What is PAAS Action?

Translation by Valérie Fauteux

As you know, Interagir, the Emploi-Québec programme was terminated in October 2010. There is a new programme focused on pre-employment and social insertion at Wellington Centre: AU CENTRE WELLINGTON EMPLOI.

It’s aim is to support people as they prepare to return to the workforce. The project allows individuals to do the following:

acquire vocational skills

to take on responsabilities by being active in Wellington Centre

to get real experience

to take charge of their lives

to make choices

to reach their full potential

The process accentuates employability, competence and service. Personal goals, follow-up and accompaniment of participants in the program is based on a vision of recovery that includes restoring social and vocational abilities.

1. Each participant is trained to accomplish tasks assigned to him. He is observed, supported, coached on the job’s concrete aspects and on social aspects needed to success in his situation.

2. We offer two choices: individual training, or structured support groups (offered by CREP) in which we identify personal, social and vocational goals.

3. Wellington Centre offers a whole range of activities, both social and creative, with occasional group day trips. Participants are strongly encouraged to participate in these.

How : by vocation support as well as individual and group meetings to ensure direct assistance to participants as they do their work.

The various partners offering assistance to this project are: Douglas Institute’s psychosocial rehabilitation program, Douglas mental health foundation, and CREP, a branch of the Montreal School Commission (CSDM).

DURATION: 1 YEAR MAXIMUM, 20 hours per week.

As part of the main activity, there are get-togethers, group visits and training which are designed to suit specific individual needs. A teacher meets with each participant and group every week. There is a monthly followup with the programme manager, Nicole Gay. These follow-ups allow participants to discover concrete means and tools to enable them to reintegrate into the workforce.

ACTION Programme’s apprenticeship programme (some positions require previous experience):

1. Graphic Design workshop agent

2. Boutique clerk

3. Cleaner

4. Computer tutor

5. Carpentry employee

6. Receptionist

7. communications agent

8. Café L’Expertise cashier

9. Administrative support employee

10. Garden worker

11. Documentation and reference centre clerk

Nicole Gay is in charge of the PAAS Action Programme and work rehabilitation counselor at Wellington Centre. Madame Gay will do the vocational supervision of participants and manage the tecnical and educational aspects of PAAS Action. She holds a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in professional and school training (ISEP). Other health professionals, including 2 rehab assistants and 2 gardeners, will help clients to adapt to their assigned tasks by assisting them on a daily basis.

A CREP instructor will offer formal and individual classes. Everyone will have access to employment conferences and other schedules outings.

Each participant will receive training on site (i.e. Where the activity takes place) and will receive one on one followup.

Clinical and educational supervision will be offered on a continuous basis. People in work programmes are to meet with the manager on a daily basis. In addition, participants work on objectives with their managers within individual one-hour sessions. The latter will help to clarify each person’s experiences and resolve problems. Intervenants encourage responsibility, independence and self-esteem in participants, using learning and training activities to achieve this. As mentioned before, the participants will be trained where they perform their rehabilitation work. Tasks will be adapted to the expectations of managers and individual skills of each individual. The trainer will be available all the time and will accompany each person to explain activities. There will be less accompaniment as the participant becomes more autonomous. CREP training will begin in September and end in June. This training is well-known. In addition, if the participant works with the CREP instructor and workshop animator, he or she may be awarded an attestation of vocational skills from the Ministry of Education, Leasure and Sports (MELS).

Each participant receives 130,00$ per month from Emploi-Québec as well as paid transportation to the centre.

Rules that we consider essentiel to develop respect for established work schedules.

PROGRAMME PAAS ACTION AND RECOVERY

The program’s mission is psychosocial readaptation of those persons who require support because of a mental health problem which can affect their choice of work and recovery. It allows people to assume important

tasks, to reappropriate control of their lives, make choices and achieve their full potential. Emphasis is placed on the individual as a whole working with each one on skills and strengths.

Criteria

We are searching for candidates who promise to respect the agreement between Emploi-Québec and the rehabilitation counselors. They wish to return to the workforce, respect schedules set up between counselor and candidate to work at a part or full-time paid occupation.

They are able to participate in a programme for 15 hours per week, the regulation number of hours. In case there is a justified interruption and obligatory absence, this number must be raised to 20 hours per week. Participants are allowed 5 days of absence in the first 3 months of the program; if they exceed this limit, the counselor will terminate their participation.

The candidate is responsible for telephoning the counselor in case of lateness, illness or other situations. He accepts to be followed up by a CREP instructor (socioprofessional workshop). He must promise to respect a 20-hour work committment demanded by Emploi-Québec.

When he must be absent to go to an appointment, he must give 2 weeks notice to facilitate work reorganization.

Any absence without cause or case of non-conformity to instructions will be noted and after three warnings, the candidate will no longer be eligible to participate in PAAS ACTION. Those in the carpentry workshop cannot return to this activity after their program is completed..

TOLERANCE ZERO: verbal and physical violence, psychological violence (you must leave the centre.)

If you are interested, please contact me, Nicole-Andrée Gay at the following phone number: 514-768-2668, post 2021 or 327.

Nicole Gay is in charge of PAAS Action, and is a counselor at Wellington Centre. She has a B.A. In professional and school training and is pursuing a master’s in careerology.

Barry Crago: chief clinical administrator of Wellington Centre’s recovery programme. Social worker and master’s degree in management. Telephone: 514-768-2668, extension 307.