ABOUT US & FCSS
Central Peace Family and Community Support Services (CPFCSS) began in 2005. It compromises the Municipal District of Spirit River #133, the Town of Spirit River and the Village of Rycroft. We are a rural area of 270 square miles, with a population of 2610. Our main economy depends on agriculture, forestry and oil exploration.
The CPFCSS Advisory Board includes two at-large members and a municipal Councilor from each municipality. An FCSS Coordinator runs the program year-round.
The mission of the CPFCSS is to develop locally driven preventative social initiatives to enhance the well being of individuals, families and community members.
Our purpose is to build strong communities through positive, caring interaction and mutual respect. FCSS programs depend on community resources, often involving volunteers in management and delivery. We believe that self-help contributes to a sense of integrity, self-worth and independence. Programs developed are intended to help individuals adopt healthy lifestyles, thereby improving quality of life and building the capacity to prevent and/or deal with crisis situations should they arise.
Excerpts from the Accountability Framework, December 2022...
What is FCSS?
Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) is:
• a partnership between the Government of Alberta and participating municipalities or Metis Settlements to design and deliver local preventive social services to improve the well-being of individuals, families and
communities;
• started in 1966 as Preventive Social Services and renamed in the early 1980s to FCSS;
• the grant program is based on an 80/20 funding partnership:
o The Government of Alberta contributes 80% of the funding for this program; and
o Participating municipalities and Metis Settlements are required to match the remaining 20%.
Note: Many communities also contribute funding beyond their required contribution or seek additional funding from other sources to enhance their program offerings.
o Participating municipalities and Metis Settlements enter into three-year agreements with the province to jointly-fund local programs.
• participating municipality or Metis Settlement determines how FCSS funding is allocated based on local needs and provincial prevention priorities within the FCSS mandate
• FCSS programs use a variety of preventive approaches to respond to social issues and build resilience. FCSS services enhance strengths, skills and abilities, build individual or community safeguards, and address protective and risk factors.
• This partnership between the Government of Alberts and local FCSS programs is key to ensuring Albertans thrive and can take on life’s challenges when they arise.
Mandate:
• Provincially, the FCSS Program receives its mandate from the Family and Community Support Services Act and the Family and Community Support Services Regulation. The FCSS Regulation states that:
o all services provided under a local FCSS program must “be of a preventive nature that enhances the social well-being of individuals and families through promotion or intervention strategies provided at the earliest opportunity” [Section 2.1 (1)(a)].
o a local program must do one or more of the following [Section 2.1(1)(b)]:
• help people to develop independence, strengthen coping skills and become more resistant to crisis;
• help people to develop an awareness of social needs (e.g.; community needs assessments);
• help people to develop interpersonal and group skills which enhance constructive relationships among people;
• help people and communities to assume responsibility for decisions and actions which affect them; and
• provide supports that help sustain people as active participants in the community.
o Types of activities that are not eligible for FCSS funding include those that provide:
 primarily for recreational needs or leisure time pursuits;
 direct assistance (e.g., money, food, clothing or shelter); and
 those that are primarily rehabilitative in nature; and services ordinarily provided by a government or government agency.
Note: The FCSS Regulation allows for direct assistance including money, food, clothing or shelter during a public health emergency under the Public Health Act or under extenuating circumstances, as determined by the Minister.
Excerpt from the Accountability Framework, December 2022
Prevention:
For FCSS, prevention is defined as.
• A proactive process that strengthens the protective factors of individuals, families, and communities to promote well-being, reduce vulnerabilities, enhance quality of life, and empowers them to meet the challenges of life.
• Prevention focuses on enhancing protective factors to improve well-being and prevent problems before they occur or at an early stage before they require crisis supports, which typically are part of tertiary prevention services.
• Thinking of prevention along a continuum, this means services and supports offered through local FCSS programs must focus on primary and secondary prevention.
Primary prevention:
• Address root causes of social issues with a focus on the
general population or a specific population.
• Promote protective factors in the physical and social
environment (including social relationships).
• Can include awareness programs, enhancing connections among community organizations and promoting community volunteerism.
Secondary prevention:
• Address issues at an early stage for specific groups or at-
risk populations.
• Strengthen the capacity of individuals and communities to
prevent or reduce risk factors and build resilience.
• Can include connecting those in need with appropriate resources and skill development.
Tertiary prevention: Additional services permitted only during a public health emergency or extenuating circumstance, as determined by Minister
• Address immediate needs with intent to prevent long-term
impacts.
• Support individuals or groups already affected by social
issues by providing direct services.
• Can include direct assistance such as food and shelter.
Root causes:
• Some examples of root causes are poverty, lack of education or employment, adverse childhood experiences, social isolation, and mental health challenges.
Excerpt from the Accountability Framework, December 2022