Creative Approaches to Providing Inclusive Services Presented to the: Collaborative Graduate Program in Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series March 11, 2010

Immigrant and Francophone Seniors’ WrapAround

What is Immigrant and Francophone Seniors’ WrapAround WrapAround is a process that can be best described as a collaborative team based approach to accessing services and life planning. Speak to it being a broader model that has been used in the london community for over 15 years for children and youth at risk

The WrapAround Program at LIHC supports immigrant and francophone seniors who are living at home but have few community or social supports – leaving them isolated and at higher risk of hospitalization or long-term care placement. On a practical level: We know that seniors are happier at home than at a LTC, we also know it is cheaper for the system to facilitate seniors to stay at home – hence our funding is through The SW Local Health Integration Network, Aging at Home Strategy dollars. We are the only ones using these funds for this type of program approach.

Life Domains Family Financial Language Spiritual/emotional Residence Safety Neighbourhood Educational Social Vocational Cultural Health Here’s what makes this unique and holistic

1. The senior will be partnered 2 1. The senior will be partnered 2. The facilitator will help the with a WA facilitator senior to identify needs and strengths 3. The senior will choose team 4. The team will make a plan members : based on identified needs with Natural and Professional the senior’s approval Supports Add that the facilitator will be the person who chairs meetings follows up to make sure that team members and seniors are following the plan. Ensure that voice and choice is being kept in mind and that the senior and their family are building capacity so that eventually we can transition out.

The Focus of our Work Long Term Outcomes: Systems of care are ethno-culturally competent Broader system to increase accessibility of their services Successfully access the wealth of knowledge and experience of Internationally Trained Professionals This is really looking at ourselves and how we are ensuring that clients are supported appropriately What are we doing and how to make the broader system become more aware and committed to making change – at a leadership level That we strategically hire people who are reflective of the people we are trying to serve.

Evaluating our work Project Outputs Short Term Outcomes Continuous Learning Because it is in our continuous learning that we are really showing the spirit of being truly creative and inclusive.

Systems of care are ethno-culturally competent Continuous Learning: The WrapAround Process Itself Engagement of Families Working with Interpreters Working with Natural and Informal Supports Working with clients on long term planning for care Engaging the Francophone Community 1.Explaining – what are you here for, frankly the more education our clients have the easier to understand the concept. 2.Used to a service based approach so can withhold information to see what they can get from us first, or fear that we are part of the system. 3. Interpreters don’t get our program either, they know the client from other interpretations so either supply information on behalf of the client or question why we are asking the questions we are asking. 4. Can help with the family plan and brainstorming but if language is an issue they can’t do some of the work, also they are often beginning new lives here so are much more limited with time. 5. Mental health – we are needing to be more directive, because we are looking at the safety plan – it is not really up for discussion if a client must take medication so we have had to come up with creative ways to “check” on the client to make sure that is happening first. 6. Long term planning for care – very different in different cultures, can view service providers as intrusive and rude. 7. Two communities a lot more work to build trust, going back to the drawing board in terms of community development

Broader system to increase accessibility of their services Continuous Learning: Partner Engagement Service Provider Engagement Who we call our partners here are the partners who are sitting around the table and then leaders within the agencies we work with are Service providers

Cross Cultural Perspective A new way of being challenged Successfully access the wealth of knowledge and experience on Internationally Trained Professionals Continuous Learning: Recruitment Strategy Cross Cultural Perspective A new way of being challenged Working with colleagues with English as a Second or Third Language Talk about what we did with the recruitment What our team meetings are like Why has a whole new meaning – why do you do it this way? How we had to change

The learning really is continuous To sum up The learning really is continuous We have learned to celebrate success differently

Thank you

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