In the world of youth services, it’s easy to get caught up in case notes, schedules, and program metrics. However, real impact comes when services work seamlessly together, and when Family and Natural Supports (FNS) are embedded across the entire continuum of care. Change management can be challenging and requires dedication, but when approached thoughtfully, it can significantly improve outcomes for youth and their families.

Over the past year, Tanya Wald, Executive Director of Sunrise House, an emergency youth shelter in Grande Prairie, Alberta, has led her team in transforming their programs and services to focus on the FNS model. Her leadership demonstrates that with vision, planning, and dedication, embedding FNS is an achievable goal that yields meaningful results.

Implementing this kind of transformation does not happen overnight. It has required structured reflection, ongoing training, and consistent check-ins to keep the team aligned and supported. I provided guidance throughout the journey, acting as a collaborative thinking partner to process challenges when the work felt heavy. This combination of reflection, coaching, and structured support helped Tanya’s team navigate the complexities of change while keeping FNS principles at the center of their practice.

At the end of 2025, I met with the team to reflect on their journey: celebrating the highlights, reviewing what they had learned, discussing areas still in progress, and recognizing accomplishments they are proud of. This reflection helped the team consolidate learning and chart a path for continued growth.

There’s always something we can take away and learn from this process.

1. Communication is Everything

Case notes are valuable, but they cannot fully capture the tone, context, or nuances of a youth’s day. As one staff member mentioned, “reading a case note is not always enough -details can get lost in translation.” Simple updates, like “Grandpa visited today,” may not convey the full story if we rely solely on written records.

Under Tanya’s leadership, her team has prioritized real-time communication through cross-shift check-ins and team huddles, ensuring that everyone stays informed and aligned. Looking ahead, the organization plans a major overhaul of its data management system in 2026. This new system will enable staff to gain real-time updates seamlessly, making communication even smoother and keeping every team member fully in the loop.

By keeping all staff, from frontline workers to case managers, connected, the shelter and housing programs ensure that youth and their families and natural supports are treated as individuals.

2. Making Time for Connection

Evening and night shifts are often task-focused, with staff coming and going and attention almost always on the youth. Yet these also provide an opportunity for youth to “get out of the hard stuff,” to take a break from goal-setting or heavy conversations and simply have time to be kids. Creating space for youth to end the day on a positive note is essential.

Research from the Making the Shift Demonstration Projects has shown that these everyday moments significantly impact youth well-being, helping them feel seen, supported, and connected. Interviews with young people across Canada consistently highlight how meaningful small interactions, like checking in after a family visit or celebrating a small win, can be for building trust and fostering resilience.

Tanya’s team has learned to weave the FNS approach into these moments, asking how family visits went, acknowledging successes, and even saying, “We should call your FNS to tell them how fantastic today went.” By restructuring shifts and responsibilities to prioritize these connections, Tanya’s team has demonstrated that even small adjustments like calling the youth’s people to just say “hi” can create meaningful support, strengthen relationships, and help youth and their people feel valued and understood.

3. Clarity in Roles: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

With multiple staff and two designated FNS workers involved, clarity around roles is essential. Who directly supports the youth, and who focuses on their family connections? Simple practices, like sharing an office and being able to turn their chair around to ask a colleague quick but important clarifying questions, are crucial. “Have you spoken to mom about this?” This kind of coordination helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks, especially in larger teams where everyone wants to be involved.

It is also important to recognize and honour that frontline staff have a different perspective on and relationship with youth than FNS workers. Both perspectives are valuable, but someone must take the lead to maintain clear responsibilities, ensure consistency, and provide coordinated support for youth and families.

4. Leading with a Fresh Perspective

Tanya’s team approaches each day with the mindset of “always treating a new day like a new day.” This philosophy emphasizes that while past experiences and challenges are acknowledged, they do not define the future. Staff are encouraged to recognize what youth and families are actively doing today rather than focusing solely on what has happened in the past.

Importantly, this mindset shift is not just for staff; it also needs to be shared with the youth and families. Teaching and modeling this approach helps coach them for when staff are not walking alongside them, equipping them with tools to navigate challenges and make positive choices independently.

This approach creates an environment where youth and families feel seen, valued, and capable of change. It reinforces growth and resilience, encourages staff to celebrate small steps, recognize progress, and offer positive reinforcement. These shifts are not always easy, but they are critically important. It can be challenging for youth and families to move forward in the right way each day, and the team’s focus on fresh starts and small victories helps create the conditions for meaningful progress.

Coaching and role modeling become essential in the FNS process. Since staff and FNS supports are not permanently in a youth’s life, intentionally teaching new tools and strategies ensures that youth and families are empowered to carry forward what they have learned, sustaining positive change beyond the shelter.

In our next blog post, we will tackle the key components required to shift an organization to a Family and Natural Supports (FNS) approach. Watch for it! In the meantime, if you would like support or more information on how your organization can make the shift to youth homelessness prevention, please reach out to Heidi Walter at hwalter@awayhome.ca.