Over the holidays, I spent some time reading the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2025. While the report is grounded in public health, much of what it says will feel very familiar to ASPECT members and deeply relevant to the work you do every day.

The report makes a strong case for shifting how we define success as a society. Rather than relying solely on economic measures like GDP, it centres on well-being, including income stability, housing, employment, social connection, mental health, and hope for the future. What is striking is that many of these indicators are moving in the wrong direction, particularly for younger adults, racialized communities, and people facing rising costs of living and housing insecurity.

None of this will surprise community-based employment service providers. These pressures show up every day in your offices and communities. What the report does do, and this is important, is validate that improving well-being requires coordinated, community-based, intersectoral action. In other words, the kinds of partnerships, wraparound supports, and locally grounded approaches that ASPECT members already deliver.

The report also reinforces the value of strengths-based practice. It cautions against deficit-focused systems that label individuals or communities as “high risk” without addressing the structural factors shaping their lives. This aligns closely with how our sector works, meeting people where they are, building on strengths, and recognizing that employment is connected to housing, health, confidence, and belonging.

For me, the key takeaway is this. Community-based employment services are not a side conversation in discussions about well-being. They are central to it. The work our members do supports not just labour market participation, but stability, dignity, and long-term resilience for individuals and communities.

As ASPECT heads into another busy year, we will continue to use this kind of evidence to advocate for funding models, policies, and systems that reflect the real complexity and real value of your work. Because when we talk about well-being, we are talking about you.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPET BC