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Ontario Central and Northwest Region
Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 @ North York General Hospital, Auditorium
1-2:30
AGENDA
1.Opening
- Approval of Agenda
- Introduction and Approval of Recording Secretary
- Greeting from the Chair
- Minutes of the CASC OCN Annual General Meeting, Nov. 4, 2015
- Treasurer’s Report
- Committee Reports
7.1 Admissions
7.2 Ethics
7.3 Professional Practice
7.4 Communications
- Election of Executive Officers for 2016-2017
- New Business
9.1.Motion to ratify change to by-laws
9.2.Presentation of National AGM in OCN Region (Mo Anderson)
9.3.Update on new Faculty of CASC-Ontario Educators
- Adjournment
CASC Ontario Central and Northwest Region Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 @ North York General Hospital, Auditorium
Schedule for the Day
9:00 – 9:45Registration
10:00– 10:15Welcome/Housekeeping Items
Opening Ritual
10:15 – 11:45Keynote Speaker: Jim Huth and Desmond Buhagar:
Spirituality in Psychotherapy: Ethical Issues Arising from the Integration of Spirituality and Psychotherapy
11:45 – 12:00Recognition Ceremony
12:00 – 1:00Lunch (provided at NYGH site)
1:00 – 2:30OCN Annual General Meeting
2:30 – 2:45Break
2:45 – 4:15 Keynote Speaker: Alida van Dijk:
Trauma: Integration of Spirituality in Psychotherapy
4:15 – 4:30 Acknowledgements/Closing Ritual
Greetings one and all! It has been a busy year for CASC OCN and the many activities and plans would not have been realized without the dedicated work of our wonderful Executive members. They committed many hours of their precious time and talents to ensure the smooth running of the region and of the portfolios they oversee. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for their devotion to CASC, their professionalism and their friendship. I want to encourage you to get involved with the region by considering a run for an office on the CASC OCN Executive. There are a number of vacancies to provide you with the opportunity to contribute to the region, learn how it operates and help create and realize its vision for the future.
I also want to encourage you all to get involved with our region more actively. Several times during the year we have get togethers to strengthen our sense of collegiality, friendship and common interest in our profession. It is a great way to meet other chaplains, share ideas, insights and strategies, to decompress and engage in wonderful fellowship. These evenings are enjoyed by all who attend, but admittedly, they are not as well attended as they could be; after all, we are the largest region in the country. Those who have attended in the past speak of how wonderful and fun the evenings have been and I want to invite you all to attend our next one. Please watch for the flyer announcing where it will be. We try to have them in various parts of the city to make them accessible for chaplains living dispersed throughout the GTA. Please join us at our next one.
I am proud of the various education days that have been hosted around the GTA and want to encourage more opportunities from a variety of sights. CASC OCN provides a modest grant to host such education events. In the past, Sunnybrook, UHN and Bridgepoint have taken advantage of it to host events for our chaplain community. If you are holding an education event and believe it would be of benefit to other chaplains, let us know and consider applying for some funding that will enable us to co-sponsor the event with your institution.
Coming up on our calendar is the national CASC conference in 2018 to be held at Deerhurst resort in Huntsville. Plans are already underway and we want to ensure that it is a great success. If you would like to participate in the planning and running of this spectacular convention, please let us know and we will help you find the right place for you to contribute on one of the committees.
Finally, I want to thank all of you for your hard work, passion and dedication to spiritual care and chaplaincy services. You provide value added care to the patients you serve and bring healing to whole person care by attending to their spiritual and religious needs. Keep up the good work and may the Merciful and Compassionate One bless us in our sacred calling.
Respectfully submitted,
Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Haber, DMin, DD, CSCP, RP
Interim Chair
CASC OCN
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ONTARIO CENTRAL NORTHWEST REGION (CASC)
Public Relations and Communication Report
OCN Region Annual General Meeting
Toronto, ON
November 1, 2016
The role of the Public Relations and Communications Chair is to promote CASC OCN and its initiatives by means of a tri-annual communiqué and other written materials, in collaboration with the Executive Committee. The Chair also assists with the collation and dissemination of Executive Committee reports to OCN membership, and works with the Executive to organize and promote the Annual General Meeting. Following the AGM, the Chair prepares and circulates a post-AGM survey to secure feedback from attendees. This feedback informs the subsequent AGM and the theme of its presentations.
The communiqué is a vehicle that supports connections within the CASC OCN community, and enables members to be kept abreast of professional developments, educational and networking opportunities and other events of interest to the profession. The executive also updates members on its activities through the communiqués.
Three communiqués were circulated to members, and a few new features added. The “Who Are We” profiles highlight the diversity of CASC members and their unique vocational contexts. The “Innovations in Spiritual Care” feature enables members to share evolving best practices. “A Student’s POV” offers students a platform to share their experiences. Links to articles and resources of interest to the profession continue to be included in the communiqué.
Members’ submissions and suggestions are vital to a relevant and current communiqué and I wish to express my thanks to those members who have contributed articles and events this past year.Submissions and suggestions can be sent to me throughout the year at .
I look forward to continuing in my role through the 2016-2017 year.
