Changes For Hope

How do you know where you belong if you do not know where you come from?

The targeted youth are easy to identify. They will have already had a lengthy history of receiving authority services. The authority will have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to engage the youth and family in well-resourced efforts to support the family in maintaining its integrity. The level of intrusiveness will have increased over time. The youth will experience several out-of-home placements, seldom returning to the same caregivers when the return home attempts fail. Many will have also experienced extensive trauma through, emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse by the time they are placed with us. They will be several grade levels below their potential and may suffer from severe effects of Trauma and have dual diagnosis. Many will be under permanent guardianship orders with only a tenuous connection to their families. We want to ensure that all children/youth understand where they come from, and we want to create a “Home away from Home” specifically for Indigenous youth. We advocate for a return to family however we understand that sometimes this may not be in the youth’s best interest, although we feel maintaining family connections always are.

- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week supportive care from trauma informed trained staff
- Referrals to outside sources for medical and phycological care
- Stabilization, Supervision and Life Skills training in the areas of holistic wellness, interpersonal skills, goal planning, making healthy choices, problem solving and self awareness.
- Training and direction in decision making processes
- Support and understanding in acknowledging their complex trauma experiences
- Support to better enable them to come to terms with existing family problems while living outside the family unit
- Training in the development of problem-solving skills and in the identification and selection of appropriate resources. Referral’s regarding the community resources available to the youth
- Recreational and Cultural participation are strongly supported
- Personal spending budget and clothing allowance
- Transition planning (supported transition through agency to SIL)

In this program it is mandatory for the youth to participate in a progressive day program. This program may be full time school or work or a combination of both. The program plan/goal will be selected in consideration of the youth’s wants, needs and capabilities. Required support will be based on the individual needs and we can provide Life Skills learning to fit the client’s schedules after their education program or their work hours.

The idea of “Knowing where you come from, and who you are, and how you want to be” is a good starting point for the youth that come to our program. Using a holistic approach Changes For Hope focuses on the Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual aspects of each youth in our care, understanding that each is at a different place on their journey. We strive to ensure 1/3 of our staff has an aboriginal background and Changes For Hope is committed to recruiting and training staff in diverse cultural teachings. All Caregivers are required to support the cultural components into the service planning goals as much as possible.