Kim built a career on helping to launch youth into adult life
By Louise Kinross
When I think of Kim Jones-Galley (centre above), two pictures come to mind. One is of her leading an innovative program that brings together youth with disabilities to live in a Toronto university residence and learn independence skills. Kim ran our Independence Program for 22 years.
The other picture is of Kim outside my window, touring an enthusiastic group of university students. Eight years ago, Kim became the coordinator for our student program in the Teaching and Learning Institute, onboarding over 500 students who are training to be nurses, doctors and therapists here each year. During their stay, Kim connects the students, from a wide variety of fields, with each other, and develops workshops to meet their needs.
Kim, who studied physical and health education and has a master’s degree in education, began at Holland Bloorview as a recreation therapist. We spoke about her career at Holland Bloorview—30 years to date. She appears above with physiotherapy students Jyoti Mann and Linnea Thacker.
BLOOM: How did you get into this field?
Kim Jones-Galley: I studied physed in university, and I wanted to teach physed to people with disabilities. My goal was to be at Variety Village, but a position became available here, and I never looked back. I was really lucky to get a job here.
BLOOM: How did you get interested in working with people with disabilities?
Kim Jones-Galley: After high school I went to college and took a program called mental retardation counselling.
BLOOM: Ugh.
Kim Jones-Galley: It was a two-year program, and that’s what it was called when I started. Now it’s called developmental services worker. That really exposed me to people with disabilities. I have a cousin who has a disability, and I’ve learned a lot from her. I wanted to be in a helping profession.
BLOOM: Why?
Kim Jones-Galley: I think people in this profession are compassionate and thoughtful and care for others, and I like to think I’m that kind of person. I started at Holland Bloorview as a rec therapist with inpatient teens at what was then the Hugh MacMillan site. I worked with teens on independence skills, and that’s what led me into a natural fit with The Independence Program. Arnold Lopez hired me.
BLOOM: What was a typical day like running The Independence Program?
Kim Jones-Galley: I don’t know that there were any typical days, and to this day, I don’t have a typical day. Life happens. As coordinator of The Independence Program, I was overseeing all aspects. Even when I wasn’t at the program, I was getting phone calls as things were happening.
For the participants, a typical day was having a session where they talked about skills they wanted to work on, and then they’d go out into the community and practise.
BLOOM: What’s an example?
Kim Jones-Galley: Let’s say they planned a meal for that night. They’d work on a meal plan, develop a grocery list, plan on how to get to the grocery store, then go and shop, and then come back and make dinner.
My first year with the program in 1991 we held it at the MacMillan site, so we weren’t in the community.
BLOOM: What are all of the post-secondary schools it’s been held at since?
Kim Jones-Galley: In 1992, the program moved into the community, to Glendon College, Ryerson, the University of Toronto, Ryerson again, and now Seneca. Ryerson were some of the best years because of the central location and the excitement of being downtown.
BLOOM: What was the greatest challenge of running that program?
Kim Jones-Galley: I think the greatest challenge was also the greatest success. You’re taking on, with a team, the responsibility for 12 to 15 youth that are coming to live in Toronto, for the first time in some cases. There’s a lot of stress that goes along with that. But seeing the accomplishments and levels of independence and confidence that these kids gain over the course of three weeks is so rewarding. I loved working in that program, and I believe all of our staff did.
BLOOM: Did anything surprise you about the program?
Kim Jones-Galley: Something surprising is when someone comes in to the program that you might have made an assumption about, and they just blow you out of the water.
BLOOM: Do you have any funny memories?
Kim Jones-Galley: Because many participants were 19 and 20, and of age to drink, we had a rule that if they weren’t on medication, they could have one alcoholic drink. But you couldn’t get intoxicated. We all went out to the Hard Rock Café, and one participant had a Schmirnoff Ice. He'd never had a drink before, and he got drunk, and he had to make it back to the residence. It was an amazing learning experience for him. He got to see what it was like to be intoxicated, and he had supportive people around him to get him back to the residence. It was a great example of making a decision, following through, being responsible for the repercussions, and learning from it. I don’t think he had another drink that whole time.
BLOOM: Any other memories?
Kim Jones-Galley: In the summer of 2003 we had the blackout. It was one of the last days at the program, and the participants and staff showed amazing fortitude that day.
They only had power on the elevators for two to three hours, so we had to maximize that time to get everyone down to the the main level, and bring all of their equipment down, not knowing when the power was going to come back on. Our staff were fantastic and stayed overnight, which we weren’t anticipating. We brought mattresses down and we had a big slumber party.
BLOOM: You mentioned running the program could be stressful. Do you do anything specific to manage stress?
Kim Jones-Galley: I ride a motorcycle. My husband got me into that. He started riding because of stress and anxiety for his own mental health. This is my second summer and I have a Harley Sportster.
BLOOM: Do you ride to work?
