Inventory of Aboriginal Services, Issues and Initiatives in Vancouver: Substance Use / Misuse

Relevant Details

Report On The Health Of British Columbians - Provincial Health Officer’s Annual Report 2001: The Health and Well-being of Aboriginal People in British Columbia.

• “Alcohol and illicit drugs continue to take a huge toll on the lives and health of the Aboriginal population ….Like other high-risk behaviours, alcohol and drug misuse reflects social and cultural stresses, which impact people’s ability to cope with life in healthy ways …[and] can only be solved through comprehensive efforts addressing predisposing social conditions, prevention and treatment of substance abuse, and reduction of harms that accrue when prevention and treatment fail. [BC] should boost and enhance community programs such as the Four Pillars Approach in Vancouver, with a focus on culture-based services specific to the Aboriginal population” (p. 6).
• “Many [Aboriginal people] live ….on the East Side of Vancouver …Alcohol and drug addiction [is one] of the big challenges facing Aboriginal people”(p. 40).
• Tobacco and alcohol take a huge toll on the lives and health of the Aboriginal population. Like other high-risk behaviours, tobacco and alcohol misuse reflect social and cultural stresses, which impact people’s ability to cope with life in healthy ways. (p. 55).

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Who’s Involved?

Hey-way'noqu' Healing Circle for Addictions Society (#401-1638 East Broadway)

• An outpatient family-based program for Aboriginal individuals and families.
• Provides intensive adult day treatment, relapse prevention support, women’s traditional teachings, one to one and group counselling, parent support circle, prevention/outreach services, community-based educational workshops, women’s day program, children’s counselling, and youth programming.

Native Courtworker & Counselling Association of BC (50 Powell Street)

• Detox Support Program for those transitioning from detox programs back to the community.
• Alcohol & Drug Outpatient Team includes individual counsellors.

Urban Native Youth Association (1640 East Hastings Street)

• Alcohol & Drug Counsellors who work with Native youth at various locations throughout Vancouver.
• Young Bears Lodge is a 16 week residential A& D Program for Native youth aged 13-18.
• School Support Program supports youth in school that are at risk of or abusing substances.
• Young Wolves Lodge is a three-month residential program that supports 17 – 24 year old Native females who are trying to make positive change in their lives. Also includes a Transition Worker who follows-up with participants for one year after finishing the program.
• Supporting Our Sisters is an outreach program that focuses on supporting young Native women in the DTES. Groups are held to engage young women who are in the sex trade.

Sheway – Vancouver Native Health Society (533 East Hastings Street)

• A partnership initiative of government and community.
• Provides comprehensive health and social services to women who are either pregnant or parenting children less than 18 months old and who are experiencing current or previous issues with substance use.
• Offers highly specialized services to a population with highly complex needs. Sheway operates in a client-centered, woman-focused environment where staff work in partnership with a woman as she makes decisions regarding her health and the health of her child.

Watari Research Association (877 East Hastings Street)

• Youth Day Treatment Program is a 7 week voluntary alcohol and drug day treatment program for youth aged 13-24.
• Program includes identity & self-awareness, relationships, communication & social skills, decision making, recreation, community support, creative expression, ongoing care, group and 1-1 counselling, assessment & referrals, and transitional outreach support.

Musqueam First Nation

• Drug and Alcohol Counsellor is responsible for the development and maintenance of a D & A counselling program, provides counselling and support to individuals, families, and groups dealing with chemical dependency and its related issues.
• Also offers referrals to treatment centres; home and institution visits; and prepares and presents workshops to Band membership.

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Partnerships

• Urban Native Youth Association and the Coming Home Society co-fund the Young Wolves Lodge Program and work together to acquire funding for additional supports such as the Transition Worker and house renovations.
• Urban Native Youth Association’s Alcohol & Drug program partners with the West Coast Alternate Program to engage and support the students with FAS/FAE effects.

Committees

• None

Trends

• As with many communities, many Aboriginal people are becoming addicted to crystal methamphetamine.
• Youth are not being referred to the support programs they need. There seems to be more of a focus on probation, rather than identifying and dealing with personal issues.
• For youth, the change from incarceration to diversion programs seems to have led to less referrals to the alcohol and drug services they need.

Gaps

• As with other groups in Vancouver, there are not enough detox and treatment programs, nor is there the diversity of programs required to accommodate the diverse high needs.
• There continues to be a low referral rate to Aboriginal-focused programs for youth as it seems that they are not considered clinically focused enough as treatment programs despite the positive effect that cultural ways of addressing substance abuse issues may be.
• There is a lack of mental health workers or concurrent disorders workers to help work with individuals who are both misusing substances and living with a mental health issue.
• Within the Aboriginal communities, there is a need for (but not many programs that work with) the whole family.
• There are not enough transition and follow-up programs for those moving from one stage of recovery to the next (detox to treatment to post-treatment).
• There seems to be a lack of unpaid or volunteer workers who are working directly with youth who are trying to stop misusing substances.

Contact Information
Addresses, phone, fax, email, and website information for any of the organizations above can be found in the Contact Information section of this manual.

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