CASC MB AGM 2015 / Page 1 of 28

CASC Manitoba Region

2015 Report Book

Annual General Meeting

Concordia Village II – Multi-purpose Room

100-1125 Molson St.

Winnipeg, MB

March 12, 2015

Dinner:5:30 pm

Meeting:6:30 pm

(Please bring your own Report Book)

CASC MB AGM Agenda

1)Call to Order & ReflectionFerdinand Funk

2)Greetings

  1. CASC/ACSS National PresidentMarc Doucet
  2. Manitoba Coalition of Counselling TherapistsDon Russell
  3. Provincial Spiritual Health Care CoordinatorJudith Burch
  4. WRHA Regional Director of Spiritual Health ServicesAdel Compton

3)Agenda / Additions / Approval

4)Approval of Minutes - Appendix A(p21)

5)Honoring Retired CASC MembersTim Frymire

6)Business Arising from March 13, 2014 AGM

  1. Student Rep. on Executive Committee
  2. Membership Fees Assistance for CPE Students
  3. Mentoring

7)Committee Reports

  1. Regional Executive Committee ChairFerdinand Funk (p.3)
  2. Regional Education Committee ChairMichéle Barr (p.7)
  3. Regional Admitting ChairJoanne Biggs (p.8)
  4. Regional Professional Practice ChairDiana Wilde (p.8)
  5. CPE Supervisors GroupLynn Granke (p.9)
  6. Student RepresentativeJonathan Jandavs-Hedlin (p.10)
  7. Nominations Hermann Dueck (p.10)
  8. Regional Ethics ChairTim Frymire (p.11)
  9. UofW Endowment Fund Report(p.12)
  10. College Development RepresentativeStepan Bilynskyy (p.13)
  11. Secretary / Treasurer Garry Fries (p.14)
  12. Canadian Foundationfor Spiritual Care Regional RepresentativeRon Long (p.15)
  13. CASC Conference Wpg 2014 Final ReportMichele Sala Pastora / Michéle Barr (p. 16)
  14. MMC Spiritual Health Committee Report Ron Long (p.19)
  15. Motion to Accept the Reports

8)New Business

  1. Motion: Discernment and Strategic Planning(p.20)
  2. Motion: Allocating/Investing CASC MB funds(p.20)
  3. Other

9)Blessing for Outgoing Officers

10)Commissioning of New Officers

11)Adjournment

Regional Executive Chair ReportFerdinand Funk

Over the past 12 months I had the privilege of working with an exceptional Executive Committee representing the Manitoba Region of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care / Association canadienne de soins spirituels (CASC/ACSS). It has been a real pleasure to serve our region alongside this compassionate, wise, competent and deeply committed group of Spiritual Care professionals. Planning the national conference in Winnipeg in 2014 afforded many of us in the Regional Executive and Conference Planning Committee the opportunity to get to know and celebrate the gifts of our local and national CASC/ACSS family. These are exciting times for CASC/ACSS Manitoba! These are also times of change and challenges that must be faced with wisdom, compassion and courage.

Motions from 2014 AGM

  1. Membership Fee Subsidy for Students: The regional membership mandated the Executive Committee to develop a plan for a Membership Fee Subsidy for CPE / PCE students. The Executive implemented the following process beginning in September 2014: That CASC MB provide a subsidy of $50 per student in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th Units of CPE /PCE upon submission of request to the Supervisor who will pass on the request to the Executive. Supervisors will be responsible to inform students of this subsidy. To date one (1) student has received the subsidy.
  2. Mentoring: The Executive Committee is in the process of developing this project. In the coming months we intend to approach seasoned members who would be willing to act as mentors for students and newer members. We invite people interested in being mentored and those who would like to act as mentors to contact the Executive.
  3. Student Representative on the Regional Executive: This change was voted on and integrated into our regional By-Laws. The procedure for appointing a student rep was left up to the Executive. The Executive proposes to leave the selection of a suitable student rep in the hands of the Supervisors group, who will inform the Executive of their choice. The student may be re-appointed for two additional years.

