Search Homelessness Services Association of BC

Strong case planning skills can help front-line staff and outreach teams effectively break the cycle of entrenched homelessness by learning how to move their clients into a continuum of services. HSABC’s Introduction to Case Planning webinar is a valuable training tool that introduces the basic principles of the case planning process. The webinar explains how a front-line worker, or outreach team, can incorporate effective case planning techniques into their decision-making when working with challenging clients that seem resistant to change.

HSABC’s more advanced Case Planning II webinar teaches participants how to complete the required paperwork for BC Housing (Case Planning Forms). This webinar also reviews the purpose of each form and how best to approach completing these documents to ensure they become effective tools that drives the case planning process. The second half of HSABC’s Case Planning II webinar explores the ethics of case planning. Client autonomy, informed consent, impartiality and duty of care are ethical frameworks that are explored in this interactive, webinar learning experience.

Instructor: Katherine Aubrey​

Katherine Aubrey has over 20 years of experience working with people who have faced trauma, addictions, homelessness and/or mental illness. Her varied, front-line work experience ranges from in-reach prison work, group therapy, parole supervision and addictions and mental health counseling. She also has experience working with both victims and perpetrators of violence. Some of her past and current employers include Correctional Service Canada, Long-term Inmates Now in the Community, Aurora Centre/Residential Addictions Treatment for Women, KlaHowEya, Metis Nation and numerous non-profit organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Mental Health Counseling. She also completed a Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills Intensive for Diversity Trainers in Berkley, California

This webinar examines a challenge not often addressed in doing front-line work: dealing with a difficult co-worker. We will offer tips and tools for dealing with common conflict situations that arise with other co-workers. We will also provide a unique strategy for changing how you see conflict situations, how you experience them and the approaches you take to resolve them.

Instructor: Katherine Aubrey

Katherine Aubrey has over 20 years of experience working with people who have faced trauma, addictions, homelessness and/or mental illness. Her varied, front-line work experience ranges from in-reach prison work, group therapy, parole supervision and addictions and mental health counseling. She also has experience working with both victims and perpetrators of violence. Some of her past and current employers include Correctional Service Canada, Long-term Inmates Now in the Community, Aurora Centre/Residential Addictions Treatment for Women, KlaHowEya, Metis Nation and numerous non-profit organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Mental Health Counseling. She also completed a Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills Intensive for Diversity Trainers in Berkley, California

Cross Cultural Awareness​

Instructor: Katherine Aubrey

Katherine Aubrey has over 20 years of experience working with people who have faced trauma, addictions, homelessness and/or mental illness. Her varied, front-line work experience ranges from in-reach prison work, group therapy, parole supervision and addictions and mental health counseling. She also has experience working with both victims and perpetrators of violence. Some of her past and current employers include Correctional Service Canada, Long-term Inmates Now in the Community, Aurora Centre/Residential Addictions Treatment for Women, KlaHowEya, Metis Nation and numerous non-profit organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Mental Health Counseling. She also completed a Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills Intensive for Diversity Trainers in Berkley, California

HSABC’s Trauma in the Homeless Sector webinar offers a compelling look into the science of trauma and how service providers can effectively respond to clients and co-workers that may be affected by trauma. Participants learn best practices for trauma-informed practices and how they can help individuals affected by trauma. HSABC’s Trauma in the Homeless Sector webinar provides opportunities for participants to ask questions as well as contribute to surveys and discussions.

Instructor: Katherine Aubrey

Katherine Aubrey has over 20 years of experience working with people who have faced trauma, addictions, homelessness and/or mental illness. Her varied, front-line work experience ranges from in-reach prison work, group therapy, parole supervision and addictions and mental health counseling. She also has experience working with both victims and perpetrators of violence. Some of her past and current employers include Correctional Service Canada, Long-term Inmates Now in the Community, Aurora Centre/Residential Addictions Treatment for Women, KlaHowEya, Metis Nation and numerous non-profit organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Mental Health Counseling. She also completed a Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills Intensive for Diversity Trainers in Berkley, California

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time to accomplish what is important to you? This webinar examines the work-life balance challenges facing many employees and how to recognize signs of burnout. The intention of this webinar is to offer some practical knowledge, tips and strategies to help front-line workers to feel more empowered to begin to shift the imbalance they may be experiencing.

