Southern Alberta Self - Help Association (SASHA) is a non-profit community organization whose mission is to support adults with severe and/or persistent mental illness to achieve individual success through a continuum of supportive living options and individualized services.

Transitional and long-term supportive housing programs are person centered and strength based, with a focus on achieving improved quality of life and recovery outcomes. Services include supports for co-occurring addictions.

Support Services

Residential Support Services

16 transitional and 8 long-term residential beds are available for individuals to develop and/or maintain independent living skills such as medication management, symptom management, nutrition and meal preparation, household maintenance, and money management skills.

A team of multidisciplinary staff work with the client to assess needs, develop an Individual Service Plan for their stay at SASHA, and provide the guidance and direction needed to help clients recover and re-establish themselves in the community. Staff support is available 24 hours a day. Lengths of stay in the transitional program vary from a few months up to a year. Long-term clients stay as long as the program is able to meet their needs. Funding is provided through client service fees, AHS Addictions & Mental Health, and various community grants.

Community Treatment Order Support Program

A community treatment order (CTO) under the Mental Health Act is a tool intended to assist a client in complying with treatment while in the community. The CTO is a treatment and care plan specific to individual needs. Alberta Health Services provides enhancement funding to support these individuals 24 hours a day. Five of the residential beds are designated for this service.

VERSA Program

The VERSA program provides permanent supportive housing (PSH) for individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness. This program is funded by the City of Lethbridge and builds on the success of SASHA’s residential mental health support program. The main goal of PSH programming is to provide safe and stable housing to participants based on the principles of housing first.  Having a home at Versa gives participants who have a suspected or diagnosed mental illness the ability to focus on addressing mental health or addictions issues with staff support.

The VERSA PSH program has space for 10 participants and 2 staff are available 24 hours a day.  Staffing supports also include access to a registered nurse and a case manager to help individuals connect with community resources.  Participants are offered support in the areas of physical health, mental health, justice, substance use, daily living supports and recreation.  Support services are based on the principles of recovery, community integration and self-reliance. 

Respite Services

A short stay bed is available which allows an individual to retreat from a situation that may be causing stress, or to provide a safe place while permanent housing can be found. There is a small daily fee for which funding may be available. Maximum stay is three weeks.

Community Clients

This service is available to individuals who have moved through the continuum of SASHA programs and are ready for a return to community. For a number of reasons they continue to seek out staff and visit current clients, staying connected with SASHA. They are registered as a Community Client so they can benefit from some of our services while being encouraged to use and/or be referred to community resources.

SASHA’s Approach to Providing Support

Meaningful Daily Activity

Engaging in meaningful daily activity is at the core of the support offered at SASHA.  Clients are encouraged to be active in the community, learn new skills, and become more self-reliant through participation in meaningful daily activity. Clients express an increase in quality of life, and feel a sense of belonging to the community as their opportunities in this area increase.  Clients are encouraged to use community facilities and services with support from SASHA as needed. Supports for connecting to employment services are also available.

Recovery Oriented Approach

Although the expectation is that clients may not possess or be under the influence of alcohol, illicit drugs, or non-prescribed medications while at SASHA. We acknowledge that this abstinence based approach doesn’t always fit with the complexity of the clients we serve. A recovery based, trauma informed approach focuses on support, referral to appropriate community resources, and safety and security for all.

Holistic Supports

SASHA works closely with other agencies involved with each client to ensure wrap around services are in place. We recognize that a holistic approach to mental health supports is the best way of helping individuals live successfully in the community.  We support clients to have good physical and emotional health and understand the importance of connection to culture. AHS Community Mental Health Clinic, CMHA, Lethbridge Housing Authority, AB Supports, pharmacies, and cultural programs are some examples.

Volunteers

Placements are available for individuals interested in spending time with persons experiencing mental health problems and/or for sitting on the Board of Directors. Hours and time commitment is flexible. This may be set up as a student placement.