A small group of organizations well known to FCSS programs will be available to meet with delegates, answer questions or provide resources.

Service Canada- Hakima
A Service Canada representative will be available to provide basic information on various programs and services, and how to access them.  There will be information available for the Canada Pension Plan, the Old Age Security benefit and the Employment Insurance Program. Be sure to ask about their Community Outreach and Liaison Services. Service Canada Representatives will provide services to rural, remote, and urban area to support/educate clients on our programs and services. They can offer information sessions, outreach clinics, and information booths for various sessions for your organizations.  All services are free of charge.

Canada Revenue Agency -Shandra Stephenson and Linda Mailhot
Representatives from both the CVITP (Community Volunteer Income Tax Program) and Benefits Outreach programs will be on-site to answer any questions you may have regarding their programs.

Have you heard about the CVITP? Do you have questions about hosting a CVITP clinic and didn’t know who to ask? A CVITP Representative will be on hand to answer these questions and more!

Does your organization receive many questions about qualifying and receiving the Canada Child Benefit, the Goods and Services Tax Credit, the Canada Carbon Rebate, or the Disability Tax Credit? An Outreach representative will be on site to answer questions or to book a presentation for you and your staff or your clients. Please stop by and visit our booth!

Rural Development Network- Sydney Stenekes, Lisa Belanger
The Rural Development Network (RDN) is a non-profit that supports communities in responding to their needs by developing tools and resources, providing capacity, training, and expertise, and leading advocacy to amplify the rural voice and bring awareness and increased funding to rural areas. RDN will share information, tools and resources that have been developed in collaboration with communities to support organizations and FCSS staff in responding to issues, including housing and homelessness. 

Ministry of Justice- Erin Jamieson
Resolution Services is a group of programs and services offered by the Government of Alberta, Alberta Justice in collaboration with the Courts of Alberta. Resolution Services staff work directly with individuals to help them find appropriate solutions for their legal issues. We will provide information on the different programs and services available to individuals and how to access them. 

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction- Jodi Morris
Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction (SARTR), Consumer Services unit oversees a vast amount of consumer protection legislation. Topics include landlord and tenant issues, consumer protections that apply when purchasing goods or services in Alberta, collection agencies, payday loans, home improvements, credit reporting agencies, condominium ownership, and much more. This information would be extremely valuable for FCSS staff to be aware of, especially when dealing with clients who have multi-faceted needs. Contact information for the SARTR Consumer Contact Centre for inquiries, including when and how to file a complaint, will also be provided. Consumer Services staff will also take requests to provide presentations to organizations about specific consumer protection topics, such as the rights and responsibilities of tenants when renting in Alberta.

Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP)- Anya Langkow
The Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) is dedicated to partnering with rural communities in Alberta to enhance health-care accessibility. Our primary initiatives are geared towards attracting, retaining, and educating health professionals, while also supporting rural Albertans in their efforts to maintain a reliable and readily available health workforce. RhPAP works in conjunction with the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) to ensure sustainable health-care coverage in rural areas. We remain committed to exploring collaborative and innovative opportunities in this field.

Covenant Health Palliative Institute - Ellen Mi, Tyler Hamil
The Palliative Institute is a research, education and public advocacy hub established by Covenant Health in 2012. The institute has developed five tools to improve understanding of palliative care and advance care planning in Alberta. These include: the My Wishes Alberta workbook that helps people identify and share what’s important to them in their life, health and personal care; the Plan Ahead Toolkit for community organizers interested in developing and facilitating public education on advance care planning; an interactive online module, Understanding Palliative Care, that explores what palliative care is and the support it offers; the PalliLearn series of public education courses about how to support friends and neighbours through sickness, death and grief; and resources to support the facilitation of Death Cafes, events where people gather to talk openly about death and dying. Stop by the booth to find out more about these tools and how the Palliative Institute can support you in using them.

Imagine Institute for Learning
Imagine Institute for Learning (Imagine) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of relationship-based professionals who work with children, families, and communities. Since their inception in 2001 (previously as Early Childhood Development Support Services), they have collaborated closely with governments and other funders to support the development of a competent and qualified workforce capable of responding to the increasing challenges of their work.

The Life Capacity™ Building Mental Health Simulation for youth game, developed by Imagine Institute for Learning, offers a unique and immersive experience aimed at fostering empathy and understanding around mental health for youths and young adults.  This experiential game gives participants and facilitators the opportunity to:

• Recognize the realities of mental health in relation to life experiences and life capacity
• Provide a tangible method for safe discussion and questions about the impact of mental health across lifespans and cultures
• Discuss prevention and intervention possibilities that could make a difference in understanding and responding to mental health needs in youth and young adults.

Imagine Institute will be rolling out a Train the Facilitator program for professionals in agencies working with youth in 2025 as part of a grant from the Alberta Government. Our table will offer you a first glance at the prototype of the game and the opportunity to sign up for more information. There will be limited number of Facilitator trainings across the province due to funding. Agencies will get a free copy of the game and the opportunity to train up to 3 facilitators.  

Caregivers Alberta - Carole Alves-Cornell, Coordinator, Volunteer Resources
Caregivers Alberta is a non-profit charity created by caregivers, for caregivers. Our mission is to empower unpaid family caregivers and promote their wellbeing through support, information, education, and leadership. We are committed to supporting the health, wellbeing, and resilience of Alberta’s caregivers throughout the province. We provide various resources, programs, and community connections to help anyone who provides care for a loved one navigate their challenging and often stressful roles.

Most of our caregiver support happens online via Zoom, or over the phone, so our services are available to caregivers across the province. We support caregivers in numerous ways from our caregiver support line to our virtual workshops, lunch n’ learns, peer support groups, systems navigation, and one on one coaching. Caregivers Alberta is here for any caregiver, regardless of whether their loved one has a formal diagnosis. No referral is required; anyone who identifies as a caregiver can reach out for help.

We can partner with FCSS locations and staff to train and set up local caregiver peer support groups or COMPASS for the Caregiver sessions. We also work with FCSS offices and especially Seniors Coordinator staff, to arrange local presentations about our programs and services, and also to build our Senior Caregiver Ambassador volunteer program, whereby we recruit person aged 65 and older to help spread the word to senior caregivers in their community who may be struggling. 

Office of the Child and Youth Advocate- Felicia Wilson, Nikki Russell
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, mandated to work with vulnerable young people. The OCYA provides individual and systemic advocacy for children and youth in the child welfare and youth justice systems. The OCYA also provides access to legal representation for young people receiving child intervention services, offers public education, and conducts investigations in serious injuries and deaths of young people receiving designated services

211 Alberta  - Mel Kuprowsky, Bobby-Jo Halton
211 Alberta has been busy expanding its team into the rural communities across Alberta as we look to boost 211’s connections into the smaller centres. We have four full time Community Engagement & Resource Specialists located in Grande Prairie, Lac La Biche, Red Deer and Lethbridge.
Our Community Engagement & Resource Specialists will be reaching out to the FCSS Executive Directors to arrange for presentations at Interagency meetings and to get advice on how to best promote Alberta 211 in the communities. Through collaboration with the local FCSS offices we will work towards making a lasting impact on the well-being of Albertans. 

At the table we will provide contact information and answer any questions about this rural Alberta initiative.