Posts

Meet Our COR Family: Joana Valamootoo

/2 Comments/in , , /by

Hi! I am Joana! I am the Employment Partnership Consultant for the 4to40 initiative which is to connect people experiencing disability with forward-thinking employers who embrace a flexible 4 to 40-hour work week. In this role, I am responsible for supporting both the employee (person experiencing a disability) and employer as people enter the workforce, many for the first time! I also support the hiring and training of job coaches who provide hands-on support and mentorship; my primary focus is to build strong, trusting relationships with current employer partners!

I also recently started a new role as Cultural Advisor. In this role, I deliver Cultural Awareness training to COR’s support teams, while engaging with our entire COR family to help bring awareness to and celebrate the many events, activities, and cultural traditions of the diverse people who make up the COR family! I engage our Leadership Team in cultural topics and discussions to strengthen our diversity and nurture a culture of belonging among our whole COR family.

Prior to COR, I was working as the Respite Coordinator and Admin at Inclusion Regina; when Inclusion Regina and COR merged together in 2019, I joined COR as the Employment Partnership Consultant. In 2020, I proudly led the development of a new program to support families in need: Short Breaks. It’s been 4 years since I have been at COR. Time flies when you are doing what you love. When I was working at Inclusion Regina, I remember meeting with Michael Lavis, COR CEO, and Ben Morris, Director of the COR Studio. They both made an impact on me and I went home and started researching COR. I wanted to learn more about Gentle Teaching and fell in love with the COR philosophy of gentleness. Even before joining COR, I started to use Gentle Teaching with my kids. It looks like I was destined to join COR!

I have had many favourite projects during my time at COR so far! I always learn something new with every project and try to make it my own! I always put pieces of what I know, my values, and my education into each project. I have a Bachelor of Science with honours in Sociology; I am also working to complete another degree in Justice Studies at the University of Regina. I have always tried to incorporate both my learning and experience into my work. I love the 4to40 Initiative because I have seen how employment can transform the lives of the individuals we serve. Particularly, one project I love is the Job Club training that I co-facilitated with Peco Nagai, Educational Facilitator at Campus for All at the University of Regina.

I also love the Short Breaks Program, which is a new program in partnership with the City of Regina and Hope’s Home. It has a special place in my heart because we started this program in October 2020 when we were going through the Covid Pandemic. It was a scary time for so many people, but mostly for the individuals we serve and individuals with Intellectual disabilities living in the community with families, as at that time, all programs/activities were on hold or moved online. Short Breaks was one of the only programs where people were still able to come and socialize. It helped people navigate the uncertainties related to Covid and having a place to come to do art, participate in activities, and mostly socialize – it had a positive effect on everyone. I value connection, socializing, and being part of the community; the individuals we serve are equally the same, they strive for social interaction.

Lastly, I love the Cultural Awareness training which I had the opportunity to develop and have started to deliver to COR employees. I am able to hear first-hand lived experiences and understand how we can better support employees that work at COR. It has also been a lot of learning for me. I am grateful to be able to facilitate this training and get to know our COR family on a deeper level.

Some advice I have for people who want to join COR is to have an open mind and an open heart to receive, share and grow as an individual, but also as a team player in the community. What I have learned working at COR and through the many learning opportunities such as Gentle Teaching 1 and 2, SafeTALK, Person-Centered Thinking, and Coaching; I am able to apply it in my personal life and the lens through which I look at people and situations have changed. We all have a cultural and diversity lens and through the years of being at COR, I have been able to develop both cultural competency and cultural humility. They are both important, even essential in the field we work.

Fun Facts about me!

I love reading biographies of individuals that have influenced the world; Becoming by Michelle Obama is one of my favorites! Being a person of color, it’s inspiring.

One of my favorite quotes is:

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi.

This has stuck with me because as one individual we can all influence change and we can do so in gentle ways and it starts with us. As a mother, I want to be a role model to my kids and as a woman of color and a first-time immigrant in Canada, I want to influence and inspire people around me in small ways. After all, this is all we need, right? Making and influencing small changes that can have a big impact on society, at least on our own family and kids.

