Marsha Goldford and Jill Westlake, HR and non-profit organization specialists review the emergency employment insurance resources and supports available for non-profit organizations and help you navigate the avalanche of information during the coronavirus crisis.  

"To say these are unprecedented times is becoming the understatement of the century.  COVID-19 is not only taking its toll on our physical health, but it is seriously impacting our economic and emotional well-being. In response, federal and provincial governments have introduced a range of measures to assist individuals and families in weathering the short and medium term financial burden they face arising from actions to contain the virus.  This webinar walks you through the various types of assistance available and how you can guide your employees in taking advantage of them.  It focuses on what is available, who is eligible and what they can do to access these supports - information that is critical to your employees' peace of mind during this uncertain time."

Andrew Sakamoto, the Director of the Tenant Resource and Advocacy Center, discusses and guides you and your clients through the latest BC government measures, supports and policies put in place during the pandemic. He takes your questions and give updates on the eviction moratorium and other measures as they develop. 

http://tenants.bc.ca/

This is an audio only version of an HSABC webinar. If you'd like to view the video recodring or find other resources, please go to our page at hsa-bc.ca

Pivot Legal Society provides a brief overview of the current legal landscape, and highlights the particular impact of COVID-19 on the communities we work with and related campaigns (i.e. drug policy, sex workers’ rights, police accountability, rights of unsheltered people & Project Inclusion). 

pivotlegal.org

This is an audio only recording of an HSABC webinar recorded on April 14th, 2020.

Dr. Daniele Behn Smith, Aboriginal Health Physican Advisor with the Ministry of Health is on the line discuss the Social Service Provider fact sheet and provide more information for front line shelter workers and homelessness support agencies during the COVID-19 Crisis.


Dr. Behn Smith works alongside, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer. Dr. Behn Smith provides independent advice and support to the Ministry of Health on First Nations and Aboriginal health issues. In support of the Ministry’s strategic agenda, Dr. Behn Smith focuses on closing the gap in health outcomes between First Nations and other British Columbians.

Dr. Behn Smith is Eh Cho Dene (Big Animal People) of the Fort Nelson First Nation in B.C. with French Canadian/Métis roots in the Red River Valley. Since getting her Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University and completing residencies at the universities of Ottawa and Manitoba, Dr. Behn Smith’s career has spanned the country and the globe. 

She has practiced rural medicine in remote communities across Canada and is currently a family physician at Tse’wulhtun Health Center in the Cowichan Valley. She was a board director for the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, the director of education for the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Health Initiatives Program and the site director of the University of British Columbia’s Aboriginal Family practice residency.

This the audio only recording of an HSABC webinar recorded on March 25th, 2020. 

Mark Friesen, the executive director of Columbia College and former ED of Vantage Point reviews the resources and supports available for non-profit organizations.

Pandemic Planning: key functional areas to focus on in your response plan

Who can you turn to for support: sector leaders and organizations you can reach out to for support right now

Planning for tomorrow: in an unpredictable environment, how to approach scenario planning to equip your organization for resilience.

This podcast episode was originally recorded on April 1, 2020 as a webinar with Dr Heather Fulton. 

It covers: 

-COVID-19 and impact on our mental health - especially as shelter workers (the normalizing part and knowing what to expect re: stigma during pandemics, why this situation causes so much anxiety due to uncertainty & lack of power/control, challenges unique to helping professions like being away from your own family/not being able to care for them, worrying about your own health, frustrations with others not following hygiene or social distancing protocols)
-Tips for front line workers on how to cope (e.g. understanding uncertainty, what is/isn't in your control, perceived vs actual risk, radical acceptance where possible, focusing on values, etc)
-Tips for managers on supporting staff (e.g. communication, increasing their sense of control, space for debriefing/processing events, understanding people cope differently, etc)
-Tips specific for people who already have anxiety/trauma/other mental health challenges 

This is an audio only version of an HSABC Webinar recorded on March 31, 2020. 

Corey Ranger and Sarah Kift discuss and update the latest in news, support, public health and government directives and resources for frontline workers in the shelter sector. Other guests from the sector may be on as well. 

This is a place for you to get support, share resources, talk about what's going on for you and your team, and get some expert advice and help during this crisis. 

People who are homeless are often more vulnerable than other populations and have compromised immune systems. As the situation changes rapidly, and new protocols and restrictions are put in place, frontline workers need to know what to do to support their clients and those who are homeless.