Quarterly Update February 2012

February 1, 2012

 ECIANS Board of Directors Update

Dear ECIANS Members:

Happy Early Intervention Awareness Month in Nova Scotia !     

This is a month of much activity and celebration around the province. Check out the calendar of events at EINS.ca. ECIANS Board members have placed ads in their local community papers wherever possible to congratulate Early Interventionists on their dedication and professionalism in their work that takes place throughout the year. This is a chance to increase community awareness of Early Intervention and the profession. Be on the look out for these ads and other opportunities to spread the word! Each of you as Early Interventionists can continue to promote the profession and Early Intervention Programs through your community connections. The more we share the more doors will open as community awareness increases. This is a priority for the field and together we can make a difference for families, children and the profession. Enjoy the month and carry the message on as advocates of the profession any time you can! We have grown so much over the years and this is due to the commitment and passion of Early Interventionists. We have much to celebrate during this month!

                                                                             - Tricia Morse, Chair

 Professional Development:

Membership:

ECIANS membership currently stands at 35 Members. Membership has remained between 32 and 36 active memberships since ECIANS was founded in 2007. There are approximately 57 EI/ED’s in the province. Eligibility includes being employed as an Early Interventionist or Executive Director for one year with the same program Past employees who have been active within the past five years are eligible for the associate membership. Renewals are available at the AGM in May

Membership forms are available on line at or you can get more information by contacting Carol Langille at firststeps@eastlink.ca or at (902) 531-3500. Members receive a complimentary Code of Ethics poster on joining. Membership benefits include access to website and forum, professional development articles on line, registration discounts at annual conferences, a vote at the AGM and an active support network of professionals working in Early Intervention.

Many ED’s share the activities of ECIANS with their Board as part of their regular reports and this process is greatly appreciated. A letter of introduction to the Boards of all programs was sent out in the Fall of 2011, outlining the function of the association and offering to meet with Boards, discussing opportunities to raise the profile of the profession. The Chair has been invited to one Board meeting in the Spring. If you Board would like an update or presentation, please feel free to contact the Chair, Tricia Morse trishm@ns.sympatico.ca to arrange a date for a call in or in person meeting.

 Fundraising/Grant Opportunities:

 The fundraising committee continues to explore opportunities to support the activities of the association. All fundraising is used to continue and enhance the annual conferences and promote the awareness and status of Early Interventionists as we grow and establish the profession. ECIANS has partnered with a parent group in Cape Breton who has developed the Weird Beard Puppetry Inclusive Troupe- a black light puppetry group for young children with Down Syndrome. By supporting this group, ECIANS will promote the association and assist with PR and other activities in the community. The troupe is up and running and plans to have their first shows this Spring in the Sydney area. Check out weirdbeard.org to follow the troupe’s progress and show dates.

ECIANS received financial support for the October 2011 Annual Conference through the Cape Breton Regional Development Association and the NS Volunteer Sector Capacity Trust to support the 2 day conference including sessions on HR topics for ED’s and Board members. 

  Priority Topics for 2011/12:

 The May 2011 AGM & Information Sharing Session on the Status of Early Interventionists in the Province led to the identification of the following topics as main areas to address over the year. This input from the Early Interventionists at the meeting helped shape ECIANS’ focus for the year.

        

         Advocacy/Community Awareness by program

         Parent’s Lobbying “Stories” as tool for awareness

        

                                       Licensing/registration process

                                       Partnership with Universities

                                       Mentorship/practicum or internship

                                       Need for a diploma/Degree plus extra piece

                                       Link to Salaries

                                       Establish a Bursary for PD

 

        Longitudinal research re family capacity development

        Clarify definition/lay claim to our contributions

        Carve out what we do and define

        Have a Strategic Planning Day re who we are/what we do

                                       Salary

                                       Hold accountable

                                       Present research

                        Samples: Child Development Specialists

                                       Early Childhood Interventionists

                                       Family Centered Specialists

                                       Family Service Coordinator

 The follow up meeting held late Summer of 2011 led to a prioritizing of the second item, Education and Core Competencies. The outcome of the day was to start this process with the establishment an Advisory Board. The recommended contacts provided by the group have been contacted and preliminary meeting date has been set for March of 2012. The purpose of the Advisory Board would be to provide direction as to the potential development of a pre-service training option for Early Interventionists as well as guidelines for ongoing professional’s development.

 Website:

We now have three volunteers assisting with updating and maintaining the website. Many thanks to Ronda McNutt, EI with IHSE EIP, Laura Coish, EI with Progress Centre and ECIANS Board member and Rob MacCara, community volunteer. Emphasis will be placed on adding article and relevant links to support professional development as well as a communication tool for the association. Be on the look put for forum updates and new information in the very near future. Visit www.ecians.ca to stay connected with your professional association.

Annual Conference:            

October 13 & 14, 2011 “Meet You in Cape Breton!”was held in beautiful Sydney with 36 participants on Day 1 and 34 on Day 2. Sponsored in part by the Cape Breton RDA, the NS Volunteer Sector Capacity Trust and ECIANS, this event was a huge success and feedback was very positive about both speakers and setting. Psychologist Bev Zinck facilitated the Day 1 session on strategies for dealing with challenging behaviors and coaching families when working on behavior. Blended in this session was a personal perspective on self care which helped all of us be mindful of the impact our daily work has on our health.  Day 2 was divided into a number of sessions, starting with a parent perspective and info on technology supports for children, followed by EI & APSEA resource sharing and HR Management, an info session from Special Olympics NS Active Start and an afternoon session on Occupational Health & Safety for Early Intervention/Outreach. Many thanks to Bernie as our hostess on the Island and to all who traveled home in the rain!

 

Future Professional Development Opportunities:

-          Continued exploration into training opportunities on Working with First Nations with the intent of having a session this Spring

-          ECIANS will develop a committee to work on OHS Standards

-          The Website Committee has placed the handouts and information shared during the EI Resource Sharing session in October on the ECIANS Forum and is exploring opportunities to maintain connections to continue resource sharing on a regular basis either through the Forum or other virtual options as well as possible face to face gatherings during good traveling weather!

-          May 2012 AGM & Info Session –Date & Topic to be Announced 

Respectfully submitted by Patricia Morse, Chair, ECIANS

Visit www.ecians.ca/forum to stay connected with your professional association and to join the threads on the Professional Development Forum.

Past Minutes: