scep centre society (regina) annual report october 26, 2015 · 2020. 2. 19. · regina’s first,...

SCEP CENTRE Society (Regina) Annual Report October 26, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tribute to Our Founder, Dr. Elisabeth P. Brandt, PhD., S.O.M. 1

Statements of Vision, Mission, Values . . . . . . . . . 2

SCEP CENTRE Society (Regina) Board of Directors . . . 3

SCEP CENTRE Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Agenda for the Annual Meeting October 26, 2015. . . . . 5 Minutes of the Annual Meeting October 27, 2014 . . . . 6

President’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Executive Directors Administrative Report. . . . . . . . 11

SCEP CENTRE Program Reports

Main Program Outcome Reports

Child Progress on the SCE Indicator Scale . . 17 Child Progress on the Educational Indicator Scale 17

Transition to School Programs . . . . . . . 18 Parent Interview Results. . . . . . . . . . 18 Program Reports

Parent Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Training for Others . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Support for Transitions/Complex Needs (Community Initiatives Fund). . . . . . . . 22 Other Programs

Coming Together Growing Together . . . . . 24 Summer Friends 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Brighter Futures for Children Fundraiser . . . . . . . 27

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Audited Financial Statement 2014-15 Appendix A . . . . 30


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TRIBUTE TO OUR FOUNDER

DR. ELISABETH H. PASZTOR BRANDT, PH.D., SOM 1922 - 1999

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1922, Elisabeth Pasztor came of age in wartime Switzerland. Her formal schooling was interrupted for fourteen years when she contracted severe polio at age fifteen. Elisabeth immigrated to the United States in 1951. She received her Masters degree at the University of Arizona in Tempe and her Doctorate in Communications Methodology and Speech Pathology from the University of Denver. One of her passions at that time and throughout her life was theatre and acting. Dr. Brandt practised Speech Pathology in Denver and New Jersey and taught at Montclair College in New Jersey. She married Lewis W. Brandt, Ph.D., in 1962 in Denver. The Brandts translated books together and taught in Europe. In 1968 Lewis was appointed a professor of Psychology at the University of Regina. Elisabeth continued her work as a Speech Language Pathologist and an expert in communication disorders, particularly for preschool children. Dr. Brandt is best known for her role in designing and establishing SCEP CENTRE, Regina’s first, early intervention, therapeutic day program for children with complex needs in communication and socialization and their families. In 1968 she served as the first program director of SCEP, then as a consultant and board member for the next 30 years. She pioneered a unique and holistic way of dealing with the communication and behaviour problems of young children which is considered to have been far in advance of its time. Dr. Brandt’s influence extended far beyond SCEP CENTRE’s day program as she trained and supervised the work of over a thousand students in nursing, psychology, social work and education/early childhood education who received training at SCEP CENTRE. Her impact on the lives of young children and their families was immeasurable. Dr. Brandt accomplished her life’s work despite being seriously disabled by polio and much later by diabetes and post-polio syndrome. Elisabeth’s contributions to Saskatchewan and Canada were recognized and honoured when she was named a YWCA Woman of Distinction, a Soroptimist International Woman of Distinction in Education, was the winner of the United Way of Regina’s President’s Medal; when she was given an award by the Regina Members of the Canadian Association for Young Children and especially when she was honoured by being inducted into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. In 1999 she was further honoured with a life membership in the Saskatchewan Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. Dr. Brandt died in September of 1999 but her legacy of a more understanding way of helping children, as best expressed at SCEP CENTRE, continues to better the lives of young children and their families.


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VISION

SCEP CENTRE Early Intervention & Training Services helps vulnerable young children and their families develop their full potential in a safe and supportive environment.

MISSION STATEMENT

SCEP CENTRE is an intensive early intervention preschool program supporting the development of children with complex needs and offering guidance and support for their parents.

STATEMENT OF VALUES

Respectful Confidential

Quality of Service Professional Training

Holistic Honest Communication

Non-judgmental Responsive

Adopted: October 23, 2009


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BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015

President: Myrna Pitzel Bazylewski

Treasurer: Margot Hurlbert

Secretary: Angela Kelly Director: Jim Fallows

Director: Shannon Huber Director: Bob Juby

Director: Jessica Madiratta Director: Alison Kimbley

Ex-officio Patricia B. Clark, Executive Director


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SCEP CENTRE STAFF MEMBERS DURING 2014-2015

Patricia B. Clark, B.A., M.Ed., R.S.W. Executive Director

Program Staff Team: Janice Benwell, B.S.W. Senior Professional Staff Carla Creeley Paraprofessional Staff (part-time) Camille Ermine Driver Shauna Forbes, B.A. (Honors), B.S.W. Senior Professional Staff (part time) M. Carol Gardner, B.A., Professional ‘A’ Parent Services Coordinator Teaching Certificate Alex Hamilton, B.S.W. Program Assistant (part-time) Michel Marie Klewchuk Senior Professional Staff (part time) Melissa Konecsni, RPN Senior Professional Staff (part time) Pauline Kuffner, Professional `A` Teacher Therapist Teaching Certificate Jessica Lavallee-Dieter, B.A., Parent Services Coordinator Associate Charlotte Sullivan, B.Ed. Senior Professional Staff Coming Together Growing Together (CTGT) the Collaborative Program with Aboriginal Family Services: Tracy Exner, R.P.N Senior Professional Staff Aboriginal Family Services staff member is: Melissa Daniels, B.Ed. Family/Child Counsellor Administrative Staff Team: Jay Heuchert Financial/Admin Assistant Mary Lou Beler Administrative Assistant Sandy Wallace, B.S.W. Administrative Assistant (casual) Professional Consultants: Melanie McDonald, B.M.T., M.T.A. Music Therapist Katie Zirk, M.Sc., S-LP, REG. SK. Speech-Language Pathologist Summer Friends 2015 Program: Carla Creeley, Coordinator Alison MacTaggart Alex Hamilton Holly Yanoshewski Melissa Konecsni


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SCEP CENTRE Society (Regina)

invites you to the

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Monday, October 26th, 2015 beginning at 3:45 p.m.

