2014 Annual Report Presented April 30, 2015

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2014

Annual Report

Presented April 30, 2015

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...extending the hand of compassion

Cornerstone Counselling Centre 2

Mission Statement

To demonstrate the love of Christ by providing professional counselling services to help people become renewed and whole.

Compassion: Excellence: Respect: Integrity: Service: Trust:

We accept people from all walks of life.

We are committed to ongoing professional development aimed at continuous improvement of services.

We respect the dignity, diversity, and interdependence of all persons. We build our relationships on honesty, fairness, and confidentiality. We strive to make counselling financially accessible to all people.

We work in ways that generate trust, build confidence, and instill hope.

Vision

Cornerstone Counselling Centre will be known as the number one clinic for relationship and psychological counselling for children, teens, adult individuals, couples, and families. Our centre will provide services that are educational, preventative, and transformational so that each client will have the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Our dual model of for-profit/not-for-profit counselling services will be known and recognised as a compassionate and professional way to deliver affordable counselling services for healing and growth to the people in Edmonton and the surrounding area.

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Message From the Executive Director

I would like to thank all our donors and supporters who supported us in our belief that mental health services should be available to everyone. The opportunity for us to reach people has never been greater. The link between mental health problems, poverty, addictions, crime, and homelessness is well documented and largely accepted; consequently, as a society, we are beginning to understand the benefits associated with mental health care. Although this is encouraging, accessibility to services continues to lag behind. With this in mind, we made a couple of big changes in 2014 that will have lasting impact on our direction. Firstly, we expanded our student program and took on four masters level stu-dents throughout the year. This allowed us todevelop a sustainable program that provides counselling services to our lowest income clients throughout the year. The program filled up quickly, and we received a grant in the spring of 2014 to help fund the program. You can read more about the program on page seven of the annual report.

The second big change was our decision to bring Marriage and Family Therapist Rita Martino on as a full-time counsellor and community liaison worker. This allows us more flexibility in our program development as Rita will deliver new workshops, educational programs, and psycho-educational groups in addition to her work with individual clients.

As a final project, the Board began working to develop a new strategic plan that will guide our efforts and our direction. As the strategic plan reaches its final draft, our leadership team has felt their vision expand and solidify.

In the following pages, you will see statistics and graphs on our activities. Please remember that each number represents the life story of someone who has gathered the courage to face his or her fears in the pursuit of something better.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he

who conquers that fear.” - Nelson Mandela

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Cornerstone Board of Directors

We would like to thank our board members for all the hard work and dedication that they put forth in 2014 to ensure good governance and a strong future for Cornerstone. We would not be able to do our work without the ongoing

efforts of these committed volunteers.

Volunteers

Cornerstone volunteers are an amazing part of our family. Our volunteers work with clients, help with special events, assist in the office, and participate in growing our mission. We enjoy working with our volunteers and appreciate

their commitment to supporting Cornerstone Counselling Centre.

747

volunteer hours in 2014

John Bass Chair

Desiree Evans Secretary Christina Ferber Member at Large

Ron Knol Member at Large Shannon Tuininga Member at Large

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Our Services

Cornerstone Counselling Centre has been providing professional counselling services to children, families, and individuals in Edmonton and the surrounding area for 37 years. During this time, over 60,000 people

have benefited from Cornerstone. Fundamental to our work are the principles of compassion and generosity, and a steadfast belief in people’s ability to transform their lives.

“[You] have been there 100% when I needed you - through all the ups and downs.” “I want to thank you with deep-felt gratitude for all you’ve done for me and

continue to do. You’ve brought me far - with such gentleness of soul.”

“Since starting counselling over 3 years ago, I have learned self-awareness and more confidence. I have made progress on my journey to heal. The reception and admin

staff always treat me with respect and understanding. ...my counsellor has supported me and showed me how to get past some of my life challenges. I am so

glad that I can come to Cornerstone to enrich my walk with God.”

In addition to counselling, Cornerstone provides assessment services for students of all ages.

We are qualified to perform a variety of assessments such as career and executive leadership, learning assessments, and emotional/ behavioral assessments for both children and adults.

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Student Counsellors

We currently have four master level students completing their practicums at Cornerstone. The fee to see one of our students is $20. The primary focus of this program is to reach out to those clients who cannot afford even our regular minimum fee of $50. Practicum students are unpaid

but must be supervised by a counsellor with at least 5 years of experience.

