ANNIE OLIVER AWARD – COMMUNITY LIVING PARRY SOUND
COMMUNITY LIVING PARRY SOUND
Fourth Recipient of the ANNIE OLIVER AWARD
The organization that was chosen to receive this award has provided OASIS member agencies with a very valuable tool that will help to co-ordinate resources, training and respite services. The resource that I am talking about is called “The Synergy Project, Partners in Training and Resources”. The organization that has developed this service id Community Living Parry Sound (one of our host agencies for this conference)
Under the leadership of Joanne Demick, Kim Gauthier and Carolyn Ferry, Community Living Parry Sound obtained funding from the Ministry of community and Social Services’ Innovation Fund, Service Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to develop a shared resource system to improve access to community programs and services for persons with developmental disabilities and to increase knowledge among service delivery agencies.
Community Living Parry Sound developed the Synergy Project website where people can access material from their resource library, check to see what workshops are available and even request specific workshops to be developed. 13 participating partner agencies now collaborate in this project, each adding their websites and useful links to the synergy website.
More than 9 workshops have currently been delivered and many more are in the works. These workshops have been delivered in different locations around this region to provide convenient access. The latest addition to the project is a link for respite services that that will eventually allow families and respite providers alike to gain the necessary information they need to find appropriate matches. Projects such as this can have an enormous impact on the way services can be delivered, information can be found and training can be provided.
Thank you, Community Living Parry Sound for providing us with this creative service. I was told that Community Living Parry Sound only has 40 staff members. Proof that you do not have to be big to be mighty!
I would like to ask Joanne Demick and Carolyn Ferry to come forward and accept this award on behalf of their agency.