Brain Injury Services

Community Based Supports

Clubhouse

The Clubhouse model is a cost-effective way of supporting people with brain injuries to improve their social inclusion and community involvement. This is a community based, client-centred model that empowers members by involving them in governance and operations.  This approach provides a rich context for learning, skills development and capacity building through meaningful contribution to the program.  The basic assumption is that each member has something valuable to contribute and it is the role of the clubhouse to support this contribution; in the process members expand their skills and abilities. Member participation both reduces costs and provides an effective context for social inclusion, vocational development, service learning and peer support.  The services of a Clubhouse include: vocational preparation, vocational support, support in securing housing, information and referral, supported learning, peer support and recreational opportunities.  As part of a continuum of care, a Clubhouse can have a significant impact on the substantial social costs related to a lack of support for people with acquired brain injuries in Victoria BC.

Employment Enclaves

This pilot Project began in the spring of 2006 and has received glowing reviews from participants, their supports, partnering agencies and participating businesses.  The Cridge spearheaded this program in partnership with The Rick Hansen Foundation, The Vancouver Foundation, Camosun College, Crews @ Work, and local business leaders. We created supported work enclaves within local businesses in order to establish a setting where individuals with partial skill sets could participate in the workforce within existing workplaces.

Participants were trained at Camosun College with a curriculum that included both class room instruction and hands on work experience.  Participants were supported through the transition from student to crew worker.  Crews were, and some still are, embedded in existing workplaces such as Thrifty Foods, Rogers Chocolates, Carmanah Industries, and BC Mail.  Workers were paid industry wages.

Relationships with local businesses were established through the work experience portion of the training.  We created an employer for the participants by establishing a contractor whose roll was to create enclaves of contract labour within these establishments.  The contractor assumed responsibility for the workers and thus was able to control the work environment to suit the needs of the workers.  Many businesses found this beneficial as they could hire contract labour during peek production periods.  Businesses also reported that they valued the attitude and work ethic of our workers and felt that they provided a positive influence on their workplace.  Our workers reported that they felt valued as contributing members of the workforce.

Lessons Learned

Despite the myriad of successes associated with this program we were unable to establish a sustainable business model for the Contractor.  Our challenges were two-fold.  Firstly, we found that our contractor could not be financially sustained through contracts alone.  Since, we chose to use an independent contractor, it was difficult to subsidize contracts with public or ‘social’ money without the appearance of a conflict of interest.  This challenge can be remedied by establishing a non-independent social enterprise within The Cridge.  This would open up opportunities for multiple sources of funding.  Secondly, the market for contract labour in the distribution sector evaporated with the economic downturn.  The current economic climate has highlighted the need for a business plan that can weather changes in the economy.

Next Steps

We are commited to supporting participants to capitalize on the learning and experience gained in this program. We are commited to keeping the enclaves going.  A few participants continue to be employees in a couple enclaves.  We are looking for individuals with business acumen to create a sustainable business model for the enclaves. Participants are all clients of a local vocatioanal support agency that has been helping them find work outside of the project.  .  Several participants were inspired to continue their learning with Camosun College.  Some of these have gone on to gain employment in a trade.  Others are expanding their literacy.   Many others have found independant enployment on their own.

This project has been invaluble for informing our overall plans to create a continuum of care, support and service.   We have been impressed with the progress of our participants and are inspired to create programing that focuses on capacity building, social inclusion and vocatioal development.  We are interested in sharing our experience and learning in this area.  If you are interested, please contact Mark Fournier, Instructor & Project Facilitator or Geoff Sing, Manager of The Cridge Brain Injury Services.

PLAN Networks of Support

A Network of Support is a group of committed men and women who are in a friendship/relationship with a survivor of brain injury who is isolated and vulnerable by reason of disability, living arrangement, limited opportunities, or society’s perception.A Personal Network welcomes and connects people to the heart of community.

Networks support survivors of brain injury to be contributing members of their community. Some networks have succeeded in finding employment, volunteer work and arranging job supports for indiviuals.  Networks help individuals participate in cultural, recreation and sports  activities, they provide a social context for celebrating birthdays and other festive occasions and they help individuals connect with others with similar intersts.

Our purpose in providing Personal Networks of Support is to ensure that individuals living with a brain injury have an opportunity to contribute to his/her community.  The entire communty benifits.  Networks assist individuals to have a safe,  secure, and rich life. Networks allow the parents and family members of the relative with a brain injury to have peace of mind by providing opportunities for community members to participate in loving, reciprocal relationships.

Our experience shoes that a brain injury does not preclude relationship.  Everybody can be in a relationship, regardless how “disabled” the individual might be.  Everyone benefits through the personal relationships that are established.

A Network cannot replace a family. Families are the foundation of healthy networks.  Without the active support and participation of family members, Networks are difficult to develop and maintain.  Networks cannot replace the social service systems.  Networks provide a bridge to the formal service system by working cooperatively with professionals.  They cannot be expected to replace the services provided by governments and professionals.  Networks take time to see results. Change does not happen overnight.  It takes hard work and patience to experience the benefits of a personal support network.

Our goal is to develop the network to where it is self-sufficient with volunteer involvement.  When members leave the network, the facilitator will work with the focus individual and/or their family to invite new members into the network. There is no charge to the families or the focus individual.  On average 40 hours of facilitation is required over eight months to develop a network.  Once the network is established, an average of eight hours of facilitation time is needed each year to maintain the network. 

Communty Support Contracts

We provide Communty Support Conrtacts to meet the needs of Brain Injury Survivors.  With a little support many peple living with deficits as a result of a brain injury can live successfuly in independent living situations.  Without support, small issues can spiral into big problems for people.  We work to keep people's lives on track, to build bridges and to help individuals live full lives.