Sharing the 2026 Leadership Gathering Report

A Summary of Proceedings and Recommendations

Earlier this year, Connective brought together a diverse group of leaders and experts from across the housing, health, justice, and social sectors for our fourth Leadership Gathering.

This week, we were proud to release the 2026 Leadership Gathering Report, summarizing the two-day dialogue and its resulting recommendations.

Read the 2026 Leadership Gathering Report

Held on the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, the 2026 Leadership Gathering brought together 95 participants from more than 55 organizations across six sectors.

Leaders, frontline practitioners, Indigenous organizations, researchers, advocates, and people with lived and living experience convened to examine this year’s theme: Building Housing Solutions for People Facing Complex Needs. Together, participants explored housing’s vital role in strengthening systems and stages of care.

“How does mental health stabilize without a home? How do you manage your substance use without a home?”

– Leadership Gathering Participant

Our summary report captures both the urgency of the issues discussed and the collaborative spirit that shaped the conversations. We hope that it can serve as a resource for ongoing conversations around these important topics.

Setting the Context

Despite the significant overlap in clients and outcomes across the justice, health, housing, and social sectors, collaboration on shared challenges and opportunities remains far too rare.

“Everyone is distracted trying to solve their own problems [and] do things on their own, but we could do much better if we were all together.”

– Leadership Gathering Participant

Since 2022, the Leadership Gathering has allowed participants to connect, to innovate, and to break down longstanding service silos. By platforming a diversity of voices and ideas, the event seeks to strengthen the social safety net through connection and innovation.

Given the presence of persistent, interconnected crises in communities across BC, the Leadership Gathering is as vital today as when it began.

This year’s event continued the focus on housing’s central role at the intersection of multiple services.

Through moderated discussions, panel presentations, and working sessions, participants learned from emerging models of housing with embedded care and services, while grounding discussions in the lived experiences of people whose needs are often most challenging for our systems to meet.

Together, they identified practical strategies to coordinate and advance housing solutions that improve outcomes across sectors. By the end of the Gathering, participants worked collaboratively to develop and refine actionable recommendations – three of which emerged as priority recommendations through participant voting.

Continuing the Conversation

Since its launch in 2022, Connective’s Leadership Gathering has sought to create space for candid, cross-sector conversations on some of the most pressing social challenges facing our communities. This year’s report continues that work by capturing not only the recommendations themselves, but also the insights, tensions, and opportunities identified throughout the dialogue.

While no single report can fully convey the energy and depth of the conversations that took place, we hope it can encourage continued collaboration across sectors and communities.

Read the full 2026 report here:

Connective Leadership Gathering Report 2026

We extend our sincere thanks to the participants, speakers, advisory committee members, Elders, lived experience contributors, partners, and event sponsors, whose support, expertise, and openness made this year’s Gathering possible.

Connective Named BCNPHA’s 2025 Housing Provider of the Year

2025's Housing Central Conference sees Connective awarded BCNPHA’s Non-Profit Housing Provider of the Year award!

We’re proud to share that last night, at the annual Housing Central Conference, Connective was named the 2025 Housing Provider of the Year!

The award was given by the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) and accepted by Connective’s CEO, Mark Miller.

Connective's CEO Mark Miller accepting the Non-Profit Housing Provider of the Year award at the Housing Central Conference.

We are profoundly grateful to see our work recognized in this way and humbled to be acknowledged alongside the dedicated organizations and individuals receiving BCNPHA’s other 2025 awards at Housing Central. Together, these awards – and the work that they champion – represent important strides toward addressing housing and homelessness challenges across British Columbia.

Recognizing Innovation in Housing and Support

Each year at Housing Central, BCNPHA’s Housing Provider of the Year Award highlights organizations that demonstrate creativity and leadership in creating safe, affordable, and inclusive housing. The theme for this year’s award was innovation.

For Connective, innovation has been a crucial tool in our ability to meet complex and evolving needs across all parts of the housing continuum. Over the past year, innovative approaches and partnerships have allowed us to explore new service models, open programs in new communities, and strengthen connections in existing ones.

Connective's CEO, Mark Miller, posing with members of the Board of Directors and the Housing Provider of the Year Award.

It has also allowed us, and Connective teams in Nanaimo and Kamloops, to come together as one unified organization. Our multi-year merger, completed in October 2025, is a step toward long-term sustainability and a strategic opportunity to collaborate with government and partners to drive innovation in the nonprofit sector.

As community needs grow more complex, resources must stretch further and in new ways. Mergers like this help nonprofits build capacity, improve efficiency, and ensure every dollar invested in programs has the greatest possible impact. With shared leadership, systems, programs, and vision, we are more prepared than ever to respond to evolving challenges.

Today, our newly united team of 1,200+ staff delivers more than 100 programs and manages 1,700 housing units across 29 communities.

A wide angle photo of Connective's tiny homes program in Nanaimo.

A kitchen manager holds out a bowl of chili prepared for residents of a housing program.

A tenant support worker takes notes during a meeting with a program resident.

We’re proud of the work we’ve done, and of the ways it has opened the door to safe, secure, and affordable homes for more people than ever before.

In the last year alone, we have opened or begun the implementation process for programs focused on supportive housing, transitional housing, affordable housing, treatment and recovery, secure care, and acquired brain injury and dementia care.

