A couple of months after an overnight outreach program hit the streets, it has ramped up to offering services seven days a week.
Timmins council heard an update on the first month of the outreach pilot project at its Nov. 14 meeting. While there are successes with the program, councillors also noted some of the challenges, such as staffing.
With 816 client interactions from Aug. 29 to Sept. 30, Timmins CAO Dave Landers said there's been good progress with the initiative.
The other data collected is that one person received basic medical attention (wound care), 36 naloxone kits were handed out, 20 referrals were made to treatment or social services, and five referrals were made to the by-names list, which is a list of all people experiencing homelessness locally. No calls were made to emergency services.
Workers also picked up 292 needles.
"It's not their primary function but they will help clean and ensure ... that they address the issues that they see in front of them," said Landers.
The numbers, said Coun. Lorne Feldman, seem promising.
"Although as you said last time, numbers can sometimes be like poetry and ... can be interpreted a lot of different ways, but are we getting any feedback of what you're aware from residents because this is why we're doing these things," said Feldman.
There has been resident feedback that Landers said is positive, though it is anecdotal.
"I am hearing that the Fire Keepers are very visible in the community with their with their green apparel, and I've heard that from people as well," he added.
For the one-year program, Mushkegowuk Fire Keepers are doing outreach from 4 p.m. to midnight. The $260,083 contract is for services seven days a week, however, at first staffing issues meant that it was only on the street Monday to Friday.
The plan approved is also for two outreach workers per shift. Landers said "they've been ramping up their service to that level."
SEE: Fire Keeper Patrol gets contract for outreach pilot project
The organization was transparent about its initial limitations with the city and the outreach has been offered seven days a week since late October, according to a city report.
"Mushkegowuk FK acknowledge that their wages will be compensated based on the work they deliver, and as a result, the anticipated total amount outlined in the RFP may not be fully utilized due to the 59-day delay," wrote Meagan Baranyk, community programs manager, in her report.
The outreach program is one of two pilot projects in the city this year, the other being the overnight security contract. The city has partnered with the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) for the outreach program.
The Fire Keepers program started back in 2020 with a small group of people who started going to high-risk areas, talking to homeless people with addictions and handing out snacks. When Mushkegowuk Council learned about the initiative, it submitted a proposal for a street outreach program.
In 2021, the program received federal and provincial funding.
RELATED: Mushkegowuk Council working on new homeless outreach program
SEE: Mushkegowuk Council secures funding for a homeless outreach program
Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic is glad to see outreach happening after 4 p.m.
One of his biggest concerns is the recruitment issues for outreach or support workers, which he said "makes it a bigger hill to climb."
He also asked about who co-ordinates outreach in the city.
While the groups have a common table to share what's going on, they are not fully co-ordinated, said Landers.
"There's a good deal with coordination, for example, between the Fire Keepers and Living Space outreach, and you'll often see them together. You know, when they're out in the community, trying to make sure that they're not duplicating what each other's trying to accomplish," he said.
Coun. Steve Black talked about some of the early successes of the program and people navigating the system.
"We're not going to fix the issues overnight and especially without the support from the upper levels, but these are some of the issues that have had some immediate impact," he said, noting the benefit of just having 292 needles picked up the first month.
One of the challenges in tackling the issues, he said, is having different services on different days at different locations.
"At least having people like this that can interact with the people that need the help and help them get to where they should be getting at that moment in time. It is a benefit," he said.
"We sit around this table, hospital board tables, community well-being tables and say ... we need a map of where people should go and when they should go there. Which is some of the highest functioning people in our community and leaders in our community still can't navigate."
Black reiterated support for the steps being taken, noting the frustration that some residents and business owners may be feeling who aren't "seeing things change miraculously overnight."
