Project will support families who have experienced, are experiencing or are at-risk of experiencing violence.
WHITEHORSE, YT, July 21, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Public Health Agency of Canada
Family violence and gender-based violence are serious public health issues that are strongly linked to mental health concerns, and which can have long-lasting consequences for survivors and for those around them. These issues touch families in all parts of Canada, and include many different forms of physical and emotional abuse, as well as neglect carried out by family members or intimate partners. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting all survivors of family and gender-based violence, and safeguarding the health and safety of those at risk of experiencing it.
Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced over $1 million in funding to support a Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) initiative aimed at preventing family and gender-based violence and supporting the mental and physical well-being of survivors.
The primary goal of the program is that Yukon First Nations men, or those who identify as Yukon First Nations men, who have used or are at risk of using violence in their family have the opportunity to engage in a voluntary violence prevention program in their home community. To achieve this, CYFN intends to deliver training to numerous facilitators via a train-the-trainer concept so that the program can be delivered directly in fourteen Yukon communities to reflect their unique needs, and to provide continuity and/or additional support to participants after they exit the program.
This funding comes at a critical time as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact children and families at risk of violence due to disrupted services and additional emotional stressors affecting caregivers like parental stress, depression, and problematic alcohol use. This innovative project will help build evidence on what health promotion interventions and supports work in Yukon communities.
Today's investment is an important step in the right direction. The federal government will continue doing whatever it takes to prevent family and gender-based violence, support survivors, and break the cycle of violence in families and communities from coast to coast to coast.
"Our government is committed to supporting survivors of family and gender-based violence as well as families experiencing or at risk of violence, so they can get the help they need to heal and build better lives for themselves. Recognizing that the pandemic continues to impact children and families at risk of violence, the funding announced today will work to bridge the gaps in services while making it easier for Yukoners to access the culturally relevant, and effective services they need. This investment is an important step forward, but we know we have more to do and we will continue to take action to help prevent family violence and support those who have been affected."
The Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
"Yukoners continue to feel the effects of the pandemic, especially at home and disproportionally for Indigenous peoples. We have seen a tragic increase in gender-based violence across the territory, and today's announcement reflects the need to fill the gaps that have been highlighted. Congratulations to CYFN, and I look forward to working with you to ensure that all Indigenous peoples in the Yukon receive the supports that they need. We know we have more to do, but we are committed to continuing preventative work and supporting family and gender-based violence survivors."
Brendan Hanley
Member of Parliament
"The Council of Yukon First Nations is pleased to be named as a recipient of this funding that will help to address an existing gap in programming for Yukon First Nations that is culturally-appropriate and aimed at addressing and preventing family violence and its health impacts. In addition to providing culturally-appropriate programming and support, the Yukon First Nation Violence Prevention program will increase community capacity in addressing and preventing family violence at the community level through planned training opportunities for community-based facilitators."
Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Peter Johnston
- One third of Canadian adults report having experienced maltreatment as a child.
- Family violence affects future relationships and future generations: children who have been abused, neglected or exposed to intimate partner violence are at risk of experiencing or perpetrating violence in adulthood.
- The Survey of COVID and Mental Health indicates risk factors for child maltreatment and family violence have increased. Risk factors include such as depression, parental stress and alcohol consumption. Additionally, 5 percent of Canadians reported concerns about violence in their homes during the third wave of the pandemic, between February and May 2021.
- This project will deliver and evaluate an existing community-based intimate partner violence intervention program that has been successfully delivered and evaluated in B.C. CYFN will work with a First Nations expert facilitator to review and adapt program content to fit a Yukon specific context and establish a Yukon First Nations Working Group to assist with oversight and guidance. The Firelight Group, an Indigenous-owned consulting group with offices in Alberta and BC is the key research partner that will assist with the evaluation component.
Stop Family Violence
Call for Proposals: Preventing and Addressing Family Violence - the Health Perspective
SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada
Maja Staka, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, 343-552-5568; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709
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