Searching for Traditional Indigenous Healing And Wellness

Promotes the development of good mental health and provides mental health services

• Provides individual, family and group mental health/wellness counselling for issues such as but not limited to: addictions, anger management, anxiety disorders, depression, family violence, grief and loss
• Provides medical assisted treatment for Opioid Replacement Therapy, stimulants and alcohol
• Offers treatment services using both traditional and contemporary health care practices
• Coordinates services of a visiting psychologist
• Provides educational seminars and workshops to community members about various mental health and addiction issues

Naandwe Noojimowin (formerly Beauty from Ashes) Program

• Provides a voluntary five-day residential program for individuals struggling with childhood trauma issues
• Offers counselling, traditional talking and healing circles as well as cultural healing practices
• Partners with Benbowopka Treatment Centre in Blind River and the Dan Pine Healing Lodge in Garden River First Nation to offer the program

Delivers prevention and early intervention services to high-risk children and families of the community

• Administers child welfare prevention services in collaboration with Kina Gbezhgomi Child and Family Services located in Wiikwemkoong
• Evaluates short and long-term programs and workplans with individuals and families for adequacy and effectiveness
• Partners with community police officers and local nursing staff to identify and support troubled families

Prevention Services

• Teaches parenting skills and assisting children through difficult times
• Develops and administers healthy social and recreational programs for families such as after-school programs and babysitting courses
• Hosts community forums to address issues such as youth drug abuse, inadequate housing, and schooling problems
• Organizes elders meetings that address traditional child rearing methods
• Provides information sessions about understanding substance dependency and resulting family violence, and overcoming oppression by understanding cultural realities

Promotes healthy individuals, families and communities

• Supports reduction or prevention of family and community violence
• Provides culturally appropriate support services, resources, educational materials, and workshops to address community wellness needs
• Participates in and assists to organize community events such as Winter Carnival, Aboriginal Day, Family Fun Weekend and National Addictions Awareness Week
• Promotes a culturally appropriate approach to healing and wellness
• Partners with Noojmowin Teg Health Centre and Manitoulin Central Family Health Team

Cultural activities and events include:

• Drum teaching circles
• Monthly Healer visits
• Opening and closing ceremonies
• Quarterly sweat lodges
• Seasonal Medicine walks
• Spring Fast
• Strengthening Families sessions

Prevention activities offered include:

• Automated External Defibrillator training
• Certified Water Safety Swimming lessons
• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training
• First Aid training
• Fitness Gym management and promotion
• Health Care provider training
• Swim Instructor Certificate program

Provides an educational initiative for the healthy development of high-risk youth in Aboriginal communities

• Offers a ten-week course to youth from Grade 4-8 to promote self-worth, self-esteem and respect for others
• Delivers the program through cultural teachings, healing circles, role models and community awareness
• Uses a team approach involving police officers, teachers, principals, social workers, health care providers and Aboriginal Elders
• Provides a community graduation ceremony for student participants including a feast, ceremony, prizes and certificate

Weekly lesson plans include:

• Cultural Teachings
• Medicine Wheel Teachings
• History of Aboriginal People
• Finding our Strengths
• Painting the Mask
• Healing Circle and Discussion
• Self Esteem
• History of Native People
• Community Awareness

Assists community to design and deliver their own holistic, prevention-focused services/programs and cultural supports to promote a healthy community and support families as needed

• Focus is on improving the overall health and well-being of communities and to empower families to build healthy relationships
• Works to eliminate family violence, the number of youth involved in the justice system and the number of children in care

Activities and programs provided can include but are not limited to the following:

• Activities that revitalize Native language
• Alcohol and drug abuse prevention and intervention
• Community events such as feasts
• Family circles, counselling and child/youth support groups
• Referrals to other programs and services
• School programs
• Traditional land-based healing events

Provides services and support for individuals and families struggling with addiction issues

• Offers Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings when required
• Provides transportation to all meetings and workshops upon request

Prevention

• Provides public seminars/meetings to raise community awareness of alcohol, drug abuse and gambling addictions
• Holds educational sessions in schools
• Coordinates cultural and spiritual events

Intervention

• Facilitates recreational activities and social events
• Provides individual and group discussions
• Offers cultural and spiritual gatherings

Aftercare Services

Provides the following services aimed at preventing alcohol and drug abuse problems from reoccurring:

• Counselling, sharing circles and support groups
• Regular phone calls and home visits
• Referrals to Band services, social services, detoxification and treatment centres and medical assistance

Supports reduction and prevention of mental health issues and family and community violence