Key Highlights and Issues from 2014 - 2015

  1. Dignity at the Center – Winnipeg 2014 was for many in our region the event of the year. The committee is to be commended for providing a platform to dialogue about a topic that will be at the center of many conversations in health care and the public arena for years to come. As a Spiritual Care community we are not only participants in the conversation, but, also leaders in providing a safe place to address critical social issues. Please see the final report from our planning committee co-chairs, Michele Sala Pastora and Michele Barr, in this report book.
  2. Getting to know and connecting with our members has been a high priority for the Executive Committee. With the help of the national database and the knowledge base of well connected and seasoned members in our region we strive to keep our membership list current. This presents a challenge as the membership numbers fluctuate from year to year. We also maintain an e-mail distribution list of “Friends of CASC”, consisting of people who work in Spiritual Care or are in some way connected to the Spiritual Care network in Manitoba.
  3. Our aim has been to keep the membership informed of important events and developments between meetings. Our CASC MB Facebook page has been an avenue to inform, connect, and share resources with members who have joined. You can join the group at
  1. At the time of writing this report the Manitoba Region of CASC /ACSS has 72 members working in Hospitals (25), Personal Care Homes/ Long Term Care (15), Mental Health Centers (2), Correctional Centers (3), Congregations (5), Contemplative settings (1), as Clinical Pastoral Supervisors (3), Provisional Supervisors (1), Retired Supervisors (6), and other contexts. Forty (40) are Associate members; twenty two (22) are Certified Specialists; five (5) are Members Emeritus; and, five (5) are Student members. Fifty seven (57) members are from Winnipeg. Our members represent a wide range of faith groups: Alliance (1), Anglican (7), Baptist (2), Evangelical Christian (3), Lutheran (5), Jewish (1), Inter-denominational (1), Mennonite (14), Mennonite Brethren (6), Non- Denominational (1), Orthodox (1), Pentecostal (3), Protestant (1), Roman Catholic (12), Salvation Army (2), United (8), and unknown (3).
  2. Some questions to ponder: How can we inspire “Friends of CASC” and/or dormant members of CASC/ACSS to become fully engaged members of CASC in our region/province? What kinds of resources and information do our members need or wish to receive from the Regional Executive? Can we develop and implement a system for sharing information, with appropriate consents, with our Regional and National membership about important happenings in the lives of members (e.g. certification process, new jobs, retirements, family events, births, deaths, marriages, illness, etc)? This initiative was introduced by our National leaders, and we also hope to foster a spirit of caring and belonging within our region.

History Project

  • At the time of this writing we are still in the process of finding a volunteer to transcribe approximately 8 hours of tape recorded interviews. If you are someone or you know of someone with the transcribing skills and time to complete this task, please contact Tim Frymire about this project.

Advocacy

  1. We are grateful for the work of Adel Compton, WRHA Regional Director of Spiritual Health Services, and Judith Burch, Provincial Spiritual Health Care Coordinator, who are tireless champions in the implementation of the Provincial Spiritual Care Strategic Plan in Manitoba. Adel and Judith are great allies in our efforts to promote the value of trained Spiritual Care/Health practitioners in Manitoba.
  2. The Regional Executive and the Supervisors group have met with Judith and Adel on various occasions to consult and collaborate on issues of interest to our membership. One such issue is the need to continue to advocate for competency based hiring of Spiritual Care providers. Much work still needs to be done to collaborate with potential employer to fill Spiritual Care positions with qualified staff.
  3. We strive to post Spiritual Care positions on our CASC/ACSS Facebook page as we become aware of them, and employers are also directed to post job offerings on the National website. We solicit the help of our members to alert the Executive Committee when you become aware of job openings of interest to our members. We also invite members looking for a position in Spiritual Care to contact the Executive Committee so that we can be a support and resource as appropriate.
  4. We have not yet found an Advocacy “point person” for our region. While we continue to look for individuals with the gift and calling to engage the public sector, we recognize that every member of our Association is an advocate “to promote excellence in spiritual care and counselling practice, education and research”[1], and to uphold the value of Spiritual Care as an integral part of holistic care.
  5. We will ask for volunteers to work with Stepan Bilynskyy on a Working Group on College Formation.

