(File Photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Working Together

Collaborative team announces community safety priorities for Red Deer

Nov 27, 2019 | 12:19 PM

A group of community leaders in Red Deer working collaboratively on a coordinated approach to broad community safety issues has announced a list of its priorities over the next six months.

The Systems Leadership Team (SLT) announced their “Top 6 in 6” on Wednesday. The team is made up of representatives from The City of Red Deer, Red Deer RCMP, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Red Deer Public Schools, Urban Aboriginal Voices Society, Alberta Health Services – Central Zone and Children’s Services – Central Region.

According to officials with the City of Red Deer, the group’s priorities were developed following a Safety Summit that took place in June. Over 100 people are said to have participated in the Summit, providing feedback to inform the direction for SLT.

Using this information, along with data from past community consultations, City officials say SLT developed Community Safety Action Areas, and priorities within each action area.

The “Top 6 in 6” are the immediate priorities SLT will focus on in the next six months.

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System Innovation: A central coordination model that enhances collaboration and facilitates knowledge sharing to identify gaps and prevent unnecessary duplication of services.

Top 6 in 6 priority one: Create a central coordination, governance and integration model that enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing.

People-Centred Approaches: Strengthen and streamline population-based strategies, which include trauma and culturally-informed practices, to better focus on client needs.

Top 6 in 6 priority two: Ensure intake processes are streamlined.

Top 6 in 6 priority three: Develop a trauma-informed workforce to enhance outcomes for clients.

Community Mobilization: Enhanced communication between agencies, systems, and greater community to create common understandings and facilitate/create opportunities for community change.

Top 6 in 6 priority four: Enhancing communication between systems, agencies, and community.

Coordinate New and Existing Resources: Create innovative funding opportunities and data integration strategies to support long-term sustainability and more efficient use of allocated resources.

Top 6 in 6 priority five: Drive data and information sharing, retention and access.

Top 6 in 6 priority six: Ensure long-term funding stability/innovation.

In the coming months, officials say a Community Integration Team and operational team of the SLT will be working to implement these action items.

“These SLT priorities will transform how our systems integrate and function to serve our citizens in the long-term,” City Manager Allan Seabrooke. “Combined with the solutions and actions we have heard from the community through our recent crime and community safety engagement initiatives, I am confident that we can make strides toward improving safety for everyone in Red Deer.”

Red Deer RCMP Superintendent Gerald Grobmeier says RCMP strongly values the SLT partnership and recognizes the importance of working collaboratively in the community.

“With this collaborative approach at the core of the SLT mandate, we are now ready to implement our immediate priorities, which will have a broad reaching impact across the community,” adds Grobmeier. “There are many agencies involved in community safety who will play a role in delivering these priorities, and our role as system leaders will be to ensure these agencies have the necessary resources and support in place. It’s only when we’re working together that we will start to see progress on our community safety goals.”

Paul Mason, superintendent of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, says being a member of the SLT has demonstrated the District’s continued willingness to work with other local agencies and organizations for the betterment of the community.

Red Deer Public Schools Superintendent Stu Henry and student services associate superintendent Chad Erickson say they see great value in coordinating the community’s work around community safety.

“Urban Aboriginal Voices Society (UAVS) is excited to be coming together with system leaders to enhance community safety,” adds Maggie Loney, co-chair leadership circle. “Our hope is that through increased collaboration and implementation of priority actions, we will be able to speak and act with a united voice on issues and concerns affecting our community.”

Janice Stewart, chief zone officer for AHS Central Zone, says Alberta Health Services is pleased to be a member of the SLT, and looks forward to working with its partners on the priority areas over the coming months.

“The issue of community safety is multi-faceted, and enhancing it is a big job,” says Stewart. “No single approach nor one organization working alone will have all the answers, but by working together towards common goals, we can build on each other’s strengths and resources, and enhance the way we all work as one. Together we can create opportunities for positive, meaningful change within our community.”

(With file from the City of Red Deer)