This growth has been fueled by our commitment to innovation, our willingness to meet underserved and emerging needs head-on, and our refusal to compromise on our values or the core tenets of our approach.

Strength in Collaboration

We also know that none of our work happens in isolation. Our success is rooted in the trust and resilience of those who access our services, the support of the communities in which they reside, and the collaboration with partners who help make our programs possible.

This recognition belongs to all of them, to our staff, and to the idea that everyone deserves a place to call home.

It also speaks to the power of partnership. Across BC and the Yukon, Connective has established a range of effective partnerships at the community, provincial / territorial, and federal level. We’re proud to work alongside organizations such as the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), Seniors Services Society of BC, and the Council of Yukon First Nations, whose leadership and shared commitment to culturally informed, inclusive, and accessible housing have shaped and strengthened our collective efforts.

Looking Ahead

We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we know there is much more to do. Rather than marking an endpoint, this award encourages us to continue working to ensure that every person has access to safe, stable, and inclusive housing.

We look forward to building on this momentum, are eager to continue investing in what works, and remain ready to meet complex and emerging challenges across all stages of the housing continuum.

We’re deeply grateful to BCNPHA and Housing Central for this recognition, and to all who continue to support and strengthen our work every day.

Announcing our Partnership – Connective and AHMA

Working together to create more housing opportunities for underserved Indigenous people living off reserve in communities across BC

Connective is excited to share that we have recently formalized a two-year partnership with the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). Together, we will find innovative ways to create more housing opportunities for underserved Indigenous people living off reserve in communities across BC.

Connective joined Aboriginal Housing Management Association at their Annual General Meeting.

Connective recently joined AHMA at their Annual General Meeting, where we recognized and celebrated our new partnership.

About AHMA

Established in 1996, when the federal government stopped managing affordable housing, AHMA is the first Indigenous housing authority in Canada. Over the years they have grown into a recognized leader in Indigenous housing solutions, and a trusted advocate for the housing rights of Indigenous people in urban, rural, and northern communities.

AHMA is a membership-based organization, and its members manage over 95% of all Indigenous housing units located off reserve in BC.

AHMA impact stats. 35 programs, 6800 units, 10,000+ tenants.

AHMA provides For Indigenous, By Indigenous support for housing societies working on behalf of Indigenous people in BC. Their range of services include advocacy, policy advancement, asset management, and operational, finance, and governance support.

Learn More About AHMA

Empowering Indigenous-Led Solutions

Connective recognizes the privilege and responsibility of providing services to Indigenous communities across BC and in the Yukon.

In our role as an essential service provider, we are committed to incorporating Indigenous perspectives and expertise into all that we do, to ensure we are meeting the distinct needs of our service users and their communities. Past efforts to facilitate this have included our partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations, and the formation of our Indigenous Advisory Committee.

These last few years, we have been privileged to field an increasing number of requests to respond to unmet needs in rural and remote communities across BC, especially in the north. Responding to these needs in ways that are sensitive to existing services, that support the capacity of local organizations, and that foreground our values, requires strong collaborative relationships with First Nations and urban Indigenous service providers and communities.

The partnership between AHMA and Connective is exactly that – a unique opportunity to leverage our respective strengths, expertise, networks, and resources, to empower Indigenous people to develop their own housing services.

While we are still working on defining specific projects for the remainder of this fiscal year, our general commitments include:

Coordinating responses to emergent needs.

Delivering culturally safe, sensitive, and relevant services.

Sharing information on lessons learned.

Exploring funding opportunities for new culturally supportive housing options.

Identifying Indigenous communities, agencies, or AHMA members who have interest in capacity building services.

Designing and embedding exit or transition plans into projects, to ensure long-term sustainability of services for Indigenous communities.

We are excited for this opportunity to come together, and can’t wait to see what the future of this partnership holds!

A New Program in Prince George – Juniper House

Offering safe, secure housing and wraparound supports to 14 adults with dementia or acquired brain injuries

Connective is proud to announce the launch of a new program in Prince George – Juniper House Long-Term Care. One of several Connective programs opening in PG this year, we are honoured to provide this service and continue responding to the needs of our growing community.

Map of BC and Yukon, with a pin located on Prince George BC.

Introducing: Juniper House

Juniper House is a licensed care program that will provide a safe and supportive home for adults and seniors living with dementia or acquired brain injuries (ABI). Located at 1777 Yew Street, this 14-unit facility offers 24/7 wraparound support tailored to the unique needs and goals of each resident.

Set to begin welcoming its first residents this month, the program offers individuals who have been referred by Northern Health the opportunity to live more independently within the community, while having their care needs met. Residents will benefit from nutritious meals, individualized case planning, and access to a wide range of community resources to support their well-being.

“Juniper House hopes to significantly enhance the quality of life for its service users by providing tailored, compassionate care that addresses their unique needs. Staff are excited to help foster a sense of dignity and independence among residents, even as they navigate complex health challenges. For families, we hope to offer the peace of mind that comes with knowing their loved ones are in a supportive and professional environment.”

