The
Interagency FAS Program is located in the Lord Selkirk housing development
in Winnipeg's North End. The
project is co-sponsored by four organizations that share an interest in
addressing the issue of FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) in Winnipeg: Mount Carmel Clinic;
Pregnancy Distress Family Support Services; New Directions for Children,
Youth & Families; and Winnipeg Child and Family Services.
The project
serves families in Winnipeg with children age 0-6
where there is a confirmed history of a child who has been prenatally
exposed to alcohol or other substances. The project was established in 1994
by the partnering agencies. It began with a developmental focus, building
an effective working relationship in what was a new approach for addressing
an emerging issue in the community. The partners developed a team approach
and established a community-based intervention model.
Along with
services to families with children who have been prenatally exposed to
alcohol, the project also provides supports to the service network
surrounding these children and their families, and education to the broader
community. Because FASD is a highly stigmatizing issue for effected
families, services are voluntary and delivered in a nurturing,
non-judgmental manner.
There are
five key features of the project's service approach:
- Home-based
support services for families - who traditionally have not made use of
more formal services in the community.
- Sensory
integration consultations for families.
- Referrals for
families to community services/resources.
- Awareness-building
in the community of the capacities and needs of children with FASD.
- Consultations with schools and
other service providers to help them meet the needs of children with
FASD.
Contact:
Debra
Kacki
10-254 Stella Walk
Winnipeg, MB
R2W
2T3
Ph: 582-8658
Fax: 586-1874
Interagencys_FAS@shaw.ca
