Canada's Top 100 Employers (2026) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 24
28
( 2026 )
SPONSOR CONTENT
Creative Options Regina cares for its caregivers
C
reative Options
Regina (COR) —
which provides
care for people
with intellectual
and developmental disabilities
and mental health struggles —
follows the philosophy of Gentle
Teaching. The central purpose of
the Gentle Teaching philosophy
is to nurture, teach and sustain
the experience of connectedness,
companionship and community.
Jim Temple, chief operating officer, says the organization follows
that philosophy with employees
too. “We strive to nurture what we
refer to as a culture of gentleness
for everyone we connect with,
including those we serve, their
families, our employees and
our partners.”
Charean Sylvester, supportive
living coordinator, has worked for
COR since 2015. She says she has
seen this philosophy play out in
many ways over the years. “I’ve
seen that, through leadership, we
model care, empathy and support
for our teams. And to me, that
truly stems from the top,” she says.
“I have seen Jim and our CEO
Michael Lavis advocate on behalf
of those we serve — not only the
people we care for, but
also employees.
“I’ve witnessed continued
conversations on how we can do
better. I’ve seen increased benefits
over my 10 years, wellness programs implemented, competitive
wage increases,” says Sylvester.
“To me, these conversations are at
the forefront of almost every discussion we have, so that we have a
sustainable culture that requires
consistent leadership, accountability, nurturing and opportunities to
explore growth.”
Some of the benefits COR
provides its employees include 80
per cent parental leave top-up pay
for 33 weeks, a pension matching
program and enhanced mental
health benefits. The annual
mental health counselling benefit
doubled to $1,600, for example,
and employees have access to
therapist-assisted cognitive
behavioural therapy and wellness
supports. COR also has an
employee assistance program for
employees and their families, as
well as virtual primary
health care.
We strive to nurture
what we refer to as a
culture of gentleness
for everyone we
connect with, including
those we serve, their
families, our employees
and our partners.
— Jim Temple
Chief Operating Officer
Employees at Creative Options Regina celebrate their colleagues’ milestones during the Annual Years of
Service event.
“When we talk about caring
for the caregiver, if you’re doing
well physically and emotionally
as one of our employees, you’re
going to be able to bring your best
for those who you’re serving and
caring for,” Temple says.
COR also delivers ongoing
training opportunities, including
leadership training, as well as
topics such as the foundations of
Gentle Teaching, mental health
first aid and person-centred
thinking. “This involves looking
at the individual you serve and
seeing them as more than an
object of management,” Temple
says. “What are their goals? What
are their dreams? And how does
our care and support get them
