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We are hiring a Program Assistant for our Better at Home Program, which serves the older population in 3 regions (Nanaimo, Ladysmith, and Gabriola Island). In this role, you will provide administrative and client-service support under the guidance of the Manager of Older Adult Programs. This position starts at $22/hour, with 35 hours a week.

Please find the job description here: Program Assistant – Better at Home Job Description

If interested in applying, please send your resume and cover letter to hiring@nflabc.org by May 16, 2022.

Join us on Mondays, from May 16th to June 13th, from 9:00-4:00 PM for an in-person Indigenous-informed Sexual Assault Awareness Training.

Training will be held in our office at 1070 Townsite Road. Funded by First Nations Health Authority, there is no charge to attend this training. Applications can be found here: Indigenous Informed Sexual Assault Awareness Training Application

For more information, contact Esther Charlie, IISARP Program Coordinator, at e_charlie@nflabc.org or (250) 327-9452

Click the link below to see our Self-Care Plan:

NFLA Self-Care Plan

How to Create a Self-Care Plan

Looking for something to do following NFLA’s event on November 25?

Check out our event for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence on Thursday, November 25, 2021

Head on down to the Bastion on November 25 at 5:00 PM and watch it get lit up in orange lights, in recognition of the UN Women’s Campaign “Orange the World” to End Violence Against Women!

Are You Interested in Becoming a Volunteer Responder?

We are now accepting applications for our Spring 2022 Training.

If you are interested in volunteering as a responder for IISARP, please follow the link below and complete our preliminary survey: IISARP Survey Link 

Program Coordinator
Esther Charlie
e_charlie@nflabc.org
250-327-9452/ toll-free 1-800-760-2126

We recently received a donation through Helping Wheels, an initiative with Nanaimo News Now, Nissan of Nanaimo, and Nanaimo Mitsubishi.

See our video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzykfJlxryo 

Check out an article about our new Sexual Assault Response Program for Nanaimo here.

Check out an interview of Sarah Cameron, Gender Journeys Outreach, and Anne Taylor, Gender Journeys Program Manager, regarding the program and its offerings of support, education, and outreach:

Audio Interview– https://www.vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/897_sarah-cameron_anne-taylor_gender-journeys_mar-18_2021_40.mp3

Full article: https://www.vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/gender-journeys-program-to-include-support-education-and-outreach/

Indigenous-informed Sexual Assault Response Program (SARP) comes to Nanaimo.

A multi-partnered program providing Indigenous-informed Sexual Assault Response services that are culturally supportive, culturally relevant, and culturally safe.

Nanaimo, British Columbia:  Nanaimo Family Life Association today announced a new partnership with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and Island Health’s Central Island Forensic Nurse Examiner Program. This partnership will work in collaboration to develop an Indigenous-informed Sexual Assault Response Program (SARP) that is focused on providing crisis sexual assault services during the immediate aftermath of trauma that are culturally supportive, culturally relevant, and culturally safe. Funded by the FNHA, the primary goal of the program is to improve the (cultural) safety, access, and dignity of sexual assault services for Indigenous people who experience sexualized violence.  The program will serve all genders and all people who access the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

“Indigenous-informed services are about making spaces, programs and organizations safer and more relevant for Indigenous people by considering current and historical colonial impact and seeking to eliminate structural racism and discrimination.” says Deborah Hollins, executive director of Nanaimo Family Life Association.  “When we do this work, we create better and more effective services for all people.”

Kathleen Harris, the FNHA’s Regional Nurse Manager says “The FNHA Vancouver Island is excited to be working with our Island community partners to ensure timely access to sexualized violence services that are culturally safe, culturally-informed, dignified and respectful, and improve accessibility to traditional cultural supports and ceremony for survivors.”

Aimee Falkenberg, Clinical Coordinator for the Central Island Forensic Nurse Examiner Program, adds Forensic Nurse Examiners provide compassionate medical forensic care to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence for all ages and genders. This collaboration will enhance these patient examinations and make space for a holistic culturally safe healing journey for survivors that is consistent and individualized.”

The benefits of this new partnership include.

• Development of a response to sexualized violence that reflects the needs of survivors and engages community to become more than a bystander thus addressing rape culture. Service delivery enhances community capacity, builds on community collaboration, and increases consistent positive social response for survivors.
• The creation of a barrier-free service for sexual assault victims, guided by indigenous wisdom, principals, and consultation.

About the Partners: The partners have demonstrated ability to offer accessible, safe, and inclusive spaces, education, outreach, and counseling during many years of service.

Nanaimo Family Life Association is a multi-service organization that has been investing in our community for over 50 years, offering programs designed to address the unique needs of individuals, offered in an atmosphere of respect, inclusion, and compassion.

The FNHA Vancouver Island mandate is to be community-driven and Nation based and work in partnership with our Island Nations by way of the Regional Health and Wellness Plan to meet our shared vision of “healthy, self-determining, vibrant BC First Nations children, families, and communities.

All Island Health emergency departments can provide access to a forensic nurse examiner 24 hours per day, seven days per week addressing the medical forensic needs for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.

Our Essential Life Skills for Healthy Relationships Workshop series starts back up in April! Join us online to explore a multitude of topics that are fundamental for healthy relationships, from anger management to healthy self-esteem to understanding depression and anxiety. The workshop will run on Tuesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm via ZOOM.

The cost of each workshop is $10.00. You can partake in the whole series from start to finish, or pick and choose which topics are most applicable to you.

Check out the schedule below:

Essential Life Skills Online April 2021 Dates

If interested in registering, please email reception@nflabc.org or call (250) 754-3331!

CALL FOR SURVEY RESPONDENTS! 

Are you part of the LGBTQIA2S+, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, gender questioning, etc. community on Vancouver Island? Ever wanted community members and service providers to better see you and your lived human experience? Have you wished they knew better how to support, interact with, and affirm you?

Nanaimo Family Life Association (NFLA) is currently developing a Sexuality and Gender Diversity Training Program for our community members, professionals, and service providers. The key message we seek to convey is the diversity and humanity of the queer and trans community, while also highlighting the stigma and various issues we face. With this training program, we intend to provide participants with the unique opportunity to see, hear, and learn by meeting many folks within the community.

Here’s where you may come in! We have filled all of our spots for Zoom interviews, but we still want to hear from you! We have created a text survey of the interview that should take about 15-30 minutes to complete, depending on how in-depth you want to answer each question.

https://chat-forms.com/forms/1615852288453-mf3?form

If you have any questions, please contact Casey Brisson, Gender Journeys Facilitator at NFLA: 250-754-3331 (710) or gender_journeys@nflabc.org. Please also share with anyone who you feel may be interested in participating. Thank you!