Image: Binesi Waziswon youth and staff celebrate with community members and KCA staff at their Fall Feast on September 19, 2024.
Ogimaawabiitong (Kenora Chiefs Advisory) is sending a congratulations and Miigwetch to the staff of our Binesi Waziswon Youth Mental Health Service, which received licensing from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services on September 19th – making it a crucial healing program in northern Ontario.
While gathering for a Fall Feast celebration at Binesi, located at the KCA Youth and Family Wellness Camp, Operations Manager Mercedes Van Dam made the announcement that Binesi had ‘passed with flying colours’ after a recent inspection and was officially a licensed youth healing service.
“This program is such an important piece to help youth who are struggling; it’s a place where youth can rest, connect, and heal,” says Chief Operating Officer, Gillian Lunny. “Today I’m sending gratitude to all the staff who work out here. Everything that this program has accomplished is because of this close team and the extraordinary dedication and passion that they bring every day.”
After beginning operations roughly 9 months ago as a voluntary youth treatment program, Binesi Waziswon has been operating on a temporary license from the MCCSS with 8 beds for youth from the Kenora and Thunder Bay region. Now, Binesi will be able to serve youth throughout northern Ontario.
“Binesi is a special program compared to other youth live-in stabilization programs,” explains Abdel Habaka, Acting Director of Treatment and Healing. “We are special. The staff, the environment, the camp – we do things a little differently here. We offer Anishinaabe ways of healing that is needed in northern communities and northern Ontario. And we’ve seen long-term, positive changes with our youth.”
Binesi Waziswon, or the Thunderbird’s Nest, is an Anishinaabe-led live-in youth treatment program that blends both traditional healing and western approaches to treatment of complex mental health needs and aims to bridge the gap between Schedule 1-Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Units, and community-based MHA programs for youth aged 12 to 17 in northern Ontario.
This voluntary, live-in stabilization and treatment program offers a safe, supportive environment for clients who may be stepping up from community-based supports, where without more intensive therapeutic interventions, will likely lead to an admission to an inpatient unit. Alternatively, youth accessing this program may be stepping down from an inpatient unit but have an identified need for additional support as they transition back to home, and community.
Binesi Waziswon provides both mental health and Anishinaabe cultural supports, with a strong focus on land-based activities. The program offers opportunities like fishing, camping, building teepees and prospector tents, and learning how to live off the land. Youth spend a lot of time outdoors, often guided by an elder or knowledge keeper who shares teachings and traditions from an Anishinaabe perspective. They also learn about respecting the environment, practicing sustainable gardening, and understanding the connection between humans and nature through an Anishinaabe worldview.
“It was a team effort, and the team is awesome,” adds Habaka. “Within these 9 months, we’ve figured out how to get rolling. Now, with this license, we’re at a stage where our next focus would be to expand and build relationships with northern Ontario and offer this service to more youth.”
Ogimaawabiitong is sending a Miigwetch to everyone who joined in today’s Fall Feast celebration, to Elder Andy White for his blessings and opening prayer, and to our drummers for their renderings and for helping to bring in the new season.
We’d also like to send a Miigwetch to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health for the continued partnership and ongoing support, as we continue to find new ways to protect and support our youth. Binesi Waziswon is funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH) & Jordans Principle, and licensed by the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS).
Referrals to the Binesi Waziswon program begin with a General Referral Form to intake@kenorachiefs.org and can be found at www.kenorachiefs.org. For general inquiries, please contact binesi.waziswon@kenorachiefs.org.
