The newly expanded presence of the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre into Sundre will offer a variety of confidential support programs for a range issues that include but are certainly not limited to unplanned parenthood.
“That's one of the misconceptions we have around our name,” said Rita Fahlman, the Olds centre director, during a phone interview with the Round Up.
There is a lot more to the not-for-profit organization than support for unplanned pregnancies alone. Also offered to the public at no cost is access to programs — some of which run as long as 10 weeks — for fathers, victims of sexual trauma or abuse, grief counselling, miscarriages, stillbirths or post-abortion recovery, as well as steps to sexual health, she said.
Of course pregnancy counselling remains a major cornerstone of the centre's service. Young teenaged females faced with an unplanned conception often say, “My parents are going to kill me.” But if they can't bring themselves to talk to anyone else, “at least come talk to us. We're here for you,” she said.
The director, who has an extensive background in youth counselling education including crisis pregnancy coaching, said the organization also offers male mentoring and is currently seeking volunteer men from the area to ensure the need for such programs can be met.
“We often find that men don't have a voice when it comes to sexuality and fathering.”
Spousal abuse can go both ways. While women are, statistically speaking, more often than not the targets of such situations, men nevertheless represent a significant number of victims of domestic violence, she said, adding some fathers find themselves believing they don't have the right to express a desire to see their children on Christmas, for example, she said.
“All of our programs are free and completely confidential.”
Going to seek advice from a lawyer represents a major time and financial commitment, so the centre provides an opportunity for those who cannot afford legal help to at least find some solace with someone who's willing to hear their story.
“If we can listen to someone's story, we've done a good job. That's what we're trained to do — listen to their stories.”
The fathering program gives dads tools that teach them to better interact with their children. For example, the lessons include showing fathers how to play dress-up, she said.
“It's amazing to watch these men engage with their kids once they've been shown. It creates quite a relationship — it's an honour to watch them grow.”
She elaborated, adding that “it's an honour to listen to people's stories, (and) it's an honour that they trust you enough to share their story with you.”
Sharing sensitive stories does not always come easily, but it's important to lift such a heavy weight from one's conscience. According to statistics, as many as one in three men have been sexually abused, she said, adding many never talk about it and instead bottle up their feelings.
“Secrets like that can cause mental illness.”
Listening to those stories is the first step.
“We have a lot of community resources on speed dial. When people come in, we're able to point them in the right direction,” she said, adding referrals are “a huge part of what we do.”
Families are also welcome to seek a non-judgmental session with an advocate. It's important for parents to understand teenagers will inevitably become interested in exploring their sexuality. That in part involves discussing what it means to be in a healthy relationship to establish a solid moral foundation based on knowledge, which is required to help adolescents make responsible life choices, she said.
“We want them to be prepared.”
These kinds of conversations are unfortunately not happening frequently enough, meaning teenagers find themselves without the tools to make safe decisions and could potentially find themselves regretting their choice or feeling taken advantage of, she said.
“We approach it from a relationship base — we want them to have healthy relationships in their lives.”
While pregnancy is often the main feared result of intercourse, the real danger is the spread of infections. Statistics indicate that only one in 25 sexual encounters leads to pregnancy, whereas one in four can lead to an infection, she said.
The centre was introduced in Sundre as it became increasingly clear the service was needed in the community, she said.
“What we saw was there was a transportation barrier between Sundre and Olds.”
In other words, accessing the programs was challenging for people in Sundre who needed the services but could not secure transportation to the centre in Olds, she said.
“So we are coming to you. Greenwood Neighbourhood Place very graciously opened their doors to us.”
With an available office space to operate from, the centre was able to secure several volunteer client advocates who have been trained to provide peer support for those who need it. Anyone in the community who might be interested in becoming an advocate is welcome and encouraged to apply for the training course, which is offered at the centre in Olds, she said, adding a new course begins on Sept. 14.
The new centre in Sundre is not intended to be a pilot project but rather a permanent community service, she said.
“We're planning to stay — we want some consistency. A lot of our programs are 10-week programs. So we need to be stable for people who will be accessing those services.”
The centre officially opened the doors to its office at GNP during a public open house on Monday, Sept. 12. Anyone who wants to learn more about the available programs can visit wwww.pregnancycare.ca, call 587-796-1611 or email [email protected] to make an appointment.
“We're excited to remove the (transportation) barrier that clients have out there so they can access services right in their own neighbourhoods,” said Fahlman.
