2024 OASIS Conference

Pre-Conference Experience 1: Rum Runners Tour If you think you know the story of prohibition, think again…

Step back in time and witness the epic battle between law and disorder during the Roaring Twenties! Enjoy this four-hour event where you’ll rub shoulders with costumed characters who’ll take you on a wild ride filled with drama, comedy, and live music. A 2-hour bus tour through historical locations in Windsor will leave you in awe. And then enjoy a delicious hot meal at a re-enacted Speakeasy with a 2-hour show performance that’s sure to knock your socks off.

This is one adventure you won’t want to miss!

The Rum Runners Tours has earned 6 Trip Advisor Awards including 2023 Travelers’ Choice and 2019 Hall of Fame Certificate of Excellence.”

This Tour runs from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM on Wednesday April 24th.

Pre-Conference Experience 2: Join us as we explore Windsor-Essex Wineries!This tour begins at Oxley Estate Winery where Winemaker Andrew Wilson and Master Taster Yvonne Gratton will guide you through a tasting accompanied with lunch. From there you will head to Spucewood Shores Estate Winery, the only Beachfront Winery in all of Ontario. This beautiful stately winery is nestled in a tranquil 52 acre estate with beachfront, lush vines, gardens, ponds and a neighbouring wetland. Here you will have the opportunity to sample 4 different wines and learn about the beautiful estate. The tour will end at tastings at Viewpoint Estate Winery, a place that offers wine and winery from a different point of view. An essential stop on any Southwestern Ontario tour.

This tour runs from 11:00 AM – 3:30PM on Wednesday, April 24th.

Pre-Conference Experience 3: Golf at Seven Lakes This pre-conference experience includes 18 holes of golf with a cart and lunch.

Time: Tee times begin at 10:00 AM on Wednesday April 24th and are scheduled at 9-minute intervals. Please select your preferred tee time below.

Style: We ask players to play a scramble – everyone hits at the beginning of each hole and players play from the best shot through the end of the hole. A prize will be awarded for the winning team.

About the Course: Nestled between old world pines, beautiful valleyed oaks and thriving maples sits Seven Lakes Championship Golf. In the heart of LaSalle Ontario, Seven

Lakes is a public, family-run course that has grown the Seven Lakes community for over 30 years. Its maintenance, quality and peacefulness can be attributed to a pride and restoration of its natural environment. Your experience once stepping onto Seven Lakes, is one you would expect from a family run business – one of comfort, value and friendliness.

We hope that when you experience Seven Lakes your day and its demands all fall silent. We aspire to be a place where you can’t wait to come back. A place where you can be yourself. A place where you immediately get the feeling “I Am Home”.

The course is located at: 3600 Seven Lakes Drive, LaSalle On. Transportation is not provided for this pre-conference activity.

If you require rentals or have a preferred foursome, please email meaghan@connectdot.ca. If you do not have a preferred foursome, we will select your group and let you know in advance of the conference. 

Pre-Conference Experience 4: Housing Workshop – This Housing Workshop, hosted by the OASIS Housing Committee, is designed as a comprehensive session catering to agencies looking to invest and build new housing for those with developmental disabilities in Ontario. This interactive workshop will bring together experts from the Developmental Services (DS) sector alongside seasoned professionals in the housing field to explore and address the challenges and opportunities in this important area.

This session will run from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Wednesday April 24th at Caesars Windsor. 

Breakout Session 1A: DS Workforce Initiative 2.0: Strengthen the DS Workforce Together Join us for an engaging session that combines updates on Phase 2 of the Developmental Services (DS) Workforce Initiative with insightful discussions on the current state of the DS workforce.

Discover the strategic initiatives driving workforce enhancement in Phase 2, including Skills Development, Talent Acquisition, Communications, and Data & Research. Co-creation and collaboration are emphasized as we navigate short-term initiatives while crafting a long-term strategy for sustainable outcomes.

