25th anniversary
S.D.& G.
CENTRE DES SERVICES DE DÉVELOPPEMENT
DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES CENTRE
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S.D.G. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CENTRE: 25 YEARS OF HELPING OTHERS The S. D. & G. Developmental Services Centre is an important part of my family’s life. When we moved from Alberta in 2010 to Cornwall, I didn’t know how I would get all the proper services involved for my daughter. I got in touch with the Centre, was assigned a case worker and from then on, everything fell into place. The service at the Centre is absolutely amazing and the people who work there are always a plea- sure. we would like to just take the time to say … Thank You S. D. & G. Developmental Ser- vices, Your Services are Wonderful and we are so thankful to have you involved in our lives !! The Bobbitt-Morency Family I began working for the Centre in 1989, 23 years ago. I have learned a great deal from the families and adults, and staff that I have worked with through the years.
My case worker helped me to find all the necessary specialist, organizations and other services that we needed. She has ac- companied me to my daughter’s school to make sure all her needs are being met, she’s helped me to apply to different organiza- tions for different kinds of funding and so on. Eventually, they helped us find a respite worker to come tomy home who could help with daily activities that are becomingmore difficult with my daughter and to just give my daughter’s Dad and I a little break every now and again. Our daughter is completely dependent on us for everything from fee- ding, dressing, bathing, etc .. because she cannot walk, talk or crawl. Therefore, we appreciate the respite worker coming into our home so we can get a break from doing all the things we do for her. We feel very blessed to have the Centre involved in our lives and appreciate all that they do. It makes us feel like there are ac- tual people out there that do care about our family’s well-being and make sure that we have everyone involved that needs to be. They are truly a wonderful Centre and
When you work every day with those who are in need of care, you must have empathy and respect for people you deal with every day. The co-workers I met over the years fulfilled this criteria. The Centre valiantly works to fill some of the biggest gaps, but for many of our families and clients, it is the only place that they can turn to for help. The respite program is key to the ability of families to manage over the years, as the demands of caring for an individual with special needs increase and change as they grow older. I remember parents who, while dropping their son at the respite home, said they spend all the weekend trying to rest and recover from the exhaustion expe- rienced as a result of the day to day care giving, trying to get other services, and as- king for someone to listen. Another family said it was the only place they could leave their high needs child and feel they would not have to worry about him. We have many adults with almost no support who are trying to live in the com-
The SD&G Developmental Services Centre offers a wide range of support, including the Family Home Program. Here we see family home providers Stuart and Muriel Middleton, of Cornwall, with clients Dwayne and Andy.
munity and manage on a fixed income. If it was possible to change things, I would like to see them with frequent home visitors to help on a daily basis with mail, budgets, bill-paying , meal preparation and social connection. Often they are using the local food banks to get through to the end of the month. Many people struggle with mental health issues in addition to their develop- mental disability; they require even more understanding and support. In summary, working for the Centre has been very important to me; I feel that my small contribution helps to make a diffe- rence in the lives of the people we serve. Raising a son who is developmentally challenged requires emotional strength and flexibility. Our son, Ian Dafoe, is one of those special people that needs additional attention, whether minimal or complex,. We have been challenged by the additional medical, care-giving, and educational res- ponsibilities that our son requires. We have had great support from family, friends, the community and in particular, the staff and services of the S. D. & G. Developmental Ser- vices Centre. One of the programs developed by S. D. L:aura Lipton
& G. Developmental Services Centre, that we have used on a respite basis, is the Fami- ly Relief Program for Developmentally Chal- lenged Adults. This program has allowed Ian to enjoy additional opportunities of life skill development, community outings, rec- reational activities while, at the same time, allows us personal time with family and friends and opportunities of rest and relaxa- tion. What has been the result? We have seen Ian being treated with the utmost care and respect as Program staff have helped him in his life skill development & commu- nity involvement. The staff and supervision are excellent; they are always greet us with a smile and Ian is always greeted with a little joke – “Are you back here again?” For the past 29 years, the Dafoe family has been privileged of being able to use this support service on an as-needed basis and we could not be happier with the ser- vice. As such, we can spend time with Ian’s brother, Shawn and his family, who live some distance away or take a short vacation to enjoy time to ourselves, knowing full well that Ian is in good support hands, learning a range of meaningful life skills and enjoying recreation activities with his friends that he has developed along the way.
Congratulations on 25 successful years Félicitations pour vos 25 ans
Eric and Gail Dafoe
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