Peel CC Services:
Nexus Youth Services:
Maritime Services:
Get Involved:
Events:
Peel Children's Centre
A Caring Community Working Together for Children
PCC and our partner agency, Nexus Youth Services (NYS), held our 2009/10 Annual General Meeting on June 22nd. PCC presented the Mary Neville Award for 2010 to Garry Campbell from the Peel District School Board. The AGM was also an opportunity for us to join with the community to celebrate our successes of the past year, beginning with our successful re-accreditation. Read on for our progress reports on PCC’s Diversity initiative and Clinical Research partnerships, as well as our work with the Peel Children and Youth Initiative.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF PEEL'S DIVERSE COMMUNITY
PCC and NYS have concluded the initial stages of an initiative designed to help our agencies become more inclusive, culturally competent, and skilled in serving the mental health treatment needs of Peel’s increasingly diverse community.
A change-management process framed as a “journey” rather than a “destination", our Diversity initiative is inclusive and strength-based, matching the clinical philosophy of our organizations. To guide our efforts, PCC and NYS struck a Diversity Leadership Council (DLC) comprised of a cross-section of employees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
The DLC recently hosted a series of “town hall” meetings with all staff to share findings and progress to date, which include:
- 88% of our staff completed a survey which provided a “snapshot” of our workforce’s dimensions of diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence
- Working with the firm, DiversiPro, we completed evaluations of our Diversity policies and practices in six areas:
- Leadership
- Hiring, Staff and Contracting
- The Workplace
- Programs and Services
- Community Connections
- Marketing and Communications.
Our staff are collectively engaged in the next phase of our Diversity journey, which will include:
- Developing a culturally competent framework for clinical practice
- Working closely with the Multicultural Inter-Agency Group of Peel to offer in-house multicultural training for all staff
- Building an online Diversity Resource Library
- Identifying and developing relationships with community groups representing various dimensions of diversity (e.g. ethno-cultural, marginalized youth, socioeconomic status).
CLINICAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
PCC is a partner in several clinical research projects that are gathering evidence in order to improve the delivery and effectiveness of mental health services for children, youth and families. Here are but a few examples.
- Dr. C. Roncadin, Psychologist/Research Scientist at PCC, is leading Use of an Early Screening Tool for Autism in Community Settings. The Ontario Mental Health Foundation has funded this project.
- Our Sexual Abuse Treatment Program has partnered with Dr. Robert Muller of York University in the Healthy Coping Project, which is testing the effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in community settings. The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health has provided funding.
- PCC has participated in Reducing Wait Times in Children’s Mental Health Services, a partnership with Dr. Chuck Cunningham from McMaster’s Children’s Hospital. The Canadian Institute of Health Research has funded this project.
- We are collaborating with McMaster University and the IWK Health Centre in Nova Scotia in the Strongest Families Study, a program that provides telephone support to parents of children with disruptive behaviours. The Canadian Institute of Health Research also funds this project.
PEEL CHILDREN AND YOUTH INITIATIVE
PCC and other community partners have led the development of the Peel Children and Youth Initiative (PCYI). With a vision, All Children and Youth will thrive in Peel, PCYI aims to integrate and strengthen services for children and youth from birth to age 24. The PCYI held its third community-wide forum on April 20, sharing its vision with over 150 delegates, including 60 youth, from child-and youth-serving organizations in our community.
This initiative continues to gather energy and resources. Financial support now includes a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and contributions from the Region of Peel, Peel District School Board, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, and other community agencies. Current efforts are focused on governance, membership, benefits and strategic planning.
 |
< Back to the news section