Kim Jones-Galley: No, I live in Oshawa. I ride for fun and pleasure on the weekends, and go out into the country. When you get on a motorcycle you think about riding—you can’t think about anything else. Over the years I’ve done other things for stress: talking to friends and family, and always working out and playing sports.
BLOOM: So tell us about your more recent work as student coordinator here.
Kim Jones-Galley: The role was created, it didn’t exist before. We wanted to look at the current state of our student program, bring more consistency and equity across all professions, and create an optimal learning experience. We have a long history of bringing students into the organization, but in the past no one could tell you how many students came through the doors.
We have a little over 500 students now per year. Nursing is the largest group. We also have students from medicine, research, occupational, physio and speech therapy, social work, music therapy, therapeutic recreation and child life, to name a few. And we’re bringing in more non-clinical students to learn from us, which really expands our definition as a teaching hospital.
BLOOM: What are some key components to a successful student program?
Kim Jones-Galley: I want our students to feel welcomed, valued and supported while they are at Holland Bloorview. One of the things we’ve embarked on is a wellness initiative that was started because of a student, and is student-led and student-run. I joke that my responsibility is to book rooms and identify guest speakers and make cookies.
A student recently wrote: 'Being a student is hard work—there's constantly pressure, stress, deadlines and financial limitations.' They may come in to a placement and be concerned about sharing mental health or anxiety issues with their supervisor, because that person is the one marking them. We’re trying to offer opportunities for students to come away from the clinical environment and their supervisor, and connect with other students and talk about the stresses. We provide tools and resources.
BLOOM: You said this was initiated by a student?
Kim Jones-Galley: It all started because a student raised a concern. Before we had this initiative, our required response, as a Toronto Academic Health Science Network teaching hospital, was to connect the student back to their school. But when I called the school, which was outside Toronto, I was told that the school only supports students onsite, when they’re on campus.
I was very disappointed, and reached out to our EAP program, which is typically for staff. They provided some support as a special circumstance. I didn’t think that was enough, so this student and I talked about what Holland Bloorview could offer students, and we put a package together. While the student was here, we also brought in other students to help determine what workshops to offer. We now have a team of five students who are running what we call Student Wellness 2.0.
BLOOM: What are some of the other workshops you offer?
Kim Jones-Galley: One of our most popular workshops is the Job Interview Skills Workshop where students practise their interview skills and get feedback from our staff experts. That was identified as a need by a student three years ago. It includes a resume writing tips and tricks session that is very practical. More recently we did a Wellness in the Workplace panel with staff. During the panel, our staff talk about what they love about working here, what stresses them, and offered tips and strategies. Every one of them talked about how fortunate they feel working here, and how much they love walking in the front door.
Teaching and Learning also offers interprofessional education sessions available to students.
We did one called Trans Experiences in Health Care: Tips for Being an Ally to Colleagues and Clients. A transgender student and their supervisor came in and did a lunch and learn about working with someone who is transgender in the health system, whether a student, client or colleague.
The workshop came about because a new student contacted me about using a preferred name and pronouns in our program, as opposed to the legal name we had been provided with.
My daughter Harlow is transgender, and I knew if this was my daughter asking for these accommodations, I would want someone to support my daughter.
The next morning, when I came in, I contacted information systems to get things switched over, and they were fantastic. We were able to switch everything, so that the person’s 'log in' and Holland Bloorview e-mail were the preferred name. Some clinicians had already mentioned to clients that they would work with this student, using the legal name. So they also went back to those families. I give our organization a lot of credit for respecting this request and getting things put in place.
When I first got this role, I worked with Doug Miron to find out what students wanted before they started, on their first day, while they’re here, and while preparing to leave. We did a number of learn and learns with students to gather this information, and it built our program.
They want us to get to them before they arrive, so they have all of the information they need, they know our expectations of them, and the expectations they can have of us, and they have a contact person they can discuss things with before they come. I connect students before they arrive, while they’re here, and, if they want to remain in contact, we have Facebook and Instagram accounts they can follow.
BLOOM: Have your thoughts about disability evolved over the years?
Kim Jones-Galley: I think of disability like I think of my daughter, who is transgender. I know one of the greatest learnings I’ve had with Harlow is to not judge. We all have judgments and biases, and we need to be absolutely aware of them, so we put them in check, and they don’t influence how we treat someone. Having worked with kids with disabilities, you get to know the child or the teen or the individual—and not what you see, or what you think you see.
Harlow volunteered with our Youth at Work program and participated in Spiral Garden when she was young. I've brought her in to help me with various things over the years. That experience with people with disabilities really helped her accept people, and accept herself.
BLOOM: What’s the greatest joy of your work?
Kim Jones-Galley: It’s the students that I get to meet. We just had a group that finished last week. There’s a buzz in the Teaching and Learning Institute when they tell me about their day, and share something that happened. I feel so fortunate.
My parents tease me that I’m the only person they know who loves their work. So much greatness happens here, and I’ve been so lucky.
