Wednesday, June 30, 2021 Vol. 44, No. 26
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HAPPY CANADA DAY
FCSS losing Independent Living Skills worker causing concern for local clients Patricia Harcourt Editor
Viking/Beaver FCSS will lose its current Independent Living Skills (ILS) worker at the end of August due to a decision by Alberta Health Services in Camrose. ILS clients received a letter explaining that AHS Addiction and Mental Health for the Central Zone will be taking over delivery of the program. Right now, it is being offered through a contract AHS has with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). The decision has raised alarm bells for people in the community, including Viking Town councillors, even though AHS, in its letter to clients, promises that “this change in provider will not impact the services” clients are currently receiving. “All current clients will continue to receive care and support from AHS staff, who will be in touch to introduce themselves in the coming weeks so you have a chance to get to know who will be supporting you going forward,” states Manbela Arruda-Block, director of the East Community Addiction and Mental Health - AHS Central Zone. “AHS will be recruiting additional
staff over the summer to enhance access to the program for more clients than ever before, and will be able to start offering home visits and in-person group programming which was previously unavailable,” she stated. Although the words sound reassuring, only persons clinically diagnosed with a mental health disorder will be eligible for the new service. And this would mean that some people now getting this service cannot access it come September, confirmed Chrystian. “Now (it will be) only clinically diagnosed people who can use the service,” she said, persons with “severe or persistent mental illness.” She has received information about the changes, and believes AHS “will do some community outreach work. They are hiring into (their office in) Camrose so a worker will have to travel from there to Viking. “I believe they are making plans to arrange some transportation for this new program, which is being called Assertive Outreach,” she said. FCSS falls under the authority of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and operates independently from AHS and other government agencies. FCSS receives its funding from the
province (80 per cent) and local municipalities (20 per cent). But even though FCSS is not under the AHS umbrella, in order to receive the services offered it would have to accept the program as it will be presented Aug. 31. The change appears to have come suddenly, said Viking Councillor Judy Acres, who sits on the FCSS board. “It’s a done deal.” Acres said there was no consultation on the frontline level with local communities like Viking. Acres feared that the upshot would be that some people with greater needs might have to travel to access certain services. Promises aside, she expressed uncertainty about how this would actually roll out. A discussion at town council June 2 had Councillor Deb O’Toole-Balaban ask if there had been a drop in the number of people using the counselling service to cause the change. “Absolutely not,” replied Acres. “We have a need for it, and continue to have a need for it.” Acres said a conference call after the fact with stakeholders, Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely, herself and FCSS got no answers. “We were told there was a little funding (available) to drive people,” to
appointments, said Acres, but added getting drivers might be the problem. The decision “seems to be out of the (AHS) office in Camrose,” she said. “It seemed sudden and unexpected,” calling the idea of driving people to a larger centre for counselling “challenging and short sighted.” O’Toole-Balaban agreed, adding AHS will just have to add more counsellors if clients have to get their needs met in a larger centre instead of at home. “It’s a backward step, we need more (counsellors) not less,” she said. Her motion to have the town write a letter stating council’s concern over the recent mental health service changes was passed. Town CAO Don McLeod offered to pen a letter on behalf of council to AHS. It reads in part: “The Council of the Town of Viking is extremely disappointed to learn that the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Independent Living Skills workers that have been coming to the many small urban areas outside of Camrose will be discontinued. This program has provided a much needed and timely service in Viking and See FCSS P14
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