Respectfully Submitted,
Alexandra Horsky
Chair, PR and Communications
Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Central and Northwest Region of CASC/ACSS
OCN Professional Ethics Report
Klara Siber-Simic, Regional Ethics Chair
November 1, 2016
CASC Ontario Central & Northwest Regional Ethics Education Module (EEM)
Cindy Elkerton RP, PCE Supervisor and Klara Siber-SimicRegional Ethics Chair will be facilitating the ethics Education Module on Friday, November 4th 2016 in Toronto.
The Ethics Education Module (EEM) is offered to those Specialists in Spiritual Care/Pastoral Counselling and Teaching Supervisors who need to complete an EEM as part of their Peer Review for maintaining their certification status, and for any member who wishes to deepen their knowledge, understanding and application of the CASC Code of Ethics.
Purpose
The aim of the EEM is to help CASC members to understand and appreciate how the CASC Code of Ethics matters and supports them in their professional practice. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and dialogue with one another about the challenges and the significance of applying the Code in their work, as well as to discuss troubling cases and learning how to apply the Code to those cases. Another feature of the EEM is for participants to look more closely at the Principles of the Code of Ethics. This exploration will provide the groundwork for participants to examine both individually and as a group the importance of maintaining healthy professional and personal boundaries including emphasis on self-care as ways of helping members to adhere to our Code of Ethics.
Date and Time of Ethics Education Module
Friday, November 4th 2016at Toronto General Hospitalfrom 9:00AM until 4:00PM.
We will present the revised Ethics Education Module. This new format involves participants working independently, in pairs and as an entire group in order to familiarize themselves with the Code, and how it can guide and support them in their practice, especially in terms of respecting and maintaining professional boundaries, as well as discussing the importance of self-care and the role of the Regional Ethics Chair.
Previous evaluations of the piloted EEM, reported that most of the participants felt that they have a better understanding of the CASC/ACSS Code of Ethics and of how to apply it in their practice.
There is no fee. To register contact
The On-line Ethics Education Module
This 6 week on-line course fulfills the requirement for peer review.
Facilitated by Tim Frymire, Chair of the Manitoba Regional Ethics committee
Cost: $50.00
To register please contact Tim Frymire, Teaching Supervisor - Clinical Pastoral Education
Phone: #s are 204-233-8236 and (cell) 204-955-3015 Email:
Reminder: The EEM is offered every year. There are three different times when the EEM is offered to members: 1) in each of the CASC/ACSS Regions, 2) on-line, and 3) as a pre-conference workshop during the National Conference. Information regarding dates and times for each of these ways that the EEM is offered can be typically found on the CASC/ACSS website.
The EEM is open to all CASC/ACSS members. The EEM is mandatory for successful completion of one’s peer review for re-certification.
The National Ethics Committee strongly encourages members not to wait to do the EEM, if possible, until the year of their scheduled peer review, which they are required to do every five years. The reason for this suggestion is that the dates of the EEM during the year of their peer review may not fit into members’ own personal schedule. Therefore, they will have to inform their peer review committee that they have not completed the EEM.
We are developing a policy on plagiarism. Dishonesty is currently addressed through the ethical principles and standards outlined in the CASC code of ethics. The new plagiarism policy will directly address plagiarism and outline consequences. In addition to ethics, this policy reaches into the domain of professional practice and education. This policy will be posted on the CASC website.
How do we ensure and document that we obtain consent when working with clients?
This may be straightforward when the place of work is clearly defined such as the “therapists’ office”. The issue of consent is more complex in institutional settings where there are multiple layers of therapeutic relationships and a variety or care providers involved. Members of the National Ethics Commission are working with the Education Commission and Professional Practice Commission to develop guidelines on consent. If you would like to contribute to the discussion please contact the regional ethics chair via email
Do you know who to contact if you have an ethical concern?
The Regional Ethics Chair (REC) is available to speak with any member in the OCN region to discuss your concerns and help you discern an appropriate course of action. The REC’s role is to provide support and facilitate a conversation to reflect on the situation.
Respectfully submitted by
Klara Siber-Simic RP MDiv, MHSc
Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner
Ontario Central Northwest Regional Ethics Chair of CASC
Email:
Phone: 416-597-3422-2534
Ontario Central Northwest Region (OCN)
Professional Practice Chair (PPC) Report
November 2015 to November 2016
Peer Reviews
The following CASC Specialists and/or Teaching Supervisors completed their peer reviews and were ratified at the CASC National Conference in Vancouver in April 2016:
Rena ArshinoffJohn Kim
Sheila AtkinsonJan Kraus
Lawrence BeechPamela Lucas
Marc DoucetDonald Shields
Trevor FinneyCatherine Walther
Austin FrancisMi-Weon Yang
Beverly Hearty
Note: Currently 8 OCN members are in the process of completing their peer reviews by January 31, 2017.
