What Blue Heron Support Services Association does

Blue Heron Support Services Association (BHSSA) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Barrhead, Alberta, that delivers a comprehensive portfolio of disability support services across northern Alberta. The organization operates 19 residential programs providing 24-hour in-home supports in the PDD Northcentral and Northwest regions, alongside the LIFE (Living Independently For Everyone) program that combines independent living, community access, employment supports, recreation, and children's services. Additional service lines include Respite Services, the Alberta Brain Injury Initiative (ABII) supporting adults with acquired brain injury, Cross Disability Support Services (CDSS), and a Customized Employment program that places individuals with developmental disabilities with local employers. The organization is funded primarily through provincial government contracts via Alberta Human Services' Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) and Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) programs.

Blue Heron operates from six regional offices (Barrhead, Fort McMurray, High Prairie, Slave Lake, Grande Prairie, Peace River) serving 12+ communities including Athabasca, Barrhead, Grande Prairie, Grimshaw, High Prairie, Mayerthorpe, Onoway, Slave Lake, Westlock, and Whitecourt. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Barrhead Community Adult Learning (BCAL), established in April 2017, the organization also offers adult education programs ranging from free English Language tutoring and CAEC preparation to $150 Canadian Firearms Safety Courses and an ed2go-partnered Online Career Training catalog. A secondary social enterprise, the New To You thrift store in Barrhead, generates supplementary revenue through resale of donated goods.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform and operates traditional human-service delivery programs. Revenue derives from three principal streams: (1) managed government-funded disability services via PDD/FSCD, (2) professional-services adult learning courses through BCAL priced at $10–$150 per session, and (3) one-time thrift store transactions. Customer acquisition occurs through government referrals, community outreach, and direct inquiries. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Pia Greig, with Executive Director Diane Magill and Program Director Tim Griffin leading operations.

Name

Blue Heron Support Services Association

Legal name

Blue Heron Support Services Association

Website

https://bhssa.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Blue Heron Support Services Association is a Barrhead, Alberta-based non-profit delivering residential, employment, respite, brain injury, and cross-disability support services across 12+ northern Alberta communities, funded primarily through Alberta Human Services' PDD and FSCD programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Residential care programs
• Community living support
• Adult learning programs
• Respite care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Barrhead

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Disability Services: Primary revenue from provincial government programs including Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) and Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) for residential, respite, and support services.
2. Adult Education Programs: Fee-for-service adult learning courses including certification programs, tutoring, and skills training through BCAL subsidiary.
3. Thrift Store Operations: New To You thrift store generates revenue through resale of donated goods, supporting organizational funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blue Heron Support Services Association provides comprehensive disability support services for individuals with developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury, and other disabilities across northern Alberta. Its core offerings include 24-hour residential programs, the LIFE (Living Independently For Everyone) community living program, customized employment services with job coaching, respite care, the Alberta Brain Injury Initiative, and Cross Disability Support Services. The organization also operates the BCAL subsidiary for adult education and a New To You thrift store as a social enterprise.

Product overview

Blue Heron Support Services Association provides a comprehensive portfolio of disability support services across northern Alberta. The core offerings include Residential Programs (24-hour in-home supports), LIFE (Living Independently For Everyone combining independent living with community access and recreation), Employment Services (Customized Employment and Job Coaching), Respite Services, the Alberta Brain Injury Initiative (ABII), and Cross Disability Support Services (CDSS). Additionally, the organization operates Barrhead Community Adult Learning (BCAL) as a subsidiary, offering adult education programs such as English Language Tutoring, Citizenship exam prep, Group Reading, Financial Literacy, Digital Drop-In Support, Canadian Firearms Safety Course, and CAEC/GED tutoring, plus Online Career Training via ed2go. The organization also runs New To You Thrift Store as a social enterprise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New To You: Thrift store operated by Blue Heron that sells gently used and new items donated by the local community
• Barrhead Community Adult Learning (BCAL)