At SCEP CENTRE

4210 4th Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4T 0H6

A. BUSINESS MEETING – AGENDA

I. Greetings

II. Acceptance or Revision of Agenda

III. Minutes of the Annual Meeting of October 27, 2014 IV. President's Report V. Treasurer’s Report and Presentation of the Audited Statement

- Presentation of the Audited Statement - Motion to accept the Audited Statement - Motion to appoint the auditor for 2015-2016 - Motion to approve membership fees for 2016-2017

VI. Executive Director's Report VII. Nominating Committee Report and Election of New Directors VIII. Any Other Business IX. Adjournment

Note: There will be a meeting of the Board of Directors immediately following the AGM.


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MINUTES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

SCEP CENTRE Society (Regina) Monday October 27, 2014, 3:15 p.m.

Held at SCEP CENTRE 3105 4

th Avenue North, REGINA SK

The Annual Report was available to those who attended the Annual General Meeting. It contained the Agenda for the meeting, the Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting, the President’s Report, the Executive Director’s Report as well as various program descriptions and acknowledgements. GREETINGS The meeting was chaired by Myrna Pitzel Bazylewski, Board President. Myrna welcomed all in attendance.

I. ACCEPTANCE OR REVISION OF AGENDA

Motion I Carol Gardner/Pauline Kuffner To accept the agenda as presented. CARRIED

II. MINUTES

Motion II Shannon Huber/Michel Klewchuk To accept the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on October 28, 2013. CARRIED

III. PRESIDENT’S REPORT presented by Myrna Pitzel Bazylewski

The report can be accessed on page 9-10 of the SCEP Centre Annual Report 2013-2014. Highlights of the report included: - SCEP has gained Community Partnership status with the City of Regina - Connects Attachment Training with Dr. Jodi Herrington for SCEP CENTRE staff was being explored - Revised vacation Policy - Coming Together Growing Together program (CTGT) welcomed a new staff member from Aboriginal Family Services named Melissa Daniels - Summer Friends Program depends on early grant funds - MSS funding remains stable - Brighter Futures is a continued source of fundraising money - United Way acknowledged SCEP for our exceptional outcome work

Motion III Myrna Pitzel Bazylewski/Sandy Wallace To accept the President’s Report as presented.

CARRIED


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IV. TREASURER’S REPORT presented by Jim Fallows Jim Fallows presented this report, noting the complete and present independent Auditor’s Report. Jim also presented the Balance Sheet as of July 31st, 2014. Jim noted SCEP’s assets of $242,286, liabilities of $60,819 and equity/reserves of $181,467. The Statement of Operations showed that there was very little change in revenue and expenses from last year to this year. The deficit shown in relation to last year’s small surplus exemplifies the increase in staff salaries and benefits which is not of any concern to the board.

Motion IV #1 Bob Juby/Angela Kelly To accept the Audited Statement. CARRIED

Motion IV #2 Jim Fallows/Bob Juby To appoint Marcia Herback, C.A. for the 2014-2015 fiscal year for SCEP CENTRE. CARRIED Motion IV #3 Janice Benwell/Pat Clark To approve the membership fee of $5 for the 2015-2016 year at SCEP.

CARRIED

V. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT presented by Patricia Clark

Patricia Clark presented this administrative report. Some highlights from this report are outlined below.

• Pat acknowledged the staff for all of their hard work and dedication to the program on all sides including their administrative work, their commitment to research, data collection, and outcomes in addition to their devotion to the children and families.

• Page 12 of the Annual Report shows the work on Outreach and integration of services involving communication with childcare and schools to demonstrate the liaison work that SCEP does with the childcare facilities of which the children from SCEP attend. The coordination of services is vitally important to the children’s wellbeing.

• Janice and Carol among other staff, were acknowledged for their extra efforts at SCEP amid the several staff illnesses this past year.

• In excess of $50,000 worth of pro bono services have been provided this past year in scholarships for enrollments and work with child care centers.

• Aboriginal Cultural Awareness training provided by Danyta Kennedy was a great opportunity for the SCEP staff.

• Coming Together Growing Together is a wonderful program. Special thank you to the Board of Directors

Thank you to the Staff


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Motion V Jim Fallows/Angela Kelly To accept the Executive Director’s report as presented. CARRIED

VI. NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT – presented by Bob Juby

Bob informed the audience that SCEP Bylaws require a minimum of six and a maximum of 12 Board members. The Bylaws further state that the Board members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting or appointed by the Board during the year for ratification at the next AGM. The following slate of Board members was presented to the membership: Continuing Board members starting a new two year term: Shannon Huber Continuing Board members starting the second year of a two year term: Jim Fallows Angela Kelly Margot Hurlbert Bob Juby Jessica Madiratta Myrna Pitzel Bazylewski

Ex-Officio: Patricia B. Clark, B.A., M.Ed., R.S.W. Motion VI Bob Juby/Jim Fallows To accept the slate of Board members as presented by the Nominating Committee. CARRIED

VII. OTHER BUSINESS

• Pat introduced Jessica Lavallee-Dieter, SCEP’s Parent Services Coordinator in training

• Carol Gardner and Sandy thanked Pat Clark for her enduring and amazing service and dedication to SCEP over the many decades. They presented Pat with a token of our appreciation for all of her work.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT

Motion VIII Michel Marie Klewchuk To adjourn the meeting.


