We help people transition from current crisis to their ideal future

• We listen to people’s stories
• We listen to their goals and dreams for the future
• We help them develop a plan to reach their new future
• We assist them with overcoming the current crisis
• We connect them to the resources in community to assist them in reaching their future
• We provide ongoing support on the path to their future
• We teach them the skills to plan and avoid crisis
• We connect with volunteers who are in their community and willing to assist
• We remain as advocates and offer support as long as client requires support
• We will always be available to past client if life happens and their needs change

2014 – some highlights:

• 100 Seniors were connected to all the pensions and benefits they were entitled to
• 150 Seniors were helped with life change planning and solving numerous issues
• 16 Families and singles moved into affordable housing and continue to get support ongoing (55 formally homeless households continued to receive supports from us)
• 80 Families received support with life planning and solving numerous issues
• 215 Single individuals received help with life planning and solving various issues
• 32% of our clients identify as aboriginal
• 10% of our clients continued to receive supports for greater than one year
• 90% of our clients meet their goals and are ready to continue without more support within three visits

We provide ongoing services to our clients and one-time advice to many who are referred for assistance in overcoming a specific issue. We work with seniors, families and individuals who identify as ‘in need of assistance’ to change their lives. In 2014, 34% of our clients were seniors, 18% were families with children, 32% identified as Aboriginal, 73% identified as having a history of addiction or mental illness, 63% were homeless when they first received supports from us,  93% had income below LICO.

Our community work currently has one staff and approximately two dozen active volunteers to deliver the services our clients need to move from crisis to a better tomorrow. Volunteers come from numerous backgrounds including retired people and some semi-active professionals including one Family Physician, who wants to give back to this great community. The one staff with Saint Jude’s has over 15 years of experience working with people in crisis – he has a Bachelour’s Degree in Community Rehabilitation and several relevant graduate-level courses in areas such as: Health Care System Design and Delivery, Mental Health and Addiction, Counselling, and Ethics.

We provide Case Management*, System Navigation-Community Collaboration** and Advocacy*** for all who need help in Calgary and surrounding area. Our model counts on the community and partnerships that help the many Calgarians who fall through the cracks of our often complex and hard to navigate systems. Donations made by community businesses, foundations and individuals support almost all of our operating budget; and we rely heavily on the support of our incredible community volunteers.

• Case Management*: We assess needs and dreams and then develop plans for clients to move forward in life. Our case management is focused on client identified goals and dreams that have often been lost due to a sense of hopelessness as a result of being in a rut. We work hard to help clients reconnect to their dreams and move maximizing their potential in society. Client is led through a holistic process to look at future visioning and development of long-term goals and dreams. Goals and dream a broken down into the five areas of health (Social, physical, spiritual, psychological and financial). Specific steps for each goal are broken into action items with specific target dates for completion of each action. Goals are reviewed on regular basis and updated as required to ensure clients dreams and visions are always the direction plan is going.
• System Navigation – Community Collaboration**: Working with a broad range of community partners, health and social networks including Horizon Housing Society, Child Welfare, Canadian Mental Health Association, and numerous health care professionals) to identify and address disparities and barriers and connect clients to achieve optimal outcomes. We have strong knowledge of resources/services in all sectors of society. We advise clients of the choices available to clients in the community to acquire the specific resources/services they need to achieve their goal. We will provide specific criteria and steps needed to connect to the resources/services they require. In addition to providing system navigation services to our ongoing case management clients we also provide these services to individuals/families referred to us by our community partners and services such as 211.
• Advocacy***: Assist clients in self advocating for their needs and where appropriate advocate directly for clients. We have experience and success in advocating for clients in many sectors of society and continue to connect clients to other advocacy avenues when we are unable to solve their issue. We will advocate at numerous levels from simple phone advocacy, letter writing all the way to assisting in drafting appeal documents and attending appeals. In addition to proving advocacy services to our ongoing case management clients we also provide this service to individuals/families referred to us by our community partners and services such as 211.

Guiding Principles:  Everyone deserves quality health care and social supports. Health involves more than the absence of disease. Health can be divided into five primary areas: physical, social, psychological, spiritual and financial. If something is wrong in one of the primary areas it can impact another or possibly, other areas. To understand a client, one needs at least a basic knowledge of their situation in all areas. The best way to help a client is to understand their personal goals and dreams.

Everyone should be aware of their options and then be allowed to make an informed decision. We assist individuals and families by developing personally-centered case management plans, and then we work with our clients to achieve their identified planned goals. We connect individuals and families to government, private and community services that will be instrumental in achieving their goals.James is a 22 year old male who had just graduated from AARC a youth addictions centre with no place to go.  James had burned all his bridges with family and friends and the only friend willing to take him in was one who was still active in his own addiction. James also lives with some major mental heath concerns. When James was referred to us through a past client he was in tears and stress about his next step as he only had two more weeks till he needed to leave the treatment centre.  We have housed him through a community partner and have met with him weekly through staff or volunteers and are happy to report today he is living sober in his own place. We have 60 individuals and families we have helped get housing, it costs us $75 per month to provide the level of support James needs now he is housed (this support includes visits by staff or volunteers at least weekly to review how things are going, referrals as required, follow up with his doctors and supports, bus tickets or vouchers as required, and monthly review of his plan by staff).

Your donation of $75 could help someone like James

Gary was a 67 year old male who came to us living in poverty as the only income he was receiving was $527 of CPP and a few hundred dollars a month from bottle picking. He came to us through 211 and was looking to find a way to get glasses as he had broken his and could not afford them and without them he could no longer pick bottles. We got him glasses two days later through a community partner (Calgary Eye Way Society) as he had no Seniors Health Benefits. Through the next three visits and numerous phone calls we were able to get his health benefit and all his pensions in place. Today Gary still lives in the same rooming house as he was living in when he first met with us but now with all pensions in place he receives slightly over $1,800 a month. There are many seniors in Calgary who are not receiving all their benefits, in fact 2 of 3 seniors referred to us are not getting their benefits.  Our cost to do the work for Gary was $150, (Postage, mileage to meet Gary in the community twice, phone calls to follow up with applications, referrals, a few bus tickets, and three office visits).

Your donation of $150 could help another senior like Gary to live out their remaining years with dignity.

A donation of $150 per month through pre-authorized debit would help 12 Seniors a year

If you or someone you know in the community is struggling with navigating the system please call us to help

• Call 403 775 4588 and press 2