Turning Leaf holds fall open house

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This article was published 22/10/2022 (1325 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After opening back in June, Turning Leaf Support Services held an open house Friday afternoon not just to gather with clients and staff but also to celebrate what they’ve accomplished so far.

Located at 144 12th St. between Princess and Rosser avenues, Turning Leaf’s Brandon office employs around 12 people locally and currently assists approximately 20 people.

It’s just one of many offices the organization operates in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with other locations in Winnipeg, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie, Morden/Winkler, Regina and Moose Jaw.

“We’re a non-profit charitable organization. We provide support to individuals who struggle with mental illness, cognitive impairment and — depending on the individuals — maybe justice involvement or homelessness,” said Jennifer Biggs, the organization’s director of supported independent living.

“We like to build a service around an individual rather than have a cookie-cutter type framework for a person. We like to meet them, understand them and put them with the people that will help them being the most successful.”

According to Biggs, Turning Leaf was invited to open a presence in the Wheat City by Community Living disABILITY Services, through which it also receives funding.

While Turning Leaf worked with clients in Brandon remotely or brought clients from Brandon to Winnipeg in the past, being able to connect with them face-to-face in the community they live in allows them to provide better services.

It also provides the organization with a base from which to provide services to people in other Westman communities.

“We had our first referrals in January/February of this year,” Biggs said. “Once we realized there was a need and the government here was really wanting our services, we decided to get some space. We believe that when you have space in a region that you’re expanding it, I think it shows the community that you’re invested, that you’re staying, you’re planting roots, you’re a part of the community.”

When Turning Leaf opened its doors in Winnipeg in 2005, Biggs said, there wasn’t as great a need for the services it provides in Brandon as there is today.

While clients are connected with staff members for support, Turning Leaf’s offices also provide day and drop-in services as well.

At the open house, clients and staff from both the Brandon office and other Turning Leaf locations showed up to enjoy some food, treats and conversation.

One of those guests was Barkley Engel, the organization’s CEO.

“It’s important that we are present and supportive for people in Brandon because there’s a great need in Brandon for services that provide crisis intervention and treatment for people living with intellectual challenges and mental illness,” Engel said.

“We know the meth crisis and the mental health crisis are not limited to the Winnipeg centre, we know it exists in all urban centres.”

Helping start the event was an Indigenous drummer and a speech from Delvina Kejick, who works for Turning Leaf as an elder providing Indigenous-focused services for clients.

At the end of her speech, Kejick referenced her ongoing campaign to be re-elected to the Brandon School Division’s board of trustees and suggested to those present that they remember her on election day next week. She then said she was just joking.

One of Turning Leaf’s clients, Kaylie Nyman, spoke with the Sun about what the organization has done to help her.

She was accompanied by Viper, a 11-year border collie/husky cross who acts as a trained support animal.

“I came to Turning Leaf in the middle of March before they opened the office,” she said.

In the early days, she said, she had an assessment with staff over video chat, where she discussed her needs with them.

Before she came to Turning Leaf, she said, she had an issue with social anxiety where she was afraid to go out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She’s also been dealing with mental health struggles since the death of her grandmother a few years ago that included a time where she was using methamphetamine.

Thankfully, she said, she has been sober for a year.

“Since I’ve been with Turning Leaf, they’ve helped me a lot,” she said. “They’re also helping me with housing right now. I’m currently couch surfing, so it’s harder for me to look for housing. It’s stressful for me. They’re there to help me.”

Nyman is interested in taking distance education Indigenous studies courses, because her husband is Indigenous and she wants to better educate herself.

She said Turning Leaf is helping her figure out the logistics of accessing that education.

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