New Directions’ Office Closures
Effective Friday, March 20th at 4 p.m. New Directions’ office locations at 717 Portage Avenue, 514 St. Mary Avenue, and 10 & 11 – 254 Stella Walk will be closed for regular business. Our six Adult Day Services sites are already closed. A small staff complement will be in the main office at 717 to ensure ongoing mail delivery, package receipt, and will be serving as a response coordination hub for our homes and other residential supports in the community.
Many of our staff will be doing their work virtually (counselling sessions, clinical consultations, classes, carrying on our accounting, payroll and finance responsibilities, etc.). Other day service staff will be deployed to providing support to the homes to ensure their ongoing staff needs are met during this time of COVID-19.
We look forward to the resumption of our day services, in person counselling for families and children and our regular day programming for youth and adults and will re-open fully when the health authorities indicate that it is safe to do so and does not prolong or increase the risks to the population as a whole.
Thank you for your support of New Directions and I wish you and your families the best as we all manage this pandemic and its effects on our lives.
Dr. Jennifer Frain, C.Psych.
Chief Executive Officer
Welcome to New Directions. Since 1885, New Directions has been evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of the Winnipeg community. We have redefined ourselves and our services to work better with children, youth, adults and families as they chart their own course within the community. We strive to offer everyone the same opportunities to achieve the life they’ve dreamed of – a life full of promise, potential, respect and self-worth. Our actions and services are all defined according to our operating principles – principles based on the values of integrity, honour, holism and respect
BEYOND NIMBY – Toolkit Available for download – Click here Nimby Toolkit (web)
A Toolkit for Opening Staffed Community Homes in Manitoba
In 2012 in response to a number of occasions of vigorous community opposition to the establishment of community homes for adults eligible for residential care funding or children in the care of Child and Family Services the Community Inclusion Awareness Committee was created. This committee, Chaired by Dr. Jennifer Frain, CEO of New Directions included other service provider representatives, representatives from various provincial government departments, and other community stakeholders. The product of this committee’s work is Beyond NIMBY: A toolkit for opening staffed community homes in Manitoba. This toolkit addresses common misconceptions about these homes, outlines the steps required for licensing, and provides communication tips and strategies.
Early feedback from the Executive Director of Abilities Manitoba (a large coalition of service providers):
I spent some time reading through the NIMBY toolkit this morning. What an impressive tool; it is thorough, informative and easy to read. This will be of benefit to the entire province until we arrive at the place where we no longer need such a tool.
– Margo Powell
Free Webinar
Making Sense of Trauma: Practical Tools for Responding to Children and Youth
http://www.makingsenseoftrauma.ca
The Webinar provides tools and interventions for anyone working with children and youth who have experienced trauma. Participants learn how to use a Trauma-Informed perspective to better understand the relational, neurobiological and developmental impact of trauma on children, youth and their caregivers. The webinar has been translated to American Sign Language (ASL) and French closed captions.
Webinar Objectives:
- To develop an understanding of the impact of trauma on children/youth
- To learn the principles of trauma informed care
- To explore the current understanding of the nervous system and trauma survival responses
- To identify specific tools that assist with freeze/flight/fight survival responses in children and youth
In the Resources section, there are handouts and a written guide to the Webinar. Specific resources for educators are available. For anyone using the webinar with a group, there is a Facilitator’s Guide to the Webinar that is available upon request by emailing us at MSOT@newdirections.mb.ca
The book Big Feelings Come and Go is available in French or English to order a copy or download a free PDF version visit: