Southern Ontario Training Group

Durham Association for Family Respite Services

Brockville District Association for Community Involvement

Rygiel Supports for Community Living

and

The Southern Ontario Training Group

 

announcing a 3-day, 2-part workshop on

 

ISSUES OF ADVOCACY FOR COMPETENCY-IMPAIRED & OTHER SOCIETALLY DEVALUED PEOPLE, & SURROGATE OR SUBSTITUTE DECISION-MAKING ON THEIR BEHALF

 

            DATES & TIMES: Part 1: Tuesday, April 17, 2012; 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Part 2: Wednesday – Thursday, April 18-19, 2012;

Each day begins at 8:30 a.m., the last day ends at approx. 5:00 p.m., and there will be an evening session on Wednesday, April 18.

PLACE:  Durham Association for Family Respite Services (east of Toronto), 850 King Street West, Unit 20, Oshawa, Canada L1J 8N5; phone 905/436-2500, fax 905/436-3587

 

PRESENTERS:  Susan Thomas, Training Coordinator of the Syracuse University Training Institute, & several Training Institute associates.

 

CONTENT & FORMAT: This event is composed of two parts. Part 1 takes one day; Part 2 follows Part 1, and lasts two days.

 

Participants may register for just Part 1, but NO ONE MAY ATTEND PART 2 WHO HAS NOT ATTENDED ALL OF PART 1.

 

Part 1 will cover issues of advocacy on behalf of other people, especially those who are impaired in competency

or devalued for some other reason. The presentation will explain what advocacy is and is not, some of the different forms of advocacy, why advocacy on behalf of competency-impaired and devalued people is always needed and why it is especially needed in contemporary society. The presentation will also review the fundamental rose played by assumptions in how advocacy is conceived and conducted, and some of the assumptions that are widely-held in human service and advocacy circles today (especially as regards rights, empowerment, choice and self-determination). There will also be a brief review of guidelines for conducting advocacy that increase the likelihood of obtaining what the advocacy seeks.

 

Part 2 will examine the question of “who decides what for whom,” especially when a party is impaired in mental competency, and is likely to remain so. Historically, there have been recurring patterns of answers to this question based   on assumptions about where “ownership” of persons resides, i.e., who people ultimately belong to, and who has the authority and responsibility for them. However, there have also arisen relatively new ideas about person-ownership, and            who should make decisions for whom. Both the historic and the newer ones will be presented, and the previous examination (in Part 1) of assumptions will be relevant here. This part will also examine contemporary assaults on the idea of surrogacy, deriving in part from modernistic values as well as from denial of the reality of impairment in mental competency.

The last part of Part 2 will cover proposals for how to resolve surrogacy issues, including who decides what for whom. If time permits, the presentation will also look at what to do when there is disagreement between an advocate and the party being represented, about a decision or about what to advocate for.

The presentation will be conducted in lecture style, using many overhead transparencies. There will be numerous opportunities throughout the three days for plenary discussion and questions, but these will occur at the end of a coherent  presentation on a topic, and there are no small group discussions or break-out sessions in this event. There will be breaks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon of each day, as well as breaks for meals.

People who plan to attend Part 2 must be present for the evening session on the first day of Part 2, i.e., on Wednesday, April 18.

 

FEE:   Part 1 ONLY (Tuesday, April 17, 2012): $150.00 per person Canadian/US equivalent

• For 3 or more people from the same group or organization, reduced fee of $125.00 per person

            Parts 1 AND 2 (Tuesday – Thursday, April 17-19, 2012): $425.00 per person Canadian/US equivalent

• For 3 or 4 people from the same group or organization, reduced fee of $415.00 per person
• For 5 or more people from the same group or organization, reduced fee of $400.00 per person

The fee includes meals and refreshments each day. For Part 1, lunch will be provided; for Part 2, lunch will be provided each day, and supper will be provided on Wednesday, April 18, because there is an evening session    that day.  FEE REDUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE; FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT THE REGISTRAR (see below).

 

ACCOMMODATIONS & MEALS: There are several reasonably-priced hotels nearby.

Motel 6 – Toronto East – Whitby #1907

Highway 401 at exit #410, Brock Street

165 Consumers Drive

Whitby, ON  L1N 1C4

Phone: (905)665-8883, Fax: (905)665-8373

Reservation Phone: 1-800-466-8356, $66.00/per night

 

Whitby Oshawa

180 Consumers Drive

Whitby, ON  L1N 9S3

Hotel Front Desk: (905)665-8400, Fax: (905)665-8402

 

Best Western Plus Durham Hotel & Conference Centre

559 Bloor St. West

Oshawa, ON  L1J 5Y6

Phone: (905)723-5271, Fax: (905)404-9034

$85/per night – Ask for Durham Family Respite preferred rate

 

FURTHER INFORMATION: To register or for local (Oshawa) information, contact: Durham Association for Family Respite Services – Patty Weatherall at 905/436-2500, ext 2304 or email: pweatherall@dafrs.com

 

Printable Registration form