1. Annual AAISA Summit
Innovative Practices in Settlement and Integration
Bridging the Divide: Disabilities and Settlement Sectors Working Together for CIWA’s IDEA project
Presented by: Rekha Gadhia
Family Services Department Manager
September 21, 2018

2. OUR MANDATE VISION: Empower Immigrant Women. Enrich Canadian Society.
MISSION: To engage and integrate all immigrant women and their families in the community.
VALUES: Integrity. Equity. Inclusiveness. Innovation. Leadership.

3. Introduction CIWA Between Friends Pacekids Programs
Project started off as a collaborative conversation based on the barriers faced by CIWA, Between Friends and Pacekids.

4. Staff not having the expertise specific to disability
Barriers identified - CIWA
CIWA
Immigrant families not knowing how to access supports specific to disability
Staff not having the expertise specific to disability

5. Cultural understanding specific to disability
Barriers identified – Between Friends
Between Friends
Finding a way to better support the immigrant families with disabilities
Cultural understanding specific to disability

6. Pacekids Programs Barriers identified – Pacekids Programs
Finding a way to better support the immigrant families
Cultural understanding specific to disability

7. Core belief – partnerships are essential
All three agencies had a fundamental belief and value that partnerships are critical to better serve the community and currently there wasn’t one. We’re definitely better working together and not in silos.

8. How did we come together?
Informal conversations to get to know each agency better and understand the supports we each provide
These conversations were happening concurrently (i.e. CIWA and Pacekids, Pacekids and Between Friends, Between Friends and CIWA). At this point there wasn’t any formal connection between the three
CIWA identified a possible project in relation to their Cross-Cultural Parenting Program, and saw the partnership potential. CIWA reached out to Pacekids and Between Friends to see if there would be interest
At that point, the focus became finding funding.

9. Launch of Project IDEA
Funding was secured
Project: Inclusion for Disability is Within Everyone’s Ability (IDEA)
Concept: develop a curriculum to enhance the existing Cross Cultural Parenting Program
Focus: parents who have children with a disability
Funding was secured for the IDEA Project (Inclusion for Disability is Within Everyone’s Ability)
The concept was to develop a curriculum to enhance the existing Cross Cultural Parenting Program – but focusing on parents who have children with a disability

10. Developing curriculum – shared expertise
Monthly meetings
Inclusion training
Focus groups
Individual client meetings
Curriculum development
Overarching all steps are monthly meetings with all three partners to develop steps and approach to the project. This allows us to stay connected, and modify steps as new information emerges.
Inclusion Training (Between Friends delivered to CIWA team and Pacekids)
Focus Group with CIWA Team to get their input on their experiences with immigrants (facilitated by Pacekids)
1:1 Meetings with clients to get their personal stories and perspectives
Personal relationships Between Friends and CIWA had nurtured with their clients create the trust bond allowing families to share their personal experiences and struggles
Pacekids was part of those discussions with families to ask some of the more disability clinical and programming related questions
This allowed us to get a holistic picture of what immigrant families with children with disabilities are truly experiencing.
Curriculum Development
All three partners took the information gathered from the focus group and 1:1 family meetings, and prioritized key information to cover in the workshop/training
We developed an outline and outcomes as a partnership
Pacekids took the lead on documenting and researching these pieces, but input from all partners has been critical

11. Developing curriculum – Partnership grew
CIWA
Between Friends
Pacekids Programs
Primary Care Network
At this stage we reached out to a 4th partner related to Health Care/Medical pieces specific to refuges. We identified a gap in the partnerships expertise.

12. Flesh out the curriculum outline with the clinical information
Developing curriculum – Content information
Outline
Flesh out the curriculum outline with the clinical information
Input continues
Ongoing input to refine the content
Sharing
Online shared folder
Content/Information
Pacekids worked to flesh out the curriculum outline with the clinical information
All partners provided input to refine the content for workshop delivery
Pacekids has created an online shared folder for the partnership to share resources with the goal to create a comprehensive list all partners can utilize
This is where we stand now

13. Developing curriculum – Next steps
Clear language
Dry run of workshops
Finalize curriculum
Pilot curriculum
Translate curriculum
Clear Language
Once the content is confirmed, CIWA and Between Friends will help change some of the clinical language into plain language better suited for non-clinical and ELL audiences
We will also be translating the materials into other languages
Dry Run of Workshops
CIWA facilitator (with support from Pacekids and Between Friends) will run the sessions
Participants will be provided by Between Friends, Pacekids and CIWA
Pacekids will gather the feedback from facilitator and participants, and make necessary adjustments
Looking Forward
We would like on-going funding to provide these workshops and possibly expand the support, learning and education of both families and settlement workers.

14. Partnership – Challenges
Scheduling timings with all stakeholders, clients, etc.,
Determining any missing key stakeholders
Ensuring not missing out on any wealth of knowledge
Multiple groups involved – takes longer time
Challenges
scheduling and finding the time to meet
Determining who else should be part of the project – where expertise was missing
Timelines – multiple groups involved, and things take longer

15. Partnership – Successes
Aligned values and commitment
Openness to share expertise and support – no holding back
Witnessing strengthening relationships of families engaged in process with all three agencies
Strengthened partner and staff relationship - shared knowledge, expertise and resources
Eventual benefit to families and the broader community
Project hasn’t been even rolled out yet and we are already seeing the benefits and huge value addition through the partnership!!
Successes –
all three partners were aligned with our values and commitment,
everybody has been open with expertise and willingness to support – nobody is holding anything back
All partners have already seen strengthening of relationships with our families and we’ve engaged them in this process
Sharing of information has strengthened each partners team – and having them part of the process has also strengthened those relationships
Eventual benefit to families and the broader community
Close with a very short story (project hasn’t been even rolled out yet and we are seeing the benefits and huge value addition through the partnership)

16. FUNDED BY

17. Thank you!
Contact information:
Rekha Gadhia
Family Services Manager
Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
First Street Plaza – Suite 200, Ave SE
Calgary, Alberta T2G 4Z6
Tel: (403)
Fax: (403)