COLD LAKE - The Lakeland Centre for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) open house drew attention as it provided a platform for education, awareness, and support for individuals and families navigating the challenges of this complex condition.
FASD holds a spectrum of lifelong disabilities stemming from prenatal alcohol exposure, impacting individuals’ cognitive, behavioural, and social development.
Addressing the necessity for comprehensive support and awareness, the Lakeland Centre’s open house on Dec. 6 aimed to close gaps in
knowledge and services for those affected by FASD.
Paula Dewan, the program manager with the centre, explained the open house’s purpose.
“The open house is to engage our community members and stakeholders within our community to come in and learn more about the services that we offer here,” she said.
The Lakeland Centre for FASD offers a diverse range of services, including diagnostic assessments, tailored support programs, educational resources, advocacy and awareness initiatives, community engagement events, and collaborative networking opportunities.
Lisa Murphy, the executive director of Lakeland FASD, highlighted their specialization, stating, “We specialize in women who are pregnant, although they don’t have to be pregnant to attend, we do give women who are pregnant priority.”
Currently, the 2nd Floor Women’s Recovery Centre located in Cold Lake accommodates fewer occupants than its maximum capacity, offering housing for up to nine women.
The upper floor holds various amenities made to support women, featuring a fully equipped kitchen, shower facilities, workout spaces, clothing, and comfortable living areas.
Programs within the Lakeland Centre for FASD were made to address the lack of available services for women, responding to a critical need in the community.
“Over the years, we have noticed that there were gaps in services for some of our folks, so we developed our programs,” said Murphy.
FASD centres under the Lakeland FASD umbrella span across the region, serving communities such as Lac La Biche, St. Paul, Bonnyville, First Nations, and Métis settlements. This network ensures accessibility to vital services and support for a broad spectrum of individuals and families within the region.
Dewan says it’s important to operate in the many surrounding communities, stating, people who need the resources “don’t have to travel all the way to Cold Lake.”
For more information about programming offered through the Lakeland Centre for FASD, call 780-594-9907 or send an email to [email protected].