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PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2014-2015

I have been asked to assume the role of president of the Board of SCEP CENTRE Society (Regina) for 2015-2016. One of my first obligations as president is to report on the highlights of 2014-2015. I am delighted to say that SCEP CENTRE continues to provide excellent early intervention services in our community. The year 2014-2015 was a banner year for SCEP. The program moved from Coronation Park School to its new location on the second floor of Ecole Connaught Community School. This initiative was supported by the Regina Public School Board and staff and volunteers helped make for a smooth transition. The move was also funded by a significant donation of almost $13,000 received from the Progress Club. Another important initiative for the year was work on the review and revision of SCEP’s policy manuals. This work was successfully undertaken by board member Shannon Huber and staff member Sandy Wallace. Other ongoing activities of the board include:

• The Coming Together Growing Together Program (CTGT): This is a collaborative program between SCEP CENTRE and Aboriginal Family Services Inc. Tracy Exner remains the SCEP staff member with responsibility for the program. Her counterpart with Aboriginal Family Services is Melissa Daniels. This program continues to provide effective services to families and the partnership remains strong.

• Summer Friends Program: This program continues to be an important support to children and families during the summer months. Thank you to the many organizations that help support this program and to Aboriginal Family Services for offering a home for the summer.

• Brighter Futures for Children: This fundraising event continues to provide a strong financial base from which services can be extended to children and families. Special thanks to Doug and Gloria Archer of Knight Archer Insurance for their initiative and strong support of this fundraiser and of SCEP CENTRE’s program. Thanks to senior staff member Shauna Forbes for her hard work as SCEP’s representative on the planning committee.

I have only mentioned a few of the program initiatives that help make SCEP effective for children and families. SCEP CENTRE staff members continue to contribute tirelessly with the aim of helping children in their development. Some staff members work directly with the children. Others provide guidance and support to the parents. Some staff work in administration. In addition, staff does committee work, fundraising, mentoring and advocacy work. All of these efforts combine with the aim of helping children, our most precious resource.


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As president of the Board of Directors I am proud to be associated with such hardworking and dedicated professionals who implement their time and skills to maintain and strengthen the excellent services that SCEP provides. Thank you for all your hard work and support. And so as long as there are children with complex developmental needs the SCEP program carries on. Special thanks to all the community and governmental agencies that support the program. Some of the major contributing agencies include: Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services, United Way Regina, City of Regina and the Regina Public School Board through fee-for-service. All of our major grant contributors have provided stable funding to SCEP through longer term contracts. A more detailed explanation of funding can be found in the ‘Acknowledgements’ segment of the SCEP Annual Report. We applaud all our funders for recognizing the importance of early childhood services. In addition, the strategic role United Way plays in community development and their recent focus on early childhood and early literacy deserves special mention and our strong support. As the incoming President of the SCEP Board, I am very proud of the support provided by SCEP CENTRE’s Board, by Patricia Clark, our Executive Director and by the staff of SCEP CENTRE. I also want to give special acknowledgment to Myrna Pitzel Bazylewski for her many years of service as President of the SCEP Board. So now, with pride in our past accomplishments, confidence in our present day initiatives and hope for the future, we begin yet another year in support of children. Respectfully submitted, Bob Juby


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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 2014-2015

A. CHILDREN/FAMILIES ENROLLED

Enrolments September 2014 to June 2015 Number of families enrolled during the year 23 Enrolments continued from 2013/2014 9

New enrolments during 2014/2015 14 Children/Families withdrawn during 2014/2015 1

B. SERVICES TO ENROLLED CHILDREN AND PARENTS/CAREGIVERS 1. Regular Program September to June

Number of half-day attendances (2 ½ to 2 ¾ hours) scheduled for enrolled children (based on full months): 2312 Hours of service to individual children: 5780 As part of regular enrolments, the following services were provided: a) Individual/small group sessions for children; sessions range from 15 minutes to 1 hour including non-educational/non-directive therapeutic play sessions, structured pre-academic sessions in SCEP’s classroom, supervised integration sessions into regular school programs 369

b) Small group and/or individual sessions with consultants including Speech-Language Pathology and Music Therapy 86

c) Excursions of a child or small groups of children into the community (i.e. Pumpkin patch, gymnastics, etc.) 55

2. SCEP Summer Friends 2015

a) Number of children participating 20 b) Number of half-day attendances by children (2½ hr. sessions) 226

c) Hours of service to children 787

Enrolment Fees SCEP CENTRE staff work hard to help families obtain appropriate funding through existing funding structures but also raise funds for scholarships. The Brandt Trust Fund within the South Saskatchewan Community contributes some scholarship funding annually.

Enrolment Fees Provided: # of Children Ministry of Social Services 10

Regina Public School Board 8 SCEP Scholarship Fund including funds from Brighter Futures and the Brandt Trust Fund 5


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Services to Parents Provided by Parent Services Co-ordinator:

In-person conferences with parent(s)/caregiver(s) 93 Telephone conferences with parent(s)/caregiver(s) 592 Integration of Services To Parents/Caregivers Initiating and/or participating in interagency conferences - may include

parent(s)/caregiver(s) 38 Telephone conferences with other involved services/professionals 298

Additional Services to Parents Provided by Other Senior Program Staff: * Participation in in-person conferences with parent(s)/caregiver(s) 22 Telephone conferences with parent(s)/caregiver(s) 4 Further Integration of Services to Parents/Caregivers Participation in interagency conferences - may include parent(s)/caregiver(s) 31 Telephone conferences with other involved professionals 9 * At times more than one SCEP CENTRE staff member attends parent and interagency meetings.