• Provides culturally appropriate support services, resources, educational materials, and workshops to address community wellness needs
• Coordinates men's and women's wellness sessions such as breakfasts and guest speakers
• Provides victim service referrals and emergency support for family violence and mental health crises
• Works one-on-one with families experiencing family violence to develop a plan of action for identified concerns
• Provides referrals to counselling, legal services, and treatment centres and other needed supports
• Organizes and facilitates community events in schools, powwows, and health fairs to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevention of family violence
• Develops programs, workshops, promotions, and prevention education campaigns dealing with family-based violence awareness

Health centre focused on family and community health

• Offers primary health care services through a medical clinic and outreach programs
• Provides clinical services through Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Traditional Healers
• Offers a combination of Indigenous traditional healing methods and Western medical practices
• Provides chronic disease management and prevention, pre/postnatal care, nutrition, health education, health promotion, and counselling
• Provides referrals to other service providers and specialists
• Coordinates and hosts a public Child Poverty Task Force to address food-related health challenges in at-risk communities on Manitoulin Island; Task Force also compiled the Community Food Security Directory for Manitoulin
• Collaborates with Mnaamodzawin Regional Health Authority and all First Nation Health Centres/Services on Manitoulin Island as well as other health service providers
• Publishes a monthly newsletter online

• Provides traditional teachings and workshops for individuals and families to meet specific life's needs in areas such as pre/postnatal, parenting, children and adolescent, adult life skills, elder care and holistic health promotion
• Provides traditional healing services through Traditional Healers, cultural ceremonies and herbal prescriptions
• Coordinates the healing services on an individual or community request

Services include:

• Case management
• Filling of herbal prescriptions
• Supportive counselling
• Referrals to Traditional Healers and other health care providers
• Follow-up appointments

Provides community members with cultural awareness and traditional teachings

• Teaches and assists community members in the art of regalia making
• Offers the traditional teachings behind the different regalia
• Provides workshops for skilled crafts such as traditional pipes, drums, rattles, moccasins, baskets and beading
• Provides services of skilled medicine people who teach how to identify local medicines used for minor ailments
• Provides a healing lodge for cultural ceremonies

Provides the health modalities of:

• Medicine walks
• Seasonal ceremonies
• Sweat lodge ceremonies
• Talking circles
• Traditional cedar baths
• Traditional stress management
• Traditional healer services

Provides services and support for individuals and families struggling with addiction issues

• Offers Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings when required
• Provides transportation to all meetings and workshops upon request

Prevention

• Provides public seminars/meetings to raise community awareness of alcohol, drug abuse and gambling addictions
• Holds educational sessions in schools
• Coordinates cultural and spiritual events

Intervention

• Facilitates recreational activities and social events
• Provides individual and group discussions
• Offers cultural and spiritual gatherings

Aftercare provided for preventing reoccurrence includes:

• Counselling, sharing circles and support groups
• Regular phone calls and home visits
• Referrals to band services, social services, detoxification and treatment centres and medical assistance

• Provides on-site counseling services with visiting mental health professionals
• Offers referrals to services not available in community

Mental Health and Addictions program also oversees:

• Aboriginal Healing and Wellness
• Brighter Futures Building Healthy Communities
• National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program

Assists community to design and deliver their own holistic, prevention-focused services/programs and cultural supports to promote a healthy community and support families as needed

• Focus is on improving the overall health and well-being of communities and to empower families to build healthy relationships
• Works to eliminate family violence, the number of youth involved in the justice system and the number of children in care

Activities and programs provided can include but are not limited to the following:

• Activities that revitalize Native language
• Alcohol and drug abuse prevention and intervention
• Community events such as feasts
• Family circles, counselling and child/youth support groups
• Referrals to other programs and services
• School programs
• Traditional land-based healing events

Provides services and support for individuals and families struggling with addiction issues

• Offers Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings when required
• Provides transportation to all meetings and workshops upon request

Prevention

• Provides public seminars/meetings to raise community awareness of alcohol, drug abuse and gambling addictions
• Holds educational sessions in schools
• Coordinates cultural and spiritual events

Intervention

• Facilitates recreational activities and social events
• Provides individual and group discussions
• Offers cultural and spiritual gatherings

Aftercare provided for preventing reoccurrence includes:

• Counselling, sharing circles and support groups
• Regular phone calls and home visits
• Referrals to band services, social services, detoxification and treatment centres and medical assistance

Provides services and support for individuals and families struggling with addiction issues

• Offers Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings when required
• Administers the community needle exchange and safe inhalation kit program
• Provides transportation to all meetings and workshops upon request

Prevention

• Provides public seminars/meetings to raise community awareness of alcohol, drug abuse and gambling addictions
• Holds educational sessions in schools
• Coordinates cultural and spiritual events

