Gathering 2010 - Tuesday 0900 - Ktunaxa Kinbasket

• Download PowerPoint presentation file: Gathering2010_Tue0900_Ktunaxa_Kinbasket.ppt (9.3MB)

Presenters:
Heidi Hebditch,
Bart Knudsgaard
Donna Bone
June Forsythe
Julie Birdstone
Pat Cardinal

Abstract
We would like to present via power point some of our agency’s safety plans, maps, outcomes, and forms used to simplify our work. We can discuss the impacts on client, staff and supervisor alike as well as the growing interest in the community and future plans for continued education within our region.

Presentation
We would like to present our agency’s experience using signs of safety from Intake to Guardianship including assessment forms, safety plans/outcomes, and including supervision based on the following outcomes:

As an Aboriginal agency working with all Aboriginal people of the Kootenay Region (aka: the Ktunaxa Nation area), providing services to such a broad range of clients across a large geographical area was tough. Before being introduced to signs of safety our caseloads were well above 30, our workers were struggling to meet the needs of their clients; and our agency was struggling to provide the services needed for our clients. Our work was often wrought with conflict and lacked direction leading to incredible stress for the workers. Once the agency had adopted the more solution focused approach used in the signs of safety model, we quickly began to see a shift:

Over the past year and a half since adopting the practice, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the caseload numbers; staff are feeling more confident about the direction of their clients and safety of the children, they are excited about the work! Clients are seeing the difference as well; we have received emails from clients who have been a part of the mappings done with clients thanking staff for the respectful approach used with their families. We have clients who are more involved in creating their own futures based on the maps done with staff and as a result we have far fewer contested court cases, better relationships with clients, and more buy-in from clients resulting in greater success.

In addition to the work we have done within the agency, we have also been providing workshops to community partners such as teachers and health professionals. Our intent is to educate all of our community partners on the use and practice of signs of safety because we have found it invaluable.