NON EMERGENCY SERVICES

Fraser Health provides social services through a combination of internal departments (run directly by health authority staff) and contracted community partners (non-profits funded by Fraser Health).

In the B.C. healthcare system, "Social Services" within a health authority are usually categorized under Home and Community Care or Mental Health and Substance Use.

1. Internal Social Work Services

Every major community in the Fraser Health region has a Home Health Office that houses social workers. They provide:

• Crisis Intervention: Helping families navigate sudden health declines.

• Advocacy: Ensuring patients receive the benefits they are entitled to.

• Long-Term Care Placement: Assisting with the social and financial aspects of moving into assisted living or a nursing home.

• Abuse and Neglect Investigations: Social workers are often the first responders for adult protection cases.

2. Mental Health & Substance Use (MHSU) Partners

Fraser Health partners with large non-profit organizations to deliver social support, housing, and life-skills training. Key organizations include:

• Fraserside Community Services Society: Provides housing support, disability services, and social programs in New Westminster and the Tri-Cities.

• Lookout Health and Housing Society: Operates many of the shelters and supportive housing units across Surrey, Burnaby, and Abbotsford.

• Phoenix Drug & Alcohol Recovery and Education Society: Specializes in addiction recovery and transitional housing in Surrey.

• Communitas Supportive Care Society: Provides services for people with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges, primarily in the Fraser Valley.

• Sources Community Resources Society: Offers a wide range of social services in White Rock, Delta, and Langley, including food banks and legal advocacy.

3. Specialized Social Support Programs

These programs bridge the gap between medical care and social stability:

• Intensive Case Management (ICM) Teams: Teams of social workers and clinicians who go out into the community to help people who are homeless and struggling with severe addiction.

• Seniors’ Community Connectors: A newer service in 2026 that helps seniors find non-medical supports like social clubs, grocery delivery, and volunteer drivers to reduce isolation.

• Health Services for Community Living (HSCL): A partnership with Community Living BC (CLBC) that provides social and nursing support specifically for adults with developmental disabilities.

4. Food and Financial Security

While Fraser Health doesn't run food banks directly, they maintain the Fraser Health Food Directory and fund "Community Food Action" initiatives. They often partner with:

• United Way BC (2-1-1): The primary partner for connecting residents to provincial social benefits.

• Local Primary Care Networks (PCN): Many family doctor offices now have "Social Prescribers" who connect patients to local social services.

How to Access These Organizations

If you need to be connected to a specific social service or a non-profit partner:

1. Call the Access Line: 1-855-412-2121 (for Seniors/Home Care social work).

2. Call Access Central: 1-833-866-6478 (for Mental Health/Substance Use social services).

3. Contact 2-1-1: For a list of every non-profit social agency in your specific neighborhood.