Helping agency loses its funding

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A complaint against New Nations Counseling Services has resulted in a loss of funding for the non-profit, inner-city agency, says the director of Willow Counseling.

Yvonne Halkow says Willow Counseling Sherwood Park has disassociated itself from New Nations because of a complaint against two of the counselors. New Nation works for Willow Counseling, which is funded by health and welfare Canada, on a fee for service basis.

Halkow says the complaint is sufficient reason for her organization to break its ties with New Nations. "Not only was the complaint dissatisfied with the services received but she claims the counselors broke confidentiality."

Halkow says there is also evidence that New Nations was billing Willow Counseling for services Willow Counseling for services not provided.

New Nations counselor Bing Cote says the complaint has nothing to do with the agency having its funding cut.

"We encourage people to follow through with a complaint if they're not happy." He says counselors have not bee paid since August.

Halkow, however, says "two batches of cheques went out last week, so we're now up-to-date. But we will no longer have anything to do with them."

News Nations had to "wait for their cheques because (on) the August invoice submitted Aug. 24 they tried to claim expenses for the end of August. They can't do that. So there was a lot of administrative things to sort out," she says. Halkow says new Nations was informed "in a letter from our lawyers as to why Willow can no longer be involved with them."

Cote says if the agency is allowed to close, 300 Natives will "be left out in the cold."

News Nations was intended to assist treaty Indians but Cote says there is a "great demand from Metis out there s we're helping them too."

Cote says the province, the city and the Metis Nation of Alberta have been approached for funding.

But Metis Nation president Larry Desmeules says he's not aware of any funding request. "Even so we don't have the money to give them moral support."

Cote says he is disappointed to see New Nations coming to an end. "It's hard to see something that is doing good end. I can't believe people are being apathetic about this." Cote says if New Nations "goes down the tubes, we're prepared to run a non-profit agency to help Metis treaty and non-status Indians."

The six counselors plan to run the new agency, Dene-Suen Cline, even though it will mean the counselors will have to carry a caseload of 30 families each and take part-time jobs, says Cote.

"We're committed because we know there is a need out there."

Maria Carey, director of medical services for health and welfare Canada, says "perhaps in time New Nations will be directly funded, but the complaint has to be resolved. It's serious."

The complains is against counselors Maurice Perron and Lise Jacko.

Perron says the woman, who laid the complaint was not happy with the service she received from New Nations, but he refused to be more specific, saying the matter was under investigation, Jacko couldn't be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Perron says he's "pleased to hear the cheques are coming. I guess we'll now try to make a go with the new non-profit agency if we can't get funding."