Tamara Speiran, Director of Operations at Lookout Housing and Health Society
Tamara Speiran: In 1970, staff at a youth hostel (Connolly House) identified an upward trend of older homeless men requesting beds. Not able to help because of age restrictions and finding no resources for these men to go to, an application was made to the Federal Government under a youth initiative program to establish a 3-bed night-time only shelter at a local hotel in the area then known as “Skid Row,” now the Downtown Eastside. As a result, Lookout was founded in 1971, with street patrols to assist people living on the streets. Ten years later in 1981, Lookout opened its first purpose-built shelter with 46 beds and 39 units of transitional supportive housing for people needing longer term assistance.
To best meet the needs of our guests and tenants, Lookout offers innovative housing and health services to support marginalized individuals coping with a broad range of barriers. Lookout was among the first agencies in B.C. to provide 24-hour shelters, shelters co-located with transitional housing, and purpose-built supportive housing. We were also one of the first agencies to provide harm reduction services within all sites and Naloxone training for all staff as well as guests.
In 2016, Lookout formally changed its name to Lookout Housing & Health Society after merging with the Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia (MDABC), enabling us to now offer clinical mental and physical health services and wellness programs to broaden our scope of services offered to the individuals we serve.
Mandate
Lookout prides itself with our mandate as a “social safety-net” that provides housing and a range of support services to adults with low or no income, and who have few, if any, housing or support options. Because individuals have challenges in meeting needs and goals, we place minimal barriers between them and our services.
Mission
Our mission is to provide respectful, non-sectarian, flexible services. Through advocacy, support and minimal barriers, we reduce harm to people who have a diversity of challenges. We assist them to regain and maintain stability and achieve a greater quality of life.
Lookout has expanded significantly over the years. What programs and services do you currently operate, and what is your own role at Lookout?
TS: Lookout is a charitable organization that offers housing, health and support services to people within 15 municipalities across Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. We have a vast array of innovative and essential services to support those who are most vulnerable and marginalized in our local communities, and we achieve our mission by providing caring, non-judgmental, non-sectarian, flexible services that reach more than 2,800 individuals daily.
Our service provision is offered in a harm reduction, trauma-informed way, which is intended to reduce harm, be guest-driven and remove barriers. Services include 9 year-round shelters that serve Vancouver (both the Downtown Eastside and Central Vancouver), Surrey, the North Shore, Abbotsford, and New Westminster with 341 beds and 8 local community-based extreme weather shelters during inclement weather for a minimum of 177 beds. In addition to shelter services, Lookout houses over 1,100 tenants in 40 residences, including 11 transitional housing, 2 mixed-income affordable housing, 3 abstinence-based residences, and 12 permanent housing sites. Recognizing that housing barriers and health challenges are frequently related, Lookout operates minimal barrier health services, including 3 supervised consumption sites, 7 health programs, 2 community resource centres, and 3 health clinics (medical, mental health, and dental). Lookout also provides volunteer, pre-employment and job skills training opportunities through its many peer programs and 3 social enterprises.
My role as a Director of Operations, Vancouver Region is to provide a high level of strategic support and collaboration at a regional level to ensure our mission and mandate are effectively facilitated and to support the implementation of societal goals and objectives. In that, I support several teams comprised of dedicated, amazing, talented, and resilient individuals who truly show up to work every day to make a positive difference in the lives of others and reduce harm. Specific to my portfolio, which covers from Mount Pleasant, DTES to the North Shore, our programs include emergency and extreme weather based shelters; transitional, supported, independent and low-end of market housing; emergency response centres, outreach, decluttering, and hoarding programs; cultural inclusion programming, peer programs, employment and educational programs; and harm reduction initiatives, including safe bathroom monitoring and Ops (overdose prevention) spaces to safely use substances in shelter and residential settings.
On your website, it states: "When a person has nowhere else to go, they turn to Lookout." Tell us about this powerful assertion and how it informs your programming.
