The Centre

Strategic Plan 2014-2019

Social Justice
Fiscal Responsibility
Collective Action
Lateral Relationships

Mission
To provide shelter and community for any
woman who is without a home in Edmonton.

Love
Anti-Perfectionism
Relative Outcomes
Integrity

SOWK 679
Amanda Dening
Jennifer Mackwood
Matthew Wengrowich

Organization of the Strategic Plan

This plan is designed to be a tool that will be used to ensure that
agency activities are in alignment with the direction that the
organization has set for the next five years. It is meant to be easy to
read and understand so that leaders within the agency can use it as a
planning tool.

Table of Contents
Introduction/Background & History 3
Executive Summary..4
Goals.5
20 Year Vision7
Core Operating Values8
Underlying Service Assumptions.9
SWOT Analysis.10
Strategic Direction.14
Organizational Outcomes & Indicators20

Introduction
The Board of Directors, staff and community members of The Centre
(TC) put together this strategic plan with support from JJM
consulting. This plan provides the five-year plan for service provision,
organizational growth and diversification within the current funding
and competitive landscape.
The analysis of the current key trends was created by a committee
comprised of two Board Members, the Executive Director, two
members of the management team and two frontline staff.
This plan will be used as a tool to move change forward in the agency
and will be reviewed when each quarterly funding report is
submitted. The plan will be updated as necessary as each review is
completed.

Background and History

For close to 40 years The Centre (TC) has provided emergency
shelter, housing and community for women in Edmontons inner city.
When women enter TC they are provided with three meals a day, a
bed off the floor and toiletries and clothes to meet their basic needs.
We work with women who have no place else to go, who are
traumatized and who need a place that feels like home. We are a
space for people who need some time to heal, for people who need
family and friends and an unconditional relationship where they are
able to rest.

Executive Summary
The strategic direction within this document is The Centres answer to
what the community has been asking for as well as the current state
of funding for non-profit agencies that provide services to homeless
individuals in Edmonton.
The five-year plan will give the agency the time to invest in significant
restructuring around current service provision as well as funding
structures. It will also give the agency time to intentionally try and
grow with the outside community as it becomes gentrified. During the
five years The Centre will work to become an important part of this
new neighborhood and a place where people who are not homeless
can learn about the strength and resiliency of the woman who use The
Centre.
After reviewing the current landscape The Centre has
decided to take a new and ambitious strategic direction:
1.

To Build Community Capacity for co-production of knowledge

and Autonomy. Presently the community is functioning as a hierarchical
system where the staff has the power to make decisions for the community.
We want to work towards a shared model of power.

2.

To diversify current funding model. The Centre has one funder that
provides over 95% of the yearly annual budget. In order to manage risk and
effectively meet the needs of the community we need to diversify.

3.

To remain relevant in our changing neighborhood. As our

neighborhood transitions from a place of relative poverty to a place where
there are opportunities for economic development TC will need to position
ourselves in a way where we are seen as a crucial and active part of the
community.

4.

To do best-practice work in our sector. Looking through a TraumaInformed and Anti-Oppressive lens TC strives to provide women with a
relationship that meets their specific needs.

Goals
The Centre has established goals that fit with the current key trends
that were outlined as part of the strategic planning activity. The goals
are the key to realizing the strategic priorities.

Co-production of knowledge

To ensure that we are meeting the needs of the community and providing services
that are relevant we must ensure that any knowledge that is produced within The
Centre is done through co-production. This will be accomplished through:
I.
Monthly community meetings
II.
The creation of a community advisory council that is lateral, collective and
collaborative
III.
Not Homeless by Choice (NHBC) Project:
a.Engaging the community in production of knowledge through activism,
art/recreation and relationship

Elimination of punitive practices

Recognizing the need in the community for alternatives to punishment the

Restorative Justice Action Project (RJAP) was created. Coming from a traumainformed place it became clear that punishment does not work in our
community. Using this program as a tool in The Centre we hope to be able to
eliminate all punitive practices in the next five years. This will be accomplished
through:
I.
RJAP-Program development and implementation:
a.To enable healing, empowerment and coexistence for victims through evidencebased trauma informed practice integrated with restorative justice procedures.
II.
Investment in staff and community training in restorative and traumainformed practices

