chestermere and area
community coalition

In September 2020, a coalition representing the health, education, recreation, faith, social services, voluntary, business, and government sectors came together in response to the tragic suicide of a local youth. After several structured conversations, regarding youth aggression and safety, a partnership was formed with the intention of making a difference in the way our adult community responds to these concerning matters.

It was determined that for the community to know how best to serve youth, we must ask youth how safe they currently feel in the community - from a physical, emotional, social, and mental health perspective. In the spring of 2021, the Chestermere and Area Community Coalition was fortunate to have been awarded a Canadian Mental Health Association – Rural Mental Health Project grant to undertake a survey of both youth and those who care for youth.

Based on the data collected and further conversations with stakeholders, recommendations and research priorities were determined. This has led the Coalition to Phase 2 of the project: Steps Toward Resilience. Between spring 2022 and winter 2023 we conducted a series of focus groups to gather more information. We completed 10 Youth Focus Groups and 3 Adults Focus Groups.

Youth safer communities project

Phase One: Youth Safer Communities Project Spring 2021-Winter 2022

The Chestermere and Area Community Coalition consulted

with youth and the adults who care for them, regarding their perceptions about youth physical, social, emotional, and mental safety in our community.

Two surveys were administered (one for youth through local schools and the other for adults through the community) to help determine a course of action that will positively shift our community culture to one that is more youth friendly.

Throughout fall 2021/winter 2022, over 1600 youth and 350 adults from Chestermere, Langdon, and SE Rocky View County completed the Youth Safer Communities Survey.

The Adult Survey was translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, and Punjabi and was available online and in paper form. All surveys closed on March 14, 2022. Below is a sample of the Adult Survey.

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Adult Survey Sample

The Chestermere and Area Community Coalition would like to thank those of you who contributed to the Youth Safer Communities Survey. The knowledge and experiences shared with us were extremely valuable and helped to develop a foundational picture of youth safety in Chestermere, Langdon, and SE Rocky View. The data from this survey has been analyzed, synthesized, and presented in a report. This report contains learnings from both the adult and youth surveys. It will be presented to stakeholders and decision-makers.

Click on the image for the
Youth Safer communities survey report:

Phase Two: Steps Toward Resilience Project Spring - 2022-Winter 2023

After the youth survey was analyzed, a sample of 40 adult and youth community members, along with the Chestermere and Area Community Coalition, identified that more information was needed and holding focus groups was a necessary step to learning more about youth safety and how to improve it. The purpose of holding Focus Groups was to gather more information on youth safety and to gain increased clarification on the survey results (i.e., co-analysis) directly from community members in a way that collects deep, insightful, and accurate perspectives.

Between July 2022 and February 2023, we hosted 13 Focus Groups with adults (3) and youth (10) in Chestermere, Langdon and SE Rocky View. We once again connected with local schools to host focus groups with students, and hosted focus groups with local youth groups as well. The adult focus groups were open to parents/guadians, local professionals who work with youth, coaches, school staff, and community members.

Phase Three: Spring Forward - Spring 2023-Winter 2023

The Focus Groups provided the Coalition with an incredible amount of data. It took months for the Research Team to transcribe, review and code all of the information. The data from the focus groups was analyzed and compiled into 2 reports; a Youth Report and an Adult Report, each with a list of recommendations. The reports break the information down into themes which were identified through the data coding process. From these themes, the Research Team was able to develop a table of recommendations to improve the emotional, physical, social, and mental safety of youth in our community. The reports, appendicies, and recommendations can be found below. These reports and recommendations will be presented to key stakeholders throughout 2024.

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Appendix A:Definitions

Appendix E:
Youth Focus Group
Recommendations

Beyond compiling the focus group reports, the Phase 3: Spring Forward Project also included community mental health training and the Community Mental Health Fair. Members of the Chestermere and Area Mental Health Coalition hosted a Parent Education session, we hosted a safeTalk: Suicide Alertness For Everyone training, partnered with The Do More Ag Foundation to host a Talk, Ask, Listen workshop, and mental health trade fairs at Chestermere Lake Middle School. In January 2024, the Mental Health Coalition hosted the Community Mental Health Fair, which included presentations on Addiction & Substance Use, Managing Anxiety, Setting Boundaries & Healthy Relationships, Suicide & Suicidal Ideation, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Exploitation & Social Media Safety. Local agencies and service providers were on hand to provide additional information, resources, and support. We hope the Community Mental Health Fair becomes an annual event.

Phase Four: Building a Community of Wellness will continue to implement the recommendations from the Youth Safer Communitites Survey and Focus Groups in 2024.

This multi-year project has been funded by the Rural Mental Health Project Community Grant. We would like to thank the CMHA - Rural Mental Health Network team for their continued support for this project, the community of Chestermere, and bringing awareness to mental health supports

about the coalition

Mission – We work collaboratively to identify and respond to social infrastructure vulnerabilities in an effort to improve our community’s quality of life.

Vision – A Safe, Inclusive, Supportive and Socially Aware Community.

Mandate – The Chestermere and Area Community Coalition is a multi-sector group of community leaders committed to thorough consultation with community members to determine the need for change, development and/or enhancement. Further, we advocate with decision makers to inform planning for the process of positive community transformation.