By Thomas Smith
Community Mobile Outreach meets once a week or more in locations throughout Halliburton County. The purpose of these services is to provide support to those that are underserved, says Sue Tiffin, Haliburton County’s community safety and well-being plan coordinator.
The services provided are easily accessible, low-barrier supports including housing help; mental health; addiction and harm reduction; community paramedicine; food supports, and education and employment, says Tiffin.
The community engagement events are open to the public at no charge. Everyone is welcomed to participate, ask questions, eat snacks, have some refreshments, and receive safe non-judgmental support from multiple community agencies.
This Community Mobile Outreach Initiative began in Haliburton County in June of 2023, based on a similar initiative conducted in the City of Kawartha Lakes, says Tiffin.
“The initiative was introduced in partnership with our City of Kawartha Lakes partners to respond to the challenge of vulnerable community housing residents, and guests, being further disadvantaged throughout the pandemic,” said Tiffin. “Our CKL partners recognized a rise in safety concerns due to increased vulnerabilities, limited community support being provided due to safety concerns, and there was the continued challenge of housing and health being siloed.”
The City of Kawartha Lakes reached out to Haliburton County and their outreach services, blossoming a successful collaboration.
“At first, a group of service providers began meeting in central areas of community housing to meet with residents and/or their guests as well as others seeking support who would come to the outreach knowing it was happening that day,” said Tiffin. “As we have seen need and opportunity for outreach in other locations, the group has also visited Minden Court on busy court days, the Minden Community Food Centre, the Wilberforce Arena (adjacent to the food bank on food bank days), and John Howard Society.”
Many people that attend their sessions have been resistant to services and participation in the past, says a report from the City of Kawartha Lake’s Outreach Services. Participants can come and enjoy a meal and listen in on conversations with service providers. While seeking assistance with something like a blood pressure check, patients can see access to other services, such as mental health support, or a sexual health professional. There is no obligation for individuals to participate and are welcome to attend as often as they want.
When these events are happening in community housing buildings, tenants can mention wellness concerns they have for their neighbours, leading to outreach team members to knock on people’s doors.
Occasionally, these interventions have uncovered acute health issues that could have resulted in very bad outcomes.
Overall, these events bring community members together, fostering meaningful conversations and building community.
“Many regular community members help make visits run smoothly as well,” said Tiffin. “Through checking in on/inviting their neighbours to join and offering feedback that might help us best serve needs in the community.”
Currently the following service partners regularly join in on the initiative:
- City of Kawartha Lakes – Outreach Services & Life Stabilization Supports;
- County of Haliburton – Community Paramedicine Program;
- County of Haliburton – Community Safety & Well-Being;
- John Howard Society – Harm Reductions and other Addiction Support Services;
- Haliburton Highlands Health Services – Mental Health Supports, Community Support Services;
- Heat Bank Haliburton County, a program of Central Food Network;
- Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN);
- Durham Community Health Centre.
Additionally, the program has also been attended by CMHA-HKPR; Community Legal Clinic; Fleming Crew; SIRCH; Point in Time – Youth Hub and the YWCA.
Last year, Tiffin estimates that there were 500 service-user interactions.
“I think that the barrier-free connections service providers have been able to make with community members by meeting them where they’re at have been tremendously helpful for community members, but also the service providers have been able to make connections with each other to connect, network and collaborate, resulting in additional benefits for our community,” said Tiffin.
In a recent report to council, Jennifer Dailloux praised the program for evolving to meet the unique challenges that arise in rural environments associated with physical and social isolation.
Tiffin says that the initiative has been evolving since its inception, continuing to attract more service providers and expand to more locations. Their services continue to listen to those seeking the services as well as the needs and concerns of the service providers.
Tiffin says that some successes for service users have included diverting emergency department visits, intervening with acute health conditions, connecting people to services, creating social connections, and re-buidling trust between the public and service providers.
The service providers have noticed that they are able to network, provide front-line staff, and attract new staff.
Tiffin lists the key success outcomes as being:
- Easily accessible (low barrier) supports
- Key locations
- Multi-disciplinary services
- Safe, non-judgmental service philosophy
- Willing partners
- Partner collaboration
- Trauma and violence informed care approaches
- Ability to pivot
* Key locations
* Multi-disciplinary services
* Safe, non-judgmental service philosophy
* Willing partners
* Partner collaboration
* Trauma and violence informed care approaches
* Being willing to pivot
The County regularly posts the next month’s schedule on the County of Haliburton’s Facebook page. The schedule is also posted at: https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca/en/living–here/community–safety–well–being–events.aspx
The next Community Outreach event will take place on Feb. 26 in Wilberforce at 2256 Loop Road from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
