospital’s Women Abuse Response Program.

TRAINING DATES
REGISTRATION
April 27, 2012 – Burnaby
May 2, 2012 – Fort St. John
May 8, 2012 – Kelowna
May 14, 2012 – Prince George
May 29, 2012 – Langley
May 31, 2012 – Nanaimo
June 4, 2012 – Vancouver

Please register online at http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e5igp1zigxjm2otj/start

Email hannah@bcsth.ca for more information.

Have you ever wondered about the people who seem to be naturally successful in life? They appear confident and competent and once they set a direction or a goal, they sail along with apparent ease until they “arrive” at success. When I was much younger I believed that life could be that simple. As I was growing up I believed the prevailing myth that life was “fair” and that success was earned by “playing by the rules” and hard work. I soon discovered that life was not always fair and hard work was not always enough to achieve my goals.

Read the rest of “A Cup Half Full” by BCCPD’s Shelley Hourston in The Positive Side (pages 4-5), the Positive Women’s Network’s quarterly magazine. Link: http://pwn.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/2012-AprMayJun-for-web.pdf

On April 2^nd 2012, the Provincial government will launch a new system of employment programs for British Columbians. Under this model, all employment services will be centralized and consolidated into WorkBC Employment Services Centres, which will be operated by various organizations.

People who want help finding employment through WorkBC will need to contact an Employment Services Centre. The model differs from the previous system in that the Centres will provide help to people from all communities including people with disabilities, immigrants, youth, women and people receiving basic social assistance.

Please note no changes have been made to the rules about seeking employment for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) benefit recipients or for people receiving the Persons with Persistent and Multiple Barriers to Employment benefit (PPMB).

About Accessing the Centres
After April 2^nd job seekers should go to the WorkBC website http://www.workbc.ca/ or phone toll-free at 1-877-952-6914 between 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm for answers to job, career or labour market questions.

To locate their local WorkBC Employment Services Centre, job seekers can go to this map: http://www.workbc.ca/workbccentres/interactive_map.htm. Please note that the phone numbers of the Centres are currently not provided on the map and need to be accessed from the various Centre’s websites or through the phone directory.

We’d Like your Feedback on the New Service Model
There is concern in the community that people with disabilities will find the new system less accessible and useful because the Service Centres are not specialized but rather provide assistance to all types of job seekers.

We’d like your feedback on how this new system is working. Please share your experience with the new system by emailing feedback@bccpd.bc.ca.