Eighteen months on from the launch of Haliburton County’s community mobile outreach (CMO) program and coun. Jennifer Dailloux feels the initiative is making a huge difference in the lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable people.
Launched in June 2023, the program is designed to connect people with a wide range of issues with services and supports both within the County and beyond. Led by staffer Sue Tiffin, the County’s community safety and well-being plan coordinator, it has assisted approximately 300 people to date.
Dailloux discussed the program’s merits at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto Jan. 19. She was part of a four-person panel looking at ways small communities can tackle issues surrounding mental health episodes and addictions.
“We were invited to speak because Haliburton County is one of the only regions with a dedicated person working on community safety and wellbeing,” Dailloux said. “The work goes much further than just addictions and mental health – Sue has created a network of people and organizations to assist those who are struggling with many aspects of their life.”
There are 12 services regularly partnering on the initiative, Tiffin said. Some of the first were places like Point in Time, Haliburton Highlands Health Services, Haliburton County EMS, Meals on Wheels, and area food banks.
Over time, as word spread, more have come on board – the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alzheimer’s Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton, City of Kawartha Lakes Housing and Homelessness services, and Community Legal Clinic of Simcoe, Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes.
Once a week, or more, CMO members meet in various locations throughout the County to provide easily accessible, low-barrier supports. Issues range from housing, mental health, addiction and harm reduction, food supports, education and employment, and community paramedicine.
“Crucially, this method increases the chances of successful cross-referrals. All service providers know each other. Instead of having to fill out a form and telling a vulnerable person they’ll have to wait weeks for a response, they’re introducing them directly, leading to much faster solutions and supports,” Dailloux said.
To reach more people, CMO members attend the Minden courthouse the one day a month it’s in session, offering help to anyone that asks.
“Sometimes it’s not enough to simply start a service or program. Sometimes you have to literally bring it to people, so it’s in their face,” Dailloux said. “We still haven’t reached everyone, and we haven’t provided all the services we want to provide, but the ability to network amongst ourselves, evolve, and be agile as a group is something really unique.
“We’ve learned being flexible is good. Taking the risk to try and develop a model that really responds to our local situation is proving to be a successful way forward for us,” Dailloux added. “It’s almost like going back to how society used to be, where it’s all person-to-person, really supporting people.”
Tiffin said the response, thus far, has been positive.
“People who regularly access community outreach services appreciate the team being there, and tell us they look forward to it,” she said.
Now that the ball is rolling, Dailloux said the momentum is building. More organizations are reaching out and wanting to jump on board.
“Places are starting to think it’s a good idea to send a field officer 150 kilometres north for the day to make important connections. This initiative just keeps going from strength to strength,” Dailloux said.
To learn more, contact Tiffin at stiffin@ haliburtoncounty.ca.
ROMA rundown
Algonquin Highlands mayor and County deputy warden Liz Danielsen said she enjoyed speaking to representatives from Renfrew County about the unique way its EMS department operates.
“They work directly with their hospital, they’ve got mental health programs they work with – it’s so far and above what a typical EMS operation is,” Danielsen said. “I’m excited about the fact we’re going to have a new EMS chief and hopefully we can look to see if there’s improvements we can make.”
It was announced earlier this month that Michael Slatter is replacing Tim Waite as head of the department.
Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter said he discussed housing and health care with several provincial ministers, while continuing to advocate for public transportation. He said other municipalities with active programs were struggling to fund buses once provincial grants dried up.
He said there’s been no advancement on efforts to establish a bus service between Haliburton and Minden due to higher-than expected costs.
Dysart deputy mayor Walt McKechnie said he attended seminars focused on housing. He came away believing governments of all levels have to do more to encourage development.
“We need to lighten up our legislation and get the ball moving, get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible,” McKechnie said. “There’s no reason projects should be tied up for years just to get approval.”
