November 30, 2021 meeting

Interagency is made up of ‘helping’ organizations in Slave Lake and area.

Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

AHS long-term care

There’s a need for entertainment at the Annual Resident Christmas Party at long term care in the Slave Lake hospital. Usually, this is the ‘Resident and Family’ party, but with COVID restrictions, although visitors are allowed, they aren’t allowed to party. However, an entertainer can come in-person or via an online platform and it’s one of those that is needed. The party is at 10 a.m. on December 14th.

AHS Alberta Healthy Living supervised exercise programs

Registration is open for free supervised exercise programs through Alberta Healthy Living Program. These are done online. They included a one-on-one assessment and six weeks of classes one day a week. In January, there are eight times to choose from. There are two instructors; one based in the Lesser Slave Lake area and the other out of Grande Prairie. The sessions are open to anyone in the AHS North Zone.
Healthy Living also has other free information sessions. See www.healthylivingprogram.ca for details.

AHS Mental Health and Addictions

Mental Health and Addictions is going to a centralized booking system. The first day of the new system is December 13th. It only impacts new clients. Mental Health and Addictions may be offering free online information sessions once again in January, but the details aren’t ironed out yet.

AHS Public Health

Children aged five to 11 years old are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination is available in Slave Lake. This age group is not part of the Restrictions Exemption Program, which means they can still use facilities within the program without being vaccinated.

Metis Nation of Alberta Region 5

For the first time in a while, MNA Region 5 has a youth coordinator. Region 5 covers Slave Lake, High Prairie, Wabasca, Red Earth Creek, and all areas in between. The youth coordinator works with Metis youth aged 12 to 29 years old. This includes cultural programs and increasing access to community programs. The coordinator is also available to do school presentations.

Slave Lake and Area Mental Health Network (SLAM)

The Welcome Back Fair will be an opportunity for community groups and helping organizations to get the word out and recruit participants. It was originally planned for September 2021. Then moved to January 2022. It will now be mid to late August 2022. Details TBA.
SLAM meetings are open to anyone who lives in the area who is interested in mental health and wellness. The next meeting is online on January 20 from noon to 12:45 p.m. Email lorentze@ualberta.ca for details.

The Dragonfly Centre

The Athabasca office of the Dragonfly Centre is working on providing sexual assault survivor support services in the Slave Lake and Wabasca areas. The free counselling and other supports are online. The Centre is interested in finding a physical space in Slave Lake. It also offers training for front-line workers and other people likely to be told about a sexual assault. Supports are available to people directly and indirectly impacted by sexual assault who are three years old and older. Details are on www.thedragonflycentre.com.

Anger Management available for adults and students

The Family and Community Support Services Anger Management classes are up and running again. These are available to adults. Also, they are taught to Grade 8 students in the Slave Lake schools. Last year, the courses weren’t taught in schools, so this year it will be taught to Grade 8 and 9 students.
Joy McGregor teaches these classes. She also teaches courses in schools for Community Futures, which teach children business skills. Also, she teaches some Imagine Institute classes. Another project is a Men’s Wellness Day in the spring. She’s looking for partners.

WJS Canada

WJS Canada has two programs, which are open to any family in the area needing help. One is broad and the other is focused on FASD. The FASD one includes assessments and targeted supports. To access the programs a referral is necessary, but it can be made by anyone with the consent of the family.

Rotary Club of Slave Lake Public Library

December means Christmas and the Library is all over it. There are: video calls with Santa (which is full, with a waitlist), cookies for Santa (a decorate at home kit, which will be available close to Christmas), and Christmas cards for seniors. Also, the Winter Reading Challenge starts up in December. For the first time, there will also be an adult/teen version. People pick up the form, and fill it out. Kids get weekly prizes, and adults/teens get to enter a draw at the end.

AHS Community Helpers

AHS Community Helpers is run out of the Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre. It is a suicide prevention program, which trains up community members to recognize the signs of suicide and help people get the help they need. It is designed for youth 12 and older but can be adjusted for adults. The program has a new coordinator.

Rupertsland Institute

In Slave Lake, Rupertsland Institute has an employment counsellor. The program is for Métis people. Supports including job search help, resume support, some job training and safety tickets, and PPE supplies. For students, Rupertsland has bursaries and awards. Also, it can supply a subsidy to employers.

Family and Community Support Services

Roots of Empathy brings a baby into Grade 5 classrooms over a nine-month period to help children learn empathy. So far this year, the baby appeared via online video, but this was expected to change mid-December.
There’s a new FCSS coordinator in Slave Lake, Darcy Hoover. One of her current projects is finishing up a community directory and making a one-page brochure of community support contacts.
In the new year, Hoover hopes to start up more FCSS programs, including family fun nights and non-sport youth events.

Town of Slave Lake

Seniors support: volunteer shovelling for seniors is underway.
Northern Lights Aquatic Centre: the pool is open and there’s a special Christmas swim on December 18th.
Multi Rec Centre: there are various free public skates in December. Also, some glow skates which cost the normal drop-in fee. The lights will be off and people will skate around holding glow sticks.
Frost Fest: Ashley Whitford is organizing Frost Fest in February. For details or to add an event email ashley.whitford@slavelake.ca.

Next meeting

The next Interagency meeting is Tuesday, January 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. location TBA. There’s a desire to grow the group.
At one point, there were 40 people at Interagency, said Hoover.