Speaker Name: Jenn Anderson
Session Description:
Alberta’s Navigation and Support Centres (NSCs) represent a transformative model for connecting people who are homeless with the services and recovery capital supports they need to rebuild their lives. Operating in Edmonton and Calgary, these centres serve as a single-access point where vulnerable Albertans can move from crisis to connection in the same day.
This presentation will explore how the NSC model integrates recovery-oriented services within a low-barrier, one-stop framework. Rather than requiring individuals to navigate a fragmented system alone, NSCs bring critical supports together under one roof. Recovery Coaches provide intake and assessment, same-day addiction medicine is available through the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program, mental health and addiction services are coordinated through Recovery Alberta, and connections to housing pathways are made directly from the centre.
Critically, the NSC model recognizes that recovery capital is multidimensional. Supports address immediate needs (shelter, food, safe storage, pet care) alongside identity and financial foundations (same-day Alberta ID, Income Support, AISH), medical care, and culturally grounded services for Indigenous clients. Each of these supports and interventions are provided with the objective of enabling individuals to pursue treatment and recovery.
This session will reflect on lessons learned, client successes, partnership models, and how the NSC approach aligns with recovery capital frameworks. The session will make clear that these centres are not just an emergency response but can be a genuine on-ramps to long-term recovery and community belonging.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the structure and purpose of Alberta’s Navigation and Support Centre (NSC) model and how it functions as a single-access point for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use challenges.
- Identify the key services and partnerships integrated within NSCs—including recovery coaching, addiction medicine, housing pathways, and social supports—and how these components reduce barriers to treatment and recovery.
- Examine how the NSC model supports the development of recovery capital by addressing immediate needs, health care access, identity and financial stability, and culturally responsive supports”