A new beginning

Program first of its kind in Canada

Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 03/00) - It was an encouraging day Wednesday for women's rights advocates when Health and Social Services Minister Jane Groenewegen officially announced the launch of a new pilot program designed to deal holistically with women's trauma -- the first of its kind in Canada.

Jane Groenewegen

Flanked by the heads of three of the main women's support services groups and the chair of the health and social services board, Groenewegen said her department had re-allocated $500,000 to fund the Women and Children's Healing and Recovery Program which began operations in September.

"This program is for women who have experienced trauma," said Groenewegen, "I hope to see it fully develop and mature because it is an excellent example of a Northern program."

After, at a free lunch sponsored by the Native Women's Association, Arlene Hache, executive director of the Yellowknife Women's Centre said she couldn't find words to express her emotions.

"We've struggled to get this," she said, "it's very personal."

At the press conference Hache said the new program helps every woman at a personal level.

The program focuses on supporting, healing and empowering Northern women who have experienced trauma and will also interweave children's services.

According to Rosemary Cairns, executive director of the Status of Women's Council, this is the first time in the country that government and social services groups have jointly produced a program of this scale.

"This is not happening in the south," said Cairns, "the battle there is between NGO's and government and their wasting their energies."

The process began on May 1996 with a 63 page document titled, Keeping Women and Communities Strong. The study, conducted by the NWT Status of Women Council, examined the gaps left by current alcohol and drug recovery programs that failed to deal with the reasons behind children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE).

The study concluded that women who had been traumatized turned to substance abuse.

The way to deal with substance abuse was to deal with trauma the study said.

So a coalition was formed between the YWCA, the Status of Women Council, the Yellowknife Women's Centre and representatives from the Health and Social Services board.

The group submitted their findings in March of this year resulting in Wednesday's announcement.

The new program has already received 38 applications and is open to all women in the territory.

Currently the program is in its pilot stage and run in Yellowknife. There is room for 12 women but it is expected to eventually a territorial-wide service.

"This is a grassroots initiative," said Lyda Fuller, executive director of the YWCA.

"The government embraced it," she added.