– Tim, Senior Manager

A New Chapter at 1777 Yew Street

After several months of thoughtful renovations, the former senior’s lodge is ready for its new life as a community care facility. Connective’s partnership with Northern Health has ensured the program is designed to meet the needs of those living with dementia and acquired brain injuries. The facility features individualized units, shared bathrooms and common spaces, along with an inviting outdoor and garden space for residents to enjoy.

Garden, common spaces, and private suite at Juniper House.

The building’s use as a licensed care facility aligns with its preestablished purpose and fits into the existing neighbourhood dynamic, while allowing us to repurpose an unutilized space to respond to the housing crisis and alleviate pressure on hospitals and other clinical facilities.

This program’s location also provides residents with easy access to local infrastructure – including healthcare, transit networks, shops, public spaces, and other amenities – allowing them to feel included in community.

10 of the building’s units will be dedicated to seniors with dementia, and four for adults with ABI. seniors housing prince george bc

“The program has been designed to encourage social interaction and meaningful engagement through group activities, social events, and personalized care. Together with family involvement, we hope to maintain and even strengthen the social bonds that are crucial for residents’ emotional and mental health.”

– Tim, Senior Manager

A New Resource for Prince George

The housing crisis has had detrimental effects on everyone’s well-being, but especially on those who are also dealing with overlapping challenges – such as those struggling with dementia and in need of long-term care facilities, or those living with acquired brain injuries. This is true across the province, and Prince George is no different.

“Juniper House will play a role in addressing the growing needs of an aging population and individuals requiring specialized care in Prince George. The facility will also enhance community health infrastructure by providing employment opportunities and fostering a welcoming, diverse community. By offering all of this locally, Juniper House will help keep families united and preserve its residents’ sense of belonging.”

– Tim, Senior Manager

Connective has been actively delivering services in Prince George for the last several years. Our team of over 100 local staff are excited to expand our growing range of programs and services with the addition of Juniper House, and to get to know our new neighbours at this location.

Why ‘Juniper’?

The program’s name references the evergreen shrub. With a distinct woody and fragrant smell, juniper is a resilient plant that can make it through even the harshest growing conditions. As a staple for birds and mammals during tough winter months, they are often associated with hope.

“We hope to see the facility becoming an integral part of the community, offering new opportunities for engagement, connection, and support among residents, staff, and the broader community.”

In addition to this program, we are honoured to operate the supportive housing programs at 160 Ontario Street and 1550 Victoria Street, the ACES employment program, and a range of community outreach and support initiatives.

Looking Ahead

Over the next few weeks, Juniper House will begin welcoming its first residents, with the goal of having the program fully occupied and operating by mid-November.

Staff are looking forward to settling into a sense of daily routine, and beginning to see positive impacts on the lives of service users and their families.

For those who are interested in admission to Juniper House:

Admission Criteria

Individuals must either:

Be living with dementia and eligible for long term care services or
Be living with an acquired brain injury

Beyond these requirements, residents are selected for this program through the Northern Health Authority’s referral process.

To engage with this process, we recommend contacting the Home Health / Community Services office nearest you.

You can also find more information – including eligibility requirements and referral, application, and assessment processes – by visiting Northern Health’s Accessing Services page.

Sharing our 2023-24 Annual Report

Chronicling the ways we continue to grow as an organization, evolve as an essential service provider, and adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

Last week we were excited to share the launch of our 2023-24 Annual Report.

READ OUR REPORT

The narrative it weaves is one of collective dedication, ingenuity, and accountability. It chronicles the inspiring ways we continue to grow as an organization, evolve as an essential service provider, and adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

We are immensely proud of these achievements, the impacts they’ve had on the lives of our service users, and the ways they’ve contributed to our vision of a safe, healthy, and inclusive community for all.

While we invite everyone to read the complete report, we wanted to share some of our favorite highlights.

Our Year in Numbers

Expanding Our Reach

Finding New Ways to Meet the Needs of our Communities

My Home Place – Supportive Housing in Dawson Creek

In late 2023, Connective was proud to assume operation of an existing program in Dawson Creek, BC, marking our first time offering services in the community.

Map of BC and Yukon with a pin on Dawson Creek.

When the program’s previous operator decided to step away, Connective was selected by BC Housing to fill the impending gap and avoid service disruption. Throughout the transition we worked closely with the former operator and are excited to continue building on the strong foundation they established.

We are grateful for the chance to leverage our expertise in service to Dawson Creek, and to continue providing this essential service at a time when housing instability is at an all-time high.

“My favorite part of working at My Home Place is the fulfilment that I have knowing that I am making a positive impact and difference in the lives of our residents. In the years that I have worked at My Home Place, I have developed meaningful connections with the residents and witnessed their progress…and this has been rewarding.”

– Tolu, Program Manager

Cornerstone – Supportive Housing in Nanaimo

In May of this year, Connective Nanaimo was so excited and proud to welcome the first residents to Cornerstone, a 51-unit supportive housing building on Prideaux Street. While this project was just over two years in the making, its completion marks the realization of a much longer-held goal for Connective Nanaimo.

“We are deeply honoured to assist in ensuring people experiencing homelessness in our community have access to safe and secure housing.”

– Susan Clift, Board Chair, Connective Nanaimo

Alongside a permanent place to live, residents will receive a range of 24/7 support services, including two meals per day, life and employment skills training, health and wellness support, and referrals to addiction recovery services.

