Blood Tribe health department showcases shelter progress to community

The exterior of the Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Centre.

Four months after taking over operations of the Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Centre from the Alpha House Society, the Blood Tribe Department of Health (BTDH) is eager to show off the progress it’s made with the shelter, even inviting community members inside for a tour.

“The previous operator didn't do a lot of that work," said Kash Shade, COO of the BTDH. "And the biggest piece with today is we wanted to reduce that stigma around what shelter operations look like and what the homeless population have to deal with.”

Clients of the shelter have given high praise for the work the BTDH has done so far, according to shelter workers.

“Things have improved immensely. As far as even the cleanliness of the building, it just looks and smells much better and different than it would historically,” said shelter coordinator Tim Heavy Shields.

One of the new additions to the shelter since the BTDH takeover is a stabilization centre.

There, clients who are looking to treat issues with addictions are able to receive a non-medical detox.

The shelter sees anywhere from 100 to 150 clients a day, depending on weather.

Clients are then able to stay in the centre as long as they need, as long as they show signs of progress, until a more permanent solution is found.

“It’s mandated to focus on the recovery portion of individuals that we're serving, said Heavy Shields. "So again working with the greater community as far as addictions services in the region.”

This is the first time the BTDH has ever operated a shelter, but with most clients at the Lethridge shelter being Indigenous, the department feels it makes sense for them to operate it.

 “It was kind of a new idea," Shade said, "but again, when you talk about the population it serves we heard lots of percentages thrown around but the majority of the population that utilize the shelter is Indigenous so it was kind of a logical connection.”

The shelter sees anywhere from 100 to 150 clients a day, depending on weather.

Workers will be collecting feedback from those accessing services in an effort to improve their services further.