The Community Compass provides integrated coordinated access to social supports by tying together hundreds of independent social services and programs in Grande Prairie into a coordinated system to streamline access to community support for residents. It is designed to better connect residents with the appropriate supports they need in a more efficient, effective and accessible way.
Benefits of this include:
- Easier access to help
- More accurate and timely referrals
- Improved co-ordination of support
- Better use of resources
The project is a partnership between the City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie and the Community Foundations of Northwestern Alberta and has been developed collaboratively through robust and ongoing community consultations with community members, service users, service providers and other levels of government.
It focuses on three levels of access: physically in-person at community hubs and social service agencies; targeted referrals amongst social service providers for people with complex needs; and digital for anyone to access at any time through the digital resource directory.
Digital Resource Directory
A major part of the Community Compass, is the launch of a new digital resource directory in the region called the HelpSeekers app.
Available to download for free, the app is available for anyone in the community to use to find local, relevant and up-to-date information on support services based on their needs in a safe and secure manner.
The app connects individuals with many services, including:
- Housing and Homelessness
- Food Services
- Domestic Violence
- Mental Health and Addictions
- Training and Education
- Community and Belonging
The HelpSeeker app can accessed online by visiting helpseeker.org/alberta/grande-prairie/ or downloaded for free on both iPhone & Android.
Coordinated Access Housing Assessments
The model has been put into practice for the community’s Housing First program, and local navigators have been trained to leverage existing community hubs and knowledgeable staff. These steps help ensure individuals have the information and support they need and can receive appropriate referrals for one-on-one support to access services no matter where they go.
If you are in Grande Prairie and don’t have a place to live/are experiencing homelessness, call the Coordinated Access phone line for support at 780-518-4833.
Learn More
Visit – https://www.cityofgp.com/communitycompass to learn more!