1364

hours

of counselling provided by student counsellors in 2014 Students provided

18%

of our total hours

90%

increase from 2013

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What Our Students Say About

Cornerstone

“Cornerstone has been a fabulous opportunity to improve my clinical skills [by] seeing a wide variety of populations presenting with a comprehensive range of issues. Because of the size of the organization, I was

able to get my practicum hours [done] in less than half the time it took me at my other site. I appreciated that Cornerstone had a waiting list that could have given me full-time hours if I had wanted [them]. Supervision here has been phenomenal! I have learned so much from Jim’s 30 years of experience and now

from Rita with her relational skills. I have also benefitted by being able to co-facilitate workshops on [the] weekends with Rita. I enjoy the monthly depth psychology group that John Hoedl leads, as well as group supervision. Cornerstone has given me rich rewards and I feel extremely grateful to have the privilege to

work with such amazing people.” - Sherry Bilida, M.PS. (Candidate)

“Thank you for making my internship placement here at Cornerstone a welcoming and safe environment to learn and grow as a counsellor. My time here would not have been the same without all of you. I am grateful for the kindness and warmth you have shown [as well as] the patience and support you have given

me. The relationships I have developed with each of you has given me the strength, love, and patience to keep going and to enjoy the work - no matter how difficult.”

- Doris Bong, M.C. (Candidate)

“Being at Cornerstone has allowed me to see a wide diversity of clients that extends my learning and professional experience. I enjoy the spiritual environment and aspect of Cornerstone. Having the freedom to be able to integrate faith into a counselling session grows my own faith, understanding, and hope as well

as the clients’.”

- Carly Bruce, M.C. (Candidate)

“My whole experience at Cornerstone Counselling Centre has been an enriching [one] for me! I am so blessed to have colleagues who encourage and support each other in a professional, personal, and compassionate manner. During my time here, it has been an honour and a privilege to listen to the stories of

different people, yet also allow myself to reflect and grow through the things that each person brings to his or her sessions. I love what I do here and I thank God every day for giving me [the] opportunity to work here.

The short time I’ve had at Cornerstone has only reaffirmed my passion for counselling.” - Jennifer Chow, MCP (Candidate)

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Workshops & Groups

Anger Management

In this course, participants will learn how anger affects their bodies, minds, and behaviours. They will learn to understand their anger response, how it affects others, identify their anger patterns and how to break the patterns, and then replace them with a healthy model of assertive anger.

Christian Marriage Preparation

This premarital course is designed to give couples the tools and the insight to establish a stable foundation that will mature into a life-long romance. Couples are provided with an in-depth personality/relationship profile that will be utilized to create a deeper understanding of who they are and how they relate to others.

Communication for Couples

Effective communication is a foundational ingredient in any relationship. In this one day communication skills workshop, couples will learn the basic skills necessary to practice effective communication. Participants are taught that communication is more than talking and hearing. Prior habits and behaviours are the barriers and acting and reacting are the "weapons".

Marriage Preparation

In this 2-day course, couples will understand the important role of healthy expectations in marital satisfaction, establish effective ground rules, discover the essential ingredients of satisfying long-term relationships, and develop effective problem solving. They will also learn how to maintain a satisfying physical relationship, communication skills, and discover effective ways to say “I love you.”

Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Our minds have incredible power over our health, well-being, and relationships. Our emotions also play a role in our well-being. This one day course can guide you to discover, uncover, and recover you, the you that lies just beneath your struggles, challenges, and difficulties. You will gain tools and learn skills to help you live a fulfilling life in the midst of stress, anxiety, and depression.

144 people

attended a workshop at Cornerstone in 2014

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Client Hours 2011-2014

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2011

2012

2013

2014

7775 hours

of counselling services in 2014

October

was our busiest month

8%

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Client Demographics

Number Percentage Individual Males 515 29% Individual Females 859 48% Couples 378 21% Families 42 2% Total Files 1794

42%

of our clients were male.

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Top 10 Presenting Concerns

Concern Per File %

1 Stress 530 30% 2 Family 521 29% 3 Anxiety 483 27% 4 Relationships 449 25% 5 Marriage - Maintenance 399 22% 6 Depression 384 21% 7 Emotions 363 20% 8 Anger 270 15% 9 Self-Esteem 225 13% 10 Abuse 192 11%

Stress

remains the most common reason people seek our help.

