Wîcihîtowin

The Wîcihîtowin (Coming Together) Project uses culture as a health intervention for alcohol and drug treatment.

The project works on re-establishing connections as a basis for holistic and integrated services and supports consisting of an indigenous-led care team whose primary focus is on harm reduction and recovery.

Wîcihîtowin is a home detox project. Wîcihîtowin is not a facility, our relatives detox in the comfort of their homes or wherever they may be staying. A nurse practitioner and paramedic provides the medical oversight to ensure that our relatives detox safely and comfortably.

Each relative that enters into our program is assigned to their very own “family” as sometimes when people are struggling with substance use they have trouble identifying positive supports. The “family” consists of an outreach worker as well as a peer support worker. Their role is to support our relatives with all areas of their care plan, which is created and driven by the relative. As we know triggers can happen anywhere and anytime.

Hence, the families are also available to provide emotional one on one support when access to their more formal support such as their mental health therapist or addictions counselor is not available. This access and availability can potentially reduce the risk of relapse.

The opposite of addiction is connection and our teams work hard at not only developing a connection with our relatives but connecting them to additional support services within the community.

The bigger the support network the better chance of success.

Wîcihîtowin offers low-barrier service and benefits of the program

• Reduction in Emergency Room visits
• Mitigates traumas and triggers by having the relative receive services in their own identified safe space or home
• LGBTQ2S+ Friendly – no male or female beds
• Reduction in wait times to receive detox treatment. Relatives are able to start right away
• Limits transportation barriers for accessing detox and support services
• Status Blind – ANYONE can access services

STC WÎCIHÎTOWIN TEAM

• Project Coordinator
• Cultural Support
• Medavie Health Services West Paramedics
• Nurse Practitioner
• Mental Health & Wellness Manager
• Case Manager
• Outreach Workers
• Peer Support Worker

Available Services

• Advocacy
• Continuous Care with Community
• Transportation as Needed
• At Home Detox
• Harm Reduction
• Cultural Support and Connection
• Crisis Intervention
• Follow Up Services
• Programming
• Referral Services
• Emotional Support

The Wîcihîtowin project was funded by Health Canada-Substance Use and Addictions Program