RENEW OR BECOME A MEMBER | | |
Becoming a member of the ALIGN Association of Community Services means joining a strong, unified network committed to improving the lives of Alberta’s children, youth, families, and communities.
With over 55 years of experience, ALIGN serves as a powerful collective voice, advocating for service providers and the populations they support. Membership offers invaluable benefits, including direct advocacy to influence policy and legislation, access to high-caliber professional development opportunities, and a wealth of digital resources to enhance service delivery. Members also gain opportunities to connect and collaborate with a diverse network of agencies and professionals across the province, fostering shared learning and innovation.
Above all, ALIGN is committed to promoting excellence in service, ensuring its members are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to provide the highest quality care to those they serve.
| | ALIGN's Spring Membership Meeting May 30, 2025, ZOOM | | ALIGN's Spring Membership Meeting Friday, May 30, 2025, on ZOOM from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is an excellent opportunity to hear exciting updates on ALIGN activities, including OHS and Well-Being. We will also have a special presentation from the Centre for Autism Services Alberta. Don't miss this chance to connect, learn, and be inspired! | | Please take a moment to complete this brief OHS survey to help ALIGN learn about the progress of occupational health and safety (OHS) within sector agencies. By sharing your organization’s unique experiences and challenges, you contribute to a broader understanding of the workplace safety landscape. | | ALIGN EVENTS - REGISTER NOW! | | ONE SESSION REMAINING! FREE
Navigating Workplace Safety & Claims Management Essential Insights for Employers | | |
May 6, 2025 – Psychological Claims Management
Review of WCB policy and legislation related to psychological injuries, the claims decision-making process, psychological injury treatment, and how to successfully support your workers through recovery.
| | Maximizing Cost Relief: Understanding Premiums and Strategies for Success. Virtual May 8, 2025 | | ALIGN Presents Maximizing Cost Relief: Understanding Premiums and Strategies for Success, Virtual, May 8, 2025. Join Tom Kurian, Employer Advisor with the Advisor Office for Alberta Workers’ Compensation, for an informative session focused on the concept of cost relief within the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) system. This event is designed for employers and HR professionals who want to learn how claim costs impact future premiums and the circumstances under which costs may be removed from their accounts. | | FREE Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework Training for Foster, Kinship, and Group Caregivers on June 7, 2025, Red Deer | | |
ALIGN is excited to offer its Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework (ICUF) training for Foster, Kinship, and Group Caregivers. This in-person session will provide a foundation for walking together with Indigenous peoples, including the children you serve. We will explore the Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework’s parallel sharing and learning journey.
We will create a principle-based space for individuals to continue conversations that will become a foundation for moving forward in parallel. By the end of this session, you will have a deeper understanding of the ICUF principles and how to integrate them into your caregiving practice.
| | FREE Creating a Path Forward in Disability Services – Indigenous People and Disability Services on June 12, 2025, ZOOM | | Explore the vital connection between disability, community, and culture in our upcoming session on Indigenous Peoples. We will discuss how traditional values and family care systems shape the understanding of disability, as well as the historical injustices that contribute to discrimination against Indigenous individuals with disabilities. | | ALIGN Report "Empowering Futures: Gatherings for Indigenous Child Welfare Sovereignty" April 2025 | | The ALIGN gathering, Empowering Futures Gatherings in Treaty 6 (Edmonton) and Treaty 7 (Calgary), focused on Indigenous Child Welfare Sovereignty, allowing us to engage in deep discussions about Indigenous jurisdiction over child welfare, the barriers and opportunities in Alberta, and what meaningful action looks like moving forward. | | |
Well-Being Community of Practice (CoP) Session
Join Us! Virtual, May 9, 2025 (10:00 to 11:30 a.m.) for our next Well-Being Community of Practice.
