As of Monday, March 23rd, the Edmonton Expo Centre has opened its doors to Edmonton’s homeless population. With social distancing meaning that there are reduced numbers at inner-city organizations, the Expo Centre has opened as a daytime drop-in centre for people who are in need of shelter. This is a partnership between Boyle Street Community Services, Bissell Centre, Homeward Trust, Alberta Health Services, Government of Alberta, City of Edmonton, Boyle McCauley Health Centre, George Spady Society, and the Mustard Seed.
Boyle Street Community Services has led on a detailed intake process to admit individuals coming to the Edmonton Expo Centre to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. When an individual walks through the door, they are asked to sanitize their hands and then have their temperature taken. Then, they head to one of many intake tables. There, each client has their picture taken and they are entered into the system. Their first and last names are recorded, as well as how they are feeling. If a staff member is trying to get a hold of them for programming, there is a space to put a note next to their names. The intake process also includes tracking some basic demographic information so that we can better understand who we are serving. You can also filter clients by date that they’ve visited the Centre. Clients are categorized by their check-in location, where they slept the night before, and if they need to be cleared by a nurse. There is an easy search function to locate a client’s profile quickly. Clients can also be categorized according to different flags. So far, this intake process has been working to serve the needs of clients and staff at the site.
This is a great system for tracking a transient population, and one that we will continue to use at our Downtown Community Centre once full programming resumes from that location. It is a fantastic way to track who comes into our organization for both health and safety reasons, as well as who is accessing our programs and services and when. By mapping how our clients access services, we will be better able to create pathways to success across our organization. Often, it is a challenge to get photos of our clients, so snapping a picture of them when they walk through the door gives a face and a name to all Boyle Street staff. Additionally, we are able to get emergency contact information for our clients ensuring we can access friends and family if necessary. It is going to serve our organization for months and years to come.
The privacy of our clients was top of mind while developing this intake system. Boyle Street keeps all client profiles on a secured server, and the only ones who have access to the program are staff who work directly with clients. Profiles are not shared internally unless necessary and are never shared with other clients. It is purely a tool to help Boyle Street Community Services track our clients through our programs and beyond.
While this new intake system is being used at the Expo Centre while it remains open, we are excited to bring it back to our Community Centre location and use the information we are gathering to support the people we serve break the cycle of poverty. Any questions? Ask below!
Stay safe, wash your hands, and practice social distancing!
Commentaires