C. OUTREACH AND INTEGRATION OF SERVICES - CHILDCARE AND SCHOOL

1. SCEP Enrolled Children also attending Childcare Programs 2014-15:

• 14 children attending 11 childcare facilities and 2 childcare homes The early childhood settings involved included:

• Bo Peep Co-operative Daycare • Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Centre • Circle Project Children’s Centre • Ducky Daycare Co-op • Glencairn Childcare Co-op • Kids First Daycare • Little Souls Daycare • Regina Eastview Childcare Inc. • Stepping Stones Child Care Co-operative- Elphinstone St. • Stepping Stones Child Care Co-operative- Robinson St. • Whitmore Park Childcare Co-operative

SCEP staff support to these childcare settings:

• Staff visited childcare settings to observe/support: 20 visits to 4 Centres. • Childcare facility staff visited SCEP to observe/learn: 3 visits from 2

Centres • Support to these centres included: observation of the child, general

suggestions for environmental changes and method suggestions for the centre; acting as involved professional for Enhanced Accessibility Grant.


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2. New referrals of children needing help in their childcare settings: We also provided guidance and support to child care centre staff for children for whom they were seeking enrolment at SCEP. We offered this service even though we were at full enrolment, had a waiting list and received no fee for service for this work. Our model for this work was our successful Daycare Friends program.

• Services to referring child care centres: three centres (at one of the centres there were 2 children)

• Number of children referred: 2 • Number of visits to these centres: 34 visits in regards to 4 children

The three centres visited were:

• Ducky Daycare (1 visit) • First Years Child Care Inc. (2 children – 28 visits) • Little Souls Daycare (5 visits)

Examples of the services in these three centres included:

• observation of the child • general suggestions for environmental changes • method suggestions in the centre

In one of the centres, First Years Child Care Inc., there was a more intensive involvement with many visits throughout the year. The focus was on building a therapeutic relationship with the child in question and more intensive training of the childcare centre staff. The key staff member for this work was Shauna Forbes. 3. SCEP Enrolled Children also attending School Based Programs

• Five children attended Kindergarten.

Senior staff stayed in telephone contact with and attended meetings with the responsible school staff team members.

D. EVIDENCE OF THE NEED FOR SCEP’S SERVICES TO CHILDREN/FAMILIES

SCEP’s Intake Committee sees many families each year. After an Intake Interview the Intake Committee may request follow-up visits to SCEP to provide further opportunity for observational assessment or a staff member may go to observe a child in his/her current setting. A decision is then made to accept the family for enrolment or refer them elsewhere. Sometimes enrolment was delayed because of unsecured funding or because SCEP’s program was full.


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Referrals/Inquiries August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 There were a total of 31 referrals/ inquiries in this period from:

2 Childcare Centres 3 Transition House 4 Wascana Rehabilitation Centre (WRC) – Children’s Program 5 SCEP website/e-mail 2 Ministry of Social Services 1 Catholic Family Services 2 Regina Public School Board 1 Regina Early Learning Centre

2 Another SCEP parent 3 Parents referred themselves 1 Family friend 1 Psychiatric Nurse 1 Child & Youth 1 Catholic School Board 1 Ranch Ehrlo 1 Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIP) worker

Of the 2 cases which proceeded to an INTAKE INTERVIEW: 1 program full; family put on a waitlist for fall 2015;

1 No follow-up by parent or request for services withdrawn

Of the 29 cases not seen for Intake: 4 No follow up by family 2 No follow up; inquiry only 4 Child too old for SCEP 1 Child referred to Coming Together Growing Together (CTGT) 3 Referred to another program 1 SCEP full; child seen in daycare 1 No follow-up by referring agency 1 SCEP full: child seen in a Transition House 1 SCEP full; child referred to another program 2 Child referred to RPSB (school team) 1 Phone consultation given 3 SCEP full; Intake/contact pending 5 Child enrolled in another program; SCEP services not needed

E. SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY

Staff members work with teaching institutions to establish volunteer/practicum placements and supervise/train students using an apprenticeship-style model of training for practicum students and volunteers Number of work placement and practicum students 13 Number of student/community volunteers 1 Number of half-day attendances 143 Number of hours of attendance 803 Conference by senior staff with student and his/her supervisor 14 Conferences by senior staff with the students 63


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Training was offered to:

• University of Regina: Faculty of Social Work -Mini Practicum Placements and Social Work 100 Volunteering Placements.

• Faculty of Education ECS 200 • University of Regina Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Paediatric Rotation

The key staff member for training and supervision was Janice Benwell.

United Way Speakers Bureau Total Number of Speakers Bureau sessions 2 Total audience participants 35

The key staff member for Speakers Bureau was Carol Gardner. Other Community Development and Resource Development Activities

SCEP has affiliations with various community groups. Some affiliations involve participation at regular (monthly) meetings while others involve more informal contact.

• United Way of Regina - regular meetings of the Funded Partners • Active participation in the Speaker’s Bureau and other campaign activities • Agency fundraiser for the United Way • United Way Peer Learning Circles – Ex. Director participation as possible • Regina & Area Early Childhood Network – Ex. Director to monthly meetings • Kids First Management Committee – Ex. Director to regularly scheduled

meetings • Partner with other agencies to work on behalf of most families and for special

projects (i.e. summer program) • Open House for Ecole Connaught Community School staff

Agency Memberships: Community

• United Way Regina - Funded Partner • Regina and Area Early Childhood Network

F. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

SCEP CENTRE has current affiliations with the following professional associations through membership of staff:

• Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association • Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers

Our consulting Speech Language Pathologist and Music Therapist are registered members of their Professional Associations.