Consultations

  1. In 2014-2015 the Regional Executive provided numerous consultations. Stepan Bilynskyy and Otto Christensen, requested a consultation on the Ethical implications of providing Spiritual Care to a vast Region (IERHA) with limited resources. We continue to be in dialogue with them as they develop a model for providing Spiritual Care in the Interlake Eastern Region with a mix of professional, lay and volunteer Spiritual Care providers.
  2. The Clinical Educators and Supervisors group is discerning ways to support Spiritual Care providers in remote regions. This will be an ongoing conversation in the foreseeable future.

Upcoming Projects

  1. Following the National AGM in April 2015 the Executive will take another look at our By-Laws to bring them into alignment with the National By-Laws to be compliant with the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporation Act.
  2. In response to our fall education event with Richard Groves we are looking for a point person to explore the feasibility of starting a pilot project in the Art of Transforming Suffering in ourselves and others. If you are interested in this project or if you would like to have more information, please talk to Michele Barr, Chair of the Regional Education Committee.
  3. We would like to hear from all members and especially members outside of Winnipeg and in remote locations about ways that we can be a support to you in your work/ministry.
  4. We have some money in our account. The Executive committee will present a motion to allocate some of the extra funds for future projects. See motion below.
  5. We are exploring the option of storing non-confidential CASC/ACSS MB Documents (e.g. minutes of meetings) online for easy access to Committee members and for safe keeping.
  6. We are looking for volunteers to join a working group led by Stepan Bilynskyy to explore the ramifications of College formation in our Region.
  7. Following the lead of CASC/ACSS National we invite members to share ideas with the Executive Committee to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of CASC/ACSS in our region.
  8. As a Regional Executive we are becoming increasingly aware that we are in a time of change and we will be faced with significant challenges in the next years. In order to face the future with confidence we feel that it is important for our Region to celebrate our history and discern a way forward. We will be presenting a motion to enter a season of discernment and strategic planningto our members at the meeting (Motion on p. 20).

Thank you to our Outgoing Officers

  1. On behalf of the Executive and membership I want to say a heartfelt “thank you” to Hermann Dueck who provided excellent leadership as chair of the Regional Executive. He has served our Region with a gentle spirit of wisdom, compassion and a delightful sense of humor.
  2. Marion Magnusson resigned from the Executive to pursue an amazing opportunity to work on her Doctoral degree in Ontario. Marion served the Manitoba membership as Chair of the Professional Practice Committee, the Education Committee and as representative to the Manitoba Mental Health Coalition. With appreciation for her dedicated work on the Executive we wish her well in her studies.
  3. Garry Fries has served the Region well as Secretary/Treasurer, finishing Wanda Derksen’s term. He was a “cornerstone” member of the Winnipeg 2014 Conference planning committee, and has served on various regional events as registrar and treasurer.

Welcome to our Incoming Officers

  1. Stepan Bilynskyy, Spiritual Care Coordinator of Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority, was asked by the Executive Committee to represent CASC MB Region on the Manitoba Coalition of Counselling Therapists (new name) as College Formation Representative. This is an Ad Hoc position. To be consistent with the other positions in our Region the Executive Committee recommends that it be a three year term, renewable once, until the position is no longer needed.
  2. Diana Wilde, Chaplain at Selkirk Mental Health Center, accepted the position of Chair of the Professional Practice Committee. Diana has previously worked in Corrections and she received her Specialist certification in 2014. This position needs to be ratified by the membership for a three year term.
  3. Christine Salstrom, Spiritual Care Provider at Charleswood PCH, Seven Oaks Hospital, St. Boniface Hospital and Health Sciences Center, will serve as Secretary/Treasurer. She has been working behind the scenes with setting up our CASC MB Facebook page. Chris comes with a background in accounting and we are happy to welcome her to the team. This position needs to be ratified by the membership for a three year term.