Evidence-Based Anti-Oppressive Practices

The Centre will work towards becoming a space that recognizes and works to
reduce power differentials between all members of the community-staff and
residents alike. This will be accomplished through:
I.
The development of in-house training and orientation practices
that teach staff what Anti-Oppressive practice looks like in The
Centre
II. Implementation of power and position check-ins at shift change
III. Integration of Anti-Oppressive language and teachings into staff
supervision

Fiscal Sustainability

The Centre will work towards finding and developing new streams of funding
and revenue. This will include:
I.
Exploring opportunities with the City of Edmonton for
community economic development
II. Look at models of social enterprise that have worked in similar
settings in Canada
III. Start to diversify funding structures between interested parties
including but not limited to:
i. Homeward Trust
ii. Alberta Health Services
IV. Use already existing champions in the community to build
capacity for independent fundraising activities

Strategic Partnerships

As the community around The Centre changes it will become increasingly

important to form strategic partnerships that will ensure that we are relevant in
the broader community. We will realize this through:
I.
Partnerships with community stakeholders
i.
AGA-Future Station biennial
ii. University of Alberta-Humanities 101-Neighborhood
Museum Project
iii. Edmonton Journal
iv. City of Edmonton-Quarters & Community
Development
v. Boyle McCauley Health Centre- to further develop
the Womens Clinic to meet the needs of the growing
community

20-Year Vision for The Centre

The Centre strives to be a leader in community-driven shelter and
wet housing; accepting people with all levels of sobriety. The Centre
works to coproduce knowledge within the community and works
towards incremental structural change to alleviate the effects of
poverty on women in Edmontons Inner City.
Context
As the current political landscape in both the municipal and provincial
government has shifted focus towards poverty reduction and homelessness the
need for emergency shelter will decrease. By the year 2034 the downtown
revitalization of Edmonton will be complete. By this time we would hope that The
Centre would have grown into a crucial part of the community with a social
enterprise firmly established on the first floor as well as a clinic for all women
who live in the neighborhood. This will create a space for both the new and the
old community to live together and be a part of each others lives. We will also
have 75% of the beds used as permanent supported housing for women who are
unable to live independently.

Role and Program Services

The Centre will be a national leader in community-driven knowledge production,
service delivery and financial self-sufficiency. Specifically The Centre:
Is a leader in knowledge production through studies on alternatives to
punishment as a trauma-informed practice, coproduction of knowledge and
development of social enterprise in a gentrifying community
Provides community driven services and programming that are created by the
community with little outside supports
The community is able to function as an autonomous group that makes
decisions by consensus and functions on a lateral platform

Funding
While there may still be a need for government funding it is done based on need
in a fee-for-service way through appropriate municipal, provincial and federal
streams. Other than the fee-for-service for women who need extra supports The
Centre is mostly financially self-sufficient through the communitys ability to
bring money in to the shelter through social enterprise, the community clinic and
a consistent donor base

Core Operating Values

Social Justice- The Centre works towards incremental structural change to
alleviate the effects of poverty on women in Edmontons Inner City.
Fiscal Responsibility- The Centre recognizes that if an agency is working
outside of the norms of conventional practice it is imperative that we
demonstrate irreproachable accounting practices.
Collective Action- The staff at The Centre are highly skilled and able to work
through complex ethical situations as a team with the community.
Lateral Relationships- Within The Centre individuals are encouraged to do
what he or she knows is necessary to the functioning of their job. There is no need
for overly involved management. All decisions are made as a group with no
hierarchies unless absolutely necessary.
Love- The Centre believes in the transformative power of love in relationships
and encourages authentic relationship within the community.
Anti-Perfectionism- The Centre believes that perfectionism is a learned
behaviour that protects against vulnerability and therefore hampers innovation.
The Centre believes in learning from mistakes but does not punish individuals for
making them.
Relative Outcomes- The Centre believes that success looks different for each
individual. The Centre allows individuals to dictate what success will be for them
and then helps them achieve that.
Integrity- The Centre believes in being accountable to funders, the community
and each other. This means that we strive to do what we say we will in all
situations to maintain the viability of the community.

