Family Violence Initiative

COMPENDIUM OF PROMISING PRACTICES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND INCREASE SAFETY OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN IN CANADA

INTERACTIONS WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Family Violence Interventions

Program Name:

Millbrook Family Healing Centre

Organization/Community:

Mi'kmaq Family and Children Services

Location:

Millbrook First Nation, Nova Scotia

Website:

www.thans.ca/Content/Mi'kmaw%20FHC

Goals and Objectives:

To provide a place of safety for women and children and to deliver culturally relevant programs to people who experience violence in all forms.

Target Group Description:

Aboriginal Women, Youth (male and female)

Program Description:

The Centre provides short and long term shelter, 24 hour support services, individual and group counselling for women, life skills training, and access to community services, advocacy, outreach programs, prevention education (individual, group and community-based) and referrals. It also offers 24 hour crisis intervention in person or by phone. Clients requesting Elder support, sweat lodge and ceremony have access to spiritual guidance and Elders are on staff. In addition to the in house healing program is an outreach program called Eagle Feather Group. It is an eight week program dealing with needs in community. The group comes together to discuss issues and work on self-esteem with domestic violence prevention as part of the outreach goal.

Program Successes/Impact:

Building successful partnerships with other Mi'kmaq organizations to deliver meaningful programs. Becoming an active site for positive community building activities.

Key Lesson/ Challenge:

Obtaining funding. Lack of qualified Indigenous applicants for positions.

Program in operation since:

1995.

Program:

Ongoing.