

Children, Youth & Families
Early Years (CAPC)
This program is actually a diverse group of activities and services supported by a number of different funders, with the common purpose of supporting the health, development and socialization of young children and their caregivers.
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MCFD Early Years
Family and Child Drop-In Programs and Outreach Services. Direct services for families with young children that support and promote community belonging, support for families experiencing vulnerabilities, supports to access Indigenous culture and language, and help for families to navigate the system of supports and make the direct connections they need.
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Family Navigation
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Promoting Community Belonging - encouraging families to connect, one-to-one peer mentoring, group meetings, parent support groups, sharing guidance, support, expertise, experiences with other parents.
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Supporting Indigenous Culture, Language Revitalization and Cultural Competency
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Supporting Families with parenting education, provision of food & equipment, unstructured informal access to professionals
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Non-Child Care Early Learning: Services that focus on child development in the following areas: physical, social, emotional, language, communication, cognitive, cultural. Physical & creative play, exploration & risk taking, learning about social responsibility and empathy, literacy & communication
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CAPC & CPNP
Promoting the healthy development of young children from birth to age 6.
Supporting children and caregivers who face challenges that put their health at risk, including Poverty; Teen pregnancy; Social and geographic isolation; Substance use; Family violence.
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CAPC Program Overview:
Improve healthy child development by:
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Improving parenting skills and parent-child relationships
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Decreasing social isolation
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Increasing child self-esteem
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Providing child-focused activities, such as preschool programs and play groups
Promote and create partnerships within communities to:
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Actively involve the people they serve in the planning, managing, developing, delivering, and evaluation of their programs
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Strengthen community capacity
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Support vulnerable children and their families
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Types of support:
CAPC sites adapt their activities to meet the needs of the people they serve. Their programs may include:
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Nutritional support and collective kitchens
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Family resource centers
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Parenting classes and drop-in groups
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Child health and development activities
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Outreach and home visiting programs
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Specialized programs, such as support for mothers dealing with substance abuse
CPNP Provides funding to community groups to help to improve the health of pregnant women, new mothers and their babies, who face challenges that put their health at risk.
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LSCSS CAPC Programs:
Mommy & Me
Healthy Habits
Positively Pregnant
Seasonal/sessional events
MCFD Infant Development & Family Resource Centre
Family Resource Centre:
Supporting drop-in activities & parent education as well as activities that enhance community capacity including:
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Public health info
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Well-baby clinics
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Community kitchens
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Library
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Clothing exchange
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Information/referrals
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Peer counselling
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Family literacy projects
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Infant Development Program:
Providing services to children from birth-6 who are at risk of developmental delays, with emphasis on ages 0-3. The IDP Consultant receives referrals from community professionals and/or caregivers – for children 0-3 years old. The Consultant reviews referral comments, risk factors and needs. The Consultant will provide home visits and coordinate a developmental assessment. The Consultant will work with the family and caregivers to understand their needs & wants and to develop Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). The Consultant Works with a committee (school, strong start, LSCSS staff, OneSky childcare centre) to support the child and caregivers.
The IDP Consultant also:
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Schedules and facilitates groups that provide, complement, support IDP.
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Provides community development, awareness and education.
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Refers to an IDP Coordinator for additional professional consultations and active interventions.
Gaming funded programs:
Tumble Bumble – promoting physical literacy and developing gross motor skills, hiking, gym time, etc; Art/Generations – intergenerational art, music, crafts, stories, theatre;
Family Literacy - promoting the enjoyment and good use of language in read, written, spoken and heard communication for all age groups, bedtime stories, poetry contests, mother goose
Family Support Program
OVERVIEW OF SERVICE:
The Family Support Program is a flexible program designed to meet the needs of individual clients. The Family Support Worker (FSW) works as part of a team with a Social Worker to develop an individual support program for each client. The program provides enhanced one-on-one services that would not otherwise be available to the individual.
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DO I NEED A REFERRAL?
No! If you feel that you need support to improve your family life. For appointments call (250) 499-6320
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SERVICES PROVIDED:
1. Parenting Skills Support, e.g. child/parent conflict resolution, consistency, taking responsibility;
2. Life Skills Training, e.g. budgeting, effective shopping and meal planning, household management;
3. Effective Communication Training; Self-Esteem Support
4. Crisis Support; Emotional Support; Client Support at Court/legal appointments;
5. Referrals to other agencies, professionals and community resources;
6. Other services can be arranged depending upon client need, and the availability of the Family Support Worker.
PEACE Program
The name peace in The PEACE Program is an acronym for Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Empowerment. It is funded by The BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
PEACE Program Counsellor, Dave Cursons, a retired Family Justice Counsellor came aboard with Lower Similkameen Community Services in 2005 as a part-time counsellor in The Children Who Witness Abuse Program, recently renamed The PEACE Program. Dave is knowledgeable and experienced in issues around family conflict and provides support and encouragement in one to one counselling to children and youth 3 years to 18 years of age.
