Annual Report
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Assist in 2021 Impacts of a Pandemic In 2021, Covid-19 continued to impact our society. Much of Assist’s programs were run virtually through Zoom and other video conferencing platforms. Despite the hurdles of the pandemic, we managed to gather online with groups in Calgary and Edmonton for our annual Walks for Wellness. Professional Counselling: While we saw a slight decreases in new cases, we saw an increase of over 14% in the amount of time dedicated to each case. Peer Support: 57 matches, our highest total to date. (November 1, 2020 through October 31, 2021). Assist Community: In 2021, we continued to combat loneliness and isolation by offering our weekly drop-in Red Mug Coffee circles via Zoom. We also committed to promote physical and mental well-being. In 2021, we offered two free weekly online yoga classes as well as a weekly mindfulness meditation session, all of which is led by our amazing Assist volunteers. Education and Awareness: We engaged the legal profession by hosting our Fall Speaker Series. The series ranged from mock AA meeting, workshops on recognizing domestic violence, and a talk from Dr. Brian Forbes on the gift of helping others in distress. We continued our Parents Practicing Law webinars, as well as engaged with university students and the law firms with presentations from our executive director Loraine Champion. Professional Counselling: Toll Free 1-877-498-6898 Weekdays & 24/7 (Crisis Only) Peer Support: Toll Free: 1-877-737-5508 Weekday
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Assist in 2022 The Hybrid Year In 2022, the business sector started to see a return to normalcy as public restrictions were lifted signaling the end of the pandemic. Many legal professionals returned to the office, while others continued to work from home in a hybrid model. Professional Counselling: While the total of new professional counselling cases decreased from the previous year, the amount of time dedicated to each case increased from the previous year by 14.3% Peer Support: 50 peer-to-peer matches (November 1, 2021 through October 31, 2022). AssistCommunity: In 2022, we continued our well-attended weekly drop-in Red Mug Coffee circles via Zoom. We also committed to promote physical and mental well-being. In 2022, we offered two free weekly online yoga classes as well as a weekly mindfulness meditation session, all of which is led by our amazing Assist volunteers. Our annual Walks for Wellness came back much stronger than the previous year when the pandemic limited our engagement. Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie joined in on the fun along with Calgary and Edmonton. Education and Awareness: We engaged the legal profession by partnering with the Canadian Bar Association for Lawyer Well-Being Week/Mental Health Week in May. The weekly events ranged from our regularly schedule weekly activities open to all including participants who might not be aware of them, to engaging discussions with the Association of Women Lawyers, and a seminar on Psychological First Aid. We continued our Parents Practicing Law webinars series, as well as engaged with university students and the law firms with presentations from our executive director Loraine Champion. |