Sep
27
James Bay Community Project
By Janessa Bate
Hi, everyone! My name is Janessa Bate and I have recently joined the fantastic team at James Bay Community Project (547 Michigan Street). I grew up on the Saanich Peninsula, and after receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria, I worked internationally in Japan, Australia, and onboard cruise ships with children and youth. I returned to Victoria three years ago and have been fortunate to work with several agencies dedicated to serving youth and families in this community. I love doing outreach work because I believe that is important to meet youth and families "where they are at." I try to focus on strength building, community cohesiveness, and harm reduction.
I am excited to tell you about three new programs here at James Bay Community Project: Youth and Family Outreach, "Taking Turns" and "Cool Cues."
Youth and Family Outreach services are available to youth 13-19 years old, and their families. We are focused on working with families that are living in James Bay, Fairfield, Oak Bay, and Downtown. We can provide support for anything that is affecting you. We can help you set and meet your goals. We can give information, and let you know about resources in the community. We can also help you navigate systems that may be unfamiliar or confusing if you are involved with Child and Youth Mental Health or the Ministry of Children and Family Development. In this way, we try to encourage youth and families to become advocates for themselves. We can provide a safe neutral environment for mediation between parents and teens in conflict. We can also provide parenting support and mentoring. Our ultimate goal is helping families build strengths and resilience.
"Taking Turns" is a new program for parents who are young, single, and/or new to Victoria. The goal is for parents to find others they trust with whom to trade childcare. Other benefits of the program include meeting other parents, discussing issues and ideas about parenting, and getting information about community resources and programs. This free drop-in provides a place for families with children aged 0-12 years old to network and support each other. It is every Wednesday from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM in our on-site Family Centre. We provide a light dinner such as finger foods or soup. This program is expected to evolve and grow with input from participants and community members.
"Cool Cues" is another brand new program we are piloting. It is a social skills group for 8-10 year olds living in Victoria. This program will run for 6 sessions beginning Mondays after school from September 26 until November 14 (no group on Thanksgiving or Halloween). Children must be registered to participate in this program. Call 250-388-7844 ext. 314 to register. It will be at James Bay Community Project from 3:30-5:00 PM and a snack will be provided. The aim of this group is to give kids the tools to express themselves, read faces and body language, understand boundaries, learn about touching appropriately, problem solving, anger management, and conflict resolution. We plan to address these topics through play, art, team building and group activities. If there is interest, this group will run again in late November.
To find out more information or to access any of these services, please contact me at 250-415-7721 (cell phone) or 250-388-7844 ext. 314, or send me an e-mail at jbate@jbcp.bc.ca.