As we look at the task of representing and leading the Manitoba Region of CASC/ACSS the Executive is grateful for your encouragement, advice, cautions, and prayerful participation in the life of the organization.

Respectfully, on behalf of the Regional Executive,

Ferdinand Funk, Chair

Regional Education Committee ReportMichéle Barr

The CASC Education Committee was sad to say goodbye to long time member and former Chair Marion Magnusson. Michele Barr has stepped into the role of chair, and committee members Michele Sala Pastora and Garry Fries continue to serve. We are thrilled to welcome new member Beth Sawatsky from Health Sciences Center!

After recovering from the CASC National Conference in April, the Education Committee got to work planning the summer retreat, which was held on Thursday, June 5th at St. Benedict’s Retreat Centre. “A Taste of Courage and Renewal” Building a Circle of Trust was led by Dianne Baker, a facilitator from the “Centre for Courage & Renewal,” and we got a taste of “being alone together” and the practice of “deep listening” to hear one another into speech and create safety for the shy soul to be witnessed and have its voice. We engaged song, poetry, imagery and reflective questions as vehicles for encountering our own authentic inner voice. Michele Barr led in the closing meditation “Strawberry Ice Cream”.

We were grateful to Marion Magnusson who had suggested and arranged for international speaker Dr. Richard Groves of the Sacred Art of Living and Dying: Center for Spiritual Formation of Bent, Oregon to be our presenter at our Fall Education Day on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at Bethel Mennonite Church. He presented and engaged us in “The Art of Transforming Suffering in Ourselves and Others.” This event was very successful as we were taken on the journey of entering into the pain of grief and loss, and how we move through and transform in the process.

The Education Committee meets on a quarterly basis and we invite new members to join the committee. The group meets over a meal to discuss the planning of events and together with the many talents present both the Retreat and Education Day valuable to our self-care, learning, and professional development.

Regional Admitting ReportJoanne Biggs

Currently Riverview Health Center has 4 students in an extended CPE program.

Diana Wilde, who is currently manager of spiritual care at Selkirk Mental Health Center has completed all the requirements for certification as a specialist, including the consultation. We expect to celebrate her success at the conference in Hamilton.

In August a group of fifteen interested persons gathered to meet four supervisors to discuss the possibilities of entering the certification process. Several are now engaged in the process at various levels.

Throughout the year we have discussed concerns such as the availability of education resources and opportunities for potential students from rural areas and possibilities for distance education participation with technology and/or intensive course design.

At the national level issues concerning standards for SPE continue to be discussed. The issue of required graduate education levels for basic students has been an ongoing concern. The idea of keeping the opportunity for further professional growth and development open to practitioners who will benefit from the SPE experience and whose work will be deepened and improved even without the background of graduate education or the wish to move forward to supervision work is to be balanced with the continuing focus on fully credentialed practitioners.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Biggs, Regional Admitting Chair and National Education Standards Committee Rep.

Regional Professional Practice ReportDiana Wilde

Peer Reviews have been completed for ratification for 2014 for the following Specialists:

  • Tim Frymire, Specialist and Teaching Supervisor
  • Kathleen Rempel-Boschman, Specialist

Margaret McCallum has elected to do her review through the Saskatchewan Region. Her Peer Review will need to be reported from them.

For ratification for 2015, the following members are due for their peer review:

  • Hermann Dueck, Specialist
  • Ron Falk, Specialist
  • Doug Kellough, Specialist,(a deferral from last year)
  • Paul Peters Derry, Specialist

Submitted by Diana Wilde, Chair of Regional Professional Practice, Manitoba