With 35 years of experience supporting Calgarians behind us, our focus over the last fiscal year was to create a strong foundation for the future of CUPS. Creating this new five-year strategic plan was no small undertaking – a culmination of efforts, learnings, research, and feedback helped to guide our process. Our strategic plan is rooted in our commitment to continue supporting those experiencing trauma, poverty and systemic marginalization. This plan is more than a roadmap; it’s a compass that will guide our approach and purpose for the next five years.
Throughout 2023, CUPS actively engaged with our clients, staff, stakeholders, donors and funders, recognizing the invaluable role they play in our journey. Their feedback and insights were instrumental in shaping our strategic plan, ensuring it reflects the needs and aspirations of our community. This collaborative approach not only provided clear direction toward the internal changes we need to make but also reinforced our commitment to collaboration as we lead a community response to critical social issues.
Our new strategic plan is anchored by our clear and compelling statement of purpose: Navigate Complexities. Create Change. Together. This purpose is not just a statement; it's a commitment that drives every decision we make, every action we take, and every relationship we nurture at CUPS. It not only inspires our work but also challenges us to stay focused on our path forward.
One CUPS participant shared in a recent survey, "CUPS has given me safe, stable housing and an amazing doctor. I have been able to start getting my life back because of CUPS. In all reality, I would still be fighting for my life on the street. I have also been able to get sober."
This testimony underscores the impact of our purpose, showing how our commitment to navigating complexities and creating change, together, transforms lives. By providing safe housing, medical care, and addictions support, along with many other services, we are living our purpose and making a real difference in the lives of everyone who comes through our doors.
As we place our values of Dignity, Accountability, Collaboration, and Continuous Learning at the center of our work, we reaffirm our commitment to how we show up in the community. Clients depend on us, supporters trust us, and partners count on our collaboration. We do not take this responsibility lightly – we are accountable for our words, our actions, our relationships, and most importantly, ourselves. Through a compassionate lens, we afford every person dignity in their interactions with us. We proactively seek opportunities for continuous learning with open minds and transformative spirits. Through our culture, rooted in our values, we will achieve our purpose and ambition.
In tandem with our purpose, our ambition statement outlines what we aim to achieve: Our unique approach empowers people to improve well-being. As a formative presence, we work together to build better systems and a stronger community. This ambition underscores our commitment to leadership and collaboration, inviting others to join us in creating meaningful change.
The Theory of Change (ToC) describes our understanding of how we engage with individual clients one-on-one, how they engage with us, and the impacts of that engagement. CUPS’ ToC is unique as it is focused on the impact of the client experience and journey in four key areas: empowering clients, supporting the creation of goals, developing a plan and achieving goals, and building a sense of readiness within individuals as they continue their journey from CUPS.
We have identified three main themes from our extensive work in exploring the challenges and opportunities we face as an organization. These themes summarize our strategy and the way forward for CUPS:
Integrated Care is rooted in our understanding of brain science and embedded into all aspects of service delivery here at CUPS. It means that clients accessing services receive trauma-informed, holistic and low-barrier support and care. This integrated approach reflects our commitment to meeting immediate and pressing needs while creating space for clients to improve their well-being by focusing on their strengths and goals.
Our goal for this strategic theme is to fully embed Integrated Care into all aspects of our service delivery framework, including programs and referral partnerships, and align our approach to service delivery with our Theory of Change (ToC).
As a formative presence, we will continually improve the impact of our community partnerships, advocacy efforts, and relationships to improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of our collective efforts.
Part of this theme is our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and our organizational journey toward truth and Reconciliation.
Through this theme we aim to ensure all levels of our organization have the support they need to encourage their own well-being and bring their strengths to the table. We will design and implement structures and processes to increase the impact of strategic initiatives and continue to strengthen our capacity to support and empower others.
Our strategic plan will guide our efforts to be catalysts for broader change. We will advocate for and lead initiatives that address the root causes of poverty and trauma, working alongside our partners to amplify our collective impact.
After a year of planning, now is the time to act. We are well underway with implementing our strategic plan, and we look forward to the journey this next year will take us on as we engage in proven project and change management approaches. This strategic plan also coincides with the transition in leadership at CUPS, as we welcome Elaine Wilson as new CEO. Under her vision and guidance, we are looking forward to a future with renewed energy and commitment to helping individuals, families and communities thrive.
We invite you to join us on this journey, as we navigate complexities and create lasting change, together.