I love spending time in nature with my kids and my husband, going on long walks and going hiking are my favorite activities. I also love watching a good movie based on real life. I just discovered Hot Yoga and I love it too.

Meet Our COR Family: Casey Sakires

/in , , /by

Hello! I am Casey! I am the Employee Experience Advisor. Primarily I am that familiar face for new supports as they are interviewed, on-boarded, and begin their journey with COR. I have been at COR for 3 years now! The way that I found out about COR was that I actually saw a posting for the Director of People and Culture role. I began exploring the website and inquiring about the organization – everything resonated with me. I don’t even know how much time I ended up spending watching every video and reading all about COR. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of COR before! I ended up applying; I didn’t get hired for that role, but ended up being offered a new position – Employee Experience Advisor! And…. here we are 3 years later…. Time flies!

I have many favourite projects that I am involved with at COR! Most notable would be 100 Acts of Kindness, the Golden Ticket, and Employee Appreciation. I think the 100 Acts of Kindness would be my favourite! Shifting internally last year through Covid – doing a 3-hour Facebook Live Event where we read nominations for our awesome #CORFam for being awesome and seeing people come to the office and receive their nomination and receive their COR swag was awesome! It was amazing to see everyone again and there was a buzz around CORhq!

I think my proudest moments are seeing people grow through the organization. There have been people we have interviewed as supports who we hired and who have grown into Key Supports and Team Leaders. Seeing them grow through COR has been inspiring! Some advice that I have for people who want to join the COR family is that we always try to keep our interviews as relaxed as possible and more of a conversation while getting to know each other – just be your true authentic self. Our interviews are all values based; just be yourself and don’t stress about the ‘interview’. I would also recommend anyone who wants to make a difference in someone’s life to check us out and apply to be a support. When we are looking through resumes we are looking for that heart and genuine interest and passion in being that positive person in someone’s life, so make sure that interest and passion shine through! I’ve never been part of an organization that genuinely cares so much about its employees and community!

Fun facts about me:

  • My favorite book is 4 agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
  • In my spare time I like to be with my family, Workout, play flag/touch football, or do anything active!

Meet Our COR Family: Jonathan Mathieson

/in , , /by

Hi! I am Jonathan! I am the Finance and Administrative Assistant at COR. My role involves the support of day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts payable and accounts receivable, maintaining accurate records of COR’s financial transactions, ensuring accurate administration of employee benefit and pension plans, ensuring employee expense reports are reviewed monthly and submitted for payroll processing, assisting with the annual budgeting process, along with filing, reporting, ordering office supplies and opening, sorting and distributing incoming correspondence.

I first learned about COR through a referral. I was very intrigued as I was pursuing a kinesiology degree and had lots of exposure to people with disabilities as my mother was born deaf. I joined COR as part-time support in 2019, after completing my volunteering hours for my course through the University of Regina. At the time, I was working full-time with the Ministry of Finance and eventually left my full-time position to become full-time at COR in 2022.

My favourite initiative at COR would have to be the development and implementation of efficient processes. I have created a custom premium deduction calculator and I have implemented a plethora of automated processes into my day-to-day operations! I have had many proud moments at COR. It is vague, however, my proudest moment would have to be seeing the growth and development of the individuals I was supporting. It is extremely fulfilling to see someone adopt healthy habits in their day-to-day lives. The advice that I would give to COR candidates is to be yourself! COR is a diverse workplace that embraces everyone’s unique individuality. As an organization, COR has been steadily growing. If you’re looking for a place where you can grow as a person and grow your career, COR might just be the perfect fit for you!

Fun facts about me:

  • My favourite book would have to be rich dad poor dad. This book gives a great perspective on the value of money and creating generational wealth.

My favourite quote would have to be “Fail to plan, plan to fail”. I believe that people are more efficient at whatever they want to do if they are very intentional with their actions.

  • In my free time, I enjoy staying healthy and active through weight lifting, running, and recreational sports such as football, ultimate Frisbee, boxing, and dodgeball. I enjoy channeling my creativity through photography and videography. I also value spending time with friends and family.

