About

- Our History -

The idea for Kahkike Homes emerged from many discussions between Shelley and Lisa as well as other colleagues throughout their years of practice as social workers. Both Shelley and Lisa noted a gap in service for youth, and particularly high-risk youth, that focused on healing trauma using evidence-based methodologies, incorporation of cultural engagement, and utilizing a holistic approach to healing. Within Alberta, there are few residential programs that focus on supporting higher risk youth. There are many agencies within Alberta that work to support high risk youth in the community and only a few that these youth call home.

In many instances, these agencies do not have the capacity to provide the intensive supports needed by these youth in the place they live which perpetuates the cycle of these youth being without housing.

At Kahkike Homes, we believe that youth can heal from trauma and move forward with their lives in a healthy manner. From our perspective, healing for youth can start once relationship is built. When they have a place to call home anything is possible.

Our Mission

To successfully support youth in the care of Children’s Services, Delegated First Nations Authorities, or Indigenous Governing Body with identifying and working through their trauma.

This will include connection their family or kin through connection to their cultural and the use of western therapeutic approaches as well as intentional interventions based in a trauma informed approach, relationship based practice, understanding of brain development and attachment theory.

Our Vision

For youth to have a safe home. Kahkike Homes believes that healing happens when relationship and safety are created.

By utilizing intentional interventions, rooted in a holistic view of healing, youth will stabilize, be supported to address their trauma, and feel that they have a home.

Guiding Principles

Trauma Informed Approach (including brain development)

We acknowledge that parents love their children and do their best to provide for their children’s needs. When trauma occurs, the trauma hinders all aspects of a youth’s development. Youth need to understand the impacts of trauma, how this trauma affects their brain and development, and heal from their experiences so they and achieve safety and security.

Harm Reduction

Kahkike Homes believes in the humanistic approach to harm reduction and works to incorporate this approach into daily interventions, education and safety planning with the youth we serve. Staff will focus on reducing risk for the youth and the community by providing tools and resources to assist in reducing risk.

Community Collaboration

We believe that working collaboratively with Indigenous communities, government, and large systems can create positive change. Collaboration provides opportunities for greater understanding, development of a shared vision, and creation of a path forward that is best for everyone.

Respect for Cultural Diversity

We acknowledge that all Indigenous communities are unique and must be celebrated and respected. Youth will be supported to engage in traditions and practices from their community.

Use of Evidence-Based Western Healing Practices

We believe that western healing practices focused on healing trauma are essential in helping people develop a sense of safety, security, and trust in themselves and others.

Strength-Based Approach and Language

We recognize that all people have strengths. Focusing on strengths create increased capacity and a greater ability to weather difficulties in the future. Changing the language we use to interact with youth helps to challenge their existing paradigm creating openings for respectful, trusting and workable relationships.

Relationship Based Interventions

We believe that creating positive and healthy relationships with youth is the catalyst to change. Youth want healthy relationships with adults and by using intentional interactions and consistent and supportive messaging relationships will be formed and change will begin.

Attachment Building Interventions

At Kahkike Homes, we recognize that there are many different types of attachment and that the type that the youth has experienced will determine the interventions utilized by the program to facilitate changing their world view and creating connection.

Program Philosophy

The program at Kahkike Homes utilizes trauma informed practice and understanding how trauma impacts brain development and attachment. Understanding that the youth we will be serving have been severely impacted by trauma which has affected their brain development. It is because of their trauma that they react in ways that see their behaviours labelled as “bad”, “criminal”, manipulative”, “aggressive”. etc…understanding this and utilizing purposeful interventions is what the program strives for.

Relationship based practice is a key component in the program. If we start to ask our youth “what has happened to you?”, instead of “what is wrong with you?”, we begin to change their narrative. When we change our language to strength based and see youth as resilient we can start to build/bridge relationships.

By utilizing interventions rooted in a trauma informed approach Kahkike Homes strives to create relationship with youth, which will lead to safety, and then ultimately to positive change. The program will also focus on the use of harm reduction (when appropriate). Ongoing assessment, education, and safety planning will occur with all youth in the program and their supports.

Understanding the importance of a strength based and relational approach will allow the program to help the youth form healthy attachments and challenge their world view. The holistic approach to healing that the program utilizes will be the foundation for healing.

Within Alberta, there are few residential programs that focus on supporting at risk and high risk youth. There are many agencies within Alberta that work to support at risk youth and high risk youth in the community and only a few that these youth call home. In many instances, these agencies do not have the capacity to provide the intensive supports needed by these youths in the place they live which perpetuates the cycle of these youth being homeless.