New initiatives coming to The Mustard Seed in Red Deer

Lowe says the premise of the organization’s health and wellness programs is to complement existing health and social services commonly available in cities where The Mustard Seed works.

“Often times, our clients can access primary care services, so physicians who are publicly funded. But allied health services are really hard to come by unless you are in hospital or in an outpatient program, often with long waits,” adds Lowe. “That can include counselling and occupational therapy. Also, navigating to those programs is incredibly challenging, so that’s where our advocates come in.”

Lowe describes those advocates as ‘Super Human System Navigators.’

“They help navigate the different social and medical systems that enhance support for individuals and increase their wellness,” says Lowe. “They’ll address food security, financial security, housing security, but also if someone needs to see a specialist or if they haven’t been connected with the health care system in a while.”

“Even simple things such as transportation,” she continues. “Things you and I may take for granted, they can be incredibly challenging for those who are experiencing homelessness or being on the cusp of poverty, and also enabling access to services such as our team counselling that are normally out of reach.”

Another initiative being considered for The Mustard Seed in Red Deer is the Prison Reintegration Program, which is already in place at the organization’s Calgary and Medicine Hat locations.

“This involves collaborating with the judicial system to ensure that before people are discharged from incarceration, they are set up for success,” she explains. “That means helping them get ID, a lack of which can be a barrier to accessing housing or other supports when they’re discharged. We want to capture them before they end up experiencing homelessness.”

Lowe emphasizes how important it is to acknowledge the many barriers people face.

“For underserved populations, our purpose is to be as barrier-free as possible. We don’t ask for Notice of Assessment, we don’t ask for proof that someone is experiencing poverty or homelessness. We’ll serve anybody who shows up at our doors.”

Mustard Seed officials say the organization’s health and wellness programs are tailored to the individual and use a multifaceted approach to tackle all areas of wellness, including physical, cognitive, social, environmental, and spiritual.

When people struggle with their health and wellness without the right support, the Mustard Seed says, they stand to lose their jobs, families, homes, health, and hope. Once on the street and even more cut off from care, they are trapped in a vicious cycle of homelessness, poverty, and poor health. Officials say The Mustard Seed’s programs aim to break that cycle and reduce the cost to the health care system.

According to The Mustard Seed, over 77 per cent of those experiencing homelessness have an average of 2.1 hospital visits per person, per year. While the average cost per day of hospitalization is $944 in a medical ward, $1,164 in a surgical ward, and $4,114 in a critical care ward. The average cost of The Mustard Seed’s preventative Health and Wellness Services is about $13.74.

The Mustard Seed in Red Deer currently provides services such as advocacy, housing, ID services, medical support (volunteer physician, physiotherapist and chiropractor), volunteer physician every Wednesday evening, a physiotherapist every other Wednesday evening, and a chiropractor one Friday every month, plus mental health counselling, among others.

by Sheldon Spackman

New initiatives coming to The Mustard Seed in Red Deer

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