Choose to Change
A Program to Address Indigenous Family Violence
This program provides free information and education to adults and youth who are victims of family violence. Meetings are private and one-to-one, and may be arranged by personal request or agency referral.
Presentations on family violence and referrals to other agencies are available upon request.
This program provides individuals and families with safety planning and appropriate cultural programming including sage, sweet grass, awareness and healing circles using aboriginal knowledge.
Features of the program:
- It is totally free, and is funded by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice;
- It provides services to youth, adults and couples;
- It provides education on the different forms of abuse that contribute to the cycle of violence (see illustrations below);
- It includes discussion on understanding what is abuse, and how, why, when and where it happens;
- It includes safety planning, if and when one is planning to leave a situation of abuse;
- Appropriate cultural sensitivity is offered using sage and sweet grass, as needed and requested;
- Education is provided on different forms of abuse as needed and requested through workshops and school presentations;
- Community involvement includes promoting the program, attending meetings, updating pamphlets and business cards;
- Appropriate agency referrals, letter writing, and advocating for clients are provided as needed and requested.
Referrals come from various agencies including court-mandated domestic violence programming, probation services, schools, victim services, Yorkton Tribal Council, CFS, Whitespruce Training Centre, addictions programs, mental health programs, women shelters and self-referral.
Click on the illustrations below to see the larger version
