Abstract
Background: Focusing on factors affecting the physical, mental and social well-being of Albertans (including vulnerable populations), the Health and Wellness Volunteer Sector Associates Forum was established in 209 to exchange information and ideas that advance the health and wellness of all Albertans, with a focus on health equity.
Approach: The Forum brings people, ideas, and information together to build collaborative approaches to services, supports and circumstances affecting Albertans who wish to thrive in their communities. The Forum also provides the opportunity to network, learn and engage in impactful cross-sector conversations to address issues and challenges, new service delivery models, as well as policies and systems changes impacting Albertans.The Forum has been established as an equal partnership between all members. It serves to provide advice and information to Alberta Health Services (AHS) to enable AHS to better meet the needs of communities and citizens. Conversely, AHS provides information to the members in order to help support the member organizations best serve the needs of their clients. The focus of the meetings is ) to identify issues related to the quality of life of Albertans and the achievement of health equity and discuss possible ways to address them; 2) present information and updates on relevant initiatives led by members of the Forum; 3) identify areas for potential collaboration or coordination; 4) identify key health and wellness issues faced by Alberta communities; 5) identify best practices and innovative approaches being used locally and in other jurisdictions; 6) share information on upcoming events and opportunities to learn, network and advise on important community issues and opportunities. Membership is broad and includes Volunteer Alberta, 2 Alberta, Alberta Blue Cross, Caregivers Alberta, AHS - Health System Integration, AHS - Provincial Seniors and Continuing Care, Healthy Aging Alberta, Drive Happiness Seniors Assisted Transportation, Rotary Districts 5360 and 5370, Calgary United Way, Canadian Red Cross. Meetings are held virtually on a monthly basis. Agendas are typically informal with multiple opportunities to reflect, ponder, imagine and plan. Members find out about recent news, activities, and collaborations from Alberta network of health and wellness-serving organizations.
Implications: Since its inception, areas which have been addressed have been varied and have included: COVID-9 updates and strategies to support Albertans to live safely in the community; a discussion on Alberta Wildfires and proactive safety measures for community members; alerts regarding upcoming webinars, learning opportunities and training programs; opportunities to recognize community volunteers; time to discuss family caregivers and opportunities to support them; space to share updates on granting options; time to provide input into key planning/strategy documents; and time for collective support of individual member initiatives.
Results: The Forum provides a virtual hub to connect members with others working in this space - linking them to helpful information, activities, and resources as well as opportunities to problem-solve around current complexities and changes in the health and social service delivery systems. We emphasize innovation and creativity, and seek out examples of transformational change within the Third Sector environment.