For more information or to register, contact wellbeing@alignab.ca. Visit the ALIGN Well-Being Toolkit.
| | CONNECTIONS - Monthly Newsletter with cultural resources, activities and events for Indigenous children, youth and caregivers | | | | |
APRIL EDITION
SPOTLIGHT
Creation Stories
| | ALIGN Blog - 5 Considerations for Organizations Who Advocate for Vulnerable Children, Youth and Families | | Advocating for vulnerable children, youth, and families requires innovation, collaboration, and intersectional approaches to address complex challenges. As the world continues to evolve, it is essential to stay adaptive and employ strategies that can navigate the current landscape. Here are some of the best ways to advocate for vulnerable groups. Read Blog & Access Advocacy Resources | | | |
Empowering Providers Serving Gender-Diverse Youth (PolicyWise) Provincial governments across Canada have been announcing and enacting changes to laws affecting the health and well-being of gender-diverse youth. These legislative changes have increased the demand for evidence-based information on how best to support these youth, their families, and their communities. Learn More
Diversity Geomap Dashboard This tool helps funders, impact investors, and community organizations compare community diversity metrics with their capital allocation targets, identify investment priority areas, and support strategic planning. Learn More
Youth Mental Health Data Hub Launches April 2025
MHRC and GreenShield have launched this new resource to deliver unparalleled insights into the mental health of young Canadians in collaboration with leading youth mental health organizations. Learn More
| | PROVINCIAL CAREGIVER TRAINING UPDATES | | Safety and Health Week, May 5 -10, 2025
An ideal time for employers, employees, partners, and the public to focus on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home, and in the community. Learn More | Imagine Canada Report: PEOPLE FIRST A PORTRAIT OF CANADA’S NONPROFIT WORKFORCE Data and Trends
Provides key insights into the size and key characteristics of the nonprofit workforce and how it compares to the total Canadian workforce. Learn More | CICP Survey Insights: Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Challenges in Canada's Charitable Sector April 2025
Are Canadian charities getting the volunteer support they need? CICP’s latest survey, “Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Challenges in Canada’s Charitable Sector” shows a sector balancing both optimism and strain. Learn More | |  | KPMG Survey Child and Family Services Key Trends Survey Survey-Deadline June 15, 2025.
KPMG has launched a national survey to better understand the current landscape of services and supports for children, youth, and families across the country. The goal is to identify shared challenges, surface leading practices, and inform system transformation efforts, from service integration and workforce modernization to reducing cultural inequities. Take Survey | April OHS Updates and Alberta.ca. Approved first aid training agencies, April 1 – June 30, 2025. Learn More | Bill 53: Compassionate Intervention Act Legislation Tabled
The proposed legislation would allow for both adults and youth to be placed into involuntary addiction treatment if they are deemed to likely cause significant harm to themselves or others due to their addiction or substance use. Learn More | | |
The acclaimed Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring is coming to Canada for the first time ever!
The event 2025 Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring: Indigenous ways of mentoring and supporting youth will focus on Indigenous ways of mentoring and supporting youth, taking place in Calgary from July 28-31, 2025!
Join 25 practitioners and 8 renowned researchers for four days of transformative workshops, presentations, and invaluable networking, all focused on Indigenous ways of mentoring and supporting youth. For the first time in its 18-year history - it'll happen in Canada, focusing on a subject in which Canada is world-renowned: Indigenous youth mentoring.
Date and location: July 28-31, 2025 at the University of Calgary.
Deadline to apply: May 9, 2025. APPLY HERE
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Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams, May & June
May is National Sexual Assault Prevention Month
May is Alberta's Sexual Violence Awareness Month
Red Dress Day Honours Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls (MMIWG) & Two-Spirit people, May 5
National Child & Youth Mental Health Day, May 7
Mental Health Week May 5 - 11
Bear Witness Day, May 10
National Victims of Crime Awareness Week, May 11- 17, 2025
Community Disability Services Week, May 19 - 25, 2025
| | The ALIGN Grant Directory is a comprehensive resource designed to empower and support our province's diverse for-profit and non-profit organizations. Whether you are a grassroots initiative, an established charity, or a community-driven project, this directory connects you with vital funding opportunities tailored to your mission and goals. | | |
| Explore all the excellent career opportunities posted by ALIGN member agencies & organizations across Alberta that serve children, youth & families! | | Stay up-to-date with ALIGN & Sector events, news and resources. | | | | |
