Meghan Kelly is a survivor of brain injury. She graduated from The Cridge Brain Injury Services – Transitional Housing with Supports Program (Mary Cridge Manor) back in Oct 2019. During her time at Mary Cridge Manor, Meghan participated in Love Your Brain (LYB) Yoga class offered in our community – together with a few fellow survivors also living at the Mary Cridge Manor (MCM). She shares, “In 2018 when I participated in the LYB program for the first time, I was in the peak of my rehabilitation and appointments. My weeks felt long, and at that time, I felt very isolated and was really missing connection and community. As a former yogi and teacher, when I saw the program tailored for people experiencing many of the same symptoms I was, I felt hopeful and excited. The other survivors from MCM and I would walk down to yoga together, which helped us build a connection throughout the six weeks. The program gave me something to look forward to, and amazing friendships flourished. I began noticing my confidence and mood improving as well as my mind/ body connection. It was an incredibly positive experience that I will always cherish and is symbolic of a significant milestone in my healing.”

Just before moving out of MCM, Meghan received a grant to cover the expenses of her becoming a certified Love Your Brain Yoga Instructor herself.

Fast forward into early 2020, when Meghan was ready to begin offering classes to individuals of all abilities and ages through various Cridge programs, COVID happened. So Meghan did what survivors do and tried to find another way! In September, she offered an outdoor, socially distanced yoga class for survivors living at MCM. It was so popular! Six clients participated, and one of them shares, “Thank you for Love Your Brain Yoga. It was really nice to be outside practicing yoga with other brain injury survivors. It was helpful to be instructed by a brain injury survivor. I learned life-affirming yogic skills with a group of survivors, and I was given hope by an instructor who was also a survivor of brain injury. The fact that everyone had experienced brain injuries was crucial to me and something I could only experience through Love Your Brain Yoga. Thank you! It was meaningful, and I really appreciated it!”

Meghan shares, “Offering the program to survivors at MCM has been a rewarding and beautiful experience. To see other survivors who started the program with me back in 2018 and how they have grown is so inspiring! Meeting new survivors and learning from them and their experience helps me keep moving forward and want to keep learning and helping. It was truly magical to know how much MCM has helped me; I wouldn’t be a Love Your Brain Yoga teacher without their support. To be able to give something back to this amazing community is truly an honour. I feel so grateful!”

In the new year, Meghan will join our team of support workers and offer direct support services to survivors walking the journey of rehabilitation and offer specialized wellness consulting to clients exploring meditation, mindfulness, exercise and other wellness activities as part of their rehabilitation plan. We look forward to providing another outdoor and socially distanced Love Your Brain Yoga class in the spring as the weather warms back up.

By Tori Dach, The Cridge Brain Injury Services Community Program Coordinator

The Cridge Centre for the Family’s Brain Injury Services is proud to share a new initiative for brain injury survivors. Burning Love Designs is delighted to have the opportunity to offer brain injury survivors a solution to finding more creative, cognitive and beneficial projects to engage while also being employed part-time. 

All employees have fairly similar knowledge and experience when dealing with the specific material needed for this project. They all share common creative ideas for the selling and manufacturing of these items. Burning Love Inc. has the potential to offer brain injury survivors part-time employment while improving their cognitive, social and physical skills. We currently have several members who are keen to be involved with this project; they began in Aug 2020 and will continue until January 2021. 

This program of artistic expression will aid in the recovery process by allowing brain injury survivors to do something they enjoy and are passionate about. When utilizing art therapy as a treatment intervention, Burning Love Inc. employees work on various functional skills such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, endurance, communication, expression of feelings, relaxation, socialization, memory and problem-solving skills.

Calder McCormick, the production manager of Burning Love, is proof that sometimes the best medicine doesn’t just come from the pharmacy or a doctor. Sometimes the best medicine comes in the form of attention, conversation and connection to other people who have experienced the same challenges and are working toward a common goal.

Calder has flourished since deservingly earning this big responsibility.

Dr. Bonnie Henry inspired signs and coasters will highlight one of the most popular phrases in the recent history of British Columbia. The quote “Be Kind, Calm and Safe” will be engraved using the clients’ wood-burning skills to commemorate an unforgettable 2020.

 

If you have any questions or would like to order a sign for the holidays, just e-mail Calder at caldermccormick1@yahoo.com

Signs are $20 each and can be picked up at Mary Cridge Manor, 1172 Yates St. Order early!

As you are undoubtedly aware, COVID-19 presented us all with tremendous obstacles back in March and through the spring. I’d like to tell you a bit about how we weathered the storm and hopefully rose to the challenge.

In mid-March, we were collectively reeling with the fact that the pandemic had reached us and was significantly affecting our day to day lives. The number of children attending our programs dropped daily as parents chose to work from home and schools closed.  All childcare programs in BC had been asked to remain open to provide care ‘if we could do so safely.’

Our biggest challenge was figuring out what “safely” meant, exactly.  In those first weeks, we had very little direction from either licensing (through Island Health), The Ministry of Children and Family Development, or the Ministry of Health.  We kept hearing: “please stay open to provide care for children of essential service workers if you can do so safely.” When it became clear that there were no clear answers coming, we knew that we would have to develop our own protocols and decide who was considered essential service.

