Huddle Brandon, a vital resource center serving the needs of youth aged 12 to 29, presented a proposal to partner with the Brandon School Division to improve youth support services in local schools at the regular meeting of the BSD board of directors on Monday.

The initiative, led by Huddle Principal Dwayne Dyck, aims to implement a service navigator model similar to a successful pilot in Winnipeg, which aims to connect students with vital mental health resources and community.

Dyck said Huddle Brandon, which has been operating in the area for three years, is part of a provincial initiative to provide integrated services to youth.

“Building on a model that began in Australia, Huddle serves as a hub for young people in need, providing access to various services such as mental health support, substance abuse counseling and career guidance “, he said.

“We are an access point for young people who have any of these needs: employment, housing, mental health and more. We make it easier to access additional support through our collaborative partnerships with local agencies, including Westman Youth for Christ and Prairie Mountain Health, among others.

The cornerstone of Huddle’s proposal is the introduction of a service navigator who would work directly within local high schools, Dyck said, referring to Winnipeg, where school divisions have funded service navigators to help students to access Huddle services.

“This approach not only helped improve student attendance, but also fostered a school environment conducive to learning. We hope to partner with the Brandon School Division to provide a service navigator in secondary schools, improving access to the resources students need,” he added.

He also suggested the possibility of collaboration with neighboring school divisions to expand services to students from surrounding communities who travel to Brandon for resources.

Administrators raised several questions regarding the feasibility and financing of the hub.

Administrator Breeanna Sieklicki asked about family participation in their programs.

In response, Dyck explained, “We have family counselors on staff and often have a parent and youth counseling together. Additionally, we are launching a community practice meeting where our counselors will offer family counseling in partnership with schools.

Trustee Kirk Carr questioned how the proposed surface navigator position differed from existing support services provided by school counselors and social workers.

Dyck explained that service navigators work after hours, making them available when families can access support.

“This position works both in and out of schools, providing a relational connection to services that counselors cannot,” he said.

Deputy Superintendent of the BSD. Susan Gilleshammer said school counselors focus on academic and career guidance but do not provide therapeutic counseling.

“The level of therapeutic counseling that Huddle offers is very different and our student services direct students there,” she said. “We know that the medical model of our child and adolescent treatment center can be a barrier, as missing an appointment results in a move to the bottom of the list, which can result in a wait time of about six weeks.

Sieklicki went on to ask, “Does Huddle have a waitlist or do individuals receive help immediately upon arrival?

Dyck assured him that Huddle was making sure help was provided.

“Within Huddle, you always get help,” Dyck said. “Our longest wait currently is five days, but often if you come in on the right day you can see a counselor straight away or within a day or two.

President Linda Ross asked what the source of funding for the hub is.

“Your funding comes mainly from the province, right? she asked.

Dyck confirmed this, saying their budget for the year is about $700,000, with about $400,000 coming from the province, adding that additional support comes from staff hours provided by Prairie Mountain Health and fundraising efforts.

Carr then asked for his personal opinion on the impact of the Service Navigator on students’ high school experience.

Annalee Flett, a peer support worker at Huddle and former participant on its youth advisory council, shared her personal journey with the organization.

“I was one of the chronically absent, attending about 40 percent of the time during my 11th and 12th grade years. The biggest obstacle for me was not having a connection with anyone in the community,” she said.

“Huddle saw me and they supported me when I didn’t even consider myself a key member. Having that connection would have made it less intimidating and encouraged me to grow beyond just the educational support I received in high school.

Ross told The Sun the board would have more deliberations on the proposal before making a decision.

“We will have to discuss this at a future meeting. I don’t know if it will be the next meeting or when we will put it on the agenda, but we haven’t talked about it at all,” she said.

“That seems very interesting to me. I spoke to Sandy Nemeth, president of the Manitoba School Board Association, on Monday and she said they have seen very good results with this system in Louis Riel (school division), but I need to know for sure if this adds a different service than what we have. I already provide.

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