Promising Practices Ensuring Clients’ Retention of Information

Promising PracticesEnsuring Clients’ Retention of Information Presenters: Lynde Yasui- Toronto Joseph Oywak- Kitchener Pradeep Navaratna- Hamilton Ahmed Mohammed- Hamilton

Memory • Working Memory (Short term) & Long Term Memory • Three process involved in memory • Encoding, Storage and Retrieval or Register, Retain and Recall information

Retention • Retention is the proportion of learned information that is retained or remembered—the flip side of forgetting • Our aim is to increase retention and decrease forgetting

Teaching tools and retention • Adults remember about: 20% of what they hear. 30% of what they hear and see. 50% of what they hear, see and write. 70% of what they hear, see, write and practice. 95% of what they hear, see, write, practice and teach.

Why people forget • Interference of new information with old information • Decay of unused information • Long retention intervals • Humans forget a lot at first but over time the rate of forgetting decreases

Why people forget-cont. • Interference • Interference theory -- People forget information because of interference from other learned information • Two types of interference: retroactive and proactive • Retroactive interference happens when newly learned information makes people forget old information • Proactive interference happens when old information makes people forget newly learned information

PTSD and Learning abilities • Some of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: - Memory loss - Lack of concentration - Distrust of strangers - Fear of groups - Fear of authority figures - Anxiety - Depression

Resettlement Experience and Learning Abilities • Fatigue • Culture shock • Anxiety • Stress • Confusion • Jetlag ( day/night biological clock) • Dependency on staff

Methods to Improve Retention • Relate….. • Visualize – Practical… • Refresh and Practice… • Teach others…

From Theory to Practice Based on above theories, we increase clients’ information retention by… • Providing a cordial, safe and a relaxed learning environment… • Not overloading information… • Building on their current knowledge…

Retention of InformationBest Practices Joseph Oywak Orientation Coordinator K-W Reception Centre Kitchener, Ontario

I hear – I forget I see – I remember I do – I understand

Preparation • Study client’s assessment • Share experience with co- workers • Interact with clients in the house “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree I’d spend six sharpening my axe” Lincoln

Tailor Orientation According to Client’s Need

Master Resource List • Avoid handing out too many papers to clients • All important information on one page • Use different colors (highlighter) to underline or circle

Marking specific sites on the map attached to resource list • Encouraging clients to write own remarks in their language to personalize it

Use of Power Point

Power Point Presentation: • One slide, one idea • Simple words and short sentences • Use only a few hundred words • Make sure that visual ideas are clear

Presenting photos of actual community landmarks that clients will access

Involving Life Skill Workers and Peer Health Worker • Homelike dwelling at Reception Centre allows for lots of hands on sessions • Interacting with clients in home environment

Involving volunteers to accompany clients by bus to the key locations

Motivation • Establish the trust at the beginning “I remember when I came to Canada” • Relate to clients with your own experience • See things from their point of view • Monitor their emotional reaction all the time • Be enthusiastic

Information • Focus only on essential information • It is not possible to remember too much information at once • Absorb feedback from client periodically • Repeat points several times in different ways • Involve them to repeat some keyinformation

Complicated vocabulary Avoid using complicated vocabulary Example: The landlord will take legal action against you if you break the lease

Thank you! When I go and do, I will understand Joseph Oywak

Best PracticesBy Lynde YasuiCOSTI Reception CentreToronto, Ontario

Designing the Orientation Session • RAP Orientation Delivery Model * is flexible • Ongoing Client Assessment/Client Feedback

Designing the Orientation Session • Focus on outcome – build sequence of information • Creation of compatible new tools

Additional Support Tools Burmese Karen/S’gaw

Additional Support Tools Iranian/ Azari-Turkish

Additional Support Tools IFH OHIP

Additional Support Tools • Powerpoint Presentation

Additional Support Tools • Photos from Powerpoint Presentation

Additional Support Tools • Organizer

Checking Retention of Information • Case Scenarios – (e.g. You are given an appointment to see a dentist. What documents do you take with you? • Quizzes

Reinforcing Information • Key point Review • On-site orientations (e.g. housing) • “hands-on” experience (e.g. visits to the pharmacy) • Linkage to follow-up services while at COSTI (e.g. Life skills, ISAP)

Resettlement Assistance Program Ahmed Mohammed Hamilton, Ontario

1- Entry Transitional Period • Minimum of three days • Introduction of the staff • Safety orientation and responding to emergency health situations • Life skills: Room management and neighborhood tour • Handout agenda and plan • Welcome circle and CMHOP

Entry and Exit Transitional Periods RAP Basic Orientations Hotel Refugee camp Permanent Home In Hamilton RAP Basic Orientations Entry Exit

2- measured and comprehensive orientation • Give clients enough time to understand what they’re learning and to think about asking or answering questions. • Limit the day to a max of 4 hours of in-class orientations • Repeat directions, step by step, and then have clients repeat them and demonstrate that, they know what to do.

3- Client teaching clients • Let clients know that one of them will teach tomorrow. • Have one client to teach others about one thing they have learned the day before. • Have interpretation to English • Let other clients ask questions and evaluate the “teacher” • Reward the “teacher”

4- On-site orientation • Provide clients with “on-site” orientations as often as possible • Housing orientation • Life Skills training

5-Exit Transitional Period • Secure the house and order furniture as soon as possible. • Have clients receive the furniture, and provide in-house Life Skills training, apartment and building management. • Return clients to the hotel for continuing orientations. • Clients visit their house everyday until they finish the shopping before they move in.

6- Follow-up orientation • Provide this orientation every three month for those who arrived 2-3 moths before. • Review most important part of the RAP Basic Orientation Package. • Ask and answer questions • Have clients to exchange experiences and knowledge. • Ask clients to fill-out RAP services evaluation form.

Prepared By Resettlement Assistance Program Lynde Yasui- Toronto Joseph Oywak- Kitchener Pradeep Navaratna- Hamilton Ahmed Mohammed- Hamilton Vancouver, BC Feb. 22, 2007

Promising Practices Ensuring Clients’ Retention of Information