Community Connections Support Services is a private agency directed by Brian Burnham, holds a current CARF accreditation and is in excellent standing within its communities. Community Connections was established in 1991 and has been providing exceptional support to people living with a disability since that time.
Services in the Central Okanagan include Home Share Coordination, Residential Support, and a Community Support program. The Community Support program includes individual services and facilitated group programs such as:
- Men’s Group
- Ladies Who Lunch
- Walking club
- Craft group
- Cooking club
- trips to Vancouver for hockey games and football games
- an annual retreat
The services are often based on social and recreational opportunities for the individual. We also provide residential services offering 24-hour one-on-one support to people in their homes.
In the West Kootenays, CCSS provides Home Share Coordination, Residential Supports, and a Community Support program. Our residential services provide supports based on a 24-hour model for people in their homes where we help support health or behavioural challenges.
In the East Kootenays, CCSS provides Home Share Coordination.
Brian Burnham
Director of Operations
250-491-2907 ext.101 or toll free 1-888-491-2907 ext.101
Email: brian@commconn.ca
Brian has been with Community Connections since its inception in 1991. He has a background in Psychology and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia and a Masters degree in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University. Brian has over 25 years of experience in the human services and has supplemented this with training specific to employee development, resource development, accounting and financial management, personnel, group dynamics as well as a whole range of support strategies and techniques with regard to providing world class supports for people who live with a disability. He has a commitment to building great teams by bringing together groups of talented, dedicated professionals around the people we are privileged to serve.
Jacqueline Burnham
Director of Strategic Management
250-491-2907 ext. 105 or toll free 1-888-491-2907 ext.105
Email:jacqueline@commconn.ca
Jackie has been with Community Connections since 2005 and has worked as Support Worker, Senior Support Worker, Community Support Worker and Quality Assurance Manager with the agency and is currently its Director of Strategic Management. She brings with her a background in Psychology, Accounting and has worked in the human services field since 1990. Jackie also received a BA with distinction from Royal Roads University in the field of Justice Studies. She has been responsible for leading teams in several agencies to achieve CARF accreditation and is committed to assisting Community Connections Support Services to maintain its person-centered focus while delivering a high level of accountability. Her career focus is on helping Community Connections Support Services realize its vision for services that achieve choice, voice, respect, relationships, responsibility, and growth for the people it serves and the people that support them.
Ken Munro
Service Coordinator, Home Share Services
250-491-2907 ext. 102 or toll free 1-888-491-2907 ext.102
Email: ken@commconn.ca
Ken leads the Home Share Team with over 25 years of experience. Ken is a graduate of the Human Services Program at Okanagan College and currently serves as a member of their advisory committee. Ken was instrumental in establishing Home Share Coordination Services and support to caregivers in the East and West Kootenays as well as his role providing those services to children and their families in the Central Okanagan. Ken gives back to his community in many ways and has held leadership positions at the board level for a number of non-profit community associations. As a result, he is an excellent resource for information with regard to the service system for people who live with a disability in the province of BC.
Karen Milner
Home Share Coordinator, Kelowna
250-491-2907 ext. 103 or toll free 1-888-491-2907 ext.103
250-317-6783 cell
Email: karen@commconn.ca
Karen was hired by CCSS in 1992 as Respite Care Coordinator for children and adults. With the growth of the program Karen moved into coordination of adult respite. Karen was the first Home Share Coordinator hired at our agency and is responsible for developing Adult Home Share resources and making matches between people who receive our services and qualified, capable providers of Home Share Services. She is responsible for coordinating Home Share resources for adults in the Central Okanagan and brings with her over 16 years of expertise in this area. She was instrumental in establishing a support network for care providers that has now become a registered society with the sole purpose to provide advocacy and support for Home Share Providers. She volunteered as a board member and on working committees with different community agencies.
Jeanette Kirschner
Home Share Coordinator, Kelowna
250-491-2907
250-215-4438
Email: jeanette@commconn.ca
Jeanette comes to CCSS with over 20 years of experience supporting children and adults with a variety of developmental disabilities, Autism, challenging behaviour, FASD, and ADHD. She first joined CCSS in 1998 while supporting children in respite, and then moved into Foster Care. She has also worked for School District #23 as a Certified Education Assistant. Jeanette believes everyone has a story that needs to be heard. Her passion for helping and advocating for others lends itself to the her role as Home Share Coordinator, and she values bringing her experiences as a caregiver to the Home Share program.
Brenda Brown
Home Share Coordinator, Kelowna
250-491-2907 ext. 103
250-212-5500 cell
brenda@commconn.ca
Brenda has been with Community Connections since 2002. After spending fourteen years on the community support team, Brenda realized it was time for a new challenge and transitioned over to the home share team as the newest Home Share Coordinator in the Okanagan. Brenda has enjoyed taking the passion she has for supporting and advocating for people in all areas of their lives and directing it to the home share setting. In the community, Brenda volunteers with Central Okanangan Hospice Association. Brenda facilitates a drop-in grief group and offers Reiki to bearevement clients through COHA, using the skills and passion for supporting people with dignity and respect gained from her many years with CCSS.
