TAMRMS#: B09
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The Collective
Presented by: Connie Smigielski, Manager, Family and Community Support Services
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RECOMMENDATION(S)
recommendation
That Community Living Standing Committee recommend that Council receive the March 9, 2020 report titled The Collective as information.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
To provide background information relating to the move of Community & Social Development staff out of the leased space at 43 St. Thomas Street, the Collective, and the current service delivery model.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL STRATEGIC PRIORITY
N/A
ALIGNMENT TO SERVICE DELIVERY
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Counselling and Outreach Services |
Provide confidential counselling to school-aged children, youth, and young adults. |
Social Responsibility |
One full time community intake counsellor is available to support youth and young adults (ages 16-24) in need. Outreach and referral services are provided at no cost to clients, with a maximum caseload of 40. Response to correspondence is within 2 business days. Attendance at a minimum of 6 community meetings or events annually to identify trends, solutions, challenges and opportunities. |
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Information, Education, and Resources |
Provide individual, group, and community initiatives for schools, local organizations and residents of all ages and circumstance to help build community capacity, increase awareness and provide support on multiple social issues. |
Healthy Lifestyle and Well-Being |
A minimum of 35 meetings with youth are hosted each year for youth development. A minimum six events with a youth focus are hosted each year. |
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL (OR COMMITTEE) DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
N/A
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Collective Backgrounder
In 2014, the Community and Social Development Department assessed implications of the closure of the Youth Community Centre, and any potential issues this may have created for St. Albert’s youth.
The decision to discontinue FCSS Program Funding to the Youth Community Centre was based on several factors, including the number of youths frequenting the space, activities offered, and the needs of youth that were not being met through this model. In a subsequent assessment of choices suitable to the interests of youth, an inventory identified several recreational, cultural and leadership opportunities, but cited a gap in more intensive services like counselling, mental health services, addictions support, support groups and support for youth employment.
The decision to build a new space that would support the need for youth supports and services was approved by City Council in January 2015.
Public engagement exploring youth needs was ongoing starting in 2010 through to 2016. This happened through the Social Master Plan engagement process, interviews of 92 youth in the summer of 2015 and sessions with students for the past 6 years at BAM retreats.
Feedback received through public engagement confirmed that youth require mental health support, social support and employment support. Youth also need mentors and want to be engaged in the community.
A development permit application was submitted by the City of St. Albert, former Community & Social Development Department, to develop a youth hub at 43 St. Thomas Street, a space to deliver a continuum of social and entrepreneurial services for youth and young adults. The application was appealed, based on the space not aligning with the spirit and intent of the St. Albert Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan. Administration attended the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board to share the philosophy and intent of the model, and to confirm the commitment to keep the front end of the space as an active store front business, providing social entrepreneur opportunities for our youth and young adults in a supported environment.
The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board concluded that the combination of entrepreneurial retail space and youth service would provide downtown with a new customer base, leading to an overall economic improvement for downtown.
The Collective officially opened in May 2016. The FCSS Manager, staff providing direct youth services and a Community Intake Counsellor moved into the new location. Services consisted of outreach and counselling for youth 15-24 years, including housing, employment and mental wellness support, the Asset Development initiative including the Building Assets and Memories (BAM) program, and meeting space for Outloud.
Important in the design of The Collective and a requirement to have downtown store front space, was providing space for a social entrepreneur program; this program was delivered in partnership with Economic Development and NABI.
The entrepreneur program went through many growing pains for three years. The young adults that participated were able to learn and benefit from business mentors and participation in business workshops. However, with limited financial resources, many had to have second jobs to keep their business afloat, leaving the front end of the Collective often empty during week days. Safety became a concern with a break-in and a major theft due to the entrepreneur’s wares left unsupervised. Street traffic was another concern; St. Thomas street has few retail businesses, marketing was a constant battle, utilizing sandwich signs, social media and word of mouth became a full-time job.
One of the priorities identified in an informal needs assessment completed by the Community & Social Development Department in 2018 was to initiate the process of developing a "social hub” whereby similar support services are co-located. This recommendation combined with the challenges associated with operating the entrepreneur program out of the Collective, in addition to safety concerns for staff operating from the Collective location, led to the decision to move Community and Social Development staff and youth programs from the Collective at 43 St. Thomas Street to Beaudry Place.
Supports for youth and young adults continue in the Beaudry Place location, further, having the Community Intake Counsellor located with the Family School Liaison Counsellors and near the Community Village/Food Bank, has provided a seamless transition for children, youth, and families in need of services and supports.
The Creative Industries and Cultural Development team moved into the Collective, to ensure the space was not left vacant. This move enabled existing groups and organizations to continue to utilize the space for meetings and functions, while exploring other programs and or events for the space, with an arts and culture focus.
The current Lease for the Collective expires on September 30, 2020. Administration will not be renewing the lease, as the location in its original intent is no longer viable for the services required.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Administration met with the Youth Advisory Committee on February 5, 2020 and the BAM (Building Assets and Memories) group on February 9, 2020 to gather youth input on the impact of the Collective space no longer being available.
Feedback from youth engagement included:
• Where in the community do you, or anyone you know, currently go if you require social supports such as mental health, addictions, school issues, housing, employment.
Responses included school counsellors, Internet, friends, local practices, mom, and services in Morinville.
• What are the barriers to accessing social supports?
Response included: money (cost to access services), gas to get to services, transportation, conflict with scheduling between the service and school, stigma, and awareness of services.
• If the Collective space is no longer available in the community, what would be the impact?
Responses included: not able to meet at the Collective, less convenient to attend meetings and the collective feels like a safe place.
• If a space was to become available, what key factors would you recommend be addressed?
Responses included: to have meeting space available, Beaudry Place feels like an office and parking at Beaudry is not good, doesn’t feel safe, too dark and would like a kitchen, a place to hang art and a place to hang out, and a new space in St. Albert Centre.
IMPLICATIONS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
Lease and operating costs annually at the Collective are $61,399.64.
Revenue:
Revenue from the Collective 300 space annually is $7,500.
Legal / Risk:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
Alternate meeting space for youth groups will need to be identified that is centrally located.
Organizational:
Creative Industries staff will need to move into an alternate city location.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
None at this time.
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Report Date: March 9, 2020
Author(s): Connie Smigielski
Committee/Department: Community Services
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Kerry Hilts
Chief Administrative Officer: Kevin Scoble