Community Outreach Services

Brief Description

The Jasper Community Team (JCT) collaborates with organizations, agencies, and community representatives to improve the health of the Town of Jasper. During the first year of the three-year pilot project, the Community Outreach Services (COS) program experienced a number of transitions, and in the second year evolved into the JasperLIFE brand. 

The JasperLIFE brand was created to address the increasing instance of crime, noise complaints, property damage, drunken disorderliness, and other crime committed by Jasper's young adult population. This program used innovative social development strategies to engage young adults living in Jasper in activities that assist in employment opportunities, develop healthy social circles, and provides confidential support to participants.

Through JasperLIFE, a number of seasonal Mountain Adventure Club programs were offered in the winter and summer months including kayaking, hiking, white water rafting, and skiing. Other services that were offered include knitting, meditation, photography competitions, and movie nights.  JasperLIFE hosts events that promote socially-constructive attitudes among young people and reflects the values of vibrant, healthy community in a creative and innovative fashion.

Goals

The main goals of the Community Outreach Services are to:

• Utilize the Skinny template as developed for the 2008 pilot project to intensify efforts to reach out to Jasper’s young adult shadow population and encourage that population to feel welcome and join in community affairs;
• Augment the hours of operations of COS’ solution focused social support for Jasper’s young adult shadow population;
• Enhance and expand programming for Jasper’s young adult shadow population with the intent to increase community engagement and decrease participation in crime and victimization;
• Augment the work undertaken by the Community Team and Young Adult Collaborative Action Team to address the recommended actions prioritized during the Patricia Street Community Consultation Sessions; and
• Facilitate a paradigm shift in Jasper’s long term population: movement from tolerance to embracing young adult shadow population.

Clientele

The appropriate clientele for the Community Outreach Services are adults aged 18-34 years old.

Core Components

The year is broken down into four seasons: December – March, April – May, June – September, and October – November. This schedule accommodates the typical spring and fall turnover while maximizing program participation in the winter and summer.

The core components as follows:

• The Skinny: To produce a publication and host events which promote socially-constructive attitudes among young people and reflects the values of a vibrant, healthy community in a creative, innovative fashion; and
• Mountain Adventure Club (MAC): MAC programs create opportunities for young adults to try different activities in a safe and organized way.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

• Organizational requirements: The lead organization should maintain strong relationships with HR professionals in order to develop a stronger and sustainable plan of action to keep the program going.
• Partnerships: Partnership between the Town of Jasper and HR professionals.
• Training and technical assistance: Limited information on this topic.
• Risk assessment tools: Limited information on this topic.
• Materials & resources: Limited information on this topic.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
• Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
• SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

The Community Outreach Services was implemented in the Town of Jasper (Alberta) from 2010 to 2014. Funding was provided through the Safe Communities Innovation Fund (SCIF), Government of Alberta.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

No information available.

Cost Information

A social return on investment (SROI) has been conducted on Community Outreach Services. The findings from this study have shown the following:

• The SROI ratio is 1.93:1. This indicates that for every dollar invested in the program, there is a return of $1.93 of social value created; and
• Social value is created through a reduction in costs incurred by police, parole/probation, the health care system and the cost of unemployment.

References

Alberta Community Crime Prevention Organizations. (2015). Social Return on Investment (SROI) Case Study: Community Outreach Services. Recipient of Safe Communities Innovation Fund, Government of Alberta. Available from: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/safe-communities-innovation-fund-pilot-project-executive-summaries

For more information on this program, contact:

Jasper Community Team Society
Kathleen Waxer
Telephone: (780) 852-6539
E-mail: kwaxer@town.jasper.ab.ca