About Us
North Rocky View Community Links Society (Community Links) is also a Family Resource Network (FRN #10) offering high-quality prevention and early intervention services and supports for children and youth, aged 0 to 18 years old and their parents/caregivers through a ‘hub and spoke’ model of service delivery.
As a Hub for North Rocky View Region (including Airdrie, Beiseker, Crossfield, Irricana, and surrounding North Rocky View County), Community Links is providing the physical centre and is the anchor organization that arranges the delivery of a full array of services, supports, and programming. Community Links implements Information and Referral Services as well as a network of various programs and services through our Caregiver Capacity & Education Spoke.
As the Family Resource Network #10, Community Links is also excited to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area with their Mentoring Program Spoke; as well as Closer to Home Community Services Society in providing their Child and Youth Social Skills Development Program and Home Visitation Spokes.
As a “Hub and Spoke” service delivery model, our agencies together will focus on:
strengthening parenting and caregiving knowledge
enhancing social supports
supporting coping and problem-solving skills
providing access to community supports and resources
improving child and youth development
building resiliency
fostering well-being
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area
(BBBS) mentoring programs are community and school-based programs that facilitate a natural supports relationship between a young person and a caring adult or Teen Mentor in Airdrie and Area. Our programs are 1:1, following best practices for effective mentoring. Within the context of this carefully supported relationship, mentees build executive function skills, improve their social-emotional skills and resiliency, and benefit from a natural support who can facilitate other connections in the community. Research shows that these skills are developed in children and youth through consistent, supportive relationships with caring adults. For referrals to the program, contact Engagement Coordinator, Alyssa Herauf, alyssa.herauf@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca, or call 403-777-3534
Closer to Home’s Healthy Families Home Visitation Program
Provides home visitation services to families with children ranging in age from newborn to 6 years old (at time of referral) who are facing challenges that may negatively impact their child’s development and their family’s well-being. Healthy Families is designed to help parents enhance their parenting skills and improve their knowledge and understanding of child development, child health, and positive family functioning and in addition, to increase their connections with their community to support them and their family. Services are voluntary and include between one to three visits a week in a family’s home and/or community, depending on the needs of the family. An initial screening will assess a family’s eligibility for the program. For a referral to the program, contact Melody McCann at 403-617-3152 or mmccann@closertohome.com
Closer to Home’s Child and Youth Social Skill Development Program
Is designed to offer services that facilitate and promote a child/youth’s spiritual, emotional, physical, cognitive, social and emotional development to assist them in reaching their developmental potential. This program will provide youth with opportunities to engage in positive social activities and will employ specific skill-based teaching to strengthen the participants’ social-emotional well-being and community connections. For a referral to the program, contact Melody McCann at 403-617-3152 or mmccann@closertohome.com.
For more information, please contact:
Brenda Hume, Executive Director of Community Links at 403-945-3900 or brenda@nrvcl.ab.ca
To connect with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, contact 403-777-3534 or bbbscalgary
To connect with Viewpoints Closer to Home, please visit viewpoints@closertohome.com
Check out this informative video on the Home Visitation Program thru Closer to Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYwElrjrw7U
For Home Visitation Services with Closer to Home Community Services Society, contact Nikki Bagwell at 403-630-5112.