Help Seeker logo.

By David Opinko

Help Seeker launches in Lethbridge: like Yelp for social services

Oct 16, 2019 | 6:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Having worked in the social services field for many years, Help Seeker CEO Alina Turner says the number one reason she has heard that people do not get help or are hesitant to do so is that they simply do not know where to go.

The service aims to connect people to whatever programs they need.

They recently launched Version 2.0, which has all service providers in Lethbridge mapped out, which collectively, provide more than 1,400 total services.

At their website HelpSeeker.org or on their iOS or Google Play mobile apps, the map is broken into several categories, including whether you are looking for free or paid services, and if you need help with things like abuse, addictions, disabilities, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, mental health, sexual abuse, pregnancy, suicide, trauma, or other matters.

After selecting whether you are looking for something in regards to an adult, an animal, a child, a family, an immigrant, or another category, it will show you which providers in the city could accommodate your needs.

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“You could use Yelp to figure it out in terms of food and, you know, we have all these great technology options for everyday things, but we never really applied that to the same level in other areas of our life,” says Turner. “The idea was, can we take the same approach, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, and can we actually help people connect to these essential services?”

The other comparison Turner gave was to a matchmaking service.

“If you’re looking at addictions and you had a treatment facility versus counseling, let’s say, you’d have to make a decision like, ‘OK, looking at these guys’ descriptions, it looks like I would benefit from the counseling side.'”

Right now, Help Seeker will give you general information about each service provider like links to their website and the various ways you can contact them.

In a future update next year, Turner says you will be able to make appointments or message the service provider directly through the website or app completely anonymously.

Help Seeker is funded fully through partnerships and licensing agreements with local governments, meaning it is free for anyone to use.

In Lethbridge’s case, the city is paying $12,000 per year.

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