Overcoming Barriers to Employment in Kamloops

Multi-Barrier Program

This past year, Connective Kamloops began offering a new opportunity to individuals facing multiple barriers to employment. Responding to an urgent, identified need, participants completed specialized training with BC Ambulance.

The Multi-Barrier Program supported 10 individuals through training and testing, helping them cover fees, acquire their Class 4 license (a common barrier for many), and more. Five of the trainees were hired to work as ambulance technicians, while the other five took adjacent work paths, including as medics for fire response.

Most trainees will be working in remote Indigenous communities, bridging a gap in existing levels of critical emergency response care.

“When people are in crisis, it’s important that they feel comfortable. That they have a trained, skilled worker supporting them. So, the emergency responder course…It’s just a beautiful thing to be able to offer for people.”

– Tammi, Director of Health, Housing and Employment

Remote Service Delivery

ACES Training in Kwadacha First Nation

“Every time we go to remote communities, I just feel so honoured to be invited…I once heard this speaker, Doctor Dustin Louie, talking about how real interactions start when you go to communities. That felt so fitting. It’s such a different experience to be a part of it…You’re building skills and teaching new things, and at the same time, you’re being taught new things.”

– Danielle, Program Manager

Lorne’s Story

Bedford Manor

Though art mostly took a back seat to life during his early-adult years, Lorne began to feel its pull once more. In his 40’s, Lorne tentatively began to paint. He had no formal instruction and was worried he’d “never be able to paint anything that was half decent.” Putting his reservations aside, Lorne persevered. With the help of instructional books and the sagely wisdom of TV artist Bob Ross, he quickly found his groove and has never looked back. 43 years later, now living at Bedford Manor, Lorne is still going strong.

Every month, Lorne contributes a painting to Bedford Manor’s monthly newsletter. The residents look forward to seeing his work, and it makes Lorne feel good, too. It’s a nice way to contribute to the place he calls home. Lorne is deeply appreciative of program staff, who “help him with anything he needs,” and of the building’s location, which provides easy access to local essentials. For Lorne, Bedford Manor is “a good fit” – staff and residents are inclined to agree.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Connective, we believe that the diverse characteristics of individuals enrich our communities, and strive to create spaces where those differences are welcomed, valued, and celebrated. We recognize this process is ongoing, and we are committed to continuously improving.

This past year, we were excited to continue our DEI journey:

Enhanced our recruitment process by updating job postings with inclusive language to improve accessibility, remove barriers, and add the physical requirements of each position.

Reformulated Connective’s DEI team/department leads group and worked to develop strategic goals aimed at embedding DEI principles across the organization.

Posted regularly to Workvivo, our internal communication platform, highlighting relevant DEI observances such as Ramadan, Pride, and Earth Day. These aimed to promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity within our workplace.

Elmbrook Supportive Housing: Secured an Indigenous Elder to visit on a bi-monthly basis. This has been a goal since the program’s opening, but one that was challenging to achieve.

Miyáqˈelhá:wetawt: Successfully completed the process to become a Section 84 destination for Indigenous service users applying for Section 84 releases. Service users also regularly attended local cultural nights and provided donations of traditional crafts, including regalia, to families.

Tri-cities Outreach: Identified and addressed a gap in providing a safe space for women by starting a monthly life skill and relationship building group.

Home Share: Enrolled several managers into American Sign Language classes to better understand and connect with persons served.

These are just a few partial highlights of the many different stories and updates captured in our Annual Report for 2023-24. We encourage you to read through the entire report by visiting the link below.

Read our Annual Report

Sharing our 2023 Leadership Gathering Report

The Connective Leadership Gathering brings together invited representatives to engage in critical discussions about key policy issues.

Man sitting down talking into a microphone with people sitting down around him.

On October 16-17, Connective hosted the second annual Leadership Gathering.

Click here to read the report.

At this two-day dialogue, invited representatives from across the justice, health, and social sectors came together to focus on improving the delivery of services to individuals facing complex barriers.

Read our Leadership Gathering Report

The Connective Leadership Gathering offers a unique opportunity for decision-makers, subject-matter experts, front-line service providers, and people with lived experience to embrace vulnerability and share openly; to transcend service silos, and reach across organizational, ministerial, and sectoral lines; to challenge one another, to let go of old ideas or roadblocks, and to find new ways of working together.

This year’s theme, Supported and Effective Transitions, focused on the increased vulnerability that service users experience when moving from one setting, system, or service to another:

Transitions from corrections to the community, including from custody to community and from community supervision to post-sentence.

Transitions from in-patient therapeutic care for mental health and substance use disorders into the community.

Transitions into institutional settings for anticipated short stays.

Building off the success of last year’s inaugural Gathering, and the enthusiasm from its participants, we were excited to restructure this year’s event. We extended it across two full days and allowed ourselves to grow our ambitions.

Where last year’s Gathering placed a greater emphasis on connections and conversations, this year’s asked participants to engage in a more active process of idea creation, critique, and revision.

At the end of this moderated process, attendees had developed a series of six concrete, practical, and targeted recommendations for improving system-to-system transitions.

Setting the Stage – The Leadership Gathering, in Context

As a long-standing nonprofit service provider, our decision to spearhead this event for the second year in a row was an easy one to make.

