BCCPD has received the following notice:

Opportunity to Participate

Are you interested in sharing your story about supported decision-making? The Canadian Centre for Elder Law is conducting research into supported decision-making. We believe that people who use representation agreements in their day-to-day lives have wisdom to share about supported decision-making. We are currently talking to people across BC who use or are affected by representation agreements, including:

• People with disabilities and other challenges who are using supportive decision-making to help them make their own decisions

• Designated supported decision-makers

• Family and friends who help people with representation agreements & decision-making

• People acting as monitors

We are hoping to learn more about how agreements are best used and how supports could be enhanced to make supported decision-making more accessible for different people with disabilities.

If you would like to be interviewed, have questions or would like to otherwise participate in this project, please contact Raissa Dickinson at: atrdickinson@bcli.org

People with disabilities who use supported decision-making to make their own decisions will be offered a $20 honorarium in appreciation of their time. Interviews will be approximately 20 minutes long. The deadline to register is September 16, 2013.

You can find out more about the Understanding the Lived Experience of Supported Decision-Making in Canada project at: http://www.bcli.org/ccel/projects/understanding-lived-experience-supported-decision-making

The Canadian Centre for Elder Law is a non-profit organization that conducts legal research, produces educational materials and proposes changes to the law to better serve people in Canada impacting by aging and mental capacity issues.

Fourth International Conference on Families with Parental Mental Health Challenges: Addressing the Needs of the Whole Family

April 25 – April 27, 2014
Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley, California

Conference Description:

This conference will bring researchers, educators, policy-makers, and providers from across disciplines together with members of the judiciary and those with lived experience. The primary aim is to share knowledge and experience, to advance the rights and highlight the needs of families striving to live well with parental mental health challenges. Related objectives include provision of an interactive forum to discuss common experiences, effective and evidence informed support and advocacy strategies, and contemporary, cutting edge, research.

To view the call for abstracts please visit:
http://interprofessional.ubc.ca/MentalHealth2014/CallForAbstracts.pdf

To submit an abstract, please visit:
http://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/interprofessional/submissionForm.asp?conference_id=30

For more information, please visit the conference website at http://interprofessional.ubc.ca/MentalHealth2014/default.asp. Email marketing.ipce@ubc.ca to get on an enquiry list for updates.

The Canadian AIDS Society is undertaking a pan-Canadian needs assessment on HIV/AIDS in rural and remote communities. We are currently seeking individuals with community knowledge and experience to actively participate in a Rural and Remote Community Advisory Committee. We especially encourage applications from HIV+ people who live in rural or remote communities and people who provide services to them. (‘Rural’ is defined here as any community with a population of less than 10,000 people. ‘Remote’ refers to any community that is not within 2 hours commuting time of a rural community.)

This needs assessment will include a literature review, a national survey of rural and remote community organizations, key informant interviews, a series of webinars, a report containing policy recommendations, and an action plan. The Community Advisory Committee will determine the priority areas for exploration, and guide the needs assessment survey and key informant interviews. It will also provide feedback on the project report, and identify themes and presenters for webinars. The project will be completed by March 31, 2014.

Please send an email to Sue Scruton at sues@cdnaids.ca or a letter to the address below by May 7th, 2013 with your name, contact information and a brief description of your rural and remote HIV community knowledge and/or personal experience. Selected committee members will be notified by May 21st. All expressions of interest received will be held in the strictest confidence.

If you have any questions, please contact Sue by email or by telephone at 1.800.499.1986 ext 123.

Sue Scruton
Programs Consultant
Canadian AIDS Society
190 O’Connor Street, Suite 100
Ottawa, ON K2P 2R3
www.cdnaids.ca