The Rehabilitation Centre for Children and SSCY Centre are committed to engaging families to help improve the quality of services and the family experience related to our programs and services. We want to engage families in our improvement efforts because we recognize that families offer knowledge, perspectives and insights that no one else can provide.
Sign up for our Family Network Newsletter to stay updated.
Download our Family Network brochure for more information.
The RCC/SSCY Family Advisory Council (FAC) is a formal group that was established in 1997 and consists of family members, community members and health care professionals. The advisors meet every other month to provide input and feedback on various strategic goals and initiatives.
During the spring of 2017 we conducted a survey and hosted a Family Forum where family members identified the following ‘Top 5’ areas of interest:
- Presentations or workshops at SSCY Centre
- Social media to connect and be informed
- Family networking (informal coffee get-togethers with other families)
- Transitioning from pediatric to adult care
- Parent mentoring (being matched with other parents/families)
The Family Advisory Council is currently recruiting Family Advisors!
Are you:
- A youth who comes to SSCY Centre?
- A family member (like a parent, aunt, foster parent, grandparent, sibling) of a child or youth who comes to SSCY Centre?
- Interested in helping improve services at SSCY Centre?
- Interested in coming up with new ideas to meet the needs of families at SSCY Centre?
Our Council reflects the wide range of families who come to SSCY Centre. Meetings are held in the evenings at SSCY Centre, every other month between September and June. If you would like more information, please contact Tessa at tplett@rccinc.ca. If you are ready to apply, please fill out an application form.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Family Advisor at RCC/SSCY Centre!
We understand that information, knowledge and family networking are key priorities for families. As a result, the FAC established the RCC/SSCY Family Network in 2017, which provides a link between staff, families and leadership to support family centred care. The Family Advisory Council provides direction for Family Network activities.
Membership is open to anyone and gives you access to our newsletter that will keep you up-to-date about activities, special events and opportunities to get involved at SSCY Centre!
Our monthly RCC/SSCY Family Network Newsletter gives you information about events, programs, and research, to keep you up-to-date about activities, special events and opportunities to get involved at SSCY Centre. Sign up to receive the newsletter!
View our newsletters below:
The RCC/SSCY Family Network offers a parent support group called SSCY Parent to Parent Café, and we’d love to invite you to join! The goal of this group is to build a community of support and facilitate an opportunity for parents to get to know other parents.
This fun and informal parent group typically meets monthly. The Café has open membership and there is no commitment, so join us whenever you can.
The group is led by parent facilitators, and covers a different discussion topic each month based on priorities identified by the group.
For upcoming dates, more information, or to join the Café, please connect with Maya at familynetwork@sscy.ca or call 204-258-6539.
The RCC/SSCY Family Network is hosting regular Sibshops sessions! Sibshops are for siblings ages 7-12 of children with physical and/or developmental disabilities. At these events, siblings will meet other sibs, have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts of having a sib with special needs, play some great games, learn something about the services their brothers and sister receive, and have some more fun.
They are run in three-session blocks, one session a month.
Registration is required.
For upcoming dates or more information about this program, please contact Maya at familynetwork@sscy.ca or 204-258-6539.
The RCC/SSCY Family Network is excited to offer a new six-week program for caregivers! This program is designed to provide caregivers with some tools to support them in taking care of themselves while also caring for others. This small group program will be lead by two facilitators. To learn more about Powerful Tools for Caregivers general program, visit the website:
https://www.powerfultoolsforcaregivers.org/
For upcoming dates or more information about this program, please contact Maya at familynetwork@sscy.ca or 204-258-6539.
The RCC/SSCY Family Network has launched a new website that brings together inclusive recreation opportunities from across Manitoba in one place! We hope this will be a useful resource for families and service providers looking for recreation opportunities for their children and youth with disabilities.
Check out the website: https://www.inclusiverecreationmb.org/
Presented by: Dr. Peter Rosenbaum
The RCC/SSCY Family Network is hosting regular Sibshops sessions!
Sibshops are for siblings ages 8-12 of children with physical and/or developmental disabilities. At these events, siblings will meet other sibs, have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts of having a sib with special needs, play some great games, learn something about the services their brothers and sister receive, and have some more fun.
Sibshops take place at the SSCY Centre. They are run in 3-session blocks, one session a month. Registration is required, for more info or for the dates of upcoming session please contact Maya at familynetwork@sscy.ca or call 204-258-6539.
Please note: we’ve lined up the Sibshops dates with the Parent to Parent Cafe (see above for more info), so please consider attending both!
Sunday November 25th, 1pm-4pm
An event for the whole family focusing on siblings of children with differences. Three programs will run simultaneously:
- Sibshops – for siblings aged 8-12. Siblings will meet other sibs, laugh, talk about having a sib with special needs, play great games, learn about services, and have fun. This is the first of 4 sessions. Sibshops will continue in January, February and March.
- Parent workshop – an interactive workshop to discuss how to support siblings. Learn age appropriate ways to involve siblings, what to expect of typically developing siblings, and how to invite siblings into the process.
- Fun and games – RCC staff will have games and crafts for children with a disability and siblings younger than 8.
This is a free event. Snacks will be provided.
To register, please email familynetwork@sscy.ca or call 204-258-6538!
For families of children and youth up to 21 interested in hands-on learning about available recreation opportunities! Sunday, September 30, from 1:00 – 3:00 at SSCY Centre.
Your family is invited to join us for our Recreation Opportunities Expo! A variety of Manitoban agencies that provide recreation and sport opportunities to children and teens with special needs will be in attendance, to share their programs and opportunities with you. Information handouts, registration info, and demos will be available.
Snacks will be provided. RSVP to let us know you are able to attend. Families of all sizes and ages are welcome!
To RSVP or for more information, please contact Maya at familynetwork@sscy.ca or 204-258-6538.
View our flyer for more information.
The RCC/SSCY Family Network invites you to an exciting event for the whole family! Sunday, May 27, 1:00 – 3:30 at SSCY Centre.
1:00 pm Puppet play for children and parents/caregivers. There might be some dragon puppets that need to be made and we will roar our way through the Paper Bag Princess.
1:45 pm Workshop by Bookmates The young dragons will fly off to fun and games with staff. Parents and caregivers will learn all the fun, simple and different ways to incorporate books into the daily life of your child.
2:45 pm Questions, discussions and sharing between parents
RSVP to Maya at mkirstein@rccinc.ca or 204-258-6538. Registration is required, and spots are limited.
We are focusing this event on children under the age of 10. Children and caregivers of all reading levels as well as siblings are welcome.
View the poster for more information!
The RCC/SSCY Family Network and the LIFE Program are holding a Transition to Adulthood night, for those that will soon be undergoing this transition. The event will be held on Saturday, February 24th from 4:30 – 8:00 pm, at SSCY Centre.
Activities and supervision will be available for children and young adults. Young adults will be cooking dinner, and will be sharing it with parents!
This event is open to all families! Please RSVP to Maya Kirstein at 204-258-6538 or mkirstein@rccinc.ca if you’d like to attend.
We want to hear from you before the event!
Have you recently gone through the transition to adult services, or are currently going through it now? We would love to hear about your experiences! If you would like to share, we are looking for:
• Clients and families willing to participate in a short telephone interview
• Clients and families willing to share with other families at the event on February 24th
Contact Carol Kehler at 204-258-6537 or ckehler@rccinc.ca; or Tessa Plett at 204-258-6567 or tplett@rccinc.ca to learn more!