Over 90+ years of operation, we have become all too familiar with the new and evolving ways that communities across BC and in the Yukon can struggle with severe social and health crises.

Deaths from drug poisoning remain at historically high levels; Untreated mental health and substance use disorders in the community bring harm to individuals, cause anxiety in neighbourhoods, and engage the attention of the criminal justice system; Homelessness remains a persistent and stubborn issue; global economic and political turmoil drives the cost of living ever upward; impacts and anxiety from a rapidly changing climate put lives and mental well-being at risk; the ongoing housing crisis puts safety and stability out of reach for many.

Leadership gathering themes.

As all of this adds up, the speed of change and the rise in complexity demands more from us at every corner – more services to reach more individuals in more places and more ways than ever before.

To make this happen, we all need to work together. This is the promise and the potential of the Leadership Gathering.

Putting Promise into Practice

We were honoured to start this year’s event with the perspectives of those with lived experience – their openness and vulnerability in sharing set the tone for the sessions that would follow, and offered all participants a good reminder of why they were there.

Having heard from those who had navigated service and sector transitions themselves, participants then formed breakout groups to further discuss and explore key issues and roadblocks. Issues were also sorted into one of three types – system level, operational level, or individual (i.e., beliefs and attitudes) level.

In the latter half of the day, the smaller groups came back together, and issues were presented so that all participants had a chance to seek clarification or make further contributions. To set the stage for Day 2, participants then ranked their interest in pursuing solutions to each of the issues that had been identified. Those that received the greatest levels of support were carried forward.

On Day 2, participants again worked together in small groups, this tim to design solutions to the issues voted on during Day 1.

For each solution, the goal was to identify:

Who should be responsible for making it happen

Key governance and collaboration considerations

Financial costs and benefits of the change

Principal obstacle(s) to the change

After solutions had been developed throughout the morning, they were presented back to all participants, for review.

The goal was to:

Identify where greater clarity was required

Identify any unrealistic or incorrect assumptions

Identify likely obstacles to progress

Identify how the solution could be improved

Groups then had a chance to revise their proposal according to this feedback. When the recommendations were finalized, participants again voted anonymously to indicate which ones they wanted to bring forward to government representatives.

Leadership Gathering 2023

Decision-makers, subject-matter experts, front-line service providers, and people with lived experience, came together in a supportive, and culturally appropriate space, to develop recommendations for specific service gaps and issues.

women standing, speaking into a microphone

a large group of people seated around a circle.

Moving Forward – Next Steps

Witnessing the ideas, perspectives, and connections exchanged at the Gathering was both impactful and inspiring.

With the Gathering behind us we are eagerly shifting our focus to the implementation of these recommendations. Connective will be sharing the Summary Report with a wider strategic audience and will work with government, leading non-profits, and other interested and affected parties to encourage action on the six recommendations.

Sharing Our 2022-23 Annual Report

Our 2022-23 Annual Report is a powerful testament to the ways we’ve continued to grow as an organization and evolve as essential service providers

Green landscape with small rive and dense forest.

While no report could ever fully capture the countless ways we’ve continued to grow as an organization and evolve as essential service providers, every line, statistic, and story within represents an important piece of Connective’s story – the impacts we’ve had on the lives of our service users, and the ways they’ve contributed to our vision of a safe, healthy, and inclusive community for all.

While we invite everyone to read the complete report, we wanted to share a few highlights.

Our Year in Numbers

Data of people served, staff working towards Connectives vision, housing units, programs supporting our communities in BC and the Yukon.

Hair and Makeup Artistry Certifications

5 women sitting in a hair salon with manuals.

Thanks to YESS funding from Employment and Social Development Canada, Connective Kamloops’ employment team supported a number of youths to complete Hair and Makeup Artistry Programs through the Cassidy Wyatt Artistry Collective (CWAC).

The first cohort of students completed programming in winter 2023, to great success – every student passed the course, and eight of them were awarded an ‘Excellence in Artistry’, recognizing them for all their hard work.

In addition to funding course costs, Connective also supported participants with grocery stipends, day care funding, gas subsidies to cover travel to and from the program, and rent assistance so that students could focus on their studies.

one woman putting eye shadow on another woman.

“The CWAC Hair and Makeup courses have been life changing. Before taking the courses, I had passion for beauty but lacked the knowledge and skills to turn that passion into a career. I am so grateful…Without this, I never would have had the knowledge and skills to land the dream job I just got offered!”

– Kiana

Expanding Opportunities in Whitehorse

In February of 2023, we were thrilled to announce our fifth program in Whitehorse – a supervised housing and reintegration program for up to six women on conditional release from institutions, giving them the opportunity to return home to an environment that is safe and supportive.

