Community Safety & Well-Being
What does CAT stand for?
Name one role someone might have in a meeting
- Attendee
- Facilitator
- Notes/meeting minutes taker
- Translator
- Sound technician
- Timekeeper
Name one way you can promote an event/meeting
- Posters/flyers
- Social media
- Word of mouth (sharing w/ family and friends)
- Asking groups to share the event
Name an example of something you can do for self-care
- Debriefing with another Community Ambassador or your CAT Lead after a challenging event/conversation
- Drinking tea or having a snack
- Going for a walk
- Spending time with family
- Deep breathing
- Journaling
True or False:
The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for York Region is a short-term plan only for 2023.
FALSE
The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for York Region is a LONG-TERM plan for 2022-2026 that focuses on prevention and social development to enhance safety and well-being through proactive, community-driven actions.
True of False?
Facilitators should actively participate in meetings by sharing their thoughts, beliefs, or opinions
False
The main role of facilitators is to guide participants through the meeting. You may occasionally share your thoughts and experiences, but you need to be able to focus on:
- Making sure the conversation is on track
- Ensuring the agenda and schedule is being followed
- Timing
- Responding to challenges as needed (tech, notetaking)
What's an example of a question you might ask yourself when SCHEDULING an event/meeting?
- What day or time would work best for my participants (do they work? do they have family commitments?)
- Are there any other meetings, events or holidays I need to plan around?
- How long should the meeting be (balance respecting time and covering agenda?)
True or False?
Empathy is feeling with people
True
Sympathy is feeling sorry for people, but empathy is feeling with people by:
- Recognizing that a person’s perspective is their truth
- Staying out of judgment
- Recognizing emotion in others
- Communicating back
Name the two priority risk areas for one CAT table
Central Newmarket: Mental well-being and housing stability
South-Central Markham: Mental well-being and housing stability
South-Central Richmond Hill: Mental well-being and housing stability
Northern Georgina: Mental well-being and employment and income stability
Name one thing you should do at the START of the meeting as a facilitator
1. Welcome participants and conduct introductions
2. Work with participants to develop ground rules
3. Confirm the meeting agenda
4. Conduct an icebreaker activity
Event/meeting invites should contain 5 Ws and 1 H. Name two of these.
Who: Target audience for the event
What: Purpose of the event and what will be discussed
Where: Location of the event (whether in-person or online)
When: Date and time of the event
Why: Rationale for attending – what is the benefit to participants?
How: Instructions to register and your contact information
What's a cue that someone is feeling grief, sadness, anger, resentment, or pain?
- Crying or tearfulness
- Withdrawal from activities/social interactions
- Closed-off body language
- Raised voice/shouting
- Clenched fists
- Negative body language (crossed arms, eye-rolling)
Name two types stakeholders that might join a CAT
- Community agencies
- Service providers
- Local municipalities
- Residents
- School boards
- Faith-based groups
- York Regional Police
Name one thing you should do at the END of the meeting as a facilitator
1. Reiterate what you heard
2. Share next steps
3. Thank participants for contributing
4. Consider lessons learned
True or False?
Annotated agendas should be sent out around a week before the meeting to all participants
False
Agendas should be sent out around a week before the meeting to all participants, but ANNOTATED agendas are for the facilitators and team running the meeting. Annotated agendas include notes for each activity - what reading/preparation is needed, action items required.
Which one is NOT a good example of a phrase you can use to validate/summarize someone's emotions
a) "Your feelings are a normal reaction to a challenging situation"
b) "I hear you saying you feel [emotion] because [reason]"
c) "You should just get over it"
- "It's okay to feel this way"
"You should just get over it." is NOT a good example of a phrase you can use to validate/summarize someone's emotions. These are good examples:
- "Your feelings are a normal reaction to a challenging situation"
- "I hear you saying you feel [emotion] because [reason]"
What is one benefit of a place-based approach?
- Focuses on communities that can benefit the most
- Recognizes and strengthens existing community assets
- Informed by resident and stakeholder consultations and surveys
Facilitators have 3 roles: architects, pilot, guide. Describe one of these roles.
1. Architects: During the planning stage, clarify purpose and outcomes of facilitation. Propose a design (results-based agenda)
2. Pilot: Double check requirements of meeting room (e.g., location, size, equipment), prepare meeting supplies (e.g., paper, markers), delegate support roles, brief group on ground rules, ready to respond to changes as needed and make course corrections
3. Guide: Lead group through unexplored territory and be calm, alert, resourceful, confident
Name two ways to make your event/meeting more accessible
- Asking during registration if anyone has any accommodations (e.g., uses mobility tools, dietary preferences)
- Checking to make sure spaces are wheelchair accessible beforehand (e.g., elevators, ramps, doors are wide enough, washrooms)
- Hiring an interpreter/provide closed captioning
- Good acoustics and lighting
- Provide seating options
- Have staff ready to provide assistance
Sometimes conversations might become tense as people discuss issues they feel very strongly about. In such situations, we may have to use de-escalation techniques to cool down the conversation. Name one de-escalation technique.
- Respect personal space
- Ensure safety and an exit pathway
- Keep body language open
- Identify wants and feelings (e.g., "What were you looking to get out of the event today?")
- Closed loop communication (e.g., repeat what the person is saying to you to ensure you understand them correctly)
- Set boundaries (e.g., "I would really like to have a conversation and understand your perspective, but only when we can do so respectfully. If you keep doing [harmful behaviour] we cannot continue this conversation and I will have to ask you to leave)