Products and services

• Residential Programs Overnight, in-home supports for 19 residential programs in the PDD Northcentral and Northwest regions, providing 24-hour staff availability to empower individuals with developmental disabilities to live as independently as possible.
• LIFE (Living Independently For Everyone) Combines independent living, community access, employment supports, recreation programming and children's services, providing non-overnight community living supports to individuals with disabilities.
• Employment Services Customized Employment approach discovering individuals' passions, skills and dreams to match them with the right employer, including Job Coaching services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Respite Services Flexible respite supports for children and adults with disabilities, allowing primary caregivers to take temporary breaks from providing care.
• Alberta Brain Injury Initiative (ABII) Supports for adults with acquired brain injury, providing Supported Community Living (SCL) hours and flexible supports to promote independence in daily living skills.
• Cross Disability Support Services (CDSS) Assists adults living with disabilities to access supports not otherwise available through existing programs, providing individualized navigation support and referrals to community-based resources.
• Barrhead Community Adult Learning (BCAL) Adult education programs including English Language Tutoring, Citizenship, Group Reading, Financial Literacy, Digital Drop-In Support, Canadian Firearms Safety Course, CAEC Assessment and Tutoring, and ESL Coffee and Conversation.
• New To You Thrift Store Thrift store offering gently used and new items donated by the local community, operated as a social enterprise and volunteer opportunity at 4925 51 Avenue, Barrhead, AB.

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACDS (Alberta Council of Disability Services)minorOthersACDS is an industry association for disability services providers in Alberta. Blue Heron maintains a link to ACDS on their website, indicating membership or alignment with the association.
• Alberta Human ServicescoreOthersAlberta Human Services provides funding for disability services through PDD (Persons with Developmental Disabilities) and FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities) programs. This is the primary government funder for Blue Heron's core services.
• Fort McMurray United WayminorOthersUnited Way provides community funding support in the Fort McMurray region for social services including disability supports.
• ADWA (Alberta Disability Workforce Association)minorOthersADWA is a disability workforce association in Alberta. Blue Heron maintains a link to ADWA, indicating alignment with disability employment initiatives.
• Barrhead Chamber of CommerceminorOthersLocal business association in Barrhead supporting the business community. Blue Heron participates as a local organization.
• County of BarrheadminorOthersCounty of Barrhead is a local government entity. Blue Heron provides employment services and receives support in the community. Blue Heron also lists the County as an employer partner for customized employment.
• Alberta Health ServicescoreOthersAlberta Health Services is the provincial health authority. Blue Heron works with AHS for brain injury initiatives and general health service coordination for clients.
• NW FASD (Northwest Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)minorOthersNorthwest FASD network provides support for families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Blue Heron serves families impacted by FASD and maintains this partnership link.
• Cerebral Palsy GroupminorOthersCerebral Palsy Group is an advocacy organization. Blue Heron maintains a resource link for clients and families seeking additional information.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vecova: Calgary-based nonprofit providing residential, community, and vocational supports for people with disabilities in Alberta. Operates a similar full-continuum disability services model funded through PDD and adjacent government programs.
• Chrysalis: An Alberta Society for Citizens with Disabilities: Alberta nonprofit providing residential, supported living, and community programs for individuals with disabilities. Directly comparable as a same-province PDD-funded disability services organization.
• Aspire Calgary: Calgary nonprofit delivering residential, community access, and employment supports for people with developmental disabilities. Comparable in customized employment focus and Alberta provincial funding structure.
• Winnifred Stewart Association: Edmonton-based nonprofit providing residential, day-program, and individualized supports for adults with intellectual disabilities. Directly comparable in service mix, PDD funding model, and Alberta operating geography.

Regional players

• Options Community Services: BC-based nonprofit providing disability supports, employment services, and community living programs. Comparable in customized employment and residential service design, though serving a different provincial funder.
• SARC: BC-based nonprofit supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through residential, community-living, and individualized funding programs. Operates the same PDD-equivalent model but in British Columbia.
• Pacific Coast Community Resources: Vancouver Island nonprofit offering personalized residential, employment, and community-inclusion services for individuals with developmental disabilities and complex needs. Operates a similar individualized-funded model in BC.
• PLEA Community Services: BC nonprofit providing residential, vocational, and community-based supports for youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Comparable service portfolio to Blue Heron but serves British Columbia rather than Alberta.

Others

• Alberta Council of Disability Services (ACDS): Provincial industry association for disability service providers in Alberta. Not a direct competitor but a sector-level body whose membership includes Blue Heron and shapes PDD funding standards and advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Social Services: Large Edmonton-headquartered nonprofit offering disability services alongside broader social services (immigration, housing, family). Overlaps with Blue Heron on disability residential and community programs but operates at much greater scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BHSSA.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-heron-support-services-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Heron Support Services Association