Who we are
St. Leonard’s Youth and Family Services is based in Burnaby and was incorporated as a non-profit society in 1967 and since then has been providing a diverse range of innovative social service programs for children, youth and families.
We work to encourage positive change by providing access to flexible and innovative services that promote the development of skills and values and help build healthy communities. We are committed to adapting to the needs of the children, youth and families we serve, and strive to be the most responsive and continually improving agency in our field.
Strengthening children, youth and families
We are dedicated to helping build a better future for young people and their families through the programs and services we provide. At St. Leonard’s we bring creativity, innovation, caring and compassion to our work; engaging our staff, children, youth and families, and the community, in our programs and services. We believe in working together with children, youth and their families, to find solutions, address challenges and achieve successful outcomes.
We work closely with the individuals we serve, including high-risk and at-risk youth and their families, to build capacity and provide the support, education and guidance they need to deal with difficulties in their lives and begin making the changes necessary for their well-being and positive growth.
Serving the community
As active members of the community, we are engaged in outreach and a number of collaborative partnerships with other service providers and community organizations. We are committed to helping build healthy, inclusive communities where young people and their families are integrated and valued. As an advocate and spokesperson for children and youth, we are dedicated to promoting their involvement and participation in the community. St. Leonard’s believes in working together with children, youth, their families and communities, to make the community a better place.
St. Leonard’s continues to be a responsive organization; evolving and adapting to meet the changing needs of the communities we serve. We monitor these needs closely, maintaining a flexible approach, which allows us to make adjustments to our programs and services whenever necessary.
For example, over the years, we have seen a substantial increase in the cultural and ethnic diversity of the communities we serve. To respond to the needs of our growing communities, we have developed in-house capacity in ten languages and we include sessions on cultural awareness and understanding in our staff training program. The opportunity and ability to meet the needs of a culturally diverse community continues to expand and enrich our organization.
Our approach
At St. Leonard’s we firmly believe that children and youth should not be considered in isolation and that to realize lasting positive change it is vital to establish meaningful links, connections and relationships between young people as individuals, their families and significant others, and the community as a whole.
Our service delivery approach builds a network of support for young people by encouraging the development of supportive relationships and connections that extend into the family and the community. It builds on strengths and successes, creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved. Where possible, we take an Integrated Case Management (ICM) approach to service delivery and we support the expanded use of ICM practices within child, youth and family services in the community.
Our staff
Our staff of over 60 people includes experienced social service professionals with expertise in a wide variety of disciplines. The family development workers, child and youth workers, residential parent counselors, clinical counselors, child and family therapists and childbirth educators at St. Leonard’s bring our programs and services to life. The depth and range of their expertise directly benefits the young people and families we serve and is a key element in the strength of our organization.
We encourage our staff to be creative, flexible, efficient and collaborative, generating new ideas and innovative practices in the development and delivery of programs and services that enhance people’s lives.
Our consensus-building approach to management and leadership and our policies and procedures provide the framework of support for this progressive work environment, which promotes the cohesive, inclusive and diverse community that is St. Leonard’s. We nurture an environment that affirms the inherent worth and equality of all, and emphasizes the importance of trust, tolerance and open communication – values we cherish across all areas of our organization.
History
In the beginning, St. Leonard’s was established through the efforts of concerned members of the community including chaplains from various churches who established a residence or ‘half-way house’ to provide support to men recently released from prison. The Society was named after St. Leonard – the patron saint of prisoners.
Since the early years, St. Leonard’s role in the community has expanded considerably and the objectives of the Society have been broadened and revised to include a number of innovative programs and services for young people and their families. Today, our services range from counselling and education services for children, youth and families in the community to residential services for children and youth who are in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development. St. Leonard's is a secular organization.
Our Mission
We take pride in our commitment:
- To provide flexible and innovative high quality child and family services to the community.
- To promote the development of skills and values that embrace the ideals of a healthy community.
- To be the most responsive continually improving agency in our field.
Our Philosophy
We believe:
- All people have value and must be treated with respect
- All people have the right to a healthy, productive life
- All people have the right to service that is responsive to individual needs
- All people have the right to be key participants in decisions that affect them
Our Values and Guiding Principles
- We believe in creating and developing services that promote the healthy development and functioning of children, youth and families.
- We believe in an integrated and equitable system of family and children’s services that operates along a continuum from prenatal care to healthy independence.
- We believe in effective financial management and resource allocation that maintains an efficient, responsive and flexible service delivery system.
- We believe respect for all people at all levels of involvement in our programs and services is essential.
Our Code of Ethics
All employees, contracted service providers, volunteers and students at St. Leonard’s make a commitment to abide by our Code of Ethics.
- I will fulfill my obligations and responsibilities to children, youth and families with integrity.
- I will act in a respectful, conscientious, diligent and efficient manner.
- I will ensure to the best of my ability that children, youth and family members participate in decisions that affect them.
- I will respect the unique differences in culture, religion, sexual preferences and race of a child, youth or family member.
- I will respect the confidentiality of children, youth and family. I will disclose information only when legally or professionally obligated to do so if properly authorized.
- I will respect the intrinsic worth of each child, youth and family member.
- I will ensure that any outside interests do not jeopardize my professional judgement, independence or competence.
- I will act to promote excellence in the child, youth and family service profession.
Board Members
We are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, made up of caring, community-oriented people who have a keen and dedicated interest in the welfare of children, youth and their families.
In addition to their work with St. Leonard’s, all members of our Board are actively involved in the community and many of them have been honoured for their volunteer contributions.