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The Peace Activity Worker joined the PEACE team and LSCSS in summer 2018 after getting a degree as a Community Support Worker with Sprott Shaw College. Petra and Dave are facilitating a “Youth Drop In” where cooking together is a important piece. Petra has conducted various other child and youth programs specifically in the ”Summer Program” with Carole Fitzell, Dragonfly Learning, at the Gristmill in partnership with Regional District Okanagan Similkameen Recreation.
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Together, the PEACE Program Counsellor and The PEACE Activity Worker plan and coordinate outreach activities affecting children and youth in the Lower Similkameen.
Contact us at 250-499-2352 Local 107.
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Similkameen Family Literacy Outreach
Similkameen Family Literacy Outreach is funded by BC Gaming and it’s one of the society’s longest running programs. It has coordinated a One to One Reading Program for a community volunteer team at Cawston Primary School helping students achieves success in reading.
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For the past 14 years Similkameen Family Literacy has given free of charge a weeklong KIDS THEATRE day camp each August. From time to time we conduct five weeks of Wednesday afternoon meetings of Writing Out Loud fostering wellness, creativity, community and communication. In writers 16 years and older at any skill level.
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Similkameen Family Literacy Outreach styles itself as ‘promoting the enjoyment and good use of language in read, spoken, written and heard communication among all age groups’. If you have ideas for a community literacy project, let us know. Contact us at 250-499-2352 Local 107.
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Family Literacy activities occur throughout the year, including:
1. Community outreach in cooperation with the Okanagan Regional Library (Keremeos and Hedley Branches) where reading and writing events as well as special displays are a feature;
2. Parent education and support offered in partnership with the Canadian Action Plan for Children;
3. Support and Liaison with School District #53 and Ntna’mtquen Snm’alm’ayatn Education Centre;
4. Similkameen Family Literacy presents such programs as Story Theatre for young people, Reading, Recitation and Sing-along for the elderly in care.
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People affected by literacy challenges include:
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The elderly who need support to continue in the use and enjoyment of language.
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Infants and toddlers whose parents are a key support to child’s use and enjoyment of the many forms of communication.
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French-speaking people who are entitled to access to French language materials for home, work and recreation.
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Adults who do not have enough schooling to use the language well.
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First Nations people who are entitled to community respect for and continued use and enjoyment of their language.
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Immigrants who need support to use English to get by better at work and in the broader community.
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Persons with disabilities need access to information and support to manage written and spoken communication.
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Children generally receive support through public school education and benefit from extra stimulation in the broader community.
Child & Youth Mental Health - Princeton
Jamie Holloway studied at Thompson Rivers University and graduated in 2005 with her Bachelor’s in Social Work and received her Reiki Master’s in 2005 from the Hope school of Reiki. Jamie is a certified hypnotherapist as of 2017 from Coastal Academy of Hypnotic arts and Science. Currently Jamie is finishing her Masters in Clinical Counselling Psychology with Yorkville University.
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Jamie has an interest and focus in her studies including, but not limited to, Mental Health, Addictions, Grief and Loss, Healthy communications, Family systems, Complementary and Alternative Medicine/therapy and strives to work from an inclusive lens of culturally sensitive and appropriate care with her clients. Jamie has 13 years’ experience in telephone counselling, 10 years’ experience in video based counselling and 16 years’ experience with face to face counselling support.
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Jamie has worked in the non-profit sector as well as government in roles as a rural Community Mental Health and Addictions Counsellor, health authority Medical Social Worker, and Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Counsellor, Stopping the Violence (STV) Women’s Counselling, and has successfully run a private practice since 2007. Currently Jamie is working for Lower Similkameen Community Services Society (LSCSS) as the Princeton and Hedley Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician.
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Jamie works from a holistic approach to support clients in their healing journey focusing energy and intention on the clients Mental, Emotional, Spiritual and Physical. Jamie is guided and supported in her CYMH role using evidence based standards of practice, and is supported with clinical supervision.
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Jamie is regulated and responsible to the British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW), the British Columbia Association of Social workers (BCASW), and the International Medical Dental and Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA). All regulating bodies have high standards of practice and ethics which she is proud to follow. For more information please click on the appropriate link.
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BCCSW - http://www.bccollegeofsocialworkers.ca/
BCASW - http://www.bcasw.org/