TS: All Lookout guests are individuals who have been, or are at risk of becoming, homeless. Most live with multiple challenges that hinder their ability to meet basic needs and goals and, because of this, Lookout places minimal barriers between our guests and their needed supports and services. Guests are encouraged to develop an individualized case plan with goals that can address their health, financial, and personal challenges, so that they can live healthier and more stable lifestyles to optimize their quality of life.
Our service provision is offered in a harm reduction, trauma-informed way, which is intended to reduce harm, be guest-driven and remove barriers. We operate minimum barrier services, meaning that all adults are accepted, regardless of ethnicity, faith, gender identification, and life choices. People accessing Lookout services struggle with complex challenges that include poverty, mental health, substance use, chronic illness, mobility challenges, abuse, family breakdown, and trauma. Lookout staff “meet people where they are at” in their lives without judgement, respectfully offering assistance that can improve their safety, stability and personal wellness.
At Lookout, a large number of people requesting your services have mental health challenges. How do mental health challenges impact their daily lives? And, in your opinion, how can we move forward with addressing mental health through progressive programs and policies?
TS: In 2017, Lookout Society merged with the Mood Disorders Association of BC (MDABC) to enhance mental health and wellness services and strengthen their ability to support marginalized people. Taking a holistic approach to mental health and wellness, MDABC offers innovative treatment programs that include:
A provincial network of mental health peer-led support groups facilitated by trained volunteers with lived experience with mood disorders, either themselves or with a family member or friend. MDABC offers a one-day training program and provides ongoing support for individuals who choose to become a volunteer facilitator. Our support groups are located in Burnaby, Langley, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, Tri-Cities, White Rock, Abbotsford, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Powell River, Victoria, Salmon Arm, Kelowna, and Vernon.
The Art Studios: Earlier this year, MDABC assumed responsibility for the 22-year-old Art Studio program from Vancouver Coastal Health. The Art Studios art workshops and space are designed for people living with mental health and/or substance use challenges. With 300 active members, classes include acrylic painting, drawing, mixed media, pottery, printmaking, and watercolour. The Art Studios has received national and international recognition as a successful model for psycho-social rehabilitation recovery for people living with a mental health diagnosis.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a safe and effective alternative treatment for patients suffering with depression who do not respond to antidepressant medications or who cannot tolerate medication side effects. Research also indicates that rTMS also reduces cravings for substance users.
Jump Step: a 10-week physical activity program for depression that includes positive, encouraging group discussions with a mental health professional as well as a variety of fun activities with a physical therapist.
Food as Medicine: an 8-week group program for understanding and treating mood and pain issues that contribute to depression and anxiety, through dietary changes.
Psychiatric Urgent Care Program: This program adopted the Group Medical Visits (GMV) model in its operation as response to a serious lack of access to outpatient psychiatric care. GMVs are shared medical appointments with multiple patients (usually 6-8 individuals with mood and/or anxiety disorders)—they meet simultaneously, and each patient receives about 10 minutes of an individual exchange with the psychiatrist. As well, patients also receive an additional 50 minutes of education pertaining to their condition. After surveying their patients, MDABC discovered high levels of patient satisfaction, increased accessibility to care, increased physician efficiency, and decreased cost to the health care system. They also found that GMVs were more effective at reducing participants’ feelings of stigma associated with having a mental illness.
What are some of the main barriers your clients face accessing healthy food on a regular basis? How does Lookout aim to address these barriers through food programming?
TS: Food insecurity is a significant issue for Lookout's guests who struggle with extreme poverty, mental health and/or substance use. Regular food service is only available to individuals staying in Lookout's shelters or accessing our community service centres.
Many of our tenants depend on the food bank, community meal programs, affordable fast food, or simply go without. The inability to safely store and prepare meals are the major barriers as many low-end rental units do not have kitchens with proper cooking facilities; in many buildings, kitchens are shared with other residents. As well, many of the people we serve do not have basic utensils needed to prepare healthy meals.
Lookout is always seeking ways to increase guest access to meals, food and healthier choices. Many Lookout residential sites host community kitchens where tenants cook and eat meals together. We rely heavily on food donations to supplement our food budgets and volunteers to help with food service.
Increasingly, research shows that poor diet increases health risks, including depression, bipolar disorder, COVID-19, diabetes, obesity, heart health, asthma, substance use disorder, and cognitive impairment. Research also shows that depression and anxiety are three times more likely for those on low incomes. As well, people who are food-insecure are less mentally and physically resilient to infections like COVID-19. Since merging with the Mood Disorders Association of BC (MDABC) in 2016, Lookout has brought wellness and counselling programs to many sites.
Our Food as Medicine program promotes an anti-inflammatory diet in line with the Canada Food Guide as a way to improve mood and brain health. Replacing processed, sugary and fast foods with eating more fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains will improve personal wellness, both physically and mentally.
The Food as Medicine now being implemented in all of our shelters and housing meal programs. Food costs are our second highest program expenditure, only exceeded by staff wages in Lookout’s annual budget. We believe that providing healthier, well-balanced meals will improve the quality of life and resiliency of our guests and tenants. We are taking a trauma-informed approach to food services in order to meet the diverse needs of our guests and their dietary concerns.
How can people support the critical work of Lookout Housing & Health Society and get involved?
TS: Donations, volunteering or working here!
Donations of all kinds are accepted:
Financial donations have an immediate and profound impact. Household items, material items and any food donations are also very much welcomed and will be distributed based on greatest need to ensure an expansive reach. https://lookoutsociety.ca/get-involved/donate/
Volunteering:
As a non-profit organization, Lookout staff understand the importance of support from the communities we serve. We could not provide the best service and reach as many guests as we can without the tremendous support from so many volunteers. We operate with minimal staffing wherever possible, so we can prioritize our budget to vital programs supporting housing and health initiatives. Volunteers play a critical role in our services and provide supports to people in need.
Volunteering at the Lookout is a satisfying way to give back. Our volunteers get a chance to see the direct results of their volunteer work and commitment. For many, it can be an eye-opening experience to see how homelessness does not discriminate and can affect anyone, regardless of background. https://lookoutsociety.ca/get-involved/volunteer/
Employment:
Lookout Housing and Health Society is always seeking skilled and caring individuals who are committed to assisting and supporting people to improve their health and well-being. Whether we are working on the streets bringing in the absolute homeless, providing shelter and services, case planning or supporting residents, we work together to meet the needs of those coping with homelessness. https://lookoutsociety.ca/careers/
Vancouver Food Runners regularly supports Powell Street Getaway and Yukon Shelter, and more recently Tamura House and First Place Residence. Tell us about the impact our program has on your clients.
TS: Powell Street Getaway is a drop-in resource centre with a supervised consumption site, so having donated food to offer our guests ensures consistent and reliable nourishment, as they may have inconsistent food security. It is like a one-stop-shop in many ways with the variety of services and programming offered from this site, so it is more convenient for individuals, and often will lessen the stress and/or anxiety of having to obtain necessary daily living needs in one place. Hundreds of people access this site daily, so the “reach” of these donations is incredibly far.
Please note that it is not only the above noted residential sites that receive the donations! We extend the donations as far as we are able to, which includes several other residences within the region. As such, hundreds of additional tenants also benefit from these food donations as well. In the residential sites, these donations not only nourish our tenants (and their visitors) and enhance food security, they also allow us to facilitate life skills programming to teach new recipes and life skills to learn to cook. This helps people gain independence, which leads to pride in their accomplishments, evidence of their success, increased self-worth as well as valuable knowledge and skills. Additionally, at times, donations are also used to create “community kitchens,” in which multiple people come together (yes, socially distanced) and cook communal meals, socialize, make new friends, and get out of their homes to prevent further isolation.
Anything else to add?
TS: The fact that food donations are able to be delivered is a game changer. Oftentimes when donations are offered, we may need to decline, as we may not have the ability or means to pick up donations ourselves. The fact that VFR is able to bring food to us ensures that we do not have to pass up valuable donations that promote and enhance the food security of our guests. Throughout the pandemic, donations brought to us to distribute have been helpful in supporting people to remain self-isolated, distanced, and safe in their homes. Furthermore, when our guests are nourished and not hungry, it tends to make our engagements and interactions more pleasant and effective.
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