BBNA Wellness: A Circle of Life Family Services Department Family Violence Prevention Division August 1, 2018 Family Violence Prevention Division Staff Family Violence Prevention Division Manager Jeweline Larson Wellness Coordinator Mary Jane Kasayulie Tribal Response Team Coordinator Barbara Nunn Program Assistant Evelyn Wassily 1
Empowerment and Reestablishment of Wellness Teams Provide support for community wellness teams in every community addressing domestic violence and alcohol/drug abuse through community wellness teams Utilize village resource people to assess and implement intervention and prevention through collaboration of sharing information Coordinate public health and safety efforts in communities to strengthen families Tribal Court Village/ City leaders Clergy Wellness Teams Service Providers Parents /Youth Elders How the Program Came to Be Wellness: A Circle of Life Review of many curricula to determine program development within the Family Services Department A treatment/clinical program approach is not necessarily needed for our families to accomplish wellness Fit a program to meet several families & communities needs AVCP s Healthy Families: The Yup ik Way Healthy Relationships Curriculum Local Child Protection Teams a multidisciplinary approach to deal with child abuse and neglect How to use the multidisciplinary team approach with the Wellness curriculum to develop and implement a successful program 2
Acceptance of Our Wellness: A Circle of Life Curriculum Staff met with our Tribal Leaders about adapting a Wellness Program modeled after AVCP s Healthy Families Program We chose the program name & logo after the Circle of Life work that BBNA did with the Rural Providers Conference 2011 & 2012 We talked about how to adapt Wellness: A Circle of Life to fit the needs of our families in our villages We talked about revitalizing village response teams using the village Wellness Team workbook as a guide to adapt to the Wellness concept of A Circle of Life We held planning meetings with each village to determine how to implement the program throughout the region Wellness: A Circle of Life Conception/Pregnancy Mikelngiuryaraq Ullagturluku Following the path of raising healthy children Teaching about love Teaching of Helping Teaching of Hunting/Gathering/Sharing Boys and Girls Roles Historical Trauma Healing Leaving Home Relationship/Marriage Preparation Marriage and Family Kassuutelleq, Irniyaraq Marriage & family At home with parents Session 9 Marriage Ellmikungluta Leave home with family Session 1&2 Intro & Pregnancy Session 3 Session 10 Love Leave home Yuuyaraq Elluarrluteng Ilakurtellriit Kenkiyaraq 1 st and foremost from infancy, teach to love Session 4 Helping Kassuucaram Session 8 Tuvqakiyara inerquutai Marriage prep Session 5 Hunting Teaching of & Session 7 Session 6 Girls/Boys marriage & rules Sharing involved Healing Trauma Catch Yuuyaram Navellra /Historical Trauma & Healing Kevgiyaraq, Ikayucaraq Helping others Becoming an Elder Celebration 3
Other Resources & Training Utilized for Program Integration & Success Knowing Who You Are Alaska Undoing Racism Healthy Relationships Elder in Training Basic Orientation to Advocacy Training (B.O.A.T.) Dillingham Community Resource Guide (updated 2018) Referral to Other Services as Needed for the Family Knowing Who You Are - Alaska Originally brought to Alaska through the Casey Family Programs to the Office of Children s Services work with families The development of a healthy racial and ethnic identity is important in helping people establish consistency in their life with regard to how they view themselves Knowing Who You Are Alaska developed in 2017 for Alaska specific work 4
Undoing Racism Developed by the People s Institute of Survival & Beyond Undoing Racism addresses the root causes of the convoluted problems such as domestic violence, sexual assault, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, suicide, child neglect, and etc. It addresses unresolved trauma relating to the near destruction of cultures from overwhelming influences of western culture referred to as historical trauma It addresses institutional racism Healthy Relationships The Healthy Families curriculum was adapted from the Healthy Relationships program with the Native Wellness Institute Wellness: A Circle of Life adapted this curriculum as well Our people lived a simple existence. The families lived together. The people cared for one another. The elders were respected and cared for. The aunties, uncles, and grandparents all helped to watch over the young ones. Life s teachings were passed from one generation to the next. The young ones were raised to be productive members of the village, ready to lead the next generation. 5
Elders in Training The Trust Training Cooperative (TTC) of Alaska conducts Elders in Training Workshops It offers Elder Summits that provides our elders, seniors, and pioneers an environment and forum where they can be listened to, learned from, and honored for the wisdom and life learning they possess We use this curriculum to assist our elders to take the lead in facilitating our Wellness Program Basic Orientation Advocacy Training Safe And Fear free Environment (SAFE) Domestic Violence Shelter developed Basic Orientation Advocacy Training (BOAT) for their advocates, program volunteers, and Crisis Line staff BOAT is in the process of being revised to better fit SAFE and the Bristol Bay region for advocate training Wellness Program will use this curriculum as part of our program staff and volunteer training 6
Where Are We At Today? 5 Communities adapted the Wellness: A Circle of Life Curriculum to fit their community needs We are in the process of OVW approval of the 5 different curricula August, 2018: Our first Wellness A Circle Of Life Event in Dillingham October 1, 2018: Program Implementation Team Members: Law Enforcement SAFE Advocate Health Aide Tribal Council Member Caseworker Tribal Response Teams 7
Developing Our Tribal Response Teams Train community service providers to respond to sexual assault and domestic violence as a multidisciplinary team using the On the Front Line Training Curriculum The Training curriculum has been adapted to fit the needs of the Bristol Bay region s response to sexual assault and domestic violence Communication skills is a major part of the training Who should be trained and a part of the team? SART Nurses (health aides) Advocates Law Enforcement Caseworker Safe Homes SAFE Shelter developed and implemented the Safe Home concept in our communities so that victims of violence have a place to be safe Coordinator works with the community response team to identify possible Safe Homes Coordinator will work with Safe Home candidates to ensure they are trained to provide a Safe Home Each village should have a Safe Home 8
Program Support and Assistance Mass mail outs to villages & organizations Order supplies for office & meetings Organize workshops, meetings & conferences Program Assistant Provide support with preparing documents Coordinate travel to & from villages Take minutes for Advisory committee meetings What is culture? Music Songs Dance YÉÉw Family Spirituality Ceremony Language Values/rules/manners Clothing we wear CELEBRATIONS Names we give Connection to land Subsistence Laughter/humor Community Way of communicating How we define beauty Knowledge of history SOURCE OF STRENGTH Stories Art The way we live Culture is Spirit. IT S WHO WE ARE AS A HUMAN BEING 9