A community outreach worker is now situated in downtown Orillia to help connect vulnerable people with the services they need.
Based out of the Orillia Public Library, Eden Schwartz has been in the newly created position for the past month.
The position was approved by city council in April after the concept received conditional support in the 2022 budget, as a response to persistent mental health needs downtown.
Originally from Toronto, Schwartz is a graduate of McGill University and, recently, Lakehead University’s social work program.
Over the past month, she has been busy familiarizing herself with the city’s existing social services to help people access the assistance they need.
Schwartz helps residents connect with supports for housing, mental health, substance use, skill building, and more.
“It’s been really fantastic,” she said of her first month on the job. “All the other service providers — whether it’s the Lighthouse, CMHA, the Sharing Place — have been really generous with kind of bringing me up to speed about what they do and how they can support people, and then by having that knowledge I can then help people navigate the social service system."
She said her goal is to help address various issues impacting Orillians.
“Whether you’re experiencing homelessness, you’re experiencing mental illness, substance use, whatever it might be … I think this role is really helpful, in that it can help connect those people to the services.”
Schwartz said there are three core parts to her position — spending one-on-one time with clients, developing programs and partnerships with existing services, and supporting library staff.
In April, the community outreach working group found there were 206 incidents over three years at the library, 45 per cent of which resulted in a call to the OPP.
Recently, Schwartz recalls connecting with someone who came into the library looking to access a phone after hours, and she was able to assist the person with that and more.
“I learned that there was a lot more that they needed support with beyond connecting with a phone, so I think that’s the really nice thing about this role,” she said. “I can sit with someone for 30 minutes or 45 minutes and let them tell their story, and listen and hear what their needs are right now.
“They got connected with a phone and then some more, but I think the crux of that is that we were able to … identify some of their larger goals and figure out how to move them through a time that was was really challenging.”
She said her position can help those who may face barriers accessing supports by conventional routes.
“There’s a lot of organizations that can can help connect people, but it’s hard if you just get a phone number, or you’re told to go to an office. That’s a barrier for some folks,” Schwartz said. “I see my role as helping to make a plan with somebody, so it’s not just a phone number, but it’s really (figuring out), ‘How can we get you there?’”
Library CEO Bessie Sullivan said the work Schwartz does also eases the burden on library staff, who are relatively unequipped to handle mental health needs.
“Staff have a much better sense of well-being, and that’s because they have this resource,” Sullivan told OrilliaMatters.
The library is trying to be a place “for everyone” and move away from punitive policies, Sullivan said, such as hiring security guards or even charging fees for unreturned books.
“Our philosophy in many libraries across North America right now is to try to really live that statement, that public libraries are for everyone,” she said. “Instead of getting rid of people for problematic behaviour, try to get to the root of that behaviour.”
Schwartz hosts drop-ins every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Beginning Nov. 16, she will be hosting a weekly event where residents are free to have a cup of coffee and a snack with her, as well as connect with attending service providers.
