LIFE SKILLS

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LIFE SKILLS
An Overview of the Life Skills Program and
Discussion for National Roll Out
Presented by Fiona Corbin, Program Advisor, CIC,
Tara Blanchard, E.D. Moose Jaw Multicultural
Council Fariborz Birjandian, E.D. Calgary
Catholic Immigration Society Morteza Jafarpour,
E.D. Settlement Integration Services
Organization National RAP Conference Vancouver
- February 2007
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A Discussion of Life Skills

• History and Ontario Region Pilot
• Moose Jaw Formalizing Life
• Skills into the delivery of the RAP
• Program
• Calgary An Analysis of Life Skills
• from the perspective of long term
• provision of the service
• Life Skills and the Hamilton model

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Some History

• IRPA - Changes in selection of GARS
• Service Providers and Local CIC staff
• identifying client needs and gaps in
• service

• National RAP Review
• CCR

• National RAP Working Group

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The Ontario Pilot for Life Skills

• Started in October 2004 using ISAP funding

• Delivered in six communities in Ontario
• Toronto, Hamilton, London, Kitchener,
• Ottawa and Windsor
• Goal was to help GARs adapt to life in their new
  
• community by providing short term and
  intensive life
• skill support in the area of basic skills of
  daily living in
• the clients own language shortly after their
  arrival.

• Evaluation completed in May, 2005

• Life Skills as part of RAP funding April, 2006

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The Evaluation

• What was working?
• What was not working ?
• Was the Project making a
• difference?
• Were the six projects operating
• effectively?
• Challenges

• Recommendations and Conditions for
• Success

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Conditions for Success

• A short, intense intervention with sufficient
• time an timeframe allocated for learning of
  skills
• Sessions tailored to the individual needs of
  families
• and not laid on curriculum
• Hands-on demonstrations in the home and
• community followed by real life practice
• Language match for service delivery
• Regular follow-up and re-assessment of GARs
• need for life skills
• Life skill delivery model is aligned with RAP
• Training based on adult learning principles
• Effective coordination of all key programs
• whether ISAP, HOST, RAP, LINC, etc.
• Ongoing support and training for Life Skills
  staff