Driven By Community

Message from our CEO and Board President

To our community:

Surrey Place is shaped by the people around us—our clients, families, caregivers, staff, and partners. Our work is powered by the trust, insights, and shared purpose of those we serve and work alongside. This past year affirmed what we’ve long known: when we follow the lead of our community, care becomes more inclusive, more responsive, and more impactful.

This past year, we found new ways to meet people where they are and respond to the evolving needs of those we serve. From transforming how and when our services are delivered, to expanding outreach and creating new supports, we continue to challenge old models and design care that reflects real lives.

Whether through expanded behavioural supports for families, our Community Pantry addressing food insecurity with dignity, or the co-creation of harm reduction services for adults with developmental disabilities, we have worked to remove barriers, open more pathways to care and create more possibilities. We are also building systems that make accessing support easier. Through partnerships across sectors, we modernized referral pathways that serve thousands across the province. We expanded our reach through mobile clinical teams, bringing care closer to where people live and how they live.

At the heart of this work is our deep commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We’ve created spaces for honest dialogue through EDIA training and community-led events. We also listened to families and caregivers share their journeys in their own words through a new podcast: The Exceptional Caregivers Life

None of this would be possible without the courage of our clients, the trust of their families, the dedication of our staff, and the generosity of our partners and donors. Together, we are helping people push past the limits the world often places on those with diagnoses and celebrating what becomes possible when we do.

As we move into the next year of our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, our focus remains clear: to build the conditions for people to thrive today and into the future through continued sustainability of our organization and new opportunities for growth.

Sincerely,

Dr. Terri Hewitt, Ph.D., C.Psych. Chief Executive Officer

Carolyn Acker, C.M., R.N., M.A., D.SC. H.C. Board President