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The Social Enterprise Business Model:

Building Sustainability

Cornerstone relies on the revenue from our full-fee clients to help support our subsidy program. Our sliding scale allows all clients to receive affordable counselling by setting fees according to their income and number of

dependents. Any profits we make from our full-fee clients are used to subsidize to our low-fee clients. This model aligns with our mission and provides stability to our agency.

Full Fee

$170-$180

Fee Reduction

$125-$160

Subsidized Fee

$50-$120

Student Fee

$20

**These percentages are based on the number of client files, not individual clients.

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Financials 2014

Revenue

$ 1,025,145

Expenses

$ 965,196

Balance

$ 58,568

Revenue 2011-2014

$0 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 $1,200,000 2011 2012 2013 2014

Revenue 2011-2014

7%

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Grants & Foundations

received from grants in 2014

$73,667

Leder

Charitable

Foundation

increase from 2013

29%

Organization Grant Amount

Leder Charitable Foundation $25,000 Government of Alberta $25,000

City of Edmonton $17,000

Realtors’ Community Foundation $2,000

Other grants $4,667

Total: $73,667

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the foundations and government agencies listed below for their support of our work in 2014.

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Compassion Fund

The Compassion Fund is used to support the low-fee counselling program by providing subsidies to low income individuals and families. Each donation we receive goes directly into our Compassion Fund.

of our compassion fund is used for our low-fee subsidy program

100%

Compassion Fund total for 2014

$125,522

Sources

Our church partners contributed $11,027.14 to our low-fee counselling program. Thank you to our church partners for helping us provide affordable counselling to people in need.

subsidies given in 2014

$255,587

remaining profits for contingency fund in 2014

$58,568

Source Amount

Program revenues given to

Compassion Fund $130,065

Grants $42,000

Donations $62,872

Breakfast Event $20,650

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Goals for 2015 - 2020



10% increase in client hours each year for the next 5 years



Two satellite offices in Edmonton and area



Services for crisis calls and walk-ins



Sustainable development plan



More affordable services for clients who make less than $18,000/

year ($10 - $45 range)



Groups for clients with severe mental health issues



Grow our reputation for delivering community workshops and

classes



Resources for families, children, and parents



More services for churches, such as speaking engagements, referrals,

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Why Mental Healthcare?



In surveys of adolescents receiving treatment for substance abuse,

more than 70% of patients had a history of trauma exposure.



A child with four or more adverse childhood experiences is five times

more likely to become an alcoholic and 60% more likely to become

obese.



Unemployment rates among people living with depression or anxiety

are over 30%.



Various studies have shown that up to 74% of people who are

homeless report having a mental health problem or illness.



Suicide is consistently a leading cause of death among Albertans.

Suicide claims more lives annually than other more openly discussed

issues such as motor vehicle collisions, AIDS, or homicides.



In any given week, at least 500,000 employed Canadians are unable

to work due to mental health problems.



In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health or

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Cornerstone Counselling Centre

302, 10140 117 St, Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 1X3 Phone: 780-482-6215

Email: [email protected] Website: www.cornerstonecounselling.com

Binding Up the Broken

As a Christian organization, Cornerstone Counselling Centre’s purpose is to provide affordable

counselling services to all, regardless of faith, creed, race, gender, or lifestyle. We strive to exemplify the healing ministry of Jesus Christ by extending the hand of compassion to everyone. When I think about the work we do here, these verses come to mind:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken

hearted…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV).

There are many reasons why people reach out to us: They may be trying to overcome the wounds inflicted on them by others, living with a chronic mental illness, or simply trying to better themselves. A common theme we see is that regardless of their reasons for reaching out, the people who walk through our doors have exhausted their ability to deal with their problems on their own. They need someone who can encourage them and walk with them through the dark parts of life, showing them that they are not alone. It is our great privilege to be a part of this healing process, but we cannot do it on our own. Thank you again for your support in 2014; we could not do this life-changing work without you.

“Compassion is even more powerful than courage. Sure, with courage you can conquer

a world - but only with compassion you can heal

and build it.” - Rasheed Ogunlaru