Underlying Service Assumptions

The services that The Centre is able to provide are all based on evidence-based
practices and beliefs about the value of women in our community. The Centre
believes:
That all members of the community deserve dignity and respect regardless
of their behavior
In papoose care for all women who come to the shelter regardless of
whether they stay overnight or just require brief services
In restoring relationship rather than alienating people who cause harm
In working to co-produce knowledge within the community
In recognizing, and intentionally working to minimize power differentials
between staff and residents
In community capacity and community participation as well as agency for
each individual staff and resident
That women have the ability to decide what they want to do with their space
and their bodies. Each woman has the right to say what she needs for
herself and to be met with respect
The Centre exists to provide shelter and community for any woman over 18 who
self identifies the need for either. These individuals are the agencys primary
customers.

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SWOT Analysis
The following is a summary of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats that will affect the agency over the coming five years.

Strengths
The Centre has a great deal of strengths that will help move the strategic plan
forward. One of the most important pieces of this is our positive reputation and
proven track record in project management and with funders and accreditation
through CARF. There is also a strong peer-support element in the programming
that brings strength and hope to the community.
Competitive Landscape
Currently there are no other programs like The Centre in Edmonton and
the need is great as evidenced by the 99% occupancy. There are currently
no other womens community centres/health clinics in Edmonton.
Funders/Donors
The Centre has several champions established and engaged in fundraising
activities. Donations are at all time high and the yearly fundraiser
continues to be very profitable
Partnering
The new partnership with the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) perfectly
situated to build community relations in the new neighborhood. The
Centre also has current successful partnerships with Inner-City Victims
Services, Boyle McCauley Health Centre, Connecting Streams Pastoral
Ministry and The City of Edmonton.

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Weaknesses
One of the most significant weaknesses is the 100-year-old building in need of
upgrades and repairs. There is a common belief in the community that The
Centre should not be in a historical building and the funding is never enough to
cover the kinds of upgrades that need to be done. The Centre could also use
more space to accommodate more women. The current community gathering
space is not conducive to large-scale events that the community has expressed
desire in organizing.
Competitive Landscape
Other shelters provide mat programs for significantly less overhead
cost. Because of the Alberta works culture The Centre could be seen as
providing too many services and thus enabling women to stay in the
positions that they are in.
Technology & Communication
Database systems mandated by the government are changing and this
can produce inaccurate data because of staff confusion as the systems
change. The Centre is currently using an outdated paper filing system
that is difficult to manage and draw information from. There is an
increased need for social-media communications/marketing training
and expertise that individuals educated in human services seldom have.

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Opportunities
There are currently lots of opportunities for program growth and development
in the current funding/political climate. As the Province and the City continue
with each of their respective plans to end homelessness there is a need for
permanent supported housing. The Centres current model of practice fits well
with the permanent supported housing model as opposed to the shelter model.
Partnering
There is an increased demand by funders for partnerships to
demonstrate that current resources are working together. The Centre is
already well positioned with partnerships and would be able to develop
more.
Research Outcomes & Service Delivery
The current discourse has started to shift towards using TraumaInformed practices that The Centre has been using for years. There have
been positive outcomes using Narrative practices for therapeutic care
with women living in poverty. The RJAP has started with promising
initial results.

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Threats
The Centre currently has a lack of funding diversity with an overreliance on one
funder. The 100-year-old building in need of a significant repairs over $200,000
dollars. Neighborhood gentrification may push the agency out in the next few
years.
Political & Economic
The fiscally and socially conservative culture/philosophy of Alberta that
dictates: If people would just get a job they wouldnt be homeless
negates the need for The Centre. There is also an increased pressure for
fundee accountability/outcomes. Outcomes of The Centres programming
are represented using narrative and anti-oppressive tools for analysis,
which are not always as compelling as other measurement tools.
HR
There is often a difficulty finding and keeping staff in the oversaturated
Albertan job market

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Strategic Direction
After looking at The Centres mission and values, the current key trends in the
environment, and the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to
the agency as it is today the planning committee has decided on a direction for
the agency to take over the next five years.
The Centre has decided to take a new and ambitious strategic direction:
To Build Community Capacity for co-production of knowledge
and Autonomy. Presently the community is functioning as a hierarchical
system where the staff has the power to make decisions for the
community. We want to work towards a shared model of power where the
community is able to make decisions for themselves.
To diversify current funding model. The Centre has one funder that
provides over 95% of the yearly annual budget. In order to manage risk
and effectively meet the needs of the community we need to diversify.
Many of our stakeholder groups have indicated that there is a need for
long-term supported housing in the community. To diversify our funding
we will keep the current infrastructure and create need-specific beds
according to what we are able to fund through Homeward Trust and
Alberta Health Services.
To remain relevant in our changing neighborhood. As our
neighborhood transitions from a place of relative poverty to a place where
there are opportunities for economic development it will be important to
position ourselves in a way where we are seen as a crucial and active part
of the community.
To do best-practice work in our sector. Looking through a TraumaInformed and Anti-Oppressive lens TC strives to provide women with a
relationship that meets their specific needs. We will continue to work to
change the discourse of punitive practices into more of a strengths-based
and restorative justice analysis.

