Support Homes
Therapeutic, Culturally Rooted Care Homes for Indigenous Youth
At Indigenous Youth Services, we provide short-term placements and, only in exceptional circumstances—after all family reunification attempts have been exhausted—long-term placements for Indigenous youth facing a wide range of social, behavioral, and mental health challenges. Our team of professionals is highly educated, trained, and experienced in delivering culturally sensitive care tailored to youth across the risk-level spectrum.
We recognize that the current systems in place are failing Indigenous youth at an alarming rate. That's why we actively combat these systemic issues and provide a safe, supportive, and culturally inclusive environment for Indigenous youth in need.
We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their background or circumstances. That's why we have created a system of care that is designed to address the unique needs of Indigenous youth and provide them with the support and resources they need to succeed.
Our dedicated team is passionate about fostering radical, transformative change that creates a lasting impact on the next generation. By nurturing community and cultural connections, we empower Indigenous youth to build resilience, overcome obstacles, and emerge as leaders in their communities.
Through our efforts to combat systemic issues and provide safe, supportive, and culturally inclusive support, we aim to create a world where all Indigenous youth have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
Fostering Foundational Change
Cultural Enrichment: Our programs prioritize the incorporation of Indigenous food, artwork, teachings, and practices to facilitate cultural engagement, acceptance, and connection to heritage. We collaborate with elders, community members, educators, and local Indigenous organizations to build networks of support for our youth and ensure the cultural authenticity and sensitivity of our programs.
One-on-One Support: Our residences are staffed with an equal ratio of staff-to-client, allowing for the highest degree of personalized intervention and support. Our paired-staff model fosters client-driven growth, crisis management tailored to individual needs, and around-the-clock support, resulting in enhanced success outcomes.
Limited Capacity: Our residences have a capacity limit of two clients per home to ensure a focused and individualized approach to care. This approach helps to mediate negative behavioral development and minimize the amplification of maladaptive behaviors through negative peer influences.
De-Institutionalized Environment: We strive to create a welcoming, supportive therapeutic environment that reflects real-world settings as closely as possible. Rather than modifying the environment to accommodate behaviors, we focus on identifying and targeting foundational causes of negative behaviors. We aim to change maladaptive behaviors into adaptive behaviors with the ultimate goal of empowering individuals to thrive in any environment. Our residences are designed to mimic traditional homes, and we use techniques that focus on achieving change through insight rather than consequence-driven compliance approaches. These fundamental behavioral insights create genuine, positive, and lifelong changes within the youth and families we serve.
Result-Focused: Our ultimate goal is to create significant, measurable, and lasting change in our clients' lives. We distinguish ourselves from the "housing station" models that numerous agencies in this field have fallen victim to becoming. We are committed to empowering and improving the lives of the youth we serve by providing malleable and dynamic support that allows for constant progress response measurements and result-driven modifications to ensure consistent individualized client improvements.
Catered Client Care: At IYS, we provide every client with catered and individualized support structuring that takes into account their unique social, medical, behavioral, and response patterns histories. We focus on therapeutic rapport building and highlight individual strengths/motivational factors to formulate support plans in which clients are personally invested in their participation and success.
Commitment to Reunification:
At IYS, we take the placement of children into residential care with the utmost seriousness, fully aware of the profound and lasting impact it has on their lives and futures. This responsibility drives our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every decision prioritizes the child’s well-being and long-term stability. A cornerstone of this commitment is our requirement for ongoing plans for reunification for all children within our care, reflecting our belief that returning children to their families or communities—whenever safe and feasible—is the most beneficial outcome for their growth, identity, and sense of belonging.
Reunification is not just a procedural goal; it is a fundamental priority rooted in the understanding that family and cultural connections are essential to a child’s emotional and psychological health. We view separation as a temporary measure, not a permanent solution, and we dedicate ourselves to bridging the gap between children and their loved ones. This approach fosters resilience, preserves cultural ties, and supports a child’s development in an environment where they feel they truly belong.
To make reunification a reality, we implement a structured and dynamic process tailored to each child’s unique circumstances. These ongoing plans include:
- Regular Assessments: We continuously evaluate the child’s situation and the family’s progress to ensure that reunification remains a viable and safe option.
- Family Therapy: We provide support to address underlying issues—whether emotional, social, or behavioral—that led to the initial placement.
