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'Aghelh Nebun CRF 'Aghelh Nebun CRF is a community residential facility located 85 km east of Prince George, specifically located at KM 43.5 on the Bowron Forest Service Road. ‘Aghelh Nebun CRF offers potential residents, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, a remote holistic, land-based healing environment structured around Indigenous philosophies of health and well-being. While at the camp, residents have the opportunity to develop spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally through CSC’s programs as well as ANC programs addressing substance misuse issues, employment training deficits, education, community functioning, life skills, and personal and emotional issues. The facility provides basic amenities and all meals to the residents of the camp. Accommodations are in separate buildings and residents have their own rooms. The facility is staffed 24 hours a day; the premises are always supervised by at least one staff member and off duty staff reside at the camp as well. There are always two staff on site. Additional staff include a Camp Manager, local Indigenous Aboriginal Elders, an in-house mental health counselor, and support staff from our Activators CRF including an Outreach worker. CSC staff visiting the site on a weekly basis include a community Parole Officer, Program Officer and Aboriginal Liaison Officer. This level of monitoring and support provides the structure necessary to supervise the offender while at camp. All residents are required to abide by and follow all conditions and rules set out by the conditions of their release, the CRF, and their Parole Officer. All residents are expected to follow the plan set out in their Community Strategy and the PBC Decision as well as the Resident Healing Plan established at ‘Aghelh Nebun CRF. |
'AGHELH NEBUN RESIDENT HEALING PLAN
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Employment Training
Residents are able to gain up to 28 certified tickets at no cost to them. The training tickets offered vary depending on accessibility or contractual support and are focused on the construction industry, forestry industry, and the oil and gas industry. These certifications are offered by local certified agencies who provide all courses on site. Residents are expected to participate in all courses during the program. Integral to the training is being on time for all courses and demonstrating respectful behaviour in class. These expectations are designed with intent to mimic real-life situations and real-life work expectations for residents. On average, the employment training takes approximately three to four months a cycle which is run three times a year. Please see the Employment Training page to view a list of the current tickets offered.
Employment
Actual employment skills are developed by providing at minimum, one day a week of paid work during the program for all residents. Residents may earn up to $55 for that day. Occasionally, there are opportunities for additional work days but these are seasonal and are not guaranteed. There are six employment positions at the camp that offer an extra day of work in addition to the regular work day. These jobs are on a first come first serve basis as well as on a merit basis. Residents can sign up on a waitlist for these positions. These positions are not separate from the regular courses and programs but are additional opportunities. These positions include cooking (two positions), janitorial work, bathroom cleaning, firewood supply, and yard maintenance. The concept of having paid work available is to put the skills learned in training into place in a real environment. Actual work and work ethic is viewed as a life skill and is encouraged and developed while at 'Aghelh Nebun. Residents should come to camp with adequate clothing for the season and adequate work gear if available, including steel toed work boots and work gloves.
Work to Give Program
In addition to paid employment, all residents are expected to participate in the CSC founded “Work to Give” program at a minimum of 4 hours a week. This volunteer program is designed to build volunteer hours to be included on a resume and “give back” to the community. The “Work to Give” program operates such activities as building drum frames for local community agencies to use, providing firewood for those in need in the local community and many more community building type activities. These volunteer hours are recorded on the resident’s payroll time sheet in addition to regular work hours.
Correctional Service of Canada Programming
CSC offers programming at ‘Aghelh Nebun on a weekly basis. A Program Officer from Prince George Parole travels to the camp on Wednesday each week to deliver CSC mandated programming.
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Healing Plan Description
‘Aghelh Nebun CRF offers an Indigenous wellness and employment training program. The program is continuous intake which allows residents to arrive at any point or date. The Resident Healing Plan at ‘Aghelh Nebun takes five months to complete. Please note there is some flexibility in this as the majority of Work Releases are 120 days in length. The Resident Healing Plan is based on Medicine Wheel teachings and addresses the four components of the Medicine Wheel, the Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Components of each individual resident and how these relate to their healing and reintegration.
