Programs

FASD Services

FASD Services at Smithers Community Services
In collaboration with other community services and organizations, FASD Services supports, develops and delivers initatives that increase awaremess around FASD, reduce instances of FASD, and improve the support available to individuals living with FASD.

FASD Services Vision Statement
FASD Services strives to create a community where all citizens are aware of the impact of alcohol during pregnancy, where adequate services and supports are available to all pregnant women to support substance- free pregnancies, and where support systems are in place to allow individuals living with FASD to reach their full potential and be active members of the community.

FASD Services Mandate
• Take the lead in promoting, developing, and maintaining a community based, integrated committee of social, health, educational, correctional, and business providers that are involved with children, youth and/or their parents who are neurologically affected by alcohol.
• Provide ongoing community education and training about the impact and affects of alcohol consumption throughout pregnancy.
• Assist service and business providers in enhancing the accessibility and suitability of current health, education, rehabilitative, correctional, social and business programs and services to affected children, youth, parents and families.

FASD Services Can Offer to the Community
• Grant writing services related to FASD initiatives
• Training and education opportunities
• Collaboration on prevention and awareness campaign
• Partner in the development and delivery of awareness and prevention presentation (FASD 101 & beyond) to community groups
• Special project management (art show, booths,…)
• Free FASD Resource Lending Library
• Chairing of BV FASD Committee
• Local FASD network management – presence at meetings, listserv/email distribution list management
• Networking at the regional, provincial and national level and sharing back at the community level

Our Guiding Principles – What we believe in
• With appropriate support, individuals living with FASD can become and remain active, contributing members of the community
• Individuals living with FASD have many gifts and skills awaiting to be discovered, developed and shared
• FASD is a society issue, not a women’s issue
• Need to address FASD through social determinants of health in order to have an impact on incidence (income, education, social support, employment, social and physical environment, health practices and services…) link to Public Health Agency of Canada Social Determinants of Health)
• FASD concerns all cultures and all income groups.
• Stigma and blame towards birth mothers and individuals living with FASD need to be addressed and eliminated in order to improve success of FASD prevention and early identification initiatives.

Bulkley Valley FASD Committee
Since October 2010, a local FASD Committee has been re-established, in order to create collaboration between a diverse network of individuals and organizations who hold an interest in FASD.
This group of individuals and organizations with representatives from Moricetown, Smithers, Telkwa and Houston, wants to work collaboratively:
• around education, awareness and prevention of FASD;
• to develop a culture within our communities that is inclusive of people and families living with FASD;
• to develop a community that shares the responsibility of lessening FASD.

FASD Instructor Bios and Schedule

Coming Soon: A separate web page to will host more information specific to the BV FASD Committee as well as links and documents.

Contact:
For more information on FASD Services Program, please contact Nathalie Brassard, program coordinator, at (250) 847-9515, ext. 224, or send an email at fasd@scsa.ca.