Two options for Ethics Education Modules are available to all CASC members, but particularly for those doing peer reviews as follows:
a)Friday, November 4, 2016 at UHN, led by Klara Siber-Simic.
b)Six-week online course from Oct. 24 to Dec. 4, 2016 led by Tim Frymire (Manitoba)
Note: The CRPO has chosen 50 people randomly to do a peer review and some CASC members in Ontario have been selected. The CRPO peer review process includes the completion of an online set of questions and is followed up with a telephone conversation with a peer reviewer. It is important for those who are in the position of doing a CRPO peer review to know the standards and competencies well and to be able to provide examples for each from your practice. All CASC members who have been selected for a CRPO peer review are encouraged to contact your PPC Rep (Peggy Moore) or any member of the CASC ON Council (see below) for support.
CPE/PCE Units
The CPE website for Education Programs and CASC Supervisors in the GTA can be found at and the PCE website at
This past year the Dorothy Ley Hospice offered the first OCN CPE Unit in hospice with Kelly Collins as provisional supervisor. An intensive unit was held in spring/summer and currently an extended unit is running from Sept. 2016 to April 2017.
Extended PCE Sept. 2016 to May 2017 – A New Referral Source for Spiritual Care Practitioners in the GTA, Director/Supervisor: Larry Beech
The North York General Hospital (NYGH) has a Spiritual Care Clinic that is open to members of the public free of charge. The clinic offers one-to-one spiritual care, bereavement support and/or psychotherapy. Couples counselling is also available. The clinic also supports mental health outpatients. The clinic operates primarily with PCE students as practitioners who are supervised by the Toronto Centre for Pastoral Counselling Education, in addition to staff chaplains who are registered with CRPO. The clinic runs year round but the greatest numbers of openings are from September to April each year. As spiritual care practitioners in GTA hospitals, this may be one of the many referral sources for patients and families as they leave the hospital, and it supports the education of CASC’s PCE students. Contact Joan Silcox-Smith at (416) 756-6311 for more information or to make a referral.
CASC ON Council
OCN continues to participate in the CASC ON Council, an organization that engages in a province-wide agenda for Ontario’s 3 CASC regions: OCN, OSW and ONE. Many thanks to Ciaran McKenna, the Chair of the CASC ON Council for the past 4 years who took Ontario CASC members through the CRPO process and much more!
The CASC ON Council has 10 members consisting of an even distribution of representatives from each Ontario region. The Council meets 4 times a year and the minutes are posted on the CASC website under “About Us/Regional Contacts/CASC ON Council” for members to access easily. The main purpose of the Council is to pay close attention to government activity as it relates to spiritual care psychotherapy so that partnerships can be created to promote CASC as the voice of spiritual care in Canada. This advocacy work is very important in this time of constant change in Ontario. CASC is one of 12 organizations that make up the Ontario Alliance of Mental Health Practitioners (OAMHP) and this organization is chaired by Bob Bond (OSW) and includes Tracey Hand-Breckinridge as member at large (OCN). The work of the CASC ON Council comes directly from CASC ON members’ feedback and concerns in their respective regions. All comments, feedback and suggestions welcome!
The CASC ON Council currently has the following members from OCN:
Peggy Moore (Chair)
Kathy Edmison (Treasurer)
Daina Colbourne, Member at Large (OCN)
Karen Fox, Member at Large (OCN)
NOTE: There is an opening on the Council for a member at large from OCN (Northwest).
The CASC ON Council is holding its second annual Fall Networking Day on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 at the Ottawa Hospital and “satellite sites” across the province will connect via OTN. New this year is the ability for CASC members to connect by personal computer and cell phone. The keynote speaker is Dr. Martin Rovers who will speak about Strategies for Working with Families. CASC ON members will have an opportunity to give feedback on the 5-year strategic plan, vote on a Terms of Reference (TOR), hear an update from the Ontario Curriculum Working Group and an update on Government and Spiritual Care. The CASC ON Council Strategic Plan includes Education, Promotion, Identity and Connectivity (EPIC).
CASC OCN Networking
Following are some items of interest in OCN that promoted networking among CASC members this year:
Education Day at Sunnybrook. CASC members in the GTA were invited to an education day at Sunnybrook Health Sciences on Oct. 5, 2016. Topic was An Interprofessional Approach to Compassionate Care with Dr. Darcy Harris, PhD. Dr. Harris is an Associate Professor and Thanatology Coordinator at Kings University College at the University of Western Ontario.
Networking Nights. OCN held networking nights on January 28, 2016 (at a pub in west end Toronto) and June 15 (at a restaurant downtown). Attendance at the first pub night was about 6 people; at the second one about 2 people.
Quarterly Communiques. Alex Horsky has brought a new professional look to the quarterly newsletters to keep members engaged and interested. She has added a new section featuring individual chaplains and their work situations in order to highlight the work done in the region.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
As a response to CASC member requests, the Board of Directors of CASC are in the process of completing two documents on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). These documents can use used by CASC members in their diverse contexts for discernment and support. In the meantime, CASC members are invited to use the Scope of Practice, Code of Ethics, the 10 Competencies and their employers’ MAID policies to support discernment. CASC members who wish to explore their thoughts and feelings about MAID or specific cases are invited to contact the Ethics Representative, Klara Sieber-Simic, for a confidential conversation.