As Scw’exmx Child and Family Services continues to step away from Protection and towards Prevention, the Child Wellness teams remain focused on:

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1. Being inclusive of culture, language, and ceremony in daily practice with each child, family, and community.

2. Collaborating with other community supports and services that reflect the cultural values and beliefs of each child, youth, and family.

3. Child Wellness Workers are actively engaged with community to build stronger working relationships which support families thrive and embrace their culture & language.

4. Work to building trusting relationships through best practice in accordance with the nłeʔkepmx/syilx ways of being

 

The Child Wellness Team protects the wellbeing of children and young people, while prioritizing the use of culturally reflective prevention-based strategies. The team strives to preserve the family unit and empower parents by building trusting relationships. The Child Wellness Team consists of our Delegated Advisor, Reunification Coordinators, Youth Reunification Coordinators, and Family Service

Workers. The Delegated Advisor provides advice to the Prevention and Protection Teams at SCFSS for delegated services and practices in alignment with nłeʔkepmx and syilx frameworks of practice. The Delegated Advisor is accountable for early intervention and protection services through culturally appropriate, delegated social work activities, with emphasis on the preservation, restoration, and reunification of families. The Reunification Coordinator works collectively with the family, SCFSS teams, and community resources to preserve and reunify the family unit through culturally appropriate services. This is to enhance the wellness of children, young people, and families. Reunification recognizes the lifelong role birth families, community, culture, and a sense of belongingness has to every child and young person. Emphasis on a three-phased approach of STABILIZATION, MAINTENANCE and SUSTAINABLILITY is the core focus in the development of this new program.

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Reunification must assume a traditional, cultural, and collaborative approach to preserve the family unit. Reunification recognizes the lifelong role birth families, community, culture, and a sense of belongingness has to every child and young person. The Youth Reunification Coordinator bridges the gap between young people, their families and community to create a stronger circle of support. The Youth Reunification Coordinators acts as a liaison between young people and their community to assist with building and maintaining connections, and identifying extended family to strengthen their sense of identity and cultural connection.

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The Family Services Worker works one on one to support families, children and young people who need support on a short-term basis. Family Service Workers assist in identifying and connecting parents to community resources and prevention services, promoting advocacy and empowerment of parents to build capacity, and keeping children and young people with their families.

 

Over the last year, the Child Wellness Team worked very diligently to create and strengthen connections within the Nicola Valley and our 5 communities. Our team actively collaborated with internal SCFSS teams, external agencies, and representation from across all 5 communities to identify preventative measures of supporting families and building stronger working relationships. By doing this we built trusting relationships through best practice, in accordance with the nłeʔkepmx and syilx ways of being through the Nlaka’pamux Framework of Practice and CAptlkw] Ethic Agreement.

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In our shift of practice from protection to prevention we strengthen and support families and keep children and young people connected to their communities and culture. In following the SCFSS Call to Action, the Child Wellness Team is inclusive of culture, language, and ceremony in our practice. We engage with our Elders and knowledge keepers to decolonize our historical ways of doing and bring forward traditional knowledge in our practice.