Intervention

• Facilitates recreational activities and social events
• Provides individual and group discussions
• Offers cultural and spiritual gatherings

Aftercare provided for preventing reoccurrence:

• Counselling, sharing circles and support groups
• Regular phone calls and home visits
• Referrals to Band services, social services, detoxification and treatment centres and medical assistance

Promotes the development of good mental health and provides services for individuals with mental health issues to enrich their quality of life

Provides counselling, information and awareness activities including but not limited to:

• Addictions and substance abuse
• Anger management
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Family violence
• Grief and loss
• Parenting issues
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Self-esteem
• Sexual abuse
• Stress management

Services include:

• Counselling services for stress management and crisis intervention
• Prevention services
• Referrals to appropriate supports
• Workshops

• Ensures traditional healing alternatives are available for community members
• Coordinates healing programs for individuals on a healing journey
• Promotes and plans traditional customs and ceremonies for individuals, families and community

Healing alternatives and traditional ceremonies can include:

• Traditional Native healers
• Healing circles
• Talking/sharing circles
• Sweat lodges
• Smudging ceremonies

• Serves as a First Nations owned and operated 16-bed residential addictions treatment facility
• Offers a balanced treatment plan with Ojibwe Cultural teachings and ceremonies
• Offers a 28 day residential program to both men and women seeking assistance in dealing with addictions
• Focus is on an abstinence-based model, grounded in the 12 Step Alcoholics Anonymous approach to treatment

Substances treated include:

• Alcohol
• Hallucinogens
• Narcotics
• Prescription

Promotes healing and wellness programs and services within the community

• Provides support and case management services
• Provides mental health education and counselling
• Offers individual and family counselling
• Provides advocacy between individual and organizations and agencies
• Provides information to raise awareness of family violence and strategies to stop it

Coordinates the following services through community representatives and visiting professionals:

• Alternative healing teachings
• Group talking circles to promote inner healing
• Stress relief and massage therapy
• Sweat lodge sessions
• Traditional healers

• Delivers prevention and awareness programs/services to community families
• Promotes overall health and wellness of families, youth leadership, social development and physical fitness
• Promotes cultural and traditional teachings with a focus on ensuring the continuation of Anishinabemowin (Native language)
• Cultural activities include beading workshops, traditional feasts, smoking wild meat, maple syrup harvesting, traditional medicine making, harvest bingos, regalia making, hand drumming workshops and traditional dance workshops
• Coordinates many annual events, cultural programs, educational activities, parenting programs, and recreational activities

Community Awareness programs can include but are not limited to:

• After School Program activities
• Community Fun Days
• Community Socials
• Fitness Classes
• Land-based programs including Children's Summer Camps
• Little Serpents Children's Club
• Medicine Walks
• Movie Nights
• Seasonal Craft/Baking workshops
• Special Celebrations for all special occasions
• Talking Circles
• Traditional Family Services such as traditional parenting and family planning
• Youth Development

Provides a primary health care clinic for Indigenous individuals and families

• Coordinates professional services through Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Diabetes Nurse Educator, Registered Dietitian, Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist, Mental Health Therapist and Traditional Healers
• Offers a combination of Indigenous traditional healing methods and Western medical practices
• Provides treatment of illnesses and offers routine annual physicals
• Coordinates documentation if patient receives care from a member of the team
• Provides well children and baby care, prenatal and postnatal care
• Administers immunizations
• Offers basic and advanced foot care services and clinics
• Provides diabetes education and effective ways to manage the disease
• Offers health, nutrition education and counselling and referrals to other health care professionals
• Provides follow-up care and management of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes

Offers a variety of programs and services including the following:

• Community Support Services
• Diabetes Program
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Project
• Mental Wellness and Minobimaadizing Program
• Traditional Health

• Serves as a victim impact/empathy program for adult Indigenous offenders who are in the justice system

Provides mind, body and spirit healing opportunities through Anishinabek teachings and ceremonies through the following services:

• Delivers weekly healing sessions separately for men and women
• Facilitates all sessions through a Traditional Knowledge Keeper/Elder and the Program Worker
• Teaches Anishinabek principles and approaches to build a healthier community
• Strives to improve decision-making skills of participants
• Offers free transportation to sessions

Activities and healing sessions are based upon the 4 seasons and can include (but not limited to):

• Fall harvest and hunt
• Fall and spring fasting
• Traditional fire keeping and Shkaabewis teachings
• Monthly full moon ceremonies
• Buffalo teachings
• Sharing circles
• Beading and regalia making
• Sweat lodges and cedar baths
• Medicine picking (Summer harvest)
• Mental, emotional, spiritual and physical self-care