Health, Home, Humanity: It All Adds Up
The Alex Community Health Centre provides wrap-around health care, housing, social and wellness programs to Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens.
Using a patient and client-centred, multi-disciplinary model of care, The Alex offers the right care, to the right client, by the right professional at the right time, in the right place, for the right cost; because we know it all adds up.
With five decades of experience innovating and working in the community, The Alex has a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues by walking alongside people on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change.
Last year, we began reviewing The Alex’s history of impact and developing a strategic plan to guide our path forward. Approved in January 2022 by the Board of Directors, the strategic plan reflects our model of care and theory of change, with specific attention to equity, diversity, and inclusion, Indigenous reconciliation, and determinants of health.
Through our mission and vision, The Alex will become a Centre of Excellence for Patients and Clients and will lead and advocate for an integrated Community Health Centre model of care in Alberta.
(The Community Health Centre (CHC) model of care delivers integrated, interdisciplinary services and programs with a focus on healthcare, housing, food security, employment and training, youth services, seniors’ services, and more, in a community-governed, non-profit service model.)
OUR COMMITMENTS
The Alex:
- Defines programs and services with a holistic approach.
- Includes and listens to patients and clients in decisions that impact them.
- Ensures patient and client interactions are based on principles of trauma-informed care.
- Activates an Indigenous Health Strategy responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action.
- Embeds equity, diversity, and inclusion principles across the organization.
- Applies evidence-based and informed practices to program delivery.
Strategic Priorities
Organizational resiliency, flexibility, readiness
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
As the employer of choice, The Alex attracts, supports, retains, and develops talent-building capacity to best serve vulnerable populations.
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PARTNER OF CHOICE
As the partner of choice, we can accomplish more for vulnerable populations and be a catalyst for collaboration and change.
A Centre of Excellence for Patients and Clients
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Lead and advocate for an integrated Community Health Centre model of care in Alberta
TRC Calls to Action & Indigenous Health Strategy
We see the realities of Indigenous health and will advance change through meaningful actions. We will foster a respectful environment that promotes and sustains Indigenous representation.
Zero Barrier Supports Strategy
We don’t believe “low-barrier” is enough. We will pursue opportunities that promote zero barriers to access.
Staff Health, Safety, Wellness & Resiliency Strategy
We will embed equity, diversity and inclusion practices in all our work, and enhance initiatives for the physical and psychological safety of every staff member.
Food Strategy
We will embed healthy food access and skills through all Alex programming using a community development approach.
Data, Research & Evaluation Strategy
We will use the right data, and the learnings from them, to benefit patients and clients.
Our Impact
How we improve social inclusion and quality of life
The Alex recognizes that good health is much more than just good physical health. Is a person truly healthy if they are struggling with an addiction or mental health concern, or if they are living in poverty, experiencing homelessness or socially isolated? These barriers to good health are often intricately related and often stem from larger systemic issues such as trauma, adverse childhood experiences, discrimination, racism, colonialism, and poverty.
When a person visits The Alex, they are welcomed in a judgement-free way, and become an active participant in an inter-connected model of care across our health, housing, and food and social programs. Together we work to address physical or mental health concerns, improve housing and income stability, create pathways towards addiction recovery, and give people a chance to participate in social activities that are meaningful to them.
We know that by improving these key areas, families, youth, adults, and seniors who face barriers are better able to take control of their lives, achieve their goals, participate fully in all desired aspects of life, and experience improved quality of life.
