Our FASD interventions and supports empower youth and adults with FASD, along with caregivers, prioritizing overall well-being. These holistic programs aim to enhance quality of life by fostering resilience and positive outcomes.
As an FASD Service Network we strive to provide Albertans with FASD and their caregivers coordinated access to supports and services that meet their needs across the lifespan.
To better support individuals with FASD living in Edmonton and the surrounding area the Edmonton and Area Fetal Alcohol Network Society in collaboration with the Bissell Centre and Catholic Social Services has created Short-Term Navigation staffing positions.
If you are looking for immediate support for youth ages 14 – 21 with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder please contact Intake at 780-405-9336.
If you are looking for immediate supports for adults with or suspected to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder please contact the FASD System Navigator with the Bissell Centre at FASDSystemNavigator@
Agency and Program Information
For Children and Youth
CASA: FasTracs – A short-term skills group for caregivers with a child who has a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Caregivers will learn about skills management and practice practical parent-child interactions. Children will have the opportunity to work on social skills through structured activities. The program takes place once per week for eight weeks.
Caregiver sessions cover topics including:
- Understanding FASD
- Sensory needs
- Executive functioning
- Emotional regulation
- How to teach safety and boundaries
- Attachment
How do I access this program?
Caregivers, community members, community agencies, mental health therapists and physicians can refer.
Get started by calling the program coordinator at 780-984-1344.
Catholic Social Services: McDaniel Youth Program – Provides support and mentorship to youth and young adults ages 14-21 with FASD through the development of goals and increased access to groups, recreational activities and other life skills programs.
Elizabeth Fry Society of Edmonton: Girls Empowered and Strong Program – Provides support and mentorship to girls 13 – 17 affected by FASD through support groups. Focus sessions include: life-skills training, sexual education and self-esteem building.
For Adults
Bissell Centre: FASS – Through community development, advocacy and intensive supports, Bissell Centre’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Services (FASS) program enhances the community’s capacity for prevention and awareness through education, and supports for the well-being of individuals, families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and their caregivers.
Bissell Centre: Hope Terrace – Bissell Centre provides permanent supportive housing for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Bissell staff are on-site to provide around-the-clock support for tenants living in an apartment complex. This is the first such facility in Canada that offers 24 hour support services for people with FASD.
Catholic Social Services: Step By Step – Provides long term support through coaching and mentorship to parents who have been diagnosed with FASD and are parenting children, who may or may not have FASD.
Leduc County: Bridges Program – The Bridges FASD Mentor Program provides support to help adults who have been diagnosed with FASD or have strong indicators of FASD.
Unlimited Potential: Open Arms – Provides culturally sensitive interventions, supports and mentorship to adults with or suspected to have FASD.
For Caregivers and Families
CASA: Indigenous Services – CASA Indigenous Services includes the First Nations team that partners with several Edmonton-area First Nations to provide improved, community-based access to mental health services for First Nations children and families living in and around their communities. With our partners, we are working to remove community-identified barriers to mental health supports and services for children and families while providing such services in the communities.
Catholic Social Services: Coaching Families Program – Provides intensive support for 6-18 months to families with children affected by FASD. The program will help caregivers access diagnostic services and provide appropriate tools and strategies for parenting children who have FASD, advocate with educational, recreational, and social institutions in the community and make referrals to counselling services and parenting support groups.
Elves Special Needs Society: FASD Respite Program – Site based respite for families with children affected by FASD between the ages 3 and 8 during the school year.Within the FASD Respite Program, learners spend Saturdays participating in therapeutic recreational activities designed for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Additionally, parents/caregivers are given a day of respite which provides them time they need to take care of themselves, and their family unit as a whole.
Metis Nation of Alberta: FASD Bridging Connections Program – The MNA’s Bridging Connections Program is meeting Métis Albertans where they are at with a focus on connections to resources and community whether that is with the FASD Networks, support networks, culture, and family. Some key components to the MNA’s FASD Bridging Connections Program:
- Providing supports and advocacy before, during, and after assessment
- Linking Métis Albertans with cultural supports and resources
- Connecting individuals to FASD Networks, resources, and information
- Supporting the navigation of community resources and systems
- Informing and supporting the MNA citizenship process
- Offering cultural training to professionals who work with the Métis community