Programs and Services

 

Aakwiinowin Family Service Inc, is providing the following programs and services:

 

Customary Care:

This service is to support Children, Parents, Families and Clans with out-of-home child placements. Customary care is used to provide private and public (agency) care for children. Customary care can be voluntary and involuntary depending on the urgency of any situation. Customary care is applied when placement of Children is required. The Parents, Family and Clan are involved in every stage and in the decision-making. The Maadobiwin issues Declarations and Council Clan directs Orders and Aakwiinowin will deliver these services. Customary care is consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin;

 

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Custom Adoption:

this service establishes a permanent parent-child relationship as consented to by the Parents, Families, and Clans. Traditional ceremony sanctions Custom adoption.  The grandmothers of both families oversee and approve the Custom Adoption and Aakwiinowin facilitates the traditional customary process and ceremonial processions. The adoption is not a Closed Order, but an Open Order sanctioned in the Round House by the Clan Council.  Customary adoption is consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin;

 

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Ginew On-Call and Emergency Services:

This services provides on-call response services for Children, Youth, Parents, Families and Clan on a 24/7/365 basis. They are a team of workers that are trained to respond to all child and family members regarding community members after the Aakwiinowin Offices are closed.  They respond to situations from 4:30 PM to 8:30 AM during regular works days and respond 24/7 during the Weekends and Holidays.  These individuals will work in teams with one male and one female which is consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle Abinooji Atisiwin;

 

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Cultural Program and Services:

This service is to support Children, Parents, Families and Clans with customary and traditional support and healing. Aakwiinowin will have a roster of Traditional Practitioners with a variety of customary practicum. These individuals will be accessible to provide culturally competent healing and support services.  Children, Parents, Families and Clans will be provided with a range of customary healing including access to ceremonial activities. There is an overwhelming preference from our people to have access to traditional healing services over any other type of intervention. Aakwiinowin will manage cultural programs and service which are consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin;

 

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Preventive Program and Services:

This service is to support the Children, Parents, Family and Clan with services that are informative, educational, recreational and least intrusive.  Prevention and early intervention activities are critical to supporting the holistic and beneficial outcomes.  Aakwiinowin will provide community based activities and support which will promote healthy Children, Parents, Families, Clans and Community. They will work with our people who are at risk of becoming involved with direct service providers and those who are not at risk.  These services are aimed at preventing the start of or the escalation of social situations. Such interventions with individuals, couples, groups and community are consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin;

 

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Family Preservation Program and Services:

This service is to support the Children, Parents, Family and Clan maintain family unity.  Family preservation is a term that refers to the ways in which families remain together and thrive. The family is the basic unit of our community and the foundation upon which our lives are built. Family preservation is the process of strengthening families so they can stay together and thrive. It is a proactive approach that helps families identify and address issues that put them at risk of separating. Family preservation services are delivered by Aakwiinowin through a variety of programs and services. These include family support services, family counseling, healing, ceremonies and respite care which are consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin; 

 

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Repatriation Program and Service:

This service is to support Former wards, Adoptees, Former adoptees and Children-in-care of other Child and Family Service Agencies. Services will include educational support, advocacy and referral services, in order to strengthen the Child, Parents, Family, and Clan to work towards reunification. Aakwiinowin will engage in finding, locating and determining the potential for family reunification. They will prepare the Child, Parents, Families and Clans for introduction, for their first visit and encounter. Depending on the reception and agreement further long-term visits will be arranged, progressing to reintegration, reunification and finally reconstitution which consistent with the  GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin;

 

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Post-Majority Care and Services:

This service is to support Youth, Aged-out youth, Former wards, and Former adoptees up to the age of 25.  The goals of these services can successfully be achieved by building trusting relationships with Youth, particularly reaching out to those who are not receiving services and are disconnected from family and community. Youth have returned to the community but are experiencing social and cultural numbness. Others are having difficulty adjusting and are couch surfing, homeless, jobless and actively using intoxicating substances.  The purpose of this service is to introduce the Youth to resources and services that can lead to constructive life outcomes. Aakwiinowin will manage their education enrollment, increase work experience, help obtain permanent employment, and assist with credential attainment which are consistent with the GAN Anishinaabe legal principle of Abinooji Atisiwin;