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Goals & Objectives

In order to follow the strategic direction outlined by the committee The Centre
will accomplish the following:

Co-production of knowledge

To ensure that we are meeting the needs of the community and providing
services that are relevant me must ensure that any knowledge that is produced
within The Centre is done through co-production.
Objectives
Community Development
Increased number of attendees at community meetings
Increased participation in community meetings
Natural Leaders come forward to lead
Community advisory council is established
Successful nominations and elections of community members to
the advisory council
Community-Driven Knowledge Production
Community members indicate desire to participate in the
creation of policy for The Centre
Sub-Committees are established to produce types of knowledge
that are fundamental to the functioning of The Centre
Not Homeless by Choice
Continuation of this project established to create community
knowledge and relationships through recreation and art
Project is funded by community-driven grant writing initiative

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Elimination of punitive practices

Recognizing the need in the community for alternatives to punishment the

Restorative Justice Action Project (RJAP) was created. Coming from a traumainformed place it became clear that punishment does not work in our
community. Using this program as a tool in The Centre we hope to be able to
eliminate all punitive practices in the next five years.
Objectives
Restorative Justice Development & Project Implementation
RJAP successfully completed
Staff and residents indicate they feel The Centre is a safe place
to be
Establish the following reconciliation services:
1. Peacemaking circles
2. Mediation
3. Family Group Conferencing
4. Restorative conferencing
Offer alternatives to retributive punishment for offenders so
they will become integrated into the community rather than
isolated
Community Training
The Centre will invest in training for the community (both staff
and residents) to implement restorative justice practices
outside of the RJAP

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Evidence-Based Anti-Oppressive Practices

The Centre will work towards becoming a space that recognizes and works
to reduce power differentials between all members of the community-staff
and residents alike. This will be accomplished through:
Objectives
In-House Training
The Centre will develop its own in-house training to teach
staff how to apply an anti-oppressive approach to their
work
A comprehensive orientation will be done for all new staff
outlining the values and mission of the agency and the
basics of working in a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive
way
Check-Ins

At each shift change there will be a mandatory power and

privilege check in for staff
Staff Supervision

Each member of the full time staff will have a monthly

individual supervision

Each part-time or casual staff will have a monthly group

supervision

The Centre will integrate Anti-Oppressive language and

teachings into all staff supervision meetings

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Economic Development

The Centre will work towards finding and developing new streams of funding
and revenue.
Objectives
Explore New Opportunities
Discuss prospects for economic development with the City of
Edmonton
Look at models of social enterprise that have worked in similar
settings in Canada
Diversify Funding
Start to diversify funding in a fee-for service capacity between
interested parties including but not limited to:
1. Homeward Trust
2. Alberta Health Services
Increase Fundraising Activities
Use already existing champions in the community to build
capacity for independent fundraising activities
Establish fundraising event to benefit the RJAP

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Strategic Partnerships

As the community around The Centre changes it will become increasingly

important to form strategic partnerships that will ensure that we are relevant in
the broader community.
Objectives
Foster Growth in Existing Partnerships
AGA-Future Station biennial
University of Alberta-Humanities 101-Neighborhood Museum
Project
City of Edmonton-Quarters & Community Development
Boyle McCauley Health Centre- to further develop the Womens
Clinic to meet the needs of the growing community
Create New Partnerships
The Edmonton Journal
The Sexual Assault Centre
Narrative & Trauma Therapy Associates

Organizational Outcomes
The Centre maintains relevance within the community and actively
engages stakeholders.
Staff at all levels of The Centre feel empowered to implement antiopressive and non-punitive practices.
The Centre is always at capacity ensuring women in the community are
safely housed and not sleeping on the street.
The Centre has reduced recidivism amongst its clients based on
successful integration in the community.
The Centre has achieved a diversified funding base thereby enhancing its
stability.

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