- Collaborative Interventions: Our team partners with families, community elders, and other stakeholders to create a supportive network, tackling systemic or practical barriers to reunification.
These efforts are not static; they evolve with frequent reviews and adjustments to meet changing needs, ensuring that our plans remain effective and responsive over time.
Support Models
Results-Focused
We provide customized care plans that reflect each youth’s distinct social, medical, behavioral, and emotional histories. By accounting for their unique response patterns, we ensure that our interventions are both effective and meaningful. Our commitment to excellence drives us to integrate:
- Individualized support: Personalized structuring that meets each youth where they are.
- Cultural sensitivity: Interventions rooted in respect for Indigenous heritage.
- Evidence-based methods: Leading-edge strategies proven to deliver results.
Each youth receives a personalized care plan meticulously designed to address their specific needs. These plans target the underlying factors contributing to their challenges—social, behavioral, or emotional—while promoting:
- Healing: Addressing root causes to support recovery.
- Growth: Encouraging personal development and resilience.
- Lifelong well-being: Equipping youth with tools to thrive.
At the core of our work is therapeutic rapport building. We create a supportive environment where youth feel valued and understood, fostering trust that is essential for their engagement. By identifying and emphasizing individual strengths and motivational factors, we craft support plans that inspire youth to invest in their own success, addressing immediate challenges while promoting long-term growth.
To ensure our interventions are both innovative and culturally appropriate, we partner with a diverse team of experts, including:
- Mental health professionals
- Social workers
- Specialists in Indigenous culture and traditions
This multidisciplinary collaboration allows us to blend cutting-edge, result-focused strategies with a deep respect for cultural heritage, ensuring that every intervention aligns with the youth’s identity and community.
Each care plan is not static; it may evolve with frequent reviews and adjustments to meet changing needs, ensuring that our plans remain effective and responsive over time.
A.I.M Model
The AIM model is an evidence-based framework that provides a systematic approach to understanding and addressing the emotional and behavioral challenges faced by youth. It is grounded in the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma-informed care, and developmental psychology. The model consists of three components: Action, Intention, and Motivation.
Action focuses on the observable behavior of the youth in response to specific situations. Its goal is to identify the behavior that needs to be addressed and to develop strategies to stabilize the youth's behavior. For example, if a youth throws a glass against the wall nearly striking another youth, the action component would focus on the behavior of throwing the glass.
Intention delves into the intentions behind the youth's behavior. Its goal is to identify the underlying reasons why the youth engaged in the behavior. For instance, the youth may have thrown the glass with the intention of scaring, hurting, or asserting dominance over a particular individual or group.
Motivation component explores the underlying emotional and psychological factors driving the youth's behavior. Its goal is to identify the foundational factors that contribute to the youth's behavior. For example, the youth may feel powerless and unheard at home, leading them to seek control and power in other areas of their life.
Through the utilization of advanced therapeutic interventions our teams isolate the youths root action, intentions, and motivational factors leading to the behavioural formation. By uncovering and understanding these components, the AIM model provides a structured approach to addressing the complex emotional and behavioral challenges faced by youth. Through evidence-based practices, the model helps youth learn healthy coping mechanisms, regulate their emotions, and develop positive relationships with their peers and family members.
AIM model is an effective tool for professionals working with youth who may be struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges. By identifying the underlying causes of problematic behavior, the model can inform targeted interventions and help youth develop healthy coping mechanisms for navigating their emotions and interactions with others.
Generating Lasting Impacts
At Indigenous Youth Services (IYS), we are dedicated to the lifelong success of the youth in our care. Every interaction is designed to spark lasting, positive change. Our success is defined solely by the achievements of those we serve, and we are committed to transforming the youth through innovative, culturally sensitive approaches.
Our ultimate goal is to empower every youth to become a positive, happy, and independent contributor to society. We achieve this through:
- Personalized care tailored to each individual’s needs,
- Evidence-based interventions focused on measurable results,
- Cultural enrichment that honors and strengthens identity, and
- Active community engagement to build meaningful connections.
We cultivate a nurturing environment that fosters growth, resilience, and self-discovery—both within our residential support facilities and beyond. Recognizing the challenges on the path to independence, we equip our youth with the tools and resources to overcome obstacles and thrive.
We aim to unlock the full potential of every youth, empowering them to flourish now and in the future. By prioritizing their long-term success, we create ripples of positive change that extend far beyond our walls.