Peter Allik-Petersenn Educational Bursary Winner

“I was incredibly grateful to be chosen as this generous bursary from Connective helped me to cover the costs of my final semester at Thompson Rivers University. It was not an easy decision for me to return to school as a mature student with a family, including three children who depend on me. It was a very challenging two years, but I am proud to share that I have now earned my Bachelor of Social Work degree.” – Karen L (She/Her)

Therapeutic Expression Through Art

“Art therapy is cool because it’s a lot less daunting than traditional talk therapy; because it’s visual, and not as cognitive, it’s more palatable for a lot of people,” says Rebekah. For service users who might be hesitant to seek counselling through traditional means, it can be incredibly powerful.” – Rebekah, Adler University

A Path to Independent Living – Ty’s Story

Ty first came to Rosstown Housing from the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, after spending several years there. At Rosstown, Ty was able to work closely with staff and found a new outlook on life. His willingness to engage with the Forensic Treatment Team increased, and he developed a personal desire to remain clean from substances and create a more holistically enriched living experience.

After a year at Rosstown, Ty was ready to live on his own. Access to a housing subsidy helped bring this long-term goal to fruition, and with the support and encouragement of staff, he was even able to adopt two cats – Puzzle and Jenga – whom he cares for a great deal.

“My two cats are great to have around.”

two cats lying apart.

Advancing Truth & Reconciliation – Connective’s Indigenous Advisory Committee

As part of Connective’s commitment to truth & reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada, we recognize that it is our duty – as individuals, as an organization, and as a community – to engage with our true history through a process of ongoing learning and unlearning, and to take an active role in decolonization.

The road to reconciliation is a long one, with many steps along the way – it’s with this in mind that we were so pleased to form our Indigenous Advisory Committee this past year.

Complementing our Board of Director’s own knowledge and experience, the committee brings unique perspectives on the history and impacts of colonization, in addition to being experts and leaders in their field.

Together, they will provide critical and historical input to guide and support our Board as they plan activities or develop policies and procedures that impact Indigenous service users and communities.

“This has been an exciting year of Connective’s response to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations throughout the entire organization. The creation/implementation of the Indigenous Advisory Committee has brought together a diverse view of Indigenous perspectives that are shared in Connective’s delivery of programs and services, developing and revising policies, as well as advancing relationships and partnerships with other organizations in order to help Connective better meet the needs of those whom we serve.”

– Mavis Boucher, Connective Board Member

There’s much more to dive into in our full Annual Report. Click below to learn more!

Read our 2022-23 Annual Report

Sharing our 2022 Leadership Gathering Report

How do we improve service delivery to those facing complex challenges? Our Leadership Gathering tackled this key question.

In October 2022, Connective hosted the inaugural Leadership Gathering on complex service delivery.

A man on stage speaking to an audience.

The Connective Leadership Gathering was designed as a first-of-its-kind dialogue between experts from across the justice, health, and non-profit social services sector, and saw 75+ participants gather over two days to discuss how to improve service delivery to those facing complex challenges.

READ OUR SUMMARY REPORT

Setting the Context

Though the Leadership Gathering took place over two days, the journey that led us there was closer to two years. Originally scheduled for May 2020 but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the inability to hold an in-person event instead gave space for a series of eight virtual panel presentations. These digital discussions kept momentum high throughout the pandemic, provided an opportunity to explore related topics, and helped set the stage and revised agenda for our rescheduled in-person event.

As a long-standing nonprofit service provider – one that has seen firsthand the challenges of complex care delivery – our decision to commit to this multi-year journey was an easy one to make. The why was clear. Looking at the landscape of social service, there is no shortage of innovative, important, and inspiring work being done. But there is also plenty of untapped opportunity; opportunity to evolve service delivery models, to better coordinate efforts across sectors, and ultimately, to improve the experience of those facing complex challenges.

In the eight virtual sessions that led to the Leadership Gathering, the importance of realizing these opportunities only became clearer. As we explored the many and varied facets of complex care, we heard from experts in their field and experts with lived experience; from those based right here in BC, and from those around the world, including Australia, the UK, and beyond. During these sessions there was one common refrain, reiterated time and again: no sector exists in isolation.

overview of virtual sessions.

Just some of our 8 virtual panel presentations leading to the in-person Leadership Gathering last October

As participants looked at case studies and recalled their own experiences, we saw how narrow or siloed approaches to programming led to gaps and inconsistencies in service; how, collectively, we faltered as service providers when we zeroed in on one aspect of an individual’s needs without considering the entirety of their experience.

On the other hand, we saw equally clear examples of the profound impact that coordinated interventions could have. When work is complimentary, its effects are magnified; as one service builds on another, those being supported see exponential benefits. Often, these positive outcomes spill over into a range of indirect social and economic benefits, as well.

Services often remain in silos based on specific needs: Housing services; drug-treatment services; mental health services; or policing. Unfortunately, people’s needs don’t exist in isolated silos. Those deemed to have “complex needs” typically tick multiple boxes in terms of the services they need but come up against barriers in accessing them. The addiction treatment centre can’t take someone with a developmental disability, or a mental illness. The mental health service can’t take someone who is homeless, or who has a brain injury complicating their behaviour. In too many cases, those needing multiple services are shut out of accessing any services at all.

Between the rising cost of living, the ongoing toxic drug crisis, climate change, and a number other, converging social challenges, there is urgent need for more services to reach more individuals in more places and in more ways than ever before. To make this happen, service providers need to work together.

During the pandemic, organizations, governments, and individuals saw that this was possible – that when required by crisis, we could shift our approaches and respond with urgency. Now, we have a unique opportunity to sustain this momentum and tackle longer term structural changes.