The ‘Aghelh Nebun Resident Healing Plan is designed to be completed within five months. The employment training, paid employment, cultural work, CSC programs, and TARP program are all designed to be completed in approximately four months. For residents on community release, the fifth month is a transition period to move on to the community, either in the general community or at Activator’s CRF. This period of transition needs to be supported by the Parole Officer and is based on resident progress and completion of the Resident Healing Plan. This month allows for a gradual transition for the offender to move to an urban setting while still maintaining the supports established at ‘Aghelh Nebun. For those residents who are transferring to another community or returning to an institution on a Work Release, there is the same expectation of a completed Healing Plan. If there is ongoing employment available at 'Aghelh Nebun and the resident wishes to stay longer, or the supervising parole officer feels an extended stay is required to manage risk, a resident may be to remain at 'Aghelh Nebun past five months for an extended residency. Site Specific Protocols
All residents must abide by a common boundary while at 'Aghelh Nebun. This boundary is designated as the cleared area on which the buildings sit in addition to the sweat lodge and cultural grounds. This area is identified by a posted map in the main building of ‘Aghelh Nebun for all residents to access. The boundaries are marked by flagging paint to distinguish any unclear paths or areas to indicate out of bounds. An aerial map of these established boundaries of the CRF is supplied to residents at intake, including an explanation of the boundary flags. Residents who are on a Work Release or Unescorted Temporary Absence will not have access to the wilderness surrounding the CRF and must abide by the established boundaries at all times, unless they are accompanied by a staff member. With this escort, the offender is limited to travel up to a 15 km radius from the CRF.
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Community Functioning
Each resident works with their assigned CRF case worker at ‘Aghelh Nebun, and with the assistance of the ACLO, to obtain documentation and identification necessary to function in the community. This includes basic identification, health card, birth certificate, bank account, status card (if relevant), drivers licence, and educational certificates. These are classified in to a “need” to do, such as a health card, and a “nice” to do, such as a drivers licence. Each resident is required to have all “need” identification prior to the end of their five month stay at ‘Aghelh Nebun. As residents earn money while at the facility, each resident is expected to save $1000 upon completion of their five month stay and to have it saved in their bank account.
Cultural Activities
‘Aghelh Nebun is privileged to have the support and guidance of three local community Elders who each attend camp on a weekly basis, on separate days. There are two Talking Circles per week which all residents are expected to attend. Talking Circle take place on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 0900 and are facilitated by an Elder. On-duty staff and in-camp residents all attend the talking circles which take place in our on-site Round House. A sweat lodge ceremony is facilitated by a local Elder twice per month and all residents are expected to participate in the sweat lodge day in some capacity, either by direct attendance or assisting the Elder, working the lodge door, preparing the feast, etc. In addition to the formal talking circles and sweat lodge, Elders are also in the camp three times a week, offering one to one resident/Elder counseling when and where needed. Each resident completes a regular CRF intake upon arrival and then meets, within a week of their arrival, in the Round House individually with an Elder and the Camp Manager to commit to their stay at ‘Aghelh Nebun and to their Resident Healing Plan.
Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery Program
In addition to our regular Indigenous cultural activities and work with Elders, ‘Aghelh Nebun has an in-house mental health professional, Rob Ziegler, who attends camp twice a week. TARP is run every Monday morning after Talking Circle and is an educational session for all residents on issues such as trauma resolution, communication, substance misuse, emotional regulation, and relationships. This program is not group therapy but is designed for residents to educate themselves on the above issues and enable them to follow up with one-on-one sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Rob Ziegler is a certified mental health professional and substance abuse counselor. One-on-one substance abuse programming sessions targeting individual needs is also available. This one-on-one program is 12 sessions long and the individual resident would be required to attend two times a week, completing the TARP substance abuse component in six weeks time.
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