Community and family support
Leduc County's Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) provides a variety of programs and support services to enhance the well-being of individuals and families in our community. We are a member of the Family and Community Support Services Association of Alberta.
Upcoming programs and workshops
Recorded webinars
We have a number of recorded webinars from past workshops and events. They are split into the following categories:
- Adult learning
- events
- mental health
- parenting and seniors
- Impacts of vaping on youth
- Co-parenting for success: session one
- Co-parenting for success: session two
- Co-parenting for success: session three
- Family law podcast number one: child support
- Family law podcast number two: child support
- Getting Comfortable with Risky Play
- Preventing postpartum depression
- 2023 Rural Seniors Wellness Initiative - Documentary
- Cybersecurity for Older Adults
- 20 Modifications to Make to Age Well at Home
- Cannabis Use in Older Adults: Risks and Benefits
- Planning for the future: wills, personal directives and EPOAs
- Polypharmacy and Deprescribing
- Understanding housing options as we age (part one of three)
- Deciding whether to stay or move (part two of three)
- Selling your first home for the last time (part three of three)
Stand up for mental health
On May 6, 2022 Leduc County Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) hosted Stand Up for Mental Health™, a comedy show featuring local comedians with lived experience of mental health challenges. Seven local residents participated in a month-long workshop series to formulate their troubles into healing through humour, with the help of facilitator David Granirer.
David is a counsellor, comedian, speaker and author from Vancouver who lives with bipolar disorder and is the creator of the Stand Up for Mental Health™ program. The program was made possible due to the generous grant funding provided by the Rural Mental Health Project (RMHP).
The evening was filled with fun and awareness raising that was both gut-and-stigma busting at the same time! Each of the comics’ video recorded clips are available below:
Blue Monday
Online variety show
Blue Monday is known as the most depressing day of the year. It’s dark, it’s cold and the credit card bills from holiday spending are arriving. Join artists, poets and storytellers for an ode to both the struggle and the hope that we need in our darkest hours. Through powerful and inspiring performances, we will honour the melancholy and welcome the new year with some optimism and anticipation.
While Living Library events are not appropriate for audio or video recording, many events have captured through an illustration created by a graphic recording artist. Some art submissions are also shared here.
Photo Gallery: Blue Monday will appear here on the public site.
Living Library photo galleries
Our virtual Living Library events explore a number of different themes affecting our community, such as mental health, suicide, overdose, addiction and men’s health.
The premise of the Living Library is that human beings are like books and have interesting lived experience. By attending, one is ‘checking out’ another person’s story. Sometimes, others’ stories resonate with their own and other times they provide a window into a world completely unknown to them. The goal is to have meaningful conversations about sensitive topics, to increase understanding and to reduce shame and stigma around certain social issues.
The events have proved to be profound experiences for speakers and listeners alike. Participants have reported opening up to new perspectives and becoming more trauma-informed. Speakers reported feeling seen, heard and honoured by sharing what they have been through and learned.
While Living Library events are not appropriate for audio or video recording, many events have captured through an illustration created by a graphic recording artist.
Four stories: Brian Christianson, Jennifer Summerfeldt, Kristopher Marks and Stan Rose Photo Gallery: International Men's Day will appear here on the public site.
Four stories: Tyler MacPhee, Christine Harris, Jessica Farmer and Brandon McWilliams Photo Gallery: Living Library - overdose awareness will appear here on the public site.
One story: March 8, 2022 Photo Gallery: Living Library - International Women's Day will appear here on the public site.
Four stories: June 2022 Photo Gallery: Pride Awareness will appear here on the public site.
Three stories: Giselle Messer, Michelle Zoschke, and Luanne Photo Gallery: Living Library - suicide prevention will appear here on the public site.
One story: May 18, 2022
Photo Gallery: Living Library - Unpacking Mental Health will appear here on the public site.
Guiding principles
We have five guiding principles that are important to program success:
- prevention
- volunteerism
- community development
- local autonomy
- accountability
