March 7, 2025
Welcome to March, everyone! Here is my message for the month.
Human dignity, inclusion, and community living are themes that show up over and over in our strategic plan. They align clearly with our core values- and they show up in your actions everyday. Here are a few reflections.
Last month, the CRP opened two more homes. Within just a few short weeks, all seven of the new Community Residential Program (CRP) homes will be open. When all is said and done, more than twenty people will have a new home in the community to enjoy. Many of those people are transitioning from Health and Transition Services (HTS). The collaboration between HTS and CRP staff, and their commitment to an excellent transition experience for the people we support is inspiring. Thank you again to everyone involved for making sure that the people we support – their values and their priorities – are always at the centre of our work.
In an another example, we are now offering a version of Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NCI) training to family members of people we support. Now, families can learn best practice strategies for de-escalation and safe responses to difficult situations instead of having to improvise in the heat of the moment. This resource will benefit families who are experiencing significant pressure and who may be risk of breakdown. The training will also benefit families accessing out-of-home respite services or other stabilization services. Our goal is to support families to stay together and to know they are not alone. Early feedback has been very positive and I am very thankful to the team who worked so hard to make this training possible.
Finally, Healthy Team is one of the Focus Areas in our strategic plan. It is the staff at St.Amant who turn our values and goals into a real difference in the lives of real people. Everyone who works at St.Amant has a right to be respected for who they are and for the ways they contribute to our community. That’s one of the reasons St.Amant celebrated Black History Month. St.Amant’s People of African Heritage Committee organized events where staff and people supported alike could learn, dance, and feast together. Thank you to the organizers for inviting the entire St.Amant community to celebrate both our common humanity and the many unique contributions of Black Canadians to communities all across the country.
