The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder /Child Nutrition (FASD/CN) Program strives to assist with FASD resources available to urban Indigenous people. It offers both traditional and contemporary approaches to FASD, on-site training and consultations. The program also proves intervention, prevention and programming including community development related to FASD.
The FASD/CN Program provides a unique wholistic to its self-direct users, as it provides wraparound supports to direct-service users and families. As FASD presents lifelong challenges, the program can provide tools to support the direct-services users’ independence in all aspect of life including (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) while also provide secondary support to caregiver to ensure that wholistic supports are received.
Program Goal
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder/Child Nutrition Program is specifically designed to provide culturally appropriate wholistic prevention and intervention support to urban Indigenous individuals and families impacted my Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Program Objectives
- Increase awareness of urban Indigenous FASD needs at the local, and provincial levels, through community partnerships;
- To deliver culturally-based FASD/CN development supports, interventions, diagnosis service navigation and resources;
- Increase awareness of the risks associated with alcohol/drug consumption during pregnancy and while breastfeeding; as well as FASD prevention, impacts and healthy sexuality in youth;
- Support direct-service users in their daily lives by improving access to education employment and justice supports services;
- To enhance and increase knowledge and cultural competency though training opportunities; and
- Increase awareness to people living with FASD regarding the importance of proper nutrition, the impact of malnutrition and food sensitives in ratio to FASD.
Program Outcome
- Increased Indigenous specific and culturally relevant FASD, Supports, resources, referrals;
- Increased community understanding and awareness of the importance of healthy nutrition regarding FASD;
- Parents will understand the risk associated with alcohol/drug consumption during pregnancy and while breastfeeding;
- Caregivers have increased knowledge of approaches to implement in order to breast support individuals with FASD;
- Increased community capacity in working with individuals with FASD in institutional environments (education, justice, social services etc.);
- Youth have an increased understanding of healthy relationships and healthy sexuality;
- Decreased number of child welfare involvement due to alcohol misuse; and
- Decrease number of people with FASD.
Targeted Population
The target audience of the program provides supports to all urban Indigenous community members of all ages impacted by FASD.
Services Offered
Direct Supports
- Support individuals and families by establishing specific needs, plan of care and strength based action plan;
- Provide wholistic supports and services through one-to-one individualized supports; counselling sessions/circles, and support groups, traditional ceremonies and services to encourage healthy nutrition;
- Provide a balance of one-to-one supports and participate-based programming to support to support individuals within the six program objectives;
- Provide culturally appropriate services for individuals and families impacted by FASD through storytelling, traditional teachings, ceremonies etc.;
- Provide advocacy supports for improved access to education, employment and justice services;
- Create referrals for direct-service users both external and internal as necessary;
- Provide assistance with navigation of diagnostic process and post-diagnoses supports (when required);
Promotion and Prevention
- Host educational sessions, workshops and community event that bring awareness to the risks associated with alcohol/drug consumption during pregnancy and while breastfeeding;
- Create promotional material and resources for youth and community and those impacted by FASD;
- Provided educational opportunities and resource for youth and community regarding healthy relationships and healthy sexuality;
- Organize public events to raise aw4renss of FASD and cultural sensitivity around FASD;
- Promote the FASD/CN Program, inform community members about available supports;
Outreach and Promotion
- Develop relationships with diagnostic centers to support individuals with diagnosis service navigation;
- Establish protocols with external agencies for direct-service user referrals, resources and supports;
- Develop resources with other service providers to assist in the awareness, preventions and support for individuals and families impacted by FASD;
- Advocate for families living with FASD thought committee involvement;
- Engage with committees, boards, etc. that work with FASD;
- Intergrade with Friendship Centre Programs, community based Indigenous organizations and mainstream services.
- Practice and role model cultural competency and cultural strategy using a trauma-informed approach within the broader community; and,
- Provide and support the development of protocols and agreement with internal and external stakeholders as needed.
Sample Activities/Supports
- Assist in the development of life skills; personal hygiene, nutrition, communication skills, setting boundaries, self-esteem, and organization skills;
- Coordinate referrals for , diagnosis, ,medical assistance, housing, employment and training, and parenting skills development;
- Provide case management follow up supports, assist direct-service user with follow through of health care provider’s recommendations;
- Support direct-service users and families with nutrition; how to read food labels; identify healthy food proportions, the importance of vitamins and minerals, and food insecurities;
- Provide opportunities for families to access traditional healing by facilitating access to cultural teachings, traditional healing, ceremonies, traditional food and medicines;
- Assistance with completing government and clinical forms for diagnostics and social support;
- Assist direct-service user in navigating the diagnosis process;
- Provide advocacy support for education, justice an employment services
- Create tools to assist direct-service user in daily activities; and,
- Facilitate support circle/peer supports.