Additionally, delve into the initial survey results and key insights from the ‘Research Data and Indicators Working Group.’ Explore the committee’s focus areas, from workforce profiling to talent pipeline analysis and local labor market intelligence. Participate in interactive discussions led by committee members, and gain valuable insights into future workforce needs and emerging skills and competencies.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay informed, collaborate, and contribute to the evolution of a robust and dynamic developmental services workforce. Join us as we strengthen the DS workforce together.

This session is presented by Rob Hickey, Associate Professor, Queen’s University; Ann Bilodeau, CEO KW Habilitation; Karen Bell, ED, Microboards, & Bob Butella, CEO CL Haldimand Norfolk

Breakout Session 1B: Dance Before You Date: Successful Collaborations for Achieving Success.  Explore two compelling case studies highlighting innovative approaches to organizational collaboration and efficiency.

First, delve into the Ottawa Shared Services Organization (OSSO), a pioneering project uniting administrative functions across three developmental services organizations in Ottawa. Discover how OSSO leverages in-house resources and sector expertise to drive operational excellence.

Next, uncover the strategic partnership between Mainstream and Gateway, two non-profits supporting individuals with dual diagnoses. Learn how they co-designed shared leadership, financial management, and specialized knowledge to enhance service delivery and sustainability.

Join us for insights, success stories, and lessons learned from these transformative initiatives shaping the future of organizational collaboration.

This session is presented by Gina St. Amour, Executive Director, Ottawa Rotary Home, Kim Gallant, Executive Director, Ottawa Foyers Partage, Margaret Beaupre, Executive Director, Mainstream & Janeen Haliwell, People Minded Business.

Breakout Session 1C: Expanding Our Horizons on the Developmental Services Sector Join us for a dynamic session focusing on two vital aspects of advancing equity in the developmental services sector.

This session will exploree evolving support paradigms. We’ll discuss the importance of embracing individuals’ diverse identities beyond their disabilities, fostering inclusive support frameworks.

We will then address the necessity of inclusive outreach. Drawing from real experiences, we’ll examine strategies to ensure representation from all communities and utilize data-driven approaches for enhanced inclusivity.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical insights and actionable strategies for fostering equity and inclusion in developmental services.

This session is presented by Alison McLean, Community Living Ontario; Nicole Flynn, Council President –  Community Living Ontario; Yvonne Spicer, Board member, Community Living Ontario; Kathryn Primrose & Courtney Horowitz, Extend a Family Waterloo Region; Allan Mills, Executive Director, Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region

Breakout Session 1D: Legal Update from Hicks Morley

In this session, Chuck Hofley and Sioban O’Brien of Hicks Morley LLP will provide a comprehensive update on key legal issues facing the developmental services sector

This session is presented by Chuck Hofley and Sioban O’Brien of Hicks Morley LLP. 

Breakout Session 3A: Future Ready: DS sector labour-related insights, best practices, policies for a changing legal landscape

In this session, DS Sector Labour and Employment Lawyer Cheryl Wiles Pooran will review the latest developments and best practices related to Pay Equity, compensation, bargaining trends, inflation-driven increases, and as well as new legislation and legal developments affecting contracts, policies and practices in the DS sector.

Learning Objectives:

• Delegates will be prepared to manage, respond to and negotiate key HR related challenges based on the latest legal developments and trends in the DS sector. 
• Delegates will understand the latest information related to Pay Equity obligations for employers in the DS Sector.

This session is presented by Cheryl Wiles Pooran, Partner, Lead Labour and Employment Lawyer, PooranLaw

Breakout Session 3B: Monopolizing Technology to Bridge the Gap and Foster Healthy Workplace Culture In today’s rapidly evolving work landscape, the integration of technology is paramount for achieving heightened health and safety & HR outcomes. However, acknowledging the diversity in technological literacy among employees is crucial. This session aims to explore practical and accessible technological solutions that organizations can adopt to enhance performance and foster a healthy workplace culture while catering to the varied needs of a diverse workforce. This session encourages organizations to leverage technology as a catalyst for improved workplace culture. By adopting accessible and user-friendly solutions, organizations can create safer and healthier working environments, enhance employee performance, and effectively manage change. The incorporation of technology is not only an investment in safety but also a strategic move towards a more connected and efficient workplace.

