Alberta Supports Opens in Bonnyville

Minister of Human Services, Irfan Sabir, was in Bonnyville on Thursday to make the official announcement that a Alberta Supports location will be opening. The facility, which uses a massive Provincial database of services available to citizens, will be at the Alberta Works location. Alberta Works will be expanded to accommodate. Minister Sabir explains Alberta Supports is a “one-stop-shop for all the services that Alberta’s Human Services department provides.”

“Albertans walking into the Support Centre will not have to apply for the different programs.” Minister Sabir explains with the capabilities of the instant access to the database of programming, trained staff will be able to ask questions, retrieve a person’s background of services used (if any) and make an immediate assessment and recommendation of where the person should go to seek what they need. “Assessment will be made and they will be connected to all the services through Government and through community. It will simplify the experience for Albertans and it will connect them with the right services and it will be a more easy process.”

Mayor of Bonnyville, Gene Sobolewski says he believes that Alberta Supports is a much-needed addition to Bonnyville, “it’s a re-focusing more with prevention and it’s going to allow our frontline workers the ability to take, not only, different actions, but to assist in a one-stop-shop. Rather than going to FCSS, or going to see [a doctor] and then being refered to another and another before the problem’s even addressed, it’s a one-stop-shop.”

Bonnyville’s FCSS received an increase in funding of $30,761 as a result of our government’s $25 million increase to FCSS in Budget 2015 as well Human Services provided Bonnyville with a $77,167 under our Family Violence Framework to support the Bonnyville Family Support Facilitator project. This was a Family Community Safety Program grant.

“The increase in funding is going to allow us to take action. You can announce all the programming you want but if there’s not the back stopping of the funding to be able to act on it and bring the necessary resources in place it wouldn’t matter,” explains Mayor Sobolewski, who adds the community is grateful for the additional funding to departments like FCSS.

Director of Bonnyville’s FCSS, David Beale says this funding increase was the first in a long time. With the increase in funding the FCSS wants to make sure its programming is where it needs to be, in terms of what’s wanted and needed by the community. “We have engaged a consultant to review our program and we are looking at a good revision; what are were providing for services? What can we do better? We’re in the midst of that… so stay tuned on that!”

“The benefit to the FCSS of the Alberta Supports centre is that we have somebody in Bonnyville, who is a Government of Alberta navigator. If you come in and you need support, you want to apply for subsidy for your daycare, she can do that for you, right now. You come in, you’re a senior citizen and you want to apply for a ramp to get into your house, she can do that for you,” Beale explains, “if it’s an Alberta Government supported program, she has immediate access to their computer program and can match people’s needs to Alberta services.”

The opening of Alberta Supports centre in Bonnyville was a proactive approach by the Government, explains the Minister, “evidence showed that services needed to be provided in a more integrated fashion. It fosters collaboration, which is more efficient and [Alberta Supports] is providing services, that is more effective.”

Broadly speaking Human Services exists to provide all Albertans with needed and necessary support, so there is an equality of opportunity in every Albertan to have resources and support to meet their full potential. – Irfan Sabir Alberta Minister of Human Services

“It’s important that we provide preventative services,” Minister Sabir explains the Alberta Government is taking a proactive approach to services, “preventative is more important to build more healthier, resilient communities; instead of waiting for something to happen and step-in. Albertans should know their government is there for them, to support them when they need them and we will make sure we provide services that they need to reach their full potential.”