Wenda Bradley’s job has its highs and lows.

As the senior outreach worker for the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society Yukon (FASSY), Bradley supports 10 of the organization’s 44 clients, people living in Whitehorse with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The progress she’ll see is rewarding.

Earlier this year, for instance, FASSY worked with several local agencies – Options for Independence (OFI), a local supportive housing project for people with FASD, the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, the territorial government’s Adult Services Unit, and a lawyer and judge – to secure a home for one client.

It was a four-month process. That person hasn’t been involved in the justice system since, and is now beginning what Bradley calls “community inclusion” – work and volunteering opportunities.

But the discouraging cases outnumber the uplifting ones.

One of Bradley’s clients was recently released from jail, given a fresh start of sorts.

He had nowhere to go, so Bradley booked a hotel room for him upon his release until she could secure something long-term.

To her dismay, the man was arrested again just days later, after witnesses saw him brandishing a knife.

He’s now back in jail.

“It can be very rewarding, but it also can be very disheartening,” Bradley said.

“The good things don’t happen frequently enough. They seem to be far apart. Even though they’re rewarding, it’s not a daily occurrence.

“So you do get a lot of time in between, where there’s a lot of things happening you can’t control or help out with.”

It’s a housing problem, she added. There just aren’t enough options for people with FASD, who often benefit from a supported living environment.

In the Yukon, OFI is the only such home.

Located in downtown Whitehorse, OFI’s Dun Kenji Ku building can house 14 adults with the disability. It opened last March, but is at full capacity already with a waiting list.

OFI has assistance available ’round-the-clock, including help with grocery shopping and cooking group meals.

Colette Acheson, vice-president of the organization’s board, said the supports are tailored to each resident’s needs.

This assistance is critical for people with FASD, according to Bradley.

“We need more housing like that and we need to recognize that as a community because otherwise, we’re going to end up with people going in and out of court.

“The housing can’t just be an apartment. It has to be supported because they don’t see the consequences of things or they learn by mistake versus thinking it through.”

Bradley saw progress, for a time, with the male client who’s now back in jail when she was helping him abide by some court-ordered conditions.

He had a nightly curfew, so she would text him in the evenings, an hour before curfew, telling him it was time to go home.

That system worked well, she said, until he lost his phone.

“I think once we can stabilize his housing, we’ll see great improvement in him,” she said.

Not having a safe place to go home to isn’t comforting for anyone, especially people with FASD.

The disability, which affects an estimated one per cent of Canadians, is characterized by memory problems, a short attention span, difficulty understanding the consequences of actions, learning disabilities and impulsivity.

Because of this, many people with FASD become entangled in the justice system.

Most of FASSY’s clients have been involved in criminal activity, as offenders, victims or both.

Acheson said OFI’s Whitehorse building has reduced calls to emergency services, including police and ambulance personnel.

Prior to that, she said, “the person might not have had any support to figure out, ‘Is it something I could deal with my doctor on on Monday? Or is it a real emergency?’

“But because now they have the staff to bounce things off of, it creates a bit of a buffer so they’re not panicking and feeling like they have to jump to emergency services as a first response.”

Bradley knows this.

She said the community desperately needs more housing like OFI.

Because FASD is a lifelong disability, it’s unlikely people will move out or move on from Dun Kenji Ku if they’re doing well.

“With the prevalence of the affliction here in Whitehorse and also the existence of a waiting list, one would imagine that makes for a strong case to increase the housing for people with these kinds of brain issues,” said OFI operations manager Simukai Mutiwekuziwa.

As she hopes for more public or private funding to come through to create more housing for people with FASD, Bradley continues working her clients, sitting in on their court appearances, talking them through crises and trying to act as what she calls a “go-to person” for them.

Often, it’s after-hours help or guidance that they need.

“You could work almost 24 hours a day,” she said.

Tuesday is International FASD Awareness Day.