Clinical Access Team

CAT Circle Layout.png

What is the George Spady Clinical Access Team (CAT)?

CAT is a multi-disciplinary outreach team that provides highly individualized support services to homeless individuals who have been housed through a Homeward Trust Program and require intensive clinical support to maintain their housing.
By linking participants to care provision along a harm reduction continuum, the Team can offer access to mental health, physical health, substance use and meaningful daily activity, wellness supports and services where barriers otherwise exist.

Clinical Access Team Services

CAT helps clients stay housed by ensuring appropriate physical health, mental health, and addictions and other wellness supports are available to them in their communities. The Team adopts a client-led, harm reduction and recovery focus.
Clinical Access Team members work with each client to create an individual SMART Service Plan with clearly stated goals, objectives, roles and timelines. The plan is led by the client and can be revisited as appropriate. A client remains with the Team until they reach the service plan goals that he/she agreed to in consultation with CAT. If a client leaves their housing program before this time, then CAT cannot continue services.

Referrals

CAT provides clinical assessments required for referral to government social and income support programs, treatment centres and to a range of supportive housing. Referrals are made to a network of providers in the community that are appropriate and effective for each client.
People who have a history of being homeless can be referred for Team services if they are a Housing First or Homeward Trust participant and are:

  • Willing to meet with CAT in person

  • Appear to have a clinical issue (mental health; physical health; addiction; cognitive or developmental issue)

  • Have not been able to access relevant clinical services despite previous attempts.

All referrals to CAT are made through Coordinated Intake at Homeward Trust.

Contact the CAT Program:

Manager — Clinical Access Team
Robynn Strikwerda
780.756-3917 x 224
rstrikwerda@gspady.ab.ca