When Tara Snider took the helm at Sara Riel nearly six years ago, the organization was home to 42 staff. As she prepares to take her leave at the end of March, there are now 150 staff dedicated to mental health and addictions support. A rapid expansion that has tried to keep pace with community need is just one of the legacies Snider will leave behind.
“I’ve loved it, I’ve loved every single minute of my time here,” shares Brousseau Snider. “The work that we do is so important. Leading at the time when I did, which was a time of growth, but also through COVID, I witnessed an increase in mental health issues, homelessness and addictions. Sara Riel has never been needed more.”
Throughout her tenure, capacity has increased across many areas. The Warm Line, a phone-based peer support service, has taken nearly 50,000 calls since March, 2020. Sara Riel staff also took on support services at a building on Ellice Avenue where 53 individuals with chronic mental health issues live. “At the very beginning of the pandemic, we decided that no one would be laid off, no matter what would come,” Brousseau Snider explains. “That meant that our Seneca Services staff became our Warm Line staff, and that continues to be needed in our communities. It’s really proven itself.”
Sara Riel also stepped in to fill gaps left by changes in community services. “When the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society went under, there was no one left to provide services for that population,” explains Brousseau Snider. “That was really important to me: that we were the ones to step up. We started offering workshops and peer support, which really matter.”
The organization also focused on supporting and surviving the people that need it most. “We’ve grown in terms of our community,” Brousseau Snider continues. “Our Indigenous relatives, our newcomers, our two-spirit and LGBTQ+ communities, we’re seeing more and more people coming through our doors. We’re being invited to be part of those communities and help make an impact.”
After so much progress and building, Brousseau Snider is ready to step away, but she has lots planned to occupy her free time. “When I started at Sara Riel, my four children all lived out of the province,” she shares. “Last summer, all four returned home. If my children returned to Manitoba to be a family, then I wanted to make sure my time was available.”
Trained as a therapist, Brousseau Snider will take on clients a few nights a week, continue to engage on boards in the sector, and most of all, she’ll be “grandma daycare,” what she considers the most important job of all. The spirit of connection and love that is calling Brousseau Snider to new adventures is also one that she felt was not accepted but celebrated at Réseau Compassion Network and Sara Riel. “The word compassion in the name says it all,” she shares. “I really benefitted from all the training and education offered through RCN. It’s a true part of our spirit, it lives in our organizations.”
When asked to think of those she’s worked with over her time at Sara Riel, Snider has too many to count. “I have been so honoured to work with two great board, including our Foundation,” she concludes. “The staff are unbelievable. They are exceptional at supporting people who really, really need it. We play a significant role in the community and that comes down to them. It has been such a pleasure to work alongside them all!”