Next month, Odyssey House is set to celebrate the launch of Hope Grande Prairie.
The new collective impact initiative addresses significant service gaps brought up during engagement during the Reimagining the Family Justice System pilot project. Along with the service gaps, a need was highlighted for cross-sector collaboration, sparking the birth of several programs, including the Centre for Transformation at the University of Calgary and the Odyssey House, creating a regional implementation of HopeHub. HopeHub is a secure data-sharing program that can be used among service providers, removing clients from being re-traumatized by sharing their story multiple times. The program, which was originally developed by Restore Hope in Arkansas, has been adapted to be used in Canada, including only being used with the client’s informed consent and has integrated community dashboards that provide a comprehensive, real-time view of the social landscape in the region. According to officials, by using these tools, service providers will be able to align their strategies, monitor collective outcomes, and respond more effectively to needs being seen across the region.
A statement from Odyssey House officials states, “This collaborative infrastructure represents a significant step toward a more coordinated, community-wide approach to safety, stability, and healing.”
There are 49 partners in the region who are using HopeHub, including the Grande Prairie RCMP, City and County of Grande Prairie FCSS, Family Education, Friendship Centre, Northreach, Centre for Young Parents, Grande Prairie Area Council on Aging, and Cairn Society, with more organizations reportedly set to onboard in the coming months.
The official launch of the initiative is scheduled for August 14th.
