This February, Jasper’s Community Outreach Services office will welcome a new face, as the province introduces an Alberta Supports worker to the community.
Although in most towns there would be a standalone office for the new position, Kathleen Waxer, director of community and family services, specifically asked that it be included within Jasper’s existing outreach office, maintaining continuity for community members and strengthening the community’s existing services.
“In Jasper I felt that you can’t really have two one-stop-shops because then it’s not really a one-stop shop,” said Waxer. “So we negotiated that if the government had a position here they would embed it into our services, that way it’s just a value added service.”
Waxer said the Alberta Supports worker will undergo a month of training, so they’re well versed in all of the province’s programs and services prior to arriving in Jasper to start the job in February.
“They’ll be helping with anything that falls under Alberta Human Services,” said Waxer. That includes services and programs for seniors, persons with disabilities, children and youth, homelessness, abuse, and employment and training.
“Alberta Human Services is a massive department,” said Waxer. “We’re excited about the partnership and excited about the ability to offer Jasperites a higher level of service.”
Waxer, who was invited to participate in the hiring process, said the new position is part of the government’s push toward a “citizen-centred service delivery model” that makes it easier for people to find the social programs they need, without running all over town—it’s a model similar to what already exists in Jasper.
Jasper’s model includes six outreach workers separated into life stages—prenatal to preschool, middle childhood, youth and teens, young adult and adult. It’s through those workers, who are the face of Community Outreach Services, that individuals and families are put in touch with the services they need to succeed.
The outreach workers offer community programming, resources and confidential, non-judgemental support and the outreach office provides a place for people to go, whether it’s just for a coffee and some socialization or for help when life gets tough.
Waxer said she hopes the existing model will continue when the Alberta Supports worker arrives, with people coming in and naturally finding the outreach worker that best suits their needs.
“Just like right now, Lynda has a wealth of knowledge around early childhood and Patrick’s got more of a wealth of knowledge around addictions, so people gravitate to what they need and my hope is it will continue that way, if you need access to a government program it will naturally work out.”
Community Outreach Services is a collaboration between the municipality’s CFS department and the Jasper Community Team, a registered non-profit society.
The wages and benefits of each of the community’s outreach workers is funded by government grants, which Waxer applies for each year.
She said she’s excited to add another position to outreach services, without having to be the one seeking out grants and filling out the paperwork at the end of the year to maintain it.
Nicole Veerman
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