Meet Our COR Family: Param Singh

/in , , /by

Hi, I’m Param! I have been a key support at COR since June 2019! The way I heard about COR was when my classmate in Yorkton was telling me about it when I was moving to Regina (her friend used to be a support at COR)! There are many things that I love about COR, but I absolutely love the COR studio activities! They are always so inclusive and fun! Whenever I get the chance to go for an activity with someone I support, I always have a good time whether it is art, ipad classes, or games!

One of my proudest moments at COR is when I can change my support’s mental space and help them come back to a safe place where they feel confident again after a rough day. My advice to anyone who is thinking about becoming a support would be to be open-minded, responsible, accept people for who they are, and help them be their best selves. I always try to bring as much positivity into the house when individuals are having a bad day.

Fun Facts about me!

My favourite quote is “there is no such thing as a neutral exchange. You leave someone either a little better or a little worse.”-Dale Carnegie.”

  • I can break eggs with one hand
  • In my spare time, I play video games, go to the gym, go for a bike ride, go for a walk, or cook!

Meet Our COR Family: Dante Curti

/in , , /by

Hi! I am Dante! I have been with COR for 7 months and currently am a support for three boys! One of my favorite things about being at COR is being able to witness the boys laugh, smile and interact is something which truly brings me a lot of joy. One of my proudest moments while being a support would be witnessing the boys grow into such amazing humans. Each individual has faced so much adversity and to see them push through it with the help of our team, brings me great pride. They have come such a long way and will only continue to progress. It makes me feel very proud of them.

My advice for anyone that is thinking about becoming a support at COR is to not be afraid to ask questions! Being a support can generate a lot of questions and one thing that I have learned is that every person at COR is here to help, and you are not alone!

Fun facts:

My favorite quote is, “Follow your own path and let the people talk.” -Dante Alighieri

During my free time, I like to play video games, go to the gym, hang out with friends, cook, and take my dog for walks.

Meet Our COR Family: Kassie Robinson

/in , , /by

Hey, I’m Kassie! I am currently a Team Leader and have been at COR for almost four years! I pursued a Bachelor of Kinesiology beginning in the fall of 2016. During my time at the University of Regina, I had the opportunity to learn about COR through my disability studies class. I watched a presentation given by Serena, who is supported by COR, and another presentation given by Kasey Mahnic, who is a family support and counsellor for COR. I applied for COR during my undergrad and began my journey in 2018. Coincidentally, I ended up supporting with Serena’s team, and would later accompany her to a similar presentation at the university!

The wonderful part of being a team leader (TL) is the ability to chase my interests in the workplace. I can work on teaching my team more about Gentle Teaching. I can work on building relationships with those on my team, and those we serve. Being a part of COR has really ignited my passion for being a good community member. A strong community with good values has helped some of the people we serve to get to where they are. If I had to nail down my favourite thing to be a part of in COR, it’s furthering the organization’s mission, and nurturing good communities. Honestly, I’m proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes me. I feel like my skills and talents are recognized more frequently by not only the people on my team, but also other team leads, and senior leadership. COR is an easy organization to be proud of in turn – their emphasis on building relationships extends to their employees. I feel like I’ve grown so much, in communication, leadership, kindness, gentleness, humour, and emotional intelligence. We are leading in our sector and forging our own path – something that I think is necessary for a future that is fruitful for everyone.

I always tell new supports to walk in with an open mind. Gentle Teaching is easy to understand, but when it comes down to having to put your feelings and conditioned beliefs aside, it can be really difficult. Support’s who are open-minded and open to feedback and collaboration can really make a difference on a team. Support’s can challenge their own ideas, realize that there are multiple avenues that can achieve the same goals, emphasize, and recognize that people can grow and change, and our approaches should too. We should never settle on something just because this is the way it’s “always been done”.

