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Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com
Cindy Simpson of the March of Dimes unpacks supplies for the café at the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administrative Board on Tuesday at the organization's new $13.5-million headquarters on May Street.
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Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com
Melissa Harrison, DSSAB’s chief administrative officer.
The Thunder Bay District Social Services Administrative Board would not be able to deliver its new service model without its set-to-open $13.5-million May Street headquarters.
Melissa Harrison, DSSAB’s chief administrative officer, on Tuesday said the new 54,000 square foot facility is much more than a simple consolidation of services, but a marked change in the way the organization does business.
“Before a client would sit down with three different individuals and apply for Ontario Works, for housing and for child-care fee subsidies,” said Harrison, leading a tour of the building on the eve of it opening to the public for the first time.
“Throughout this year, as we implement our integrated client-service delivery model with Phase 3 of our staffing, clients will be able to sit down with one single staff person who will complete all applications for all of our programs and services and be well-versed in those.”
Clients, in other words, won’t have to share their story of woe repeatedly, Harrison said. Add in dedicated staff to help fill in the necessary applications, a job once handled by case workers, and the process should be a much smoother and more expedited one.
“Last year, for example, wait times for eligibility for Ontario Works reached a peak of nine days. That means nine days where a client would be waiting to receive funds to have a place to live and food,” said Harrison, pointing out they also offer emergency services in the meantime.
“But to have that basic income and allowance is important for our clients, so with our new model, we’ll be able to meet the standards of the four-day turnaround times for clients to be able to determine their eligibility and receive their cheques.”
The potential is there, she added, pending approval of the DSSAB budget next month, to turn around an application in as little as 24 hours.
With up to 400 clients walking through the door each day, 60 per cent arriving on foot, that’s good news says recently elected DSSAB board chairman Robert Katajamaki.
But it’s not just the clients who’ve been thought about when the space was designed.
A relaxed staff is a happier staff who in turn should provide better service, he said.
“If you’re a super athlete, if you’re relaxed, you win,” Katajamaki said. “If you’re not, you lose.”
For example, space has been set aside for a staff fitness room. DSSAB employees have already fundraised about $3,000 to help pay for workout equipment.
Harrison did say they are already starting to run out of space, particularly when it comes to office space for supervisors, and are hoping to come up with a palatable solution during the budget process. One solution could be housing a small portion of the 145-member staff at the Royal Edward Arms, where DSSAB is already leasing space.
Another option is adding to the third floor, a possibility worked into the original design of the building.
As far as clients are concerned, however, it’s state of the art. The new facility includes about 23 interview rooms, extra wickets for clients coming in to pay rent and deal with housing issues and computer rooms for job hunting and training.
“We use this for clients, but we’ll also be using it for staff,” Harrison said. “So on a regular basis we’re always hiring case workers and there’s a five- to six-week training program that we run several times a year for new staff.”
There’s also an in-house laundry for transient clients and a hair-dressing salon for training.
“The hairdressers that are registered and qualify come and do the hairdressing program and they don’t stay very long because they end up finding permanent full-time employment out in the community.”
The design itself included as many sustainable features as possibly, said architect Michelle Gibson of Form Architecture Engineering.
“It’s not often you see a three-storey wood-frame building so that was interesting for people in the community seeing it go up.
“The use of materials, where we could, had recycled content to it. And the fun thing about this project was working with the client through the process of design and creating environments that were positive work environments for the staff, ensuring we’ve got a lot of natural light,” Gibson said.
“It’s something that as you walk around you see throughout the facility, a strategic use of light. On the third floor we introduced a skylight so we could get light down into the second floor. “
The use of colour and wood was also carefully thought out, she added.
“it’s more of a serene colour palate that we think is really conducive to the kind of services that are offered at DSSAB.”
The building is scheduled to open for business on Wednesday.
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