“The good old days.” It’s a common turn-of-phrase, and sometimes it holds true. Fifty, a hundred, or even two hundred years ago – the pace of life was slower. There was less or no technology and more face-to-face interactions. But there was also less knowledge, particularly in the area of child welfare. Residential care like what is currently provided by Ranch Ehrlo was in a very…
Guest blog by Learning Centre program manager Michelle Schwabe While the majority of educational programs take the summer off, Ranch Ehrlo’s vocational programs continue to support our youth and adult clients with skill development and job training. Some youth take time to go on one of our camp trips, while others continue with their usual routine, including work. Summer here at the…
When clients and visitors alike enter the Ranch’s Learning Centre, the first thing they see is a visual representation of who is in the building that day. This isn’t a security measure – at least not in the traditional sense. Rather, it’s a way to make those who attend the Learning Centre combat anxiety that may arise from being uncertain about what their day will hold. Most of the…
Patrick Parker is a night float manager at Ranch Ehrlo. He manages a team of eight employees who only work at night and move from home to home in Regina and the Pilot Butte campus. Even though the team has these hurdles in front of them when trying to form meaningful relationships with youth and adults, the CARE that they show is second to none. CARE, Children And Residential Experience, is a…
Whether it’s a computer for a secretary or a hammer for a carpenter, we all have tools that we require in order to do our jobs effectively. Relaxing sensory room If someone becomes agitated, they have a relaxing environment with low lights, soft seating, and calming displays at their disposal. A fibre optic curtain adds a tactile component as the tubes can be held while clients observe…
Each of Ranch Ehrlo’s clients come to us with their own stories. Most have emotional scars; some have physical. Such was the case with a young boy in the Treatment Foster Care program. His arms are covered in scars – scars he was once ashamed of. With the help of caseworker Kristie Panchuk, the boy has learned to see his scars as something more than something to be embarrassed…
The work we do at Ranch Ehrlo is wide and varied – and our volunteer opportunities are, too! From helping to coach in our free-of-charge sports leagues to lending a hand at our adult or early education centres, there’s a spot for every interest. Whether you have an hour a week or an hour a day – we can work with that, too! Why volunteer? Provides the opportunity to support a…
Ensuring treatment remains family centered was top of mind for caseworker Angela Montano when she planned a workshop for the families of MacKay House youth. “In terms of CARE principles, one of them is ensuring treatment is family centered, so we’ve been really trying to bring in the families and involve them in treatment as much as possible,” Angela explained. “It reminds them that…
Carole Bryant Guest blog by Carole Bryant, director of governance and corporate services Ever wonder where the Hudson Administration Building got its name-- why the education program in Regina is referred to as Schaller--or why the Ranch’s group homes have names attached to them like Mitchell, Wilson, Welke, or Alex Guy? The answer is that these are all the names of former board…
Ranch Ehrlo Society’s Family Treatment Program (FTP) has been a staple of our community programming for many years, but recently CBC radio has highlighted the great work done by director Patti Petrucka and her staff of dedicated therapists, social workers, and support staff to help families from across the country. The article and radio excerpts explained the program from Patti’s point of…
Guest blogger Justin Havre. Justin is a Calgary native and owner of Justin Havre & Associates. He believes the existence of affordable housing can benefit everyone in a community, and that new methods of provide housing should be explored whenever possible. There is a growing body of research that shows a relationship between affordable housing and improved health outcomes. Children are…
Youth care leaders (YCL) Scott Waters and Kiel Smith have very recently completed CARE training (Children And Residential Experiences: Creating Conditions for Change), but they may have a head start - they’ve already been incorporating the CARE principles in the roles for many years at the agency. Especially when it comes to relationships. The agency has recently begun implementing the…
Our residential programs assist youth and adults in learning and developing new and healthier patterns in many ways. One way is by using therapeutic activities. Our activities are intended to provide opportunities for fun and growth, and teach problem solving and work skills while remaining competency centred, based on each individual’s specific needs. Our staff use sequential planning to…
It was just another Tuesday at Schaller school on Pilot Butte campus until RBC Olympian Halli Krzyzaniak showed up to deliver an inspiring message to Ranch Ehrlo students. Halli, 23, has an impressive list of accomplishments. Hailing from small-town Neepawa, Manitoba, she began skating at the age of four. It didn’t take her long to realize she wanted to play hockey, but there was no girls'…
We sat down with Alyssa Strasser, a Dream Broker consultant at Sacred Heart School in Regina, to learn a little more about how Ehrlo Sport Venture’s leagues and lending library help families in Regina. Dream Brokers is an organization dedicated to sustaining the involvement and participation of inner city children and youth in existing sports, culture, and recreation activities and…
