For immediate release: January 15, 2013
British Columbians were dismayed to learn from a CBC Go Public report this week that families with autistic children are having to wait as long as two and a half years for crucial speech language therapy.
Click here to read CBCs Go Public Report: -Child who doesn't speak waits 2½ years for therapy"
In 2005, David Bland -- a vocationalrehabilitation counsellor and HSA member from Richmond Mental Health -- wasmurdered at his workplace by a former client. His tragic death served asa sombre reminder that more needs to be done to prevent incidents of violencein the workplace and to protect health care and social services workers on thejob.
Don. W. started drinking when he was 13 to numb the pain he felt from years of bullying and sexual, physical and mental abuse.
The Keremeos man remained an alcoholic for much of his life, until at age 53, he realized he wanted to re-discover who he was.
A big part of finding himself was getting counselling through the South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society, SOVAS. Now the men's counselling program, which turned his life around, is facing financial challenges due to cutbacks in fundraising money.
After scratching together funding for its men's counselling program, the South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society (SOVAS) could be forced to cut its hours due to financial challenges.
For the past four years, Anne Reinders has been a counsellor for the program, which provides free counselling to men who have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse, either as children or as adults.
She said that since the inception of the program, SOVAS staff have recognized its need and has been committed to coming up with ways to fund the counselling program.
KUDOS CORPORATE GIVING
Van-Whole Produce raised $15,498 through sales of top sweet mandarin oranges this fall for the Canadian Cancer Society, BC & Yukon.
Donations of $10,000 each from Dr. Miriam Yu, and Mr. and Mrs. Sing and Patricia Yeo to Tapestry Foundation for Health Care helped launch Scotiabank Feast of Fortune supporting Rapid Access Breast Clinic at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.
HSA members throughout the province who are running for office or working in the upcoming provincial election may apply to HSA for financial support from HSA's Political Action Fund.
1. Members who are candidates may apply for up to 30 days of wage replacement and/or up to $200 to cover approved personal expenses incurred to run for office.
2. Members who are working on an election campaign may apply for up to 30 days of wage replacement, but must confirm that they are donating at least 20 hours of their own unpaid time to work on the campaign.
Members may apply for Political Action Fund support to attend election campaign training which is:
a) non-partisan (e.g., the Canadian Women Voters Congress Women's Campaign School); or
b) offered by labour organizations with which HSA is affiliated (e.g., the BC Federation of Labour, the Canadian Labour Congress, labour councils etc); or
c) offered by political parties that meet all of HSA's 4 criteria, by demonstrating support for the following:
Due to the large number of members who have expressed an interest in getting involved in the upcoming provincial election, HSA is holding another 2-day, non-partisan election campaign school.
This workshop is designed for HSA members with little or no experience in electoral politics, but who are interested in working on election campaigns or running for political office. The school will focus on opportunities for involvement in the May 2013 provincial election, but will also touch on municipal and federal elections.
The second stage of strike action by members of the Health Sciences Association hits BC hospitals today.
Workers who deliver diagnostic imaging services like x-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds will scale back to essential services as part of an effort to pressure the government to come up with a better contract offer.
