ESTEVAN — The Envision Counselling and Support Centre is coming off of its busiest year ever.
The highlights of the 2022-23 fiscal year were discussed at the annual general meeting in Estevan on June 13.
In her address, executive director Lynda Rideout noted that over the past year, all areas of their programming were in higher demand than ever before. Services, ranging from Prevention Education to Frontline Counselling and Family Support, hit record numbers.
"It was a very busy year for us last year with our numbers for all programs being higher than they ever were before. So, it was good to reflect on that. It's different when you see numbers from just going day to day," Rideout said.
"This is a direct reflection of the needs in our communities, and our team did not hesitate to rise up to meet the challenge, doing so with grace and humility," Rideout said.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, Envision supported 1,447 active clients with 163 of them being return clients; staff provided 3,293 total sessions and drove 116,071 total kilometres; and altogether the organization provided services to individuals in 69 towns and cities. Envision's geographical area spans approximately 28,700 square kilometres, with a total population of over 50,000 individuals.
Laura Melle, assistant executive director, in her report, outlined that "April 1st started off the year with a bang" as they were successful in hiring three new counsellors for their newest program, the Family Intervention Rapid Support Team (FIRST).
"Finding our feet with this program has been challenging at times, however, extremely inspiring. In this field, we understand that we must remain adaptable in order to meet the needs and break down the barriers people are faced with. The FIRST program is doing just that. It has forced us out of our comfort zone in changing the way we provide counselling and support services,” said Melle.
“Shifting from reactionary, incident-driven responses towards prevention and reducing risk factors for violence is the heart of this program. With many of our counsellors holding a waitlist this year, prevention work is likely to be beneficial in reducing the need for referrals to ongoing counselling.”
She also noted that they "are finally starting to feel like [they] have regained some normalcy following COVID-19," and started providing more services of different types.
Rideout noted FIRST, the program that is supported by funding from the Ministry of Justice, was highlighted during the AGM. They outlined that the program helped in reaching people that are struggling with potentially abusive situations before they progress. The program saw 80 referrals and 402 sessions provided throughout the year.
Other programs saw an increase in referrals, cases and sessions provided as well.
"All of our programs seem to be a little bit busier because we are on the other side of COVID, and now, it's really starting to impact people in their lives. The fallout of COVID is what we refer to it as," Rideout explained.
At the AGM, Envision elected a new executive for the year. Ann Favreau became the chairwoman, Roberta Derosier is the vice chairwoman, Sean Purdue is the treasurer and Aimee Haralson is the secretary. They also said farewell to board member/secretary Lana Perrault as her six-year term ended.
In her address, Favreau noted that they were successful in hiring Rideout as their new executive director last year, and also were able to find new board members.
"Our board had many vacancies and we served with seven members for a period of time. The board identified areas of expertise that would be advantageous on our board, so the nomination committee worked diligently to ensure we engaged competent directors to fill gaps in our knowledge and experience, and to strengthen our compliment. In that regard we are pleased to welcome David Wakefield from Kenosee/Weyburn, Brian Fornwald from Lampman, Barb Wright from Estevan, Teresa Lafoy from Weyburn and Trevor Tessier from Weyburn," Favreau said.
Rideout also noted that the organization has "amazing support from our funders, as well as from individuals, organizations and businesses within the southeast," and is doing alright financially. Sometimes, there are some unexpected expenses that they need to fundraise for. For example, the alkali has started to come up to the floor in the basement at their Weyburn office, so they are currently trying to raise some funds to repair it.
The organization has multiple programs and many employees, which means quite a complicated budget, as outlined by the treasurer in his address.
"We have 13 distinct programs, each with their own budget to develop and manage. As a whole, Envision's operating budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year was more than $2 million. Not surprisingly, most of our annual budget is spent on our most valuable resource – our staff. With more than 50 full-time and part-time employees, Envision devoted more than $1.6 million to compensation and benefits over the past fiscal year," said Purdue.
During the past fiscal year, they also were able to complete a long overdue facelift in their Weyburn building, which they own, with over $60,000 spent repairing and refreshing the exterior of the building.
For their operations, Envision relies on funding from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice - Integrated Justice Services, Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services, Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, and Justice Canada, as well as from the United Ways of Estevan and Regina and ongoing community donors.
They just wrapped up the previous term, but they've already been working toward future planning. Last year Envision provided some research that will help them shape their strategic plan going forward.
"This spring we held focus groups in all four of the communities our offices are located in, and had the opportunity to meet with our partners as well as members of the communities. As a result, we were able to gain great insight into the post-pandemic needs that the individuals and families who reside within our service delivery area are facing. This fall we will be delving into the creation of our next strategic plan, and I am truly excited to see what is in store for Envision," Rideout said.
"It is our vision that all individuals have the skills and ability to thrive in a healthy environment. From prevention to intensive counselling and support, the mandate of all of our programming ensures we are working towards meeting the outcome of improving interpersonal relationships."
While their year was very busy, Rideout stressed that they are here to serve the needs of people in the southeast and they always welcome anyone and everyone who may need support.
"Although we are extremely busy, we are always here to help," Rideout said. "I wouldn't want anyone to hesitate to reach out if they need support. And whether they reach for support by phone or by contacting us by email or through our website, we would be more than happy to figure out a time to provide that support for them.
"One thing that we did learn through COVID is that we are able to offer all of our programming either in person or over the telephone or even virtually. That change in our service provision has been positive after going through COVID," Rideout concluded.
