How are people facing addictions being helped?
- If they are on the street they are offered daily wellness checks, sandwiches, and cultural support.
- Staff advocates for beds in detox.
- Relatives are referred to the Sawēyihtotān Transitional Home – which offered a 4-month program in a sober living environment.
- Supported in a long-term supportive sober living housing complex.
- Staff can transport them to EWC or other shelters.
- Wicihitowin home detox referral is made (if applicable)
With the extension of extra funding, are there projected numbers of how many people will be reached in the future?
- We are meeting over 100 new relatives each month who have made it to Saskatoon and are in need of support.
- Every family or individual we support with finding housing receives long-term support for the indefinite future (as long as they need it)
- There are 53 family units available at Kotawan 1.
- There are 24 units available at Kotawan 2.
- We have already accepted 22 families into the SSFH program and they are awaiting the opening of Kotawan 1 & 2 (approximately 56 individuals including children)
How does the program help people at every stage, including the beginning stages through to long-term housing?
- Stage one –- Sawēyihtotān Mobile Services (SMS)
- The outreach team meets relatives on the street, in encampments, and living outdoors.
- They provide wellness checks, food, advocacy, and secure them a bed in an emergency shelter. They build relationships so that when the relative is ready to ask for help, they have someone to ask.
- Many relatives referred to EWC.
- Stage two – Sawēyihtotān Transitional Home (STH)
- offers relatives who are homeless a 4-month stay where they get 24-hour support, in a safe, sober living environment.
- If they relapse, they are not kicked out, staff safety plan on how to work through triggers and avoid relapse, and drug tests (UA’s) are administered regularly.
- Staff support them through managing their sobriety, learning life skills, and how to maintain a home.
- Cultural support every day – culture is the foundation for everything we do. Elders are in the home regularly providing cultural teachings and support; every day starts with a smudge and sharing circle.
- relatives attend a mental health therapist, addictions counselor, weekly AA/NA meetings, and relevant programming such as parenting programs.
- Many relatives are reunited with children in care and are able to regain custody of their children.
- Stage 3 – Sawēyihtotān Supportive Family Housing (SSFH)
- Supported sober living environment.
- support staff on site daily, security on site 24 hours per day.
- Housing is available at Kotawan 1 and Kotawan 2.
- Stage 4 – Sawēyihtotān Home Based Outreach (HBO)
- The team works with them in their home to support them with maintaining their housing and avoiding eviction.
- The team works with them for as long as they want the services.
“Let us bless each other through our show of respect for each other”
Sawēyihtotān Mobile Services (SMS) – Outreach
is an initiative to address housing and homelessness in Downtown Saskatoon. This initiative seeks to provide wâhkômâkanak (relatives) with access to support services through an Indigenous Model.
- Whole health encompasses the balance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimension of self, family, community, and creation. Whole health is best understood through the Medicine Wheel and traditional teachings.
- Help relatives learn the necessary skills and have the necessary supports in place to address barriers they face to permanent housing
- Work primarily in community with individuals who are in need of supports within the community and in navigation
- Provide ongoing support to relatives once they are in their home to help them cope with barriers that may arise from basic life skills to severe addictions issues.
- Be a relatives connection back to a larger case management team or support services
- Culture is the foundation for all work; it includes ensuring implementation of culturally specific and holistic interventions. Culture is recognized through openly expressing unique beliefs, values and ways of knowing, being and doing, identity, language, traditions, ceremony, connection to land, and relationships
SMS Services:
- Cultural Support
- Emergency Housing Support
- Income Assistance
- Mental Health supports
- Addictions supports
- Probation supports
- Community Based Supports
- Elder Supports
- Advocacy Services
- Transportation
- Intensive Case Management
Services available:
9am-1am Daily
Contact Info: 306-380-0835 or 306-381-4917
Sawēyihtotān Mobile Services – Home Based Outreach (HBO)
provide long term “home based” support for wahkomakanak who have secured housing. Home Visitors deliver direct supports to wahkomakanak in their home ensuring that wahkomakanak have access to resources and supports necessary to maintain their housing.
Home Visitors provide support to wahkomakanak in matters relating to housing, physical and mental health, addictions, advocacy, justice, income support, and employment.
- Initiate and maintain regular and long term intensive in-home support
- Establish a voluntary, trusting relationship with relatives by providing regular contact through home visits
- Crisis management and support
- Advocacy
- Knowledge in life skills, budgeting, home maintenance and upkeep, renter’s rights and responsibilities, food security, rent security
- Assist wahkomakanak with accessing resources and making referrals
Services available:
Monday – Friday
9am-5pm
Contact Info: 306-381-3143
homebasedoutreach@sktc.sk.ca
Sawēyihtotān Transitional Home (STH)
provides short term transitional housing for Saskatoon’s most vulnerable population. The home offers 24-hour support and supervision to wâhkômâkanak through an Indigenous model. The home supports their transition to independent housing by addressing their mental health & addictions, and assisting them in their healing journey.
- The home offers support in the areas of mental health and addictions, basic needs, life skills, cultural support and housing support.
- Wâhkômâkanak living in the home have daily access to mental health therapists, elders, support staff and housing support workers.
- The home is operated by an Indigenous model and all case planning is guided by the Medicine Wheel teachings, traditional teachings and elders.
- Life Skills Program – individuals are able to access programming that will provide them with building blocks for success. These will include but are not limited to mental health supports, addictions support, employment training, physical health, and art therapy
- Collaborative Programming – working within STC and through partnerships with referral to internal and external support programs
STH services:
- Life Skills
- Cultural, Elder, Holistic Support
- 24 Hour Support Staff, Safe Living/Environment
- Programming
- Case Planning
Please send referrals to:
Sally Opikokew
Saweyihtotan Transitional Navigator:
Referral for Services:
Sawēyihtotān Supportive Family Housing (SSFH) – Kotawān I & II
provides long term housing to families seeking support to transition from homelessness to semi-independent living. In house support staff are on site to assist families that are facing homelessness to become healthy, responsible, productive, and independent. By partnering with STC programs, we will continue to assist wâhkômâkanak (clients/relatives) and families with support to obtain education, employment, programming, and independent living.
- Kotawān I is a 55-unit housing complex
- Peacekeepers on site 24/7
- Support staff on site 9am-9pm Monday through Friday
- Kotawān II is a 24 unit apartment building
- Opening soon!
- Provide opportunities for families to gain access to intensive case management, educational resources, employment readiness, outreach services, and cultural support.
- Support families to participate in programing that adheres to independent living, trauma support, cultural and land-based learning, health and mental wellness, addiction services, life skills, healthy parenting, and employment and education skills.
Contact Info: 306-668-1189
Please send referrals to:
Sally Opikokew
Saweyihtotan Transitional Navigator:
whitecapdakota.com
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