Services

Alternative Care

  • Alternative Care is responsible for the recruitment, assessment and training of alternative care providers that is consistent with Nlakapa’mux customs, values, standards and practices.
  • Alternative Care will ensure the implementation of integrated service delivery, from the point of intake to discharge, for all children, youth and families receiving services.
  • Alternative Care is responsible for recruiting, developing and maintaining a range of resource placements for children who come into care. These resources include: Foster Homes, Group Homes, Specialized Residential Resources such as Emergency Assessment and Treatment Centers.
  • When reunification is not possible, alternative care shall seek to facilitate placements with extended family in the child’s community, whenever possible.

Child Protection

  • Child Protection is the protection of children from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect by ensuring the safety and well-being of children through least intrusive, trauma-informed and culturally restorative child welfare practices.
  • Child Protection will investigate, review and assess allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation and will offer services that are focused on supporting families to ensure they have every opportunity to remain together and raise their children in a healthy environment.
  • If a child has to be removed from the home Child Protection will work in partnershp with members of the Integrated Service team, Nlaka’pamux families, extended families, and six of the affiliated communities to listen, assess and find solutions to foster the preservation of families and ensure the child can go home as soon as it is safe to do so.
  • If the child cannot live safely in the family home, arrangements to temporarily or permanently place the child in another home will be decided with the input of family and community, where he or she can be cared for. This is called placing the child “in care.” The first choice for Alternative Care in this situation would usually be a kin connection or a foster family. 

Family Support

  • Family Support is an integrated network of community-based resources and services that provide a supportive environment to children, youth and families who are experiencing life challenges. A goal is to safeguard the children, youth and families well-being and to develop culturally safe environments for their growth and development.
  • The objectives of the Family Support are to assist families in creating or increasing natural and extended family supports within the Nlaka’pamux communities and to assist families in developing specific strategies to address issues and mitigate risk to children.
  • Family Support is a culturally grounded program that empowers families to choose effective attitudes and behaviors in the areas of parenting skills, communication skills, self-esteem building, conflict resolution skills and asset building that is family driven.
  • Culturally enhanced prevention services will be offered by Family Support to provide options to the removal of a child from their family home. This outreach component will be delivered members of the community such as Elders, youth workers, advisory committees and volunteers to design and deliver a range of activities such as sports, traditional arts and crafts, parenting groups and cultural workshops and camps which are based on Nlaka’pamux traditions.

Aboriginal Child, Youth & Adult Mental Health Development

  • Aboriginal Child, Youth and Adult Mental Health Development provides specialized mental health assessment and treatment services to children, youth and families.
  • Consultations, counselling and referrals will be provided to support mental health issues and/or concurrent disorders, within an Aboriginal holistic wellness framework, focused on the traditional Nlakapamux culture.
  • Ability to recognize and participate in traditional Aboriginal practice with community members to provide psycho education, prevention, or treatment in a collective community-based approach.
  • Knowledge of theories, practices and principles relative to mental wellness, suicide prevention, and mental health emergency response, particularly relative to First Nations in BC, including the current programs and services available.
  • Aboriginal Child, Youth and Adult Mental Health Development will advocate for the promotion of healthy lifestyles for children, youth and families as needed in the six communities affiliated with the agency.

Wellness & Addictions

  • Wellness & Addictions will provide consultation, assessment, counselling, and referral services to support children, youth, and families living with health and addictions issues, within an Aboriginal holistic wellness framework.
  • As an advocate for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, the Wellness & Addiction program will coordinate and ensure training and educational workshops are scheduled for staff and families to support and assist individual and family counselling. Sharing of information will assist in the liaison, coordination and facilitation of family support systems with internal and external service providers, to assist in placement and aftercare plans.
  • Wellness & Addictions has knowledge and understanding of holistic and alternative processes such as family support circles and structures, mediation, principal teachings with Nlaka’pamux culture.
  • The program will assist in the development and implementation of culturally appropriate processes to assist in the coordination and facilitation of community awareness forums to empower and equip the communities, families and parents towards developing risk free environments for the Nlaka’pamux clients and their families.

Family Finder and Kinship

  • Uses methods and strategies to search, locate and identify family and community connections for children/youth in continuing or temporary care or at risk of entering care.
  • Effectively harness the capacity of extended family networks and informal supports to provide the best possible connections for a child/youth to increase connectedness for stability, decrease dependence on the formal service system and enhance family-driven decision making.
  • Conduct interviews with relatives, community members or the child/youth themselves to identify and engage prospective family connections or ascertain additional contact information for family member connections.
  • Work directly with band designates and communities to ensure all relevant information relating to the search for kin is shared and explored.
  • Conduct public information campaigns to explore opportunities to provide viable options to admission to care.