When we did begin to get direction via teleconferences, we discovered that all our own protocols exceeded the standards that were being laid out for us.  Licensing did a virtual inspection of our facility to approve our Covid-19 protocols, which we passed. In May, Paula began to get phone calls from other child care centres asking for advice/guidance on how to re-open safely because our Licensing officer had recommended her as someone who did it well.

We were able to help a number of essential service families, most of whom have stayed with us. Almost every afternoon, we had a parent thanking us for staying open and willing to take them on as new families. In particular, one mom who came through our Transition House and Dovetail Program had recently gotten a job in a legal office, and through tears, she told us that she would have been laid off if she didn’t have stable daycare.

It was definitely a challenge to stay open, and it took a great deal of time and effort from our staff team.

But the gratitude from the parents reinforced why we do what we do: providing excellence in support, housing, education and community, we work together to restore hope and a future to those overcoming the challenges before them.

By Paula Westpatrick, Manager of The Cridge Childcare Services

The Cridge Centre for the Family’s involvement in the field of brain injury started in 1988 with Macdonald House, a 10-bed residence for the brain injury survivors. During these 32 years, over 50 survivors have called Macdonald House home. We believe we have been and are successful in the support that we provide.

Unfortunately, there are hundreds of brain injury survivors that reside in Greater Victoria and would benefit from strong housing support. The Cridge Centre has been a community leader in all the programs that we offer. As leaders, we need to address lagging social issues and provide positive solutions. From the perspective of mental health, addictions, and brain injury, it is very encouraging to witness this provincial government’s positive steps to purchase housing (The former Comfort Inn, Paul’s Motor Inn and possibly Oak Bay Lodge) in Victoria to house homeless population of our community. According to stats, over 52% of the homeless population are survivors of a brain injury. The intentions are good. Unfortunately, the positive outcomes have not quite come into fruition. With a couple of additions/program tweaks the plan to successfully house those targeted can be achieved.

I took the opportunity to submit this Op-Ed to the Times Colonist and am sharing it with you:

 

“Our Homelessness Situation: Positive Solutions to further Positive Outcomes

The current government, specifically, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, through BC Housing is to be congratulated for purchasing local motels and investigating the possibilities of refurbishing recently vacated LTC facilities in efforts to help and house the homeless. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions, challenges are arising within these new facilities. On Al Ferraby’s Morning Show, Love Dodd, owner of Dodd’s Furniture, shared about the negative impact of the homeless being transitioned to the Comfort Inn site. For local businesses in the area, there has been a significant increase in vandalism, break-ins, and common areas have been fouled. Sadly, an owner has been threatened with physical harm. View Royal Mayor David Screech posted on his Facebook page that Oak Bay residents are resisting the idea of the conversion of the recently vacated Oak Bay Lodge for the Homeless community.

It is crucial that there are positive steps taken to assist those on the fringes of our society, so they do not become the targets of community backlash. The ghettoization of the disenfranchised has never been a solution to a social problem. Support for this population benefits from allies as opposed to adversaries. This can be achieved by committed programming support and establishing strategic alliances. There is a requirement for the initial financial investment. But its value of positive outcomes will far outweigh long term costs.

Instead of housing these new facilities with 100% of the homeless population, we should consider an integrated model. The average population consists of one in five being a person with a disability. It is clearly identified that the homeless population being supported is impaired with a disability. The majority are living a mental health, addiction and/or a brain injury.

There are community models of successfully integrated housing. For example, there is “Independent Living with Support”. Survivors of a brain injury living in their own apartment in a building that includes market renters. This model develops a community.  Instead of the stigma of being a person with a disability, survivors are just one of the renters. They are supported with specific life skill training and they blend in as opposed to sticking out. At the same time, market renters are exposed to survivors of a brain injury. Perhaps they are passing in the hallway, riding the elevator, saying “hi” while picking up their mail. There is the realization that these individuals are not to be feared. Survivors have suffered misfortune and they are trying to improve. Through positive interactions, these market renters become our allies. Instead of becoming a “mini, segregated institution,” The Comfort Inn facility could be a rich, diverse population if we designated 60% of the units to non-disabled individuals.  Providing reasonably priced rents could attract a strong cross-section of our community. This market could include university students, new immigrants to Canada or those on a limited or fixed employment income.

By integrating a facility like the Comfort Inn, we lose direct beds for the homeless population. This can be alleviated by encouraging a Continuum of Care. The Comfort Inn beds need not be a forever home. As we house those with mental health, addictions issues and/or a brain injury, we must encourage and support them to continue their positive journey toward recovery. The provision of life skills support and job development training will provide tools for these residents to become more independent, positive, productive, contributing members of our community. With these wrap-around services, these individuals will move on from the Comfort Inn, freeing up a residence and maintaining continual flow through.

If you talk to those who are homeless, you will hear stories of misfortune occurring to them that have led to their becoming homeless. An abusive partner, opioid addiction to manage pain to address a sports injury or a headfirst tumble off a bike can happen to anyone at any time. No matter the causes, committed investment in the lives of brain injury survivors will be a success for everyone in our community.

As we move forward to serve and improve our community take the time to be an advocate. Our experience, knowledge, and commitment to help are valued voices and opinions that need to be shared.”

By Geoff Sing, Manager of The Cridge Brain Injury Services

To learn more about The Cridge Brain Injury Services, visit this page.