OKANAGAN NATION HEALTH MANDATE
To advocate for Syilx control and management of health, programs and services.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance is committed to improving the health of our People not only for our present community members but for the stelsqilxw – “the People to be”. The Health cluster at the ONA consists of the Health Lead, Health Care Advocates,
Together with the CFYH Services Manager, the Health Lead is building upon the strategic efforts already underway at the Nation level to strengthen our collective health outcomes. The Health Lead collects information from a variety of community sources, such as Band staff and Health Directors, to identify current health priorities to ensure that investments in health always correspond to needs on the ground. Infused with our cultural perspective and traditional knowledge, the updated plan was finished in 2015.
Okanagan Nation Health Plan in 2010
Identified mental health as its number one health priority.
The Mental Health Cluster encompasses the Okanagan Nation Response Team (ONRT), R’Native Voice Youth Program, Kwu ˇxast Children’s Program, Syilx Indian Residential School Support Lead, Youth Wellness Coordinator and the Aboriginal Child and Youth Mental Health (ACYMH) Coordinator. The goal is to strengthen communication and team work when addressing youth mental health concerns by offering Syilx-focused crisis, prevention and follow-up services and supports. By working as a team we are able to coordinate mental health service delivery, as well as promote mental health awareness to our Nation members.
Building upon existing projects, program and plans, the ONA hired a Syilx Mental Health Lead who develops and implements innovative and action oriented Syilx Mental Health strategies; provides capacity building through current mental wellness research, Best Practices, support and training opportunities to the seven member communities of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. The Syilx Mental Health Lead is responsible for program development and supervision of the R’Native Voice, Kwu ˇxast, Child and Youth Wellness Coordinators, Syilx IRS Lead and Okanagan Nation Response Team.
The Syilx Mental Health Lead works with the CFYH Services Manager and is part of the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s Wellness Team.
The function of the Mental Health Lead is to be responsible for coordinating and organizing Nationwide discussions, plans and strategies regarding mental wellness, incorporating Indigenous knowledge, beliefs, values, and best practices into program development and planning for direct input into the development of culturally appropriate service delivery for all our citizens.
The YES program provides awareness, education, training, and resources on de-normalizing violence and sexual assault as one of the key steps to create change and change behaviors.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance has developed the YES Program to create a sustainable model of support to our families and community to begin to address the impact of family violence and sexual assault. This will be accomplished in a nested model that includes, individual, family and community. Using Syilx knowledge and strength based practice to build the capacity of families and creating a strong network that will support the wellbeing of the community. Services are family-driven and community-based. Each community determines what resources and trainings they need. Each family receives support in the process of creating holistic wellbeing and safety plans.
Purpose
The intergenerational effects of colonization normalized violence in our communities. YES brings together Syilx ways, strength-based practices, and community solutions to build the capacity of families dealing with the impacts of family violence and sexual assault.
- Supports individuals and families experiencing family violence or sexual assault.
- Increase recognition of time-honoured traditional and cultural teachings, healings and activities that help vulnerable families grow stronger and healthier.
- Encourage strong community relations and practices.
- Build prevention and response capacity through professional collaboration.
Services
YES provides one-on-one, confidential and non-judgmental support which varies from case to case:
- Emotional support
- Advocacy
- Connecting clients to cultural supports
- Debriefing
- Developing a safety plan
- Assisting clients in accessing resources and referrals to other programs
Training By Request
The YES Team is available to do workshops to enhance knowledge around family violence, sexual assault, and their impacts including personal safety and trauma-informed practice. The team collaborates to build programming to suit the needs of community.
Responding to Sexual Violence Disclosure Handbook
For information, please contact:
Darryl-Jean Peeman, YES Team Lead
P: 778-392-8133
The Okanagan Nation Response Team, səxʷkənxit əlx “Those Who Help” is a team of community members who have received extensive training in the areas of suicide education, community mobilization, and critical incident response.
ONRT has a Team Lead at the ONA that supports the ONRT members in each community to respond to crisis. In addition the Lead assists communities to develop strategies to prevent youth from engaging in self-harming behaviours. The team is comprised of 14 community members from the member communities trained in responding to community crisis. They receive training at least twice a year to enhance their skills to better serve the communities they respond to.
When is ONRT called in?
ONRT is called in when a crisis occurs in an Okanagan community. It can be incidents involving violence, traumatic accidents, completed suicides or suicide attempts.
How do you access support from ONRT?
ONRT initially was set up for community members to directly report to ONRT lead, but due to the high volume of calls that were deemed to not fit the mandate, a community protocol list was developed. The protocol list usually involves Band Chief & Council, Band Manager, Health Director, or Social Worker. Each Band varies so first contact with Health Director is beneficial.
If there is a crisis or trauma in community, the community member contacts the Band office to report to a person who is established as a protocol list person. The protocol list person receives the information and proceeds to make contact with ONRT Lead to discuss level of crisis and if the situation falls under the mandate of Team response.
How does ONRT support community?
The ONRT Team Lead supports the ONRT members in each community to respond to crisis. ONRT members provide education on suicide awareness, depression, self-harm, grief and lateral violence to any of the member communities. As part of educating youth, ONRT also provides prevention training to the R’Native Voice program.
How do you become a part of the team?
Each community has two representatives that are selected by either the health or social department or Chief and Council. Once this occurs the new members are oriented and training is provided by the ONRT Team Lead.
Resources
For more information, please contact:
Jen Louis, ONRT Coordinator at jlouis@syilx.org or 250-681-3765
Justice Murray Sinclair, during his engagement with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, made two incredibly profound statements to the effect:
First, that the Indian residential school didn’t just happen to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, it happened to all Canadians; and second that Canada’s Indian residential school system represented “cultural genocide” against all of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. The Indian residential schools were purposely designed to destroy our Indigenous languages, cultures, customs, and traditions. More importantly, the residential school system was designed to destroy our spiritual connection to our lands.
Therefore, we must seek to understand these fundamental truths so we can begin to understand why our grandparents and parents were subjected to such racist, hateful, and completely abusive treatment by the nuns, priests, and other staff. The Indian residential schools were designed to wipe us out. To obliterate all traces of our Peoples.
We can celebrate the fact the Indian residential school was a complete and dismal failure! We are still here. In fact, we are thriving! Our languages are coming back through our children. Our songs and customs are coming back through our youth. Our traditions are being openly shared by our Elders. Our women are providing the leadership to ensure everything is done in a good way.
We would like to thank all of our dearly beloved Indian residential school Survivors for their many sacrifices, tears, and broken hearts. Had they not had the courage and resilience to resist, we would not be here today.