Instructor: Katherine Aubrey

Katherine Aubrey has over 20 years of experience working with people who have faced trauma, addictions, homelessness and/or mental illness. Her varied, front-line work experience ranges from in-reach prison work, group therapy, parole supervision and addictions and mental health counseling. She also has experience working with both victims and perpetrators of violence. Some of her past and current employers include Correctional Service Canada, Long-term Inmates Now in the Community, Aurora Centre/Residential Addictions Treatment for Women, KlaHowEya, Metis Nation and numerous non-profit organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Mental Health Counseling. She also completed a Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills Intensive for Diversity Trainers in Berkley, California

This session will present and create a stronger understanding of historical influences that have shaped Indigenous people across this country. It will offer a different worldview that can affect how well programs and services can be designed and delivered to Indigenous clients. It will identify some tools and strategies that a non-Indigenous service provider can use to self-assess their awareness and possible biases that could conflict with Indigenous worldviews and historical experiences. This webinar goes a bit beyond simply telling about Residential Schools, etc., and ideally would be followed up with an in-person skills developing session afterwards.

Instructor: Kevin Barlow

Kevin Barlow is Mi’kmaq from Indian Island First Nation in New Brunswick. He now resides in Vancouver and is Chief Executive Officer of both the Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council (MVAEC) which is described as a Think and Lead Organization and the newly formed Metro Vancouver Indigenous Services Society (MVISS). MVAEC currently has 23 urban Indigenous member agencies which make up a majority of Indigenous groups serving an estimated 70,000 urban Indigenous population in Metro Vancouver.

Barlow has worked at the local, regional, national and international levels. A large portion of his career has been in the health sector and all of his career has been working for and with Indigenous people. He has also operated his own consulting firm for the last twenty-years supporting the Indigenous non-profit sector to build capacity. He has held over $3M in community-based research grants, delving into areas of residential schooling, sexual violence, HIV and Indigenous women; substance use in the Indigenous community; cultural competency, and more. He has developed policies and strategies in a broad range of areas. For over 16 years Kevin has held senior executive posts, including Chief Administrative Officer in his home community where he reduced the number of people on social assistance from about 40 to 11 in under four years through community economic development. One project he developed was an aquaculture (oyster) farm which now employs 6 full-time seasonal workers and generates over $100K a year for the First Nation.

In your work, you may have to respond to an overdose to save a life. It is impossible to know how you are going to feel during or after responding to an overdose. Evidence shows that being proactive and having a plan in place improves resiliency and recovery. In this webinar we will review:

• Different ways human beings can be impacted after responding to an overdose, and
• Tips and strategies to develop an after-care plan for overdose

Instructor: MRT

The Provincial Overdose Mobile Response Team (MRT) offers psycho social support, education, and training to organizations and agencies working within British Columbia’s overdose public health emergency. This includes people impacted by critical incidents such as overdoses and/or deaths during the course of their work. The MRT was created with support from the BC Ministry of Health and BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions in recognition of the psycho-social impact of the overdose public health emergency on first responders, front-line workers and people with lived experience/peers.

Pakka Liu is passionate about ending violence against women and all forms of oppression. Having worked frontline in a transition house, a rape crisis centre and women’s centre, the diversity of her experience provides her with an understanding of the challenges that women face and their resistance. Pakka is a strong believer in creating social changes through information, education and collaboration. Pakka is currently the Training Coordinator at the BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) in Vancouver, BC

The latest research on drug use, the effects on behaviour and skills to help as you support clients with addictions. This HSABC webinar applies questioning and exploration to understanding, and learning about the physiological effects of certain drugs, including: hallucinogens, depressants, stimulants, anabolic steroids and cannabis. During this webinar, participants will learn about:

• What drugs are being used;
• What someone looks like when they are on different types of drugs;
• How to assess and manage someone you think is under the influence of drugs; and
• How to manage a critical emergency.
• The session will give an overview of harm reduction best practices, the overdose crisis and resources available to workers.

Instructor: Shari McKenzie-Ramsay & Peter Ramsay

Shari McKenzie-Ramsay graduated from UBC as a Registered Nurse in 2015. She works at Lions Gate Hospital as an emergency nurse. Prior to this she was working in Mental Health and Addictions at the Hope Centre (acute psychiatry) and Magnolia House, a mental health transition house. She recently completed a Forensic Nurse Examiner course in Trauma in Health Care through BCIT and is a Take Home Naloxown program educator. Shari is co-owner of Spiritus Wilderness Medical Training, since 2001, and has been teaching injury prevention since 1992. Shari is passionate about trauma informed care in health care and in a community setting.