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G. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: ACTIVITIES/TRAINING OF SCEP STAFF Staff training and development activities are on-going:

• All staff attended a cultural sensitivity presentation about The Medicine Wheel, by Brenda Dubois, Community Coordinator at the Randall Kinship Centre

• One staff attended First Nations Attachment & Intergenerational Trauma conference in Winnipeg, with keynote speakers Elaine Isaac & Elder Mary Courchene

• Two staff participated in a webinar Trauma & Young Children by Erikson Institute • Three staff attended a Becoming Trauma Informed conference in Regina • Melanie McDonald made a presentation to SCEP Staff about Music Therapy and

Trauma • Executive Director and Parent Services staff attended Regina and Area Early

Childhood Network meetings • One staff viewed a webinar on issues related to child development

Training for student volunteers, practicants and summer staff:

• Training in Communication of students and volunteers by Consultant Katie Zirk, Speech-Language Pathologist

• Observational visits to childcare centre(s). • St. John’s Ambulance First Aid Training (for summer staff only; all other staff

were up to date) • Transition House tour and orientation • Met with Aboriginal HeadStart staff and received orientation • Toured the Early Years Family Centre


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OUTCOMES OF THE WORK AT SCEP CENTRE CHILD OUTCOMES – Progress on the SCE Indicators Scale 2014-2015 Prepared by Shauna Forbes, B.A. (Hons.); B.S.W.

SCEP’s communication, socialization and emotional maturity outcomes are based on a comparison of individual children’s scores on the 3-point SCE Indicators Scale at the beginning of the school year or when a child is first enrolled during the school year and at the end of the school year. The SCE Indicators Scale has been found through research (MacLennan and Switzer, 2012) to be a psychometrically valid instrument. In 2014-2015 data was collected for 22 children (16 boys and 6 girls) and their families who were enrolled at SCEP CENTRE in 2014/2015. One child was enrolled late in the year and therefore was not included in these Outcome Results. OUTCOMES: 22 of 22 children - (100%) - made improvements in communication skills. 22 of 22 children - (100%) - made improvements in socialization. 22 of 22 children - (100%) - made improvements in emotional maturity. CHILD OUTCOMES – Progress on the Educational Indicators 2014-2015 Prepared by Pauline Kuffner, Professional `A` Teaching Certificate Educational Outcomes are based on a three point indicator scale in three areas: visual-small motor skills, academic readiness skills (ex. pre-writing, pre-reading, etc.) and classroom social skills. Initial skills assessments are made by the teacher at the beginning of the school year or when the child is ready to participate in SCEP’s classroom program. The team of professional staff determine which children will attend class time sessions based on the age, needs and goals for each individual child. Final skill assessments are made in June each year. This year final skill assessments were done in March 2015 instead of June 2015 due to the absence of the teacher due to health problems. Class time sessions are designed and taught by a qualified teacher. In 2014-2015 there were 8 children who participated in class time (5 boys, 3 girls). OUTCOME STATEMENT #1: Children enrolled in the SCEP class time program will improve their abilities in visual-fine motor skills by the end of the school year. OUTCOME #1: Six children (75%) showed improvement in visual-fine motor skills by the end of March 2015. One child transitioned out of SCEP CENTRE to attend Discovery Pre-School in November 2014.


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OUTCOME STATEMENT #2: Children enrolled in the SCEP class time program will improve their ability in academic readiness by the end of March 2015. OUTCOME #2: Five (62.5%) children showed improved readiness in academic skills by the end of March 2015. Three (37%) children stayed at the same level of academic readiness by the end of March. OUTCOME STATEMENT #3: Children enrolled in the SCEP class time program will show improved class time social skills by the end of March. OUTCOME #3: Five children (62.5%) showed improved class time social skills by the end of March. TRANSITION TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT END OF SCHOOL YEAR AS AN INDICATOR OF PROGRESS: 4 children transitioned into Kindergarten in the school system in the Fall of 2015. 6 children transitioned into Grade 1 in the school system in the Fall of 2015. 5 children transitioned into specialty programs in the school system in the Fall of 2015.

PARENT OUTCOMES - Interview Results 2014-2015 Prepared by Jessica Lavallee-Dieter Parents were invited to participate in an anonymous telephone interview. These phone interviews allowed the parents to voice their opinions and concerns about what they and their child had experienced at SCEP CENTRE. This data research is anonymous. The questions asked were both qualitative and quantitative. Twenty parents/caregivers participated this year. This parental/caregiver cluster included: 9 birth mothers; 3 birth fathers; 8 foster parents/ Persons of Sufficient Interest (PSI); 1 staff member at a group home where two of the children temporarily resided. The data was recorded and the following analysis made: OUTCOME: Parents will find their child able to participate in activities that were not possible previously: Strongly Agree: 45%; Agree: 35%; Disagree: 20% OUTCOME: Parents will find that their child’s socialization skills have improved: Strongly Agree: 50%; Agree: 50%; Disagree: 0% OUTCOME: Parents will find their child’s communication skills improved. Strongly Agree: 65%; Agree 30%; Disagree 5% OUTCOME: Parents will their child more ready to start school. Strongly Agree: 45%; Agree: 45%; Disagree: 10%


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OUTCOME: Parents will feel better able to parent their child more effectively. Strongly Agree: 35%; Agree: 65%; Disagree: 0% OUTCOME: Parents will find communication with SCEP Staff helpful. Strongly Agree: 85%; Agree: 15%; Disagree: 0% *There were no Parent reports that strongly disagreed with any of the above statements. Further Comments Tendered by Parents:

• “SCEP gave us coping skills on how to deal with him and not to escalate things.” • “His communication has greatly improved.” • “He used to be very aggressive with head banging, biting and pinching; he rarely

does these things anymore.” • “When he started the program, he didn’t talk; now, he really talks.” • “She has learned to communicate better, which has improved our relationship.” • “My English level has progressed through communication with SCEP staff,

especially reading and writing. • “The staff at SCEP are really good, and the open communication is great.


