Mom of 3. Her 13-year-old, previously in residential care at CASA for mental health, has self-harmed, gone to a bridge to jump & threatened family with a knife. Police took her to hospital; held a few hours, then released. Hospital called it “behaviour.” This is my morning. Helping mom find help.

Supporting a single mom of 7 since 2005. She’s done an incredible job, but gaps remain. As her older kids turn 18, income supports drop, leaving her struggling to meet basic needs.

Great news. A lot of eyes followed this, and as of Friday the youth has been placed in an accredited youth home and is very happy.

3/ They are currently awaiting further information from the Coroner and are seeking clarity and transparency regarding the findings and investigative process.

2/ At this time, police have deemed the death non-suspicious. However, given the circumstances, the family has significant concerns and is requesting that the matter be reviewed more closely.

1/ I am helping a family following the death of a loved one who was experiencing homelessness. The family was informed that he was found deceased with two stab wounds to the head, with a knife located in close proximity to his body.

We refuse to accept government funding. Your support is critical. We have no marketing budget; every dollar goes to fighting for human rights & access to justice.
Google The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights & see who we support. If you can, please consider a monthly donation.
#yeg #abpoli #yyc

3/ This is unacceptable. Without immediate placement, I am very worried she will be seriously harmed or die.
@SearleTurton, You own this! In my opinion, the lack of real placement resources and policy failures are putting kids at risk. #abpoli #ableg

2/ I’m working with a youth with significant organic issues, who is reporting procurement, sexual assault, physical and verbal violence and is warehoused in an adult shelter. CS is her legal guardian and stated that they have no safe housing for her at this time. #ableg #abpoli

1/ Had a very frustrating meeting with Children’s Services yesterday. The front-line team is outstanding. Fully engaged and doing everything they can. The failure is systemic. #ableg #abpoli

While some Canadians are doing mental gymnastics about whether their liberals and conservatives are progressive or not, I’m hoping one day we have a federal party that leads us away from American imperialism while funding Canadian healthcare, education, housing, science and art.

I’ve helped many library patrons over the years with provincial or federal forms for disability, immigration, tenancy, and other complex things that seem designed to make people fail. It’s so incredibly frustrating and I want to shapeshift from librarian to legal advocate.

Juggling a few files this morning: a youth placed in an adult shelter; a mom fighting for her kids forced to pay $1,800 for transcripts (not waived, even on AISH); an older woman struggling with severe medication side effects; and a father in custody working on a release plan.
That was my morning.

If you can, join Mark and donate monthly. Any amount helps as there is no other financial support for Mark’s valuable and highly needed work in the Province.

bsky.app/profile/mark...

Children in care are living at the Hope Mission, and it is unacceptable. Yet that's what's been happening. And we at the Coalition are fighting this! #yeg

Helping an old client of mine, a great mom raising three boys, who’s being sued for $75,000 by a neighbor over soccer balls going into a yard. No damage. No broken windows.

She has a lawyer (likely connected to the other side).

Does anyone know an affordable civil lawyer who can shut this down?

4/ I think this model is ideologically driven, constipated, complicated, and costly for taxpayers. I also feel that over the years, outcomes have degraded. Others may see it differently.

3/ Again, in my opinion,
@YourAlberta
is very comfortable with privatizing core government responsibilities and services to private agencies, including for-profit ones.

2/ my personal opinion, this model adds layers of management and bureaucracy while diffusing accountability. I also see occasional mission creep, where agencies begin influencing or shaping child protection decisions and assessments.

1/ Children’s Services relies on “Collaborative Service Delivery” partners—agencies funded by taxpayers to carry out work that was once done directly by government caseworkers.

2/ Today, however, I received a complaint from a client with serious medical issues who reports his calls to AHS Patient Care and the Ombudsman were blocked.

I will be raising this with the Director. The client is prepared to be named—there should be an electronic record to review.

1/ My interactions with staff and administration at the #yeg Remand Centre have been excellent. Most officers I’ve dealt with are professional and fair. But...

Helping a young man who at one time was in film school, doing well. And then some bad choices led him into jail. Released today, helping him hit the reset button. Taking him to a sober living home this morning.

My 2018 Hybrid, best decision ever. Summer I get 20km/litre, winter 18.1km/litre. $1.73/litre today in #yeg

I reach out every few months to ask for support, and I never like doing it. I hope the work I and @coalition4jhr do speaks for itself. We take no government funding. Community support is everything.
If you can, please consider a monthly or one-time donation. See my pinned post for the details.

A disabled mom on Income Support keeps getting denied AISH. She’s stuck on a 2-year housing waitlist and is relying on the food bank. I help with cash, because e-transfers risk being clawed back. Meanwhile, Alberta focuses on ideological crap over the real needs of Albertans. #abpoli

This weekend, I will try to support an average of 4-6 families.

This morning I got a text about a very sick child, and mom can't afford an ambulance. They also have no food, which compounds the issue.

At Leduc Court a few mornings back. Assisting defense counsel. My hybrid Toyota saves me so much gas. I get more than 20km per liter. 45 liters =1000km.

Love these meetings. Busy around the table with a mom and her supporters as she crushes any and all expectations Child Services had. Child will no doubt be returned to mom soon!!

Helping a young mom with a baby and two small children. Both small children have Influenza B, and one has pneumonia.

Helping mom with prescriptions. One of the medications doesn't have a cheaper generic version. Wow!