All this context helped set the stage for our Connective Leadership Gathering, which kicked off on Thursday October 27, at the 312 Main Building in Vancouver.

Convening the Leadership Gathering

Connective CEO speaking to an audience.

Mark Miller, Connective’s CEO, opens the Thursday night welcome reception for Gathering participants

The once longtime home of the Vancouver Police Department, the space at 312 Main has since been transformed into a community centered hub. Purpose built for collaboration and innovation, and to inspire the creation of enduring social change, we couldn’t have asked for a more fitting venue in which to begin our Gathering.

Data on leadership gathering participant work sectors.

Connective Leadership Gathering participants by sector

Over the next day, together with representatives from other non-profit service providers, social sector ministries, government agencies, health authorities, Indigenous and community organizations, police services, and those with lived experience, we would ask attendees to break down silos, reach across sector lines, and inspire discussion and action around our guiding questions.

“How can we coordinate our efforts to be more effective? How can we better ensure that those facing complex challenges – many of whom sit between multiple mandates or community service provisions – are receiving the full range of services they require, in the format that best suits their needs and preferences? “

After two long years of lockdown and online collaboration, there was palpable energy in the room as we dug into these important issues in person.

Agenda for the leadership gathering.

Our Leadership Gathering Agenda

Witnessing the ideas, perspectives, and connections exchanged at the Gathering was both impactful and inspiring. We also knew, however, that the discussion around complex service delivery was much larger than just those we were lucky enough to convene in the room that day.

Ultimately, the promise of the Gathering, and our ability to make good on its aims, would require a broadening of the conversation.

That’s why we’re so excited to share our Leadership Gathering Report. An accessible summary of the event’s proceedings and discussions, complete with context for those who weren’t in attendance for the virtual panel presentations that helped to set the stage, is available below.

We encourage you to explore these conversations, share the report with those in your network who may benefit, and reach out to us at info@connective.ca with any questions or comments that you have.

Our planning committee is now hard at work on this year’s Gathering, and we look forward to sharing more on this event in the months ahead!

group of people sitting together and talking.

Working at Connective

With our staff always top of mind, we’re excited to share that we have been selected to receive the Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award for the 2022 year!

Icon of Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice 2022.

Here at Connective, we put people first. That of course includes our service users, but also extends to our staff teams.

Connective staff are the heart of what we do. They give life to our programs, provide direct support to our service users, and work hard to make our vision a reality in communities across BC and in the Yukon.

We know that if we’re to create transformative social change externally, we need to start with a solid foundation internally; one made up of resilient, diverse, and dedicated staff teams.

It’s why our recruitment specialists work so hard to invest in passionate and determined individuals, whose unique skills and experiences complement one another while contributing to our common goals. It’s also why we prioritize our employee experience, making sure staff feel seen, heard, and valued, and above all, receive the resources, supports, and opportunities needed to thrive.

With our staff always top of mind, we’re excited to share that we have been selected as one of 16 organizations across the country to receive the Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award for the 2022 year!

“The Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award recognizes nonprofits whose exemplary talent management practices support successful mission delivery in the communities they serve.”

It’s an honour to receive this award, and to be recognized for the emphasis we continue to place on all those who make our work possible.

Celebrating and Supporting our Staff

We work hard to support our communities, but know that supporting one another is just as important. It’s why we celebrate each win, recognize each milestone, and find the fun in the everyday.

Beyond a great working environment filled with like-minded and compassionate co-workers, we are proud to offer a range of supports and perks to staff, just some of which are captured below.

Free, short-term counselling is available to all staff, so they can receive one-to-one, solution focused guidance with whatever challenges they may be facing.

Workvivo, a world-renowned internal communications platform, gives staff meaningful and fun opportunities to stay engaged, informed, and connected.

With status as a Living Wage Employer, we offer competitive salaries and benefits to staff so they can meet their needs and expenses.

Flexible work arrangements, where possible, allow employees the freedom to contribute to their team in the environment that suits them best.

Our staff recognition program, High Fives, gives team members a way to celebrate one another for going above and beyond, and be recognized with monthly prize draws.

To better support the work-life balance of our dedicated staff teams, we’ve introduced lifestyle spending accounts.

Dayforce Wallet gives financial freedom to all staff, offering access to pay as soon as it’s earned and peace of mind for unexpected life events.

Benefits are maintained for staff on maternity/paternity leave, so they can focus on what matters most, without worrying about health needs.

Our pay equity policy helps ensure that we compensate employees the same way for the same work – regardless of race, gender, disability, 2SLGBTQIA+, or other status.

We want all employees to feel comfortable in who they are, so supports and leaves are offered to staff undergoing gender affirming care.

An Incomparable Team Environment

Each year, we run an employee satisfaction survey to ensure we’re staying on top of the needs of our staff, and many of the initiatives above are a direct result of feedback gained from those surveys.

In its most recent edition, we asked staff to share the thing they liked most about working with their program – the quotes below are just some of what we heard.

“I receive lots of support from management, and opportunities to take leadership roles.”

“Our management staff prioritize our clients just as much as staff. I am willing to put in extra effort/contributions because I know my management team would do the same for me. I feel appreciated and valued. I also believe that our program highly prioritizes client success and the way we do things reflects that, as we can build trust with clients.”

