Location may be everything
Concern raised over possible move of wellness program in Fort Smith
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, March 24, 2014
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
A proposal to relocate the wellness program in Fort Smith is raising some concern.
Community resident Clayton Burke is objecting to the idea of moving the wellness program from the Jack Taylor Building to the Fort Smith Health Centre.
"The big problem is the personal counselling service will not be confidential, meaning that, if you go to the hospital, it's going to be very, very obvious that you're going for counselling for personal problems or whatever reasons," he said. "People who have a problem at home and who want to go for counselling don't want everybody in the town to know what's going on. It's important to have confidentiality and that's a big, big issue with the relocation."
Burke was a director of Uncle Gabe's Friendship Centre when the wellness program was located there before it moved to the Jack Taylor Building.
"It's an ideal spot right now," he said. "I was party to moving it from the friendship centre over to that location because of confidentiality and people having a chance to have the program on its own, rather than mixed in with other friendship centre programs."
Plus, he noted, as a secure building, the health centre would not be appropriate for people to wander in and out for meetings in the evening.
Burke believes the wellness program may be relocated because of renovations at the health centre.
"All they're doing is they want to fill in the office space," he said.
As he understands it, the move is scheduled for the end of March.
While he doesn't work at the wellness program, Burke said he has used it from time to time, both for counselling and to participate in various activities.
"I know the program inside out, and I understand it's just an excellent program," he said.
David Poitras, a former worker with the program when it operated at Uncle Gabe's Friendship Centre, wonders what the purpose would be of a move to the health centre.
"Right now, it's in a location where the community is familiar with it and they feel OK to go there, and moving to the hospital would be like starting all over again," said Poitras.
The Jack Taylor Building is a good location for the program, he said. "It's kind of in the centre of town, yet it's off by itself. I think people would feel more comfortable than they would be at the health centre."
Among the services offered by the wellness program are Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, activities for youth, personal counselling and suicide prevention.
When contacted last week by News/North, the Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority declined to comment, explaining it required time to consider a letter from Burke on the issue.
