(A Gathering Place/Facebook)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

OPEN HOUSE APR. 9

“A Gathering Place” program seeking community support amidst funding cuts

Apr 8, 2025 | 4:58 PM

A Red Deer organization supporting adults with mental health diagnoses is hosting an open house and seeking public support after receiving notice from Recovery Alberta that its funding has been cut.

A Gathering Place (AGP) is a peer support clubhouse operated by the STEPS Society of Red Deer, offering users preventative and transitional mental health supports. STEPS has been operating the program since 2011 and it was initially funded by Alberta Health Services (AHS). In 2024, when AHS restructured, the funding moved to Recovery Alberta’s jurisdiction, which focuses on recovery-oriented mental health, addiction and correctional health services.

The open house will be held in the AGP space, located at the back of the Employment Placement and Support Services building (2830 Bremner Avenue) from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on April 9. The goal is to educate the public on what services it offers and brainstorm solutions to this new funding challenge. Organizers say users of the program will be in attendance and their testimonials will be on display, highlighting the value of the program.

The AGP program currently has about 91 active members, but STEPS Executive Director Cindy Jensen says this number shifts continually as some members attend regularly, while others are more sporadic.

Late last week, Jensen received notice from Recovery Alberta that AGP funding had ceased. It is currently set to close on Apr. 30.

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“What we were told is that we don’t currently meet the requirements for Recovery Alberta. They have some very focused goals that are more the core services, so psychiatric care and addictions treatment, kind of that crisis support,” explains Jensen, specifying in-patient bed services as an example of crisis support.

According to the Recovery Alberta website, its purpose is to provide “recovery-oriented mental health and addiction services and correctional health services in Alberta.” The health body defines recovery-oriented care as a “continuum of care options for people at risk of or suffering from addiction and mental health challenges,” adding that its four pillars of focus are prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery.

Jensen understands how the AGP may not fit under the umbrella of crisis-oriented services, as it doesn’t offer in-bed services, licensed therapist access or RCMP support. That being said, she says it’s less clear why the program’s offerings wouldn’t fall under the aforementioned pillars of prevention or intervention.

rdnewsNOW reached out to Recovery Alberta for comment, and the organization explains that as it starts to focus on its mandate, it is continually reviewing programs and contracts in an effort to ensure efficiency and maximize the the value of public funding.

It adds, “With much of A Gathering Place’s focus on the development of skills for employment and integration into the community, this puts their services out of scope for Recovery Alberta.”

As per Jensen, AGP members can seek support on a wide range of skills and topics, including cooking and nutrition, budgeting and managing bills, negotiating with landlords, connecting with the Canada Revenue Agency, general problem solving, healthy relationships and boundary setting, and more. Through these supports, AGP endeavours to prevent a crisis, as well as support those leaving the hospital or another in-patient service after they’ve experienced one.

“Any of those kinds of concerns, we have staff that can help them deal with any of those things that start off as little problems but can grow into bigger problems,” says Jensen. “They are very active in the community, so there’s that sense of pride.”

For example, AGP members have participated in the Adopt-a-Park program for multiple years, connecting them to each other and the wider community.

Jensen expresses concern that limiting Recovery Alberta’s focus to crisis intervention and in-patient services will create a “revolving door” back into the hospital and other in-patient facilities.

“As you eliminate the preventative services, you’re adding more to the crisis services that are already quite limited,” she comments. “And again, when people are coming out of the hospital, if there’s not the supports there to maintain them, then we have the revolving door back into the hospital. I don’t think they have addressed that need.”

She adds that she understands if Recovery Alberta has a mandate that no longer applies to AGP, but is concerned about the lack of direction as to where it could fit alternatively.

“We haven’t got clear direction from them, that’s for sure. We certainly have been approaching them, trying to get a meeting,” Jensen says, “but we are also looking at every other avenue and trying to explore options anywhere we can see an opportunity because we would not want to see AGP close.”

Community members are welcome to attend A Gathering Place’s open house Wednesday, Apr. 9, to see exactly what the program offers and who it supports, and hopefully brainstorm a funding solution.

(Supplied)

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