With a mission to foster healthy responses to HIV and related issues, through support, education and research, the Turning Point Society of Central Alberta is working to reach out to more rural communities.

Thanks to funding from the United Way, Turning Point has a full time outreach worker who's been spending time in Lacombe since April.

Executive Director Jennifer Vanderschaeghe explains some of the concerns they are addressing "most of the communities are finding an increase of people smoking methamphétamine, as well as people worried about fentanyl, and about injuection really, and snorting and people taking opius that have not been medically prescribed and worried about overdose risk".

Vanderschaeghe says there are also lots of professionals in rural communities in Central Alberta that are looking for more information and supports to help with clients they may deal with through other programs.

Turning Point also has another rural outreach worker serving east Central Alberta and they recently opened a new satellite harm reduction distribution in Killiam.