Fun Facts about me:

I read a lot and I am currently reading books on leadership. Most recently, I read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It has great information on how to prioritize the things that are important. As well, the book Burnout has information on the stress cycle and how to combat it. I find this especially important in this field of work, where our nervous systems can be triggered frequently. Outside of educational books, I enjoy a variety of genres including classics, literature, biographies, and some spiritually related books.

I have a pen pal from Toronto.

I have a collection of books in my home that reaches almost 300!

Meet Our COR Family: Dhwani Purohit

/in , , /by

Hi, I am Dhwani! I am a home team leader and have been with COR for over a year now! I have a very interesting story behind how I found out about COR! One day, Michael Lavis came to the retail store where I was working to buy an appliance; we began talking about what I was studying and what I wanted to do in my career. I told him that I wanted to do something in the healthcare field which was when Michael gave me the website to COR and I ended up applying there! I didn’t even know he was the CEO!

There are several moments that I am proud of at COR because of the people and the individuals I support. When I hear stories about COR, I feel really lucky to be a part of it. When I found out that I was going to be promoted to a team leader, I felt really proud to achieve something in a field that I have wanted to be in. Some advice that I have for prospective candidates is—to be kind, building relationships is the main key within the COR community. It really helps reflect your ability to support who we serve and the team too.

Fun facts:

My favorite quote is, “Every day may not be good but there’s something good in every day.” -Alice Morse Earle

I am not an animal lover, but I am a vegetarian! Haha!

My favorite activity in my spare time is spending time with my friends and family. And I love sleeping and watching Netflix. However, when it’s summer in Regina, I love exploring new places.

COR Receives Canada’s Healthy Workplace 2021 Great Employer Award

/in , , , /by

COR has once again received Canada’s Healthy Workplace Great Employer Award by Excellence Canada and Canada Life. We are so very proud of our COR family and tremendously grateful to everyone who has supported our effort in building a healthy workplace! Read about the award below:

Excellence Canada announces the 2021 Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month® Great Employers

TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Excellence Canada is pleased to announce the 2021 Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month® Great Employers. These organizations are being celebrated for their planning and actions to foster physically and psychologically safe and healthy workplaces, striving to continually improve across four main areas of focus, namely:

Physical Health

This element of a healthy workplace refers to how well an organization supports employees to develop and maintain healthy behaviours (exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.) reduce unhealthy/risky habits and make optimal use of health care opportunities. It also refers to workplace due diligence regarding Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and the management of workplace influences that may contribute to injuries, disabilities and/or fatalities. Facility design, including air quality, noise, lighting, and other physical workplace factors are also important aspects that impact employee physical health and well-being.

Mental Health

This element of a healthy workplace refers to how the organization encourages a supportive workplace culture – the foundation of a healthy workplace. This element speaks to how the culture encourages respect, trust, support, and inclusivity. It refers to communication styles and patterns of relationships and values that influence employee health, safety, and well-being.

Social Health

Social well-being in the workplace reflects employee relationships with coworkers, interactions with management, and a sense of belonging within the organization as a whole. It is a measure of an employee’s interpersonal relationships both inside and outside of work and includes aspects such as connectedness, collaboration, recognition and rewards, engagement, influence, growth and development, and intellectual health.

Community

Being a socially responsible organization empowers employees to leverage corporate resources at their disposal to do good. Formal social responsibility programs boost employee morale and productivity in the workforce. This element of a healthy workplace refers to the interrelationship between the workplace, the community, and employee health, safety and well-being, including the way organizations are involved in the community, support environmental stewardship, economic responsibility, and social justice; and how employees are encouraged to participate, volunteer, and ‘give back’ to the community.

This year’s recipients are, in alphabetical order:

AGS Rehab Solutions Inc. Mississauga ON
CanmetENERGY-Ottawa, Natural Resources Canada Nepean ON
CHEO (Pediatric health care and research centre) Ottawa ON
Connecting Care & Points West Living Edmonton AB
Creative Options Regina Regina SK
Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton ON
Health Standards Organization (HSO) Ottawa ON
Lethbridge College Lethbridge AB
McMaster University Hamilton ON
Saskatchewan Blue Cross Saskatoon SK
Unbounce Vancouver BC
WorkTango Toronto ON

Find out what it takes to be a Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month® Great Employer

About Excellence Canada
Excellence Canada is an independent, not-for-profit corporation that is committed to advancing organizational excellence across Canada. As a national authority on Organizational Excellence, Healthy Workplace®, and Mental Health at Work® awards, Excellence Canada provides excellence frameworks, standards, and independent verification and certification to organizations of all sizes and in all sectors. It is also the custodian and adjudicator of the Canada Awards for Excellence program.

“Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month” , “Healthy Workplace”, and “Mental Health at Work” are Registered Trademarks of Excellence Canada.

Michael Lavis earns Canada’s Most Admired CEO — Broader Public Sector for 2021

/in , , , /by

In 2021, COR CEO Michael Lavis earned the title of Canada’s Most Admired CEO in the Broader Public Sector from Waterstone Human Capital.

Learn more about 2021’s winners here.

Michael Lavis

Michael Lavis is the founding CEO of Creative Options Regina (COR) — a for-impact, charitable organization that develops personalized support services for people experiencing disability in Regina, Saskatchewan. Under Michael’s leadership, COR has grown to become one of Saskatchewan’s largest support providers serving both vulnerable youth and adults in-care. Michael is passionately committed to nurturing a culture of gentleness within the workplace, transforming care by focusing on employee experience.

As a purpose-driven leader, Michael embraces a culture of continuous learning, recently completing a MA in Leadership with a specialization is values from Royal Roads University. Additionally, he has a MA in Human Security and Peacebuilding, coupled with a BA in International Relations from the University of Saskatchewan, and has completed a number of leadership certificate programs. Michael has over fifteen years of global experience developing opportunities for marginalized individuals; from South America to Africa, and Southeast Asia to Canada, Michael has worked and researched extensively within various international organizations. Michael is passionately committed to strengthening the disability services sector in Saskatchewan and to forge out new beginnings for the province’s most vulnerable citizens. In addition to his work at COR, Michael serves on the Board of Directors of Service Hospitality, Caledonian Curling Club, and is an advisory committee member of the Conference Board of Canada’s Council on Workplace Health and Wellness. COR has been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures – Broader Public Sector (2020), one of Saskatchewan’s Top Employers (2018-2021), Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2021), and recipient of Canada’s Healthiest Workplaces Award (2019 & 2020).

Proud to be named among Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2022)

/in , , , /by

Today, we celebrate our entire COR family!

When we laid the foundation for COR twelve short years ago, we knew we wanted to be different. We embraced the life work of Dr. John McGee and wove his philosophy of Gentle Teaching throughout all aspects of our organization. We partnered with leaders around the world to listen, learn and mould COR into what it is today!

What we didn’t realize at the time was the uniqueness of what we were crafting together! We nurtured a caring community of people by leading with purpose and rallying around a set of shared values. Together, we cultivated an environment where people feel safe and valued, while continuing to rally a growing cadre of people around a common vision: Empowering People, Inspiring Change. 

For us, nurturing a Culture of Gentleness has proven to be the perfect counter story to outdated narratives of support. At COR, we support people not clients; we craft companions not employees; we build homes not houses; we see value and dignify rather than find fault and humiliate; we engage with community rather than watch it pass us by.  And we CARE – for our entire COR family.

Our continued growth (and impact) over the past decade has garnered both provincial and national attention, most notably achieving Saskatchewan’s Top Employer recognition (2018-2021), Canada’s Healthiest Workplace Award (2019-2020), along with Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures Award (2021). And today, we again raise our heads with great pride as we have just been awarded the prestigious CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS Award for 2022.

Canada's Top 100 Employers 2022

COR is proud to be named one of Canada’s Top Employers 2022

We are so tremendously grateful to everyone who has supported us and championed our efforts over the past decade – this recognition is because of you! We are so incredibly thankful.

To our COR family: Thank you for making a difference in the lives of those we serve – everyday! We are so proud to have you as part of our family.

 

With immense gratitude,

Michael and Jim

 

Click to read full announcement.