“I am so lucky to have the coworkers I do! Being part of a great team makes work so much more enjoyable. Their dedication and commitment to persons served is inspiring.”

“The program allows me to think outside the box while providing support services to my clients. It also helps me to increase the level of awareness and to empathize with people that are going through Trauma, and to know that resources are available to support these folks.”

“I enjoy working with a dedicated team of individuals who are SO committed to supporting the clients in the programs.”

“My manager is excellent, and I love the team of people that I work with. Our clients are great as well. So, the people I work with are the thing I like the most.”

We’re extremely proud to have been selected as a Nonprofit Employer of Choice for the 2022 year, and are eager to do everything we can for our teams to maintain that status moving forward.

Icon of Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice 2022.

If you’re interested in joining our passionate team and helping us achieve our vision of a safe, healthy, and inclusive community for all, we’re accepting applications for direct support, administrative, and management positions. We encourage you to view our careers page to see what opportunity might work for you!

Join our Growing Team

View our Current Job Postings

Welcome to an All-New Connective.ca

After extensive research, feedback, and data analysis, Connective has a brand-new website. We are incredibly proud to share it with you.

Man smiling with people in the background

In November 2021 we changed our name to Connective. It was an exciting and carefully considered decision, and is a name that more closely aligns with who we have become as an organization, that better encompasses our evolving story, and that more accurately reflects the breadth of our services. In short, it is a name that captures all that we are, and all that we do.

Over the months that followed our transition to Connective, it was heartwarming to see how enthusiastically our service users, communities, and partners embraced this change. In the spring and fall of 2022, we were honoured to invite teams in Kamloops and Nanaimo to share our Connective name and brand. Together, we are serving more people in more places than ever before and are proud of all we’ve been able to accomplish in support of our communities.

As our name and visual identity evolved, we knew that we wanted our online presence here at connective.ca to evolve along with it.

That’s why, over much of the last year, we were hard at work in close collaboration with a team of web design and development specialists, and why last week we were so excited to launch our brand-new website. This redesign and rebuild is the product of extensive research, feedback from our teams and communities, and analysis of website usage data; we are incredibly proud to share the result with you.

Our innovative new look and layout better reflects our programs and services; more effectively points service users, supporters, and potential employees to available opportunities; and presents Connective in a way that is more accessible than ever before.

We encourage you to explore the new site and see all it has to offer, but wanted to highlight a few key updates, along with some of the data that informed our decisions.

Digging into the Data

A website heat map, showing that a lot of visitors use the contact button

A website heat map showing that lots of visitors are interested in our embedded social media content

Digging into the Feedback

During our research phase, it was important that our decisions were based in data, but we also wanted to ensure we were hearing from people directly. In wanting to better understand the needs and desires of those using our site, as well as any pain points with our old one, we conducted a survey. Below are just a few highlights of what we heard.

“The wide breadth of programs is a positive, but it can be confusing to navigate.”

– Challenges with our old website

“The website suffers from a lack of differentiation between locations.”

– Challenges with our old website

“People should be able to easily find exactly what they’re looking for, to minimize search frustration.”

– Opportunities for our new website

“Would be great to see info for a lot of folks – from prospective clients, to funders, and curious citizens.”

– Opportunities for our new website

“I love the videos that give a more in-depth explanation of the services and clients – more of that content would be great.”

– Opportunities for our new website

All the above, plus a whole lot more thought, intention, and best practice, went into crafting the new website you see today. Aside from a general visual redesign, we are proud to introduce other user-friendly features, including a revamped Careers page and multiple ways to find the information you’re looking for.

Digging into what’s New

With a complete visual overhaul, a structure that better highlights our programs and regions, and an innovative and robust filtering system, this new site will help individuals seeking information or service find exactly what they’re looking for.

The best way to see what’s new is to explore. But, for those interested in a guided tour, there are a few things in particular that we’re eager to highlight.

A major focus for this redesign project was making sure that anyone visiting connective.ca can find what they are looking for with ease. To support this, we’ve organized the website along a few different lines, including by service type and by community.

Going beyond the overarching ways that we’ve catalogued our programs and services, we wanted to ensure that however you chose to explore, you’d have the right tools to get where you’re going. Our new filtering system does just that, allowing you to choose specific regions, service categories, and services to highlight.

Finally, as our organization continues to meet the needs of communities across BC and the Yukon, recruitment remains a major focus. Our revamped and culture-driven Careers page will help guarantee that as our Connective team continues to grow, we do so with the help of talented, passionate, and values-aligned individuals.

In addition to highlighting new career opportunities, we wanted this page to convey who we are as a Connective community. Working here means joining a team of passionate individuals that will lift you up and challenge you to grow. We work hard to support our communities but know that supporting one another is just as important. We celebrate each win, recognize each milestone, and find the fun in the everyday. Sharing some of this organizational personality felt like an important way of connecting with those interested in exploring a potential future at Connective.

There’s a whole lot more to explore at the new connective.ca. We invite you to look around, and hope you enjoy learning a bit more about us, and our communities.

Now that the site has launched, the work doesn’t stop. Looking ahead, we’re excited to bring some additional accessibility features online in the weeks to come, as well as building out the program information for our team on Vancouver Island.

If you have any questions or comments about our new website, please feel free to reach out using our contact form.