Jodi St.Thomas
Home Share Coordinator, West Kootenay/Boundary Region
Work : 250-304-2513
Cell: 250-608-2876
Fax: 250-304-2695
Email: jodi@commconn.ca
Jodi joined Community Connections in 2015 as a graduate of the Classroom and Community Support Worker program at Selkirk College. During her studies, she received the University of Arts and Science Award for Academic Excellence in the study of English. Jodi’s diverse range of experiences includes working as a 1:1 support worker, educational assistant, preschool teacher, tutor, and as a member of several advisory boards. Jodi is passionate about supporting individuals to live as independently as possible. She strongly believes her position as a Home Share Coordinator unites the ability to exercise this passion with a platform to promote an inclusive and accepting community.
Sue Clark
Senior Home Share Coordinator, West Kootenay/Boundary Region
work: 250-608-0357
fax: 250-399-0074
Email: sue@commconn.ca
Sue has been a Home Share Coordinator since 2014, having supported individuals in community, college, and school based settings for over 15 years. She has provided Respite Care Supports in her home, and is a graduate of the Classroom and Community Support Worker program at Selkirk College (Castlegar). Sue is also a Certified MANDT Instructor, has a diploma in Holistic Nutrition, and she has co-authored, developed, and instructed a 14-week online course for Home Share and Respite Care Providers. Sue works to promote the understanding that it is the Trusted Relationship between persons that provides the foundation to ensure health, safety, and quality of life for all concerned.
Susan Nicholson
Home Share Coordinator, East Kootenay Region
250-427-0540
Email: susann@commconn.ca
Susan has a background in nursing and comes to us from the health system where she worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse in hospital, medical clinic and residential care settings. She has many years of experience as home support supervisor and assisted living coordinator, developing quality care plans for persons needing support. Susan has been particularly helpful to the team at Community Connections by providing our services with resources to address issues such as universal precautions, personal care, infection control, medication administration and has specialized training on how to successfully care for persons with Alzheimer’s Disease. Working towards finding solutions to integrate complex care needs for persons with physical, mental and developmental disability, to remain in a home like environment, is her focus.
James Croston
Senior Home Share Coordinator, East Kootenay Region
778-517-0104
Email: james@commconn.ca
James joined our team with a number of years of experience as a Registered Care Aide / Support Worker as well as a Home Share Provider. He brings with him experience in working with individuals in diverse settings with focus on building independence. James has volunteered his time to support and coordinate fundraisers designed to assist people living with disabilities.
Mike Holdsworth
Home Share Coordinator, East Kootenay
250-919-7929
Email: mike@commconn.ca
Michael became part of our team covering for maternity leave from 2016 to 2017. He gained professional qualifications in the Human Service industry in 2015 after making a change from a security and safety based career. Previously Michael completed a successful five year contract with BC Court services as a Deputy Sheriff, after which he completed security contracts under direct supervision of the Special Advisor to the Solicitor and Attorney Generals of BC. As a young man, Michael served in the Royal Navy where he developed an interest in physical fitness and emotional well-being. He eventually gained certification in 2000 to instruct fitness and wellness concepts. Since then, he has taught classes on fitness conditioning and written several articles on concept of emotional and physical fitness, developed a training program that has a select international following and has published an E-book that uses an allegorical story to promote the concept of embracing adaptability to develop wellness goals and beneficial coping skills.
Kristi Strobbe
Home Share Coordinator, East Kootenay Region
250-427-6002
Email: kristi@commconn.ca
Kristi has worked in the public service sector for over 10 years and has a passion for person-centred service delivery. She started with Community Connections as a Home Share Coordinator in September 2016 and is covering a 1 year maternity leave. Previous to this, she was employed with the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation as an Employment and Assistance worker and brings with her extensive knowledge of provincial legislation, policy and procedure.
Lindsay Peabody
Home Share Coordinator, East Kootenay Region
250-489-5447
Email: lindsay@commconn.ca
Lindsay is a licensed Practical Nurse by trade, who has worked in the health care profession for 8 years. She has experience working with individuals with psychiatric and developmental disabilities and has held a senior nursing position with a leadership role. Lindsay has been a valued asset to our agency as she believes that all people have to right to be supported to be as independent as possible.
Erica Simon-Cumming
Home Share Coordinator, East Kootenay Region
250-427-3231
Email: erica@commconn.ca
Erica joined the Community Connections team originally covering a temporary position, bringing with her many years of experience working in recreation and leisure services as well as in the health care industry. As a nurse, Erica has previous experience with working in long term care, outpatient, and community settings. In recreation, Erica had opportunities to plan, implement and participate in inclusive programming, such as Special ‘O’ swimming and recreational therapy for geriatrics. Erica enjoys her role in supporting and learning about home share as part of the Community Connections team, and she looks forward to continued growth as a team member.
Connect with us!
phone 250-491-2907
fax 250-491-2920
toll free 888-491-2907
email mail@commconn.ca
web www.commconn.ca
KELOWNA – Office:
275 Rutland Road North
Kelowna, BC V1X 3B1
NELSON – Mailing address:
15B View Street
Nelson, BC V1L 2T9
CRANBROOK – Mailing address:
RPO PO Box 20004
Tamarack Mall,
Cranbrook, BC V1C 6K5
