The addition of a new youth outreach worker at Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area will create a stronger safety net for youth, say those who work closest with the town’s young people.
“Now we have three people who are able to support youth in different ways,” said Alberta Health Services youth outreach worker Chantal Leroux. “The more wheels on an item you have, the farther the item will go.”
Leroux and Cochrane Family and Community Support Services Safe Coach program leader Jason Garagan have joined forces with Kevin McConnach, the Boys and Girls Club’s new outreach worker, to fill a gap in the support network for young people identified in Cochrane’s recent needs assessment survey.
While Leroux helps youth with a mental health diagnosis and Garagan’s strength lies in working with whole families, McConnach will be accessible in the community as a mentor, a role model and a friend.
“There (are) limits with both our programs in terms of the clients we can take on, where Kevin’s role is more general in supporting the youth with whatever they need,” Garagan said. “It is all about, ‘How many eyes do we have on the youth on any given day?’ If they’re seeing Kevin, that’s another set of eyes.”
McConnach himself said he’s excited to start getting to know Cochrane’s youth at school, in the skate park, and at the Boys and Girls Club and around town.
“I’ve learned that there’s so many kids without ... support,” he said. “The more people who know this program exists, the less kids will fall through the cracks.”
Garagan agreed.
“We’re all on the same side, trying to engage with youth,” he said. “Youth services are expanding in the community. It really does take a whole village.”
