FCSS values the importance of connection with others in times of crisis
Contributed by FCSS
During a crisis, especially one as daunting as the current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s helpful when local organizations offer valuable and trustworthy information to help families cope with the uncertainty. Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) values the importance of connection.
As an organization, FCSS programs and services are based on one-on-one, group and community-based supports.
“We have successfully been able to transition our services, supports, and even some programs to online. FCSS staff has dedicated much time and effort throughout the past year to ensure we are a mobile and flexible organization. These operational practices that we’ve established have sure paid off recently, which has translated into staff being able to best support area families and residents during this time of need,” said Morrison.
What Morrison said he has observed throughout the past couple of weeks is enhanced collaboration among partners, organizations, and municipalities.
“Southern Alberta has always had a collaborative spirit – a dedication to work together and help each other out, and this spirit, has sure been evident the past few weeks. I am reminded daily of all the great people working in southern Alberta and their dedication to supporting communities.”
According to Morrison, the Government of Alberta has also committed additional funding to municipalities and charitable and nonprofit organizations to provide help to individuals, seniors, families, and other vulnerable Albertans in isolation or impacted by measures to contain COVID-19.
“Through grants, local organizations can offer additional support through a range of services such as at-home help for seniors, crisis and helplines, food security issues, emotional and mental health counselling, or any other identified community issues,” he added.
Local organizations can visit alberta. ca to search for social services support for COVID-19 funding or contact a local FCSS organization. In the BaronsEureka-Warner FCSS area contact Morrison at zakk.morrison@fcss.ca.
Jessica Collins McIntyre, an FCSS counsellor, said because face-to-face counselling isn’t possible at this time - counsellors had to learn very quickly how to use the technology available.
“We’re still able to offer the services, but it’s in a different way. That’s been interesting, kind of fun, and kind of tricky.”
“Because we can’t do the presentations we were doing, which was another aspect that has been affected, I know there’s a lot of staff experimenting and creating videos to fill that gap in for the time being,” Collins McIntyre added. One of the tasks FCSS staff completed early on was trying to connect with as many different local groups and organizations, as possible – which included seniors’ clubs and communityran collectives to find out what some of the needs are, according to Collins McIntyre. “In a lot of the communities I was connecting with I was hearing some really cool stories about how the clubs were sort of pulling together to help the community out and to check in on each other.”
Collins McIntyre explained there are two common responses from families and posted on social media these days – the “fight or flight” response and grief response. “When our world is totally turned upside down our brains go into action and they’re trying to solve the problem. But the tricky thing is, a lot of this stuff, there’s no real solution for the time being. It’s just waiting and seeing. It’s pretty draining on our systems and our bodies.”
“I think the grief thing makes sense too, because a lot of people have had to miss out on some pretty important things or they’ve had to give up some things that were pretty important to them. It’s one of those things where I think we tend to minimize the grief that comes along with that, because we know everyone is going through it at the same time – but it doesn’t take the sting out of it,” noted Collins McIntyre.
One coping strategy Collins McIntyre has been hearing about from families is finding some way to have a routine.
“It doesn’t have to be really rigid, but incorporating some kind of sense of routine into our days right now with so much uncertainty.”
Using technology in new ways to stay connected, the counsellor said, can be also very helpful for people who have access.
“My biggest professional coping tip, I would say, is to make sure you are getting some movement throughout the day. If you’re not able to get outside, even if you’ve got stairs you can go up and down a few times,” said Collins McIntyre. This simple task will help with the grief feeling and will help break up the “fight or flight” response. COVID-19 has greatly impacted the way FCSS delivers services to individuals and families in FCSS communities, said parent and family coach Jackie Fiorino.
“Our centres are closed and we are having to find other ways to provide service. Most young families were accustomed to coming to our programs.
Getting out of their homes gave them something to look forward to and they were able to make connections with others. Parents and children are now missing that valuable time of connection,” noted Fiorino.
So far, with the families Fiorino has connected with, virtually they’re hanging in there. “I know most families do have their tough days for sure. Some are finding it extremely hard to hold their traditions for holidays and faithbased gatherings. It is a natural instinct through stressful times to seek out togetherness. So asking individuals, families, and children to go against this natural instinct has been difficult and we are all having to use our imaginations to stay close when apart.” Fiorino is always amazed how people and organizations join forces to help.
“Within our organization, we have seen so many different ways we have reached out to support. We just jumped right in making videos for families, moving to virtual, or phone meetings with families. When you’re in the service field, you just figure out different ways to bridge the distance while apart. We have partnered with other organizations to meet the needs in the communities we serve such as Alberta Health Services (AHS), local businesses, senior facilities, and schools,” Fiorino said.
According to Fiorino, families FCSS serves have been impacted the most by the lack of connection by not being able to go out to programs FCSS would normally be running. “Barons-EurekaWarner FCSS serves rural communities and for a lot of our families isolation is not something foreign to them.”
“We know full well what it means to bring support to areas that are isolated. So for these families, they are truly missing connecting with others,” Fiorino said.
FCSS is an agency that is always ready to serve its communities, Fiorino continued.
“We listen to the needs and gaps and address them as quickly and efficiently as we can. For us, this pandemic is no different in that way. I want all families to know we are here for you, with all of your needs. All of us at FCSS continue to work together to find innovative ways to serve and we will continue to do so throughout these difficult times and in the future,” said Fiorino.