After launching a community outreach program in June, Bruce County staff has provided an update to council on the initiative.
The Community Outreach and Support Team, known as COAST, has already interacted more than 300 people throughout the county in its first week.
Project Integration Manager Alison Govier told council, “The team has recorded 323 interactions with residents across 17 locations in Bruce County, including at meal programs, food banks, rapid access addiction medicine clinics, shelter/motels and encampments. Early results demonstrate a strong demand for community-based supports, and staff will continue to provide outreach, monitor outcomes, and report back to council on the program’s progress.”
COAST is a partnership between Bruce County Paramedic Services, Bruce County Human Services, and CMHA Grey Bruce.
The team works to provide coordinated health, housing, mental health, addiction, and social supports to the county’s vulnerable residents.
During discussions at Thursday’s council meeting, Warden Luke Charbonneau asked whether the COAST team could have a structured schedule where those who need the services provided can access outreach workers.
“We have an ongoing encampment going on in Saugeen Shores and downtown Port Elgin, and we have found it’s been made pretty clear from that situation that people who are in need, people who have lost their housing, people who facing some of the issues that the COAST team are dealing with, really struggle to get connected with the outreach workers that they need — where do they find them? How do they connect to those people?” asked Charbonneau.
He added that the encampment in Port Elgin has become a place where people know they can access outreach workers.
“They know it’s there, and they go an they go there to connect with folks providing outreach, which has led to an intensification of that encampment over time.”
Staff shared that a set schedule is available on the County’s community support page.
Funding for Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) is provided through a $1,390,000 contribution agreement with Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund, ending March 31, 2027.
“If we’re seeing larger need in particular parts of the county, concentrating our resources in those places, I think would be appropriate. In addition to coming back to this council as part of the 2027 budget looking for more resources, is something we’re going to need to do,” said Charbonneau. “This is not a problem that’s going away, we’ve seen the information from AMO. This problem is going to get worse. This has got to be a standard part of our operations, no different than Paramedic Services or Long Term Care, or anything else.”
Outreach has already across 17 community locations, including Bruce County Outreach planned events, community meal locations, food banks, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinics, emergency shelter motels and encampment locations.