Community Agencies Community Supports and Programs routinely accessed by the VPHS Wellness Team

Alberta Health Services Addictions and Mental Health Addiction Services - Provides prevention services for people, families, schools, communities, and workplaces. Addiction prevention support may include: consultation, needs assessment, education, harm reduction and prevention planning activity Mental Health Provides screening and assessment of children, youth and their families to look at mental health issues and functioning. Clients get support with setting goals for treatment and then reach them through individual counselling and sometimes through group counselling, skill building, family interventions, and youth mentoring. Goals are reviewed and clients are assisted with improving their health and their ability to manage difficulties. Provides prevention and promotion services, school consultations and referrals to appropriate services as needed (medical community, psychiatry).

Alberta Works Services Provided: - Income Support – The intent of the Income Support program is to help students return to school or remain in school when they experience family or personal challenges. Primary support is the Learner Benefit which is available to students aged who are attending school fulltime (3/4 here at VPHS) and who for one reason or another cannot reside with parents, are the co-habituating partner of an adult, a single parent residing with parents. Family breakdown must be beyond normal disagreement between parent(s) and child.

Alberta Works Con’t Employment Career and Training Services Child Support Services – Income Support, Alberta Adult Health Benefit, and Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), Supports for Independence (SFI). Employer Connection Events

5 th on 5 th Youth Services Forward Life Impact (FLI) – Is an 8 week, full-time workshop teaching Employability and Life Skills in a group environment. Reach-up – Assists youth with disabilities to prepare for and find employment. Work Experience – A program providing experience in the work place and employment opportunities.

Sexual Health Clinic Services Provided : Confidential and free - The clinical services provided are for people 24 years of age and younger. - STI testing and treatment - Pregnancy testing and follow-up - Counselling services for all ages - Education (workshops, presentations and consultations) - Health promotion in all areas of sexual and reproductive health, contraception, pregnancy, STI’s, HIV/AIDS, sexual development, dating violence, relationships and communication

McMan Youth HUB Services Provided: The Youth HUB is a client centered assessment, triage, resource and referral service for all youth The Youth HUB follows a family first, housing first model. - Support – help support youth to manage their current situation. Assist youth in making healthy positive choices. Support youth to find agencies that best serve their needs. - Advocacy – To help “be” the youth’s voice when they are unsure of what to do next. Accessing services, speaking to potential landlords.

Mcman Youth HUB Con’t - Referrals – Refer youth to community supports for employment, income, food, banking, etc. Refer to Housing First agencies that can best support the youth. - Housing – HESTIA House, Woods under 18 with no status (Youth Shelter), YWCA Women’s Residence, provide listing and support to market housing. - Navigate – Help youth navigate the specific systems and attach them to the programs that best serve their needs.

Wood’s Homes (Youth Shelter) Who accesses the shelter? - Youth under 18, who may not be living at home because of family conflict, abuse or neglect or those who need a temporary place to stay. - They provide, crisis counselling, private sleeping spaces, food, clothing, shower, laundry, employment and housing support and family mediation. - The shelter is meant to be a short term placement 2-3 weeks, but many times youth remain in the shelter for longer periods. - The shelter has 6 regular beds and 2 emergency beds available.

Youth One Youth One is a non profit after school drop-in centre open Monday - Thursday from 3-6 pm, Fridays from 1-3 pm for youth years of age no exceptions. The emphasis of the program is to develop healthy, positive relationships with At-Risk youth in a non-judgmental, safe space. They have pool tables, arts and music room, ping pong tables, half pipe, video games, couches, coffee shop & café, computer lab. They also serve free daily meals and snacks and have a fully functioning convenience store

Better Beginnings (AHS) Services Provided: - Support in decision making and information about healthy pregnancy - Coupons for milk, eggs, Slow Cooker Class & Cooking Club Class, exercise incentives - Free Vitamin and mineral supplements, library card, items for baby, nutrition advice from dietician - Information about agencies that offer support

Better Beginnings Con’t - Breast feeding information - Collective food preparation and/or purchasing - Pre/postnatal information support

HIV Connection Services Provided: - Supports people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS and/or Hepatitis C - Counselling, referrals and advocacy services - Outreach services to those at risk for HIV and Hepatitis C - Free capacity building workshops on HIV/AIDS, Harm Reduction and Hepatitis C - Needle exchange program, including satellite locations

HIV Connection Con’t - Free condoms, female condoms, dental dams and lube - Harm Reduction supply distributor - Nurse practitioner for Naloxone training and distribution

Service Canada Services Provided: - Helps one make informed choices about employment - Income Support, EI, CPP and OAS - Human Resources and Skill Development - Offers programs for youth, homelessness and persons with disabilities

Womanspace Resource Centre Services Provided: - Free Tax Clinic for Low Income Women – Thursday’s from 1:00 – 4:00 pm - Free Identifications for Low Income Women – Wednesday’s from 1:00 – 4:00 pm

FNMI Youth and Family Services There are a number of agencies and programs set up in and around Lethbridge established to meet the diverse needs of our First Nations population. Some of these include: Blackfoot Family Lodge, Blood Tribe Employment & Skills Training, First Nations Metis Inuit Education Program, Native Counselling Services of Alberta, Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society, Piikani Employment Services, Sik-ooh- kotoki Friendship Centre and Urban Aboriginal Mental Health. * Please contact Rene White Quills for more information on these and other FNMI Community Services.