Peter Ramsay graduated from UBC as a Registered Nurse in 2009. He has dual specialties in emergency nursing and critical care nursing (BCIT – 2010 and 2015 respectively) and is at Lions Gate Hospital, previously in the Emergency Department and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Now he is the Patient Care Supervisor for the hospital.

This session will discuss alternative approaches to verbal and physical behaviours that are expressed in an unsafe or aggressive manor in a shelter, outreach and housing setting. Taking a people centred approach, the instructors will discuss how to meet folks where they are at and co-regulating each other to stay connected and prevent further traumatization. To quote Ronnie, one of the instructors, “Kindness is our best option for co-creating safety”.

Instructor: Vikki Reynolds & Ronnie Grigg

Vikki’s experience includes consulting, training and clinical supervision with refugees and survivors of torture, mental health and substance abuse counsellors, rape crisis counsellors, frontline and housing workers and transgender and queer communities. She has developed curriculum and taught Group Work, Trauma, and Diversity courses at Vancouver Community College, Adler University and the University of British Columbia. She received the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Instructor from City University where she has taught for more than ten years. Vikki has presented her work internationally in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Britain, Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, working in solidarity with numerous local organizations.

Ronnie is the manager at the Overdose Prevention Society an outdoor safe inhalation site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The society provides low-barrier care and harm reduction supplies, with peer staff members working tirelessly to save lives and respond to overdoses during the crisis.

Everyone should have equitable access to shelter, food and safety when they are in need. However, research shows that for transgender individuals, this is often not the case. Most service providers have not had the opportunity to learn about issues working with transgender individuals accessing their services. Yet these populations are at heightened risk of homelessness, poverty, mental/physical health and/or substance use problems, violence and face additional barriers to accessing services. These sessions, facilitated by Vancouver Coastal Health’s PRISM program, will address ways to make your shelter and housing programs more inclusive and welcoming to transgender individuals. During this training you will explore: definitions and key concepts, social factors for transgender people, unique challenges and barriers to housing, and practical strategies to make your program more inclusive.

Instructor: Webinar is taught by staff from Prism, Vancouver Coastal Health’s education, information and referral service for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, Two-Spirit and queer + (LGBT2Q+) communities.

Sadly, the shelter sector is responding to a growing number of seniors that are accessing homeless services. Working with elderly clients in the homeless sector can be challenging due to the complex needs of these vulnerable clients. HSABC’s Working with Elderly Shelter Clients webinar examines health issues and how the effects of aging impact elderly shelter clients. This webinar examines specific areas for front-line, outreach and case planner workers to consider when engaging elderly clients. This interactive webinar introduces techniques that can be helpful when trying to create safe, respectful spaces for elderly clients.

Reid Johnson

Reid started his career as a certified family therapist and was the Clinical Coordinator of Social Work at Shaughnessy Hospital before moving to the BC Centre of Ability. Reid has provided leadership throughout the sector, most recently as the President of the Health Sciences Association of BC, a union of more than 18,000 health and social services professionals.

HSA is affiliated with the National Union of Public and General Employees. With 340,000 members across the country, it is one of the largest labour organizations in Canada. In the words of NUPGE, “His leadership has transformed HSABC (Health Sciences Association of BC)/NUPGE into a strong voice for health professionals across B.C. and a solid defender of public services, even under enormous pressures.”

Reid earned his Master of Social Work from UBC and continues to provide leadership within his community and businesses.

HSABC’s Suicide Risk Factor Checklist webinar discusses how to use the Suicide Risk Factors checklist for providing information to local mental health providers, hospitals, and health authorities. This webinar teaches participants how to transfer pertinent information that mental health workers can use to engage vulnerable and at-risk populations. The Suicide Risk Factor checklist tool is not intended to replace a qualified mental health assessment. Rather, HSABC’s Suicide Risk Factor Checklist webinar is an interactive learning experience that can help participants effectively address risk factors in a supportive environment.

Reid Johnson

Reid started his career as a certified family therapist and was the Clinical Coordinator of Social Work at Shaughnessy Hospital before moving to the BC Centre of Ability. Reid has provided leadership throughout the sector, most recently as the President of the Health Sciences Association of BC, a union of more than 18,000 health and social services professionals.

HSA is affiliated with the National Union of Public and General Employees. With 340,000 members across the country, it is one of the largest labour organizations in Canada. In the words of NUPGE, “His leadership has transformed HSABC (Health Sciences Association of BC)/NUPGE into a strong voice for health professionals across B.C. and a solid defender of public services, even under enormous pressures.”

Reid earned his Master of Social Work from UBC and continues to provide leadership within his community and businesses.