This session is presented by Stuart White, Dunk & Associates Inc.

Breakout Session 3C: CVNQuinte Model Nestled into the heart of the Quinte Region, Community Visions & Networking (CVNQuinte) quietly since 1978, has been supporting adults with a developmental disability who may be also Deaf, hard of hearing or have difficulty with communication. Uniquely since 1990, the agency has been providing these services that have been designed specifically for people in such a manner that is very different than traditional services in the Development service field. People get the services they want; when they want it; and with whom they want it. We will explain our model and how it is been providing the principles of citizenship and belonging for many years. It is hard to envision what Journey to belonging means without an example of how it looks. We will share what it looks like. We hope that you will discover ways to challenge, transform, or redesign your services based on our experience and expertise. We will share our model, its strengths and challenges and the culture that sustains it. A model of support promotes social inclusion, individualized services, and interdependence. People we support direct their lives and support with our Coordinators who assign in designing unique schedule of service. Our community workers choose when they wish to support those choices and synergy happens. We will share our systems, engagement practices, unique labour language and our recruitment and retention successes. A winning combination of service delivery.

Allow us to share our recipe for success with you!

This session is presented by Terri Korkush, CVN Quite

Breakout Session 3D: Try It on for Size! This session will outline a comprehensive business model for Individualised Funding developed by the Inspired by Our Grassroots Resources and Capabilities Subcommittee over the past 2 years. With membership from a cross section of agencies, family leaders and those with lived experience, and using decades of experience in Ontario, this committee has developed a model that highlights 3 pathways for accessing, using and accounting for individualised funding to promote a full life in community for people. This session will include an overview of the model and its features, as well as a unique interactive Q&A session which will allow for people to choose which “practice experts” they want to pose their questions.

This session is presented by Melodie Cook, Chair-Resources and Capabilities Committee, Community Living Windsor/CLO; Kory Earle, Advocate, Former President of both People First of Canada and People First of Ontario; Janet Klees, Executive Director-Durham Association for Family Resources and Support; Colleen Mitchell, Independent Facilitator/Associate Director, Windsor-Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports

Breakout Session 3E: Fostering Future Success: Stakeholder Engagement & Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care (GPA)Setting for Future Success through Stakeholder Engagement: As agencies look to the future directions of Journey to Belonging, they must consider their strategies for performance measurement of outcomes and how they are gathering feedback on their stakeholders’ service experience. This session will explore different approaches from three agencies in the development, implementation, and use of results of Family Experience Measurement Programs. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the pros, cons, challenges, and successes encountered by these agencies along with ideas for consideration when embarking on use of a survey or other methods to obtain feedback on family experience. Agencies are using a variety of survey and other stakeholder engagement processes. Approaches include short ad-hoc SurveyMonkey tools to multi-year surveys with robust communication strategies, and third-party expertise. Response rates tend to be low – but the information gained is valuable. We also know that there is a desire to learn from other agencies by using questions/surveys with validated question sets (including net promoter score), with a view to being able to compare results with those of other agencies. As part of the session, we will present a vision for collaboration by sharing question sets and results, so we are well-positioned for the Ministry’s introduction of a performance measurement approach. The aim would be to effectively measure outcomes for people and get feedback on their service experience. Attendees will be encouraged to consider these collaborative strategies as they embark on similar survey initiatives, fostering a community dedicated to enhancing the overall quality of services.

Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care (GPA): Are you looking to find evidence-formed, competency based, practical education to support persons in human services to age in place? In this presentation you will learn about the types of GPA programs, how GPA can be facilitated in your organization and the research behind the GPA program. Learn how after completing the Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) in Dementia Care curriculum, care professionals understand that a person with dementia is a unique human being, capable of interacting with the world. Learn about the training when we explain the relationship between the disease process and behavioural responses. And you will understand how, after GPA, participants learn to apply emotional, environmental and interpersonal communication strategies that are immediately useful back in the care setting.

This session is presented by Lisa Wauchope, AGE Inc.; Heather Dawson, Community Living Toronto