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PROGRAM REPORTS

PARENT SERVICES REPORT 2014-2015

Parent Services are delivered to the families/caregivers of enrolled children using a team approach. The Executive Director leads the team which is comprised of SCEP CENTRE’s Parent Services Coordinator and Parent Services Associate, Senior Professional Staff members and Program Consultants as needed. The Parent Services staff schedule regular conferences with parents and/or caregivers. A senior staff from the Children’s Program often joins these meetings. Staff learn about how things are going at home. As well, they inform parents of methods staff have found useful at SCEP and how these methods could be used in the family’s home. In between conferences, contact is maintained by telephone, email or notes. Parents are encouraged to call SCEP if there have been changes in the home that would be important to the enrolled child. These changes may include (among others): upcoming medical appointments for the child, a new adult in the home, death of a pet, a pending move to a different home, changes in the child’s behavior, a planned trip out of town, etc. Often other agencies or services are involved with a family (ex: Ministry of Social Services, a teacher, a child care provider, other early intervention or family support programs). The Parent Services staff member initiates contact with these other services with the consent of the parents. Over the years, experience has shown that SCEP’s contact with these other services serves to integrate services and create a more cohesive and worthwhile network of support for the families. Jessica Lavallee-Dieter joined the SCEP CENTRE Professional Staff Team last year. She has assumed increasing responsibilities in this position and her help has been invaluable. It is very helpful to now have a separate meeting room for meetings with parents!

M. Carol Gardner, B.A., Professional A Teaching Certificate Parent Services Coordinator

THANK YOU CAPITAL CAB!

We especially acknowledge the services of Capital Cab. The owners of Capital Cab, Debbie & Glen Sali, take a special interest in the SCEP children that Capital is hired to drive and are very respectful of the children’s safety and comfort, as well as the needs of the family. The Capital Cab drivers (always the same driver for each child) provide good, safe service for the children.


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CLASSROOM REPORT 2014-2015

Children within the regular SCEP CENTRE program are continuously exposed to new and simple, but age appropriate, learning experiences. Many of these new learning experiences occur through play and structured circle time activities planned by the Teacher-Therapist and Professional Staff working as a team. When a SCEP child nears school age and/or the staff feels he or she is ready to progress to a more formalized setting, a regular class time session at SCEP CENTRE is added to the child’s experience. During the 2014-15 school year, a total of 8 children attended SCEP class time sessions. Six children attended for the full year while one child attended from January to April. One child transitioned to a Discovery Pre-school in November 2014. Each child attended class for a ten to twenty minute session each half day he/she attended SCEP. The other children in the SCEP program also had classroom visits, mainly to explore the classroom environment. One child had English as a second language. Class time provided another significant opportunity for furthering his grasp on the English language. Due to the wide range of learning abilities among the children and the past experiences of each child, individual class sessions and small group sessions were prepared to help each child enjoy class time and strengthen his/her cognitive, communication and/or social skills. Many of the lessons were planned around the children’s preferred interests and ideas. The activities prepared for class time by the teacher were language enriched, emphasizing both receptive and expressive communication development. Activities experienced within the classroom included learning and practicing:

1. Beginning Academic Skills, Visual, and Fine Motor Development: • Name, letters, shapes, and color recognition • Counting, matching, sorting and sequencing • Recognizing letter sounds • Printing his/her name and other pre-writing skills • Cutting and pasting

2. Skills Related to Development in Socialization • Co-operating with the teacher’s plan • Participating in small group activities • Turn taking and sharing • Following rules and limits • Learning to work independently

Pauline Kuffner, Professional ‘A’ Teaching Certificate Teacher Therapist


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TRAINING FOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS AND PRACTICUM PLACEMENTS

2014-2015 As always, the volunteer and practicum students were an integral and valuable part of the SCEP program. This past year we had 13 practicum students join us from a variety of settings as part of their studies including:

• University of Regina Faculty of Social Work Practicants: 2 students came for 225 hours over 15 weeks. There were 30 conferences with the students.

• U of R Faculty of Social Work: 2 entry level students in Social Work 100 classes volunteered 22 hours each, with daily conferences. 1 student interviewed staff for an hour.

• University of Regina Bachelor of Science in Nursing: 2 students did 90 hours each for a total of180 hours. There were daily student conferences and 4 conferences with the instructor.

• Faculty of Education (ESC 200): 6 students volunteered 20 hours each for a total of 120 hours. There were 24 student conferences.

There was one Social Work student who volunteered for 6 hours and there was 1 conference with her. As always, the volunteers and practicum students have the opportunity to learn “hands-on” skills working with young children with a variety of communication and behaviour difficulties under the careful guidance of senior staff. We value having the benefit of the students’ energy, curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Many of the students comment on how they are able to transfer the skills they learn at SCEP into other areas of their work, school, personal and professional lives. They will certainly be able to carry these skills into their future careers. Some of the practicum students returned to assist us with our family Christmas Party and Year End Picnic even though their time with us had officially ended. This was a great help! One of these students was hired to work in SCEP’s Summer Friends 2015 program. Janice Benwell, B.S.W. Senior Professional Staff


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COMMUNITY INITIATIVES FUND COMPLEX NEEDS REPORT 2014-2015 Transition planning and support for children

with complex needs and their families

During the 2014-15 year the Community Initiatives Fund provided funding for this work. The project was designed to provide additional support for children and families enrolled in SCEP CENTRE undergoing significant transitions in their lives. These transitions included the following:

• Changes in school programming involving transitions to pre-K, Kindergarten and Grade 1, or transfer to a new school or to a new teacher

• Beginning or ending an enrollment at SCEP CENTRE and all the planning and preparation for the child/family involved

• Involvement of family with Ministry of Social Services resulting in child’s placement in foster care, move to a new foster home, return to birth or extended family, etc.

• Changes in housing (for example: family moves to a new home) • Changes in childcare arrangements or placement including support to maintain

placement in daycare or early childhood setting • Changes in health and wellbeing or medical circumstance for child or family

member • A major transition was SCEP CENTRE moving in June from Coronation Park

School to Ecole Connaught School

Helping children and their families adapt to and manage changes (or transitions) is an integral part of the work at SCEP. Much careful planning is done by SCEP staff members to effect the most successful transition through what may be a stressful situation for the child or family. We involve parents and other personnel supporting the family (example: social workers, teachers, etc.) as much as possible. Over the years we have found that helping children and families deal effectively and calmly with both big and little changes is an activity that the children and families put to good use in the future. Statistics were gathered with the following results: Cases Involved School Transitions 58 Transitions for Children in Foster Care 10 Medical Transitions 4 Childcare Transitions 3

M. Carol Gardner, B.A., Professional A Teaching Certificate Parent Services Coordinator


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COMING TOGETHER GROWING TOGETHER REPORT 2014-2015

Coming Together Growing Together (CTGT) is a shared collaborative project between Aboriginal Family Services Inc., and SCEP CENTRE Early Intervention and Training Services. The program is an initiative of the Ministry of Social Services and has a special focus on improving the communication and relationship between parents and their young children and helping the parents more effectively manage their child’s behaviour. We began with the first family in January 2012, and since that time CTGT has worked with a total of 19 families (24 children), including currently enrolled families. Referrals to the program come through the Ministry of Social Services, Child Protection units, and include families with preschool children who are experiencing numerous challenges and/or families at-risk for having their children placed into foster care. In some cases the children have just returned to their parent(s)’ care. Typically an enrolment includes a once weekly family play session in home, a once weekly morning or afternoon attendance at SCEP (or occasionally at Aboriginal Head Start) and a meeting with the parent every 2nd week. The enrolment often also includes assistance with appointments for the child(ren) such as for speech language services, transportation to medical or other appointments, securing preschool spaces or rides to pick up Food Bank orders. We continue to offer as much flexibility as possible in scheduling (and rescheduling). We often drop-in to the home in an attempt to confirm appointments or to do some follow-up.

The average length of a family’s enrolment in the CTGT program is about 9 months. Our initial task is to establish a relationship of trust with the family in order that intervention can be effective. The CTGT program does not provide a “quick fix”. Opening a parent to new ideas takes time as does encouraging the parent to formulate and voice his/her personal goals related to family life. We try to be continually aware of the parents’ feelings and personal experiences in order to communicate support and respect.

We believe that the Coming Together Growing Together program offers a unique service assisting some of the most challenged families in supporting and helping to strengthen the relationship between parent and child. We look forward to continuing work with the families already on our caseload and to working with new families in the future.

Submitted By:

Tracy Exner, RPN

Senior Professional Staff Coming Together Growing Together


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SCEP CENTRE SUMMER FRIENDS 2015 ACTIVITY REPORT SCEP CENTRE's Summer Friends ran from June 29 to August 14, 2015. It was housed at Aboriginal Headstart and was a great success. Five staff members (four full-time and one part-time) were hired for the summer program and were trained in how to use basic SCEP methods and safety procedures. This training occurred over a two month period before the summer program began. The summer staff consisted of two new staff: Holly Yanoshewski and Allison MacTaggart and three returning summer staff: Melissa Konecsni, Alex Hamilton and Carla Creeley, who was the program facilitator. Janice Benwell coordinated and trained the summer staff. SCEP’s senior staff shared the management and supervision of the summer program on a rotating basis throughout the summer. Twenty children attended. The total number of child individual half-day sessions offered was 262. The hours of service to the children was 787. The children, along with their adult partners, participated in many activities throughout the summer at various locations including:

• Chuck-E-Cheese • Dino Bouncers • Queen City Exhibition • Sandra Schmirler Leisure Pool, Regent Pool • Royal Saskatchewan Natural History Museum • City of Regina’s Spray Parks, Candy Cane Park • McDonalds • Movie Theatres • Headstart (including Music Therapy)

Attendance for each child was arranged in consultation with each of the children's families. Transportation was provided and arrangements for this were made with the children's families before the start of the summer program. During July and August, summer staff maintained close, daily contact with SCEP's senior program staff supervisor on call. Daily anecdotal records were kept for each child. Weekly staff meetings were held with the senior staff member on call to continue training as necessary and discuss the next week's activities. Summer Friends 2015 was a positive experience for all the participating children. They all appeared to enjoy their time at the program in the company of trusted adults. The families who kept in contact conveyed that they were glad for the respite from the demands of caring for these often challenging children and happy that their children could enjoy the many summer activities. For the families and children, SCEP's Summer Friends provided an important link to SCEP's regular program and services, and provided continuity over the often stressful summer months. The summer program workers had meaningful summer employment. They also benefited from the apprenticeship training and supervision offered by the senior SCEP staff over the summer months.


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A huge THANK YOU is due to Aboriginal Headstart for allowing us to use their facilities to house our summer program. We would also like to thank the following for their financial support of the program: Student Summer Works (SSW) program, Province of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund (administered by City of Regina) Community Initiatives Fund, Province of Saskatchewan Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) Lorne and Evelyn Johnson Foundation, Regina, SK Summer program fees were paid on behalf of some children by: Access Communications Cognitive Disabilities Strategy Ministry of Social Services Prior to the start of the summer program, the summer staff contacted local businesses for donations of snack foods, coupons, passes, toys, etc. Our gratitude is extended to the following businesses, organizations and individuals for gifts-in-kind and their generosity for the use of their facilities and time: Rainbow Cinemas Queen City Exhibition Sherwood Co-op Tim Horton’s Dessarts Milky Way Prepared by: Sandy Wallace, B.S.W. Carla Creeley


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BRIGHTER FUTURES FOR CHILDREN 2015

Brighter Futures for Children 2015 marked our 10th Anniversary and was a tremendous success! We raised just over $70,000 for SCEP CENTRE and the Regina Early Learning Centre. This brings our total for the 10 years to over $500,000 dollars!!! The event took place March 12, 2015 and featured performances by Frogsback, Jack Semple and Brian Sklar & the Tex Pistols. We had several exciting raffles and a huge silent auction. We would like to extend a very special thank you to Doug and Gloria Archer who led the organizing committee and Knight Archer Insurance which was the Presenting Sponsor of the event. Without their support this fundraiser would not have been the success it was. Thank you to Casino Regina who once again donated the use of the Show Lounge as our very lovely venue. A special thank you also goes out to the countless individuals and businesses who donated silent auction items, helped with marketing and supported our quest for raffle prizes and sponsorships. We would also like to extend a very warm thank you to all of the members of the community who sat on the Brighter Futures Organizing Committee. With all of your hard work, dedication and input, this event has grown into one of the premiere fundraisers held in the city each year. We would also like to thank all of those who attended the event and purchased raffle tickets! Brighter Futures was also very fortunate to be chosen as the charity for “What Women Want”, a trade show held in February 2015. Thank you to Greg and Cathy Gusway for choosing Brighter Futures for Children as the charity for this event. It helped to increase our profits for the year by several thousand dollars. We are very excited about our Brighter Futures for Children 2016 event and planning is already underway. We hope it will be the biggest and best Brighter Futures yet! It will be held at the Casino Regina Show Lounge on Thursday, April 7, 2016. Be sure to mark your calendars and buy your tickets early as we anticipate a sell out crowd. We hope to see you all on April 7th!

Shauna Forbes, B.A. (Hons.), B.S.W. Senior Professional Staff Brighter Futures Organizing Committee


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2014-2015 – WITH THANKS The Board of Directors of SCEP CENTRE Society (Regina) Organizations Providing Grants:

Ministry of Social Services United Way Regina City of Regina Regina Education and Action on Child Hunger (REACH) Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) for a special project addressing complex needs Organizations Providing Funds for Enrolment Fees:

Board of Education of the Regina School Division No. 4 of Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services SCEP CENTRE General Scholarship Fund with the proceeds from Brighter Futures for Children fundraiser. Drs. Elisabeth and Lewis Brandt Trust Fund: annual contribution for scholarships The trust fund is administered by the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation.


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Donations from Individuals and/or Organizations: For the 2014/2015 year SCEP received the following donations from individuals/organizations: Marion Baller - Manulife Vic Huard Patricia Clark Knights of Columbus Frank Dornstauder David Rosenbluth - CanadaHelps Trevor & Cindy Gardner – United Way Calgary Sherwood Co-op (gift card SF) Trevor Gardner – United Way Toronto Diane Stephenson Great West Life United Way Saskatoon Laura & Larry Hillmer Nicole Yanoshewski

Other Anonymous donations from CanadaHelps and United Way Toronto Designated Donations: CanadaHelps - Jim & Trina Fallows - Capital expenses Bob & Jean Juby - SCEP fees Canadian Progress Club - cost to hire Jay`s Moving Special Thanks to: • Faculty and students at the University of Regina and SIAST and to the

community volunteers.

• Doug and Gloria Archer and the Brighter Futures Organizing Committee.

• Capital Cab (2000) D & G Taxi Ltd. and owners, Debbie and Glen Sali. • Regina School Division No. 4 (Regina Public School Board);

o For offering a home to SCEP and especially to Mike Walter for finding a new

location for us last spring at Ecole Connaught.

o Coronation Park School Staff where we started the year and especially: Mr. Greg Smith, Principal Mrs. Holly Kay, Secretary

and

o Ecole Connaught Community School Staff, including outgoing Principal Chris Keyes and incoming Principal Lori Daelick as we transitioned to our new space.

Cover 2014-2015 Annual ReportAnnual Report-2014-2015 FINALSCEP CENTRE STAFF MEMBERS DURING 2014-2015Professional Consultants:Melanie McDonald, B.M.T., M.T.A. Music TherapistKatie Zirk, M.Sc., S-LP, REG. SK. Speech-Language Pathologist

Enrolment FeesReferrals/Inquiries August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015OUTCOMES OF THE WORK AT SCEP CENTRE

Special Thanks to:

scep centre society (regina) annual report october 26, 2015 · 2020. 2. 19. · regina’s first,...

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