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MISSION STATEMENT

"The Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society is committed to building on the strengths of Aboriginal children, youth and their families to enable them to develop spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally so they can walk proudly in both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities."
 

The Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society operates on the following  information and belief system, which applies to all programs and services offered by the society:

• We believe that the responsibility for healthy upbringing of children is the responsibility of the whole community.  This will ensure that children and youth are given the guidance, support, and love that they need in order to develop into healthy  adults.

• We believe that all people are created equal and will be treated with respect, kindness, honesty and compassion.

• We believe that in order to best meet the needs of the people we work with requires us to work cooperatively with other agencies, systems and communities.

• We believe that the wholistic needs of people, the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental must be included in program development and service provision.

• We believe that all people have the capacity for change.

• We believe that all people need and want a family.

 

 

History of Bent Arrow

Traditional Healing Society

The Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society (B.A.T.H.S) is a non profit, charitable organization that was incorporated in November 1994.  The Society began operating a youth focused program called Bent Arrow in December 1993 that provided services to 16 to 24 years old who wanted to secure employment, return to school and were looking for a new direction in their lives.  In the spring of 1995 the Society was approached by Child Welfare to establish a group home for Aboriginal youth between the ages of 12 and 17.  Since the establishment of the first group home the Society has grown and developed a number of other programs.

These include:

Kokomish House

• Long term residential care program and receiving and assessment placements for youth between the ages 12 and 17 who are in the care of child welfare.

Rites of Passage School

• Full time educational program for Aboriginal youth between the ages 12 and 15 who are at risk of dropping out of school.  The program combines spirituality, culture, life skills and academics.

Inside Out

• A parenting program for single parent families.  Childcare centre is provided on site. 

Four Arrows Adult Employment Program

• Employment/pre-employment program for Aboriginal people over the age of 18.  Focuses on helping people develop the necessary personal and work related skills to be successful.

Coyote Kids

• A program for children between the ages of 7 and 12.  The program is offered once a week from September to June.  During the summer the children participate in the Children's Cultural Camps offered by the Society.  The children learn about culture, spirituality and traditions.  There is also a strong recreational component.

Healthy Families

• A project under Success By Six providing long-term intensive home visitation support for first time parents.

Arrow Child

• This program provides an intensive long-term family based treatment program for Aboriginal youth between the ages of 12 and 17 years that have status  with Child Welfare and require an alternative family environment.

Circle of Hope

• This program provides ongoing to survivors of residential schools, their families and their community through one on one support, group interactions, teachings and traditional ways, connecting with Elders and other spiritual supports as well as the opportunity to share experiences and stories.

Wind Dancers Youth Pre-employment Program

• Wind Dancers is an Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centre Initiative.  The program is a wholistic and flexible program designed to meet the specific needs of youth between the ages of 15 - 29.

All programs the Society operates have been created and developed specifically for Aboriginal people.  This reflects the Society's concern regarding other programs that simply hire an Aboriginal person and their program Aboriginal.  That approach does not work.  Our programs include the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental aspects of a person's life, their family and their community.  We have found that our programs and services provide Aboriginal people with "real" opportunity to learn and grow and make positive choices for themselves and their families.

While providing an Aboriginal program we also meet the requirements of financial accountability, standards established by governments and others, and work effectively with our organizations and systems.

The growth and development of our organization reflects the needs of the people we serve.  People who are involved with Bent Arrow become part of the Bent Arrow family and community.  It is our intention to provide people with a safe supportive community from where they can make changes and new life choices and be successful in mainstream society.  It has never been our intention to isolate people from the rest of the world but to provide a safe supportive environment where they can learn, grow and develop the personal and other skills necessary to be successful in both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community.

The Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society will also work co-operatively and effectively with other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies in the community to provide appropriate supports and connections to appropriate resources.  Connections with the Aboriginal community in Edmonton and on the reserves and settlements will be necessary in connecting young people with their relatives and help in the development of strong Aboriginal Youth.

 

For more information or interested in attending any of the programs please call:

Address: 2nd Floor  10117 - 150 Street
              Edmonton, Alberta    T5P 1P2

Phone: (780) 481-3451

Fax: (780) 481-3509

E-Mail: baths@bentarrow.ca