In 2011, Prince Albert became the first community in Canada to effectively implement the Hub model of community mobilization. Since that time, over 800 individuals and families have been supported through collaborative risk-driven intervention facilitated by Prince Albert Hub. This model has and will continue to fundamentally change the landscape of community safety and wellness across the country. Based on this model, interest has grown across Canada and beyond. In that last two years, Prince Albert-inspired Hubs have become operational in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta and throughout Saskatchewan.
Dr. Chad Nilson, the inaugural research fellow at the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science and Justice Studies, has completed his preliminary impact assessment of the Prince Albert Hub. The results of his research show that the Hub is an extremely promising model of community mobilization. The key findings are that (1) the Hub model brings added value to the current work of human service providers (such as police officers, teachers, social workers, addictions counsellors); and (2) the Hub lowers the probability of harm among individuals with composite risk factors (such as alcoholism, violence, criminal activity, neglect) by more quickly and efficiently connecting them with multiple services and supports.