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:
Soaring Spirit Healing Program
- Organization/Community:
Helping Spirit Lodge Society
- Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia
- Website:
- Goals and Objectives:
To provide education to women on family violence prevention in a safe and supportive environment.
- Target Group Description:
Aboriginal women 19 and over.
- Program Description:
The program is run twice a year with each session being of 16 weeks duration. The program offers workshops concerning life skills development, personal growth and development, financial planning, career and educational planning and goal setting. There is a strong cultural component to the program consisting of the use of talking circles, smudging, Medicine Wheel teachings, sweat lodge ceremonies and the inclusion of Elders. The hope is for women to become reconnected to their heritage and community.
- Program Successes/Impact:
Successfully reconnecting women to their culture, reducing their vulnerability to violence. Clients are successfully learning skills to take with them out into the world once the program ends.
- Key Lessons/ Challenges:
Not knowing if funding will be available from session to session.
- Program in operation since:
2011.
- Program:
Ongoing.
- Date modified: