KCA Youth and Family Wellness Camp
About Us
The KCA Youth and Family Wellness Camp provides 327 acres of open space, kilometres of beach and forest, access to water, and a world of possibilities for children, youth and families in northwestern Ontario. This camp, owned, operated, and maintained by the KCA member First Nations, without dedicated funding, serves as a new treatment, cultural, recreation, and reconciliation centre to address the multiple determinants of health and socioeconomic challenges in the communities.
The camp creates a safe but connected space for activities to enhance strengths-based programming and support community members through the Anishinaabe culture. KCA’s goal is to have the strengths of their programs, staff and community members engage children & youth in social participation, mental health and wellness, and resilience-building activities in a safe way, that helps bring our communities and people together.
KCA’s Vision: KCA envisions the camp as a safe community space where the strengths of its programs, dedicated staff, and community members come together. The ultimate goal is to create a space where children, youth, and families can engage in activities that encourage peer interaction, resilience, and cultural connectedness.
Contact Information:
If you’re interested in booking the Mess Hall, bringing out a group for some land-based learning, or getting some catering, please contact Event and Program Manager Jennifer Coulis at Jennifer.Coulis@Kenorachiefs.org.
Equine Program
Our Equine Program brings the healing power of horses to the forefront, providing a place for individuals to explore their physical and mental wellbeing. The program has proven to be transformative, assisting individuals through significant life events, fostering youth engagement and stability, nurturing life skills, and uplifting moods.
Horses, with their innate ability to connect with people, offer a unique and impactful approach to healing, wellbeing, and lasting transformations. Participants establish deep connections with the horses, fostering positive changes in their personal lives.
The Equine Therapy service continues to support mental health and addictions, cultural programs, and local organizations in the Treaty 3 area which support First Nation children and youth, including KCA programs, schools, families from Communities and Kenora, community partners and family services.
The facility is home to a diverse array of animals, including eleven horses, five ponies, two miniature horses, four rabbits, four cats, and six chickens. Regular training, feeding, watering, farrier visits, and veterinary care are integral to maintaining the health and vitality of these cherished animals.
Safety:
To ensure the well-being and safety of participants, the program provides essential resources, including saddles, safety helmets, riding boots, enclosed stirrups, jackets, hats, gloves, and socks.
Contact Information:
Please inquire with Equine Farm Manager Toni Heuer for booking availability. You can reach her by emailing toni.heuer@kenorachiefs.org or by calling (807) 464-0613
Binesi Waziswon Healing and Treatment Services
Binesi Waziswon is an Anishinaabe-led residential youth treatment program that blends both traditional healing, and western approaches to treatment of complex mental health needs and is situated on our 327-acre Youth and Family Wellness Camp water-front property located approximately 15 minutes outside Kenora, Ontario.
Binesi Waziswon aims to bridge the care continuum between Schedule 1-Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Units, and community-based MHA programs for youth in the North region, specifically those aged 12 to 17. 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 is funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH) & Jordans Principle, and licensed by the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS). Binesi Waziswon offers 8 beds with 2 beds funded through Jordan’s Principle being reserved for Kenora Chiefs Advisory’s 8 Member Communities, the other 6 beds funded by the Ministry of Health are open to the Ontario Health North Region.
Our interdisciplinary team, comprising frontline care staff, care coordinators, counsellors, therapists, Anishinaabe cultural and traditional healing staff, primary care providers, and other specialists such as psychiatry, will provide comprehensive services. Psychiatric support is accessible through care pathways with Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH) and Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre (TBRHSC), as well as access to psychiatry services.
The program’s objectives are as follows:
– Offering a safe, home-like setting for youth in need of stabilization.
– Providing programming, counselling, assessment, care, and life skills.
– Fostering skills and knowledge in healing practices rooted in Anishinaabe ways of wellness, including a connection to the land.
– Implementing a holistic approach with warm hand-offs to community-based supports or further in-patient care.
Our team consists of:
Child and Youth Workers
Bicultural Counsellor
Youth Counsellor
Care Coordinators
Operations Manager
Land-Based Manager
Clinical Manager
Director
Psychiatry through Partnerships
