1. Dilico Anishinabek Family Care provides a range of responsive individual, family, and community programs and services for the complete life journey of all Anishinabek people

2. Evolution of Mikinaak Service Model
Indian Act
Residential/Boarding School Legacy
60’s Scoop
70’s & 80’s
1984 – Changes to the CFSA

3. Legislative Mandate
In 1984 the CFSA was amended to recognize Native rights to culturally appropriate child welfare services under Part X. Part X allowed for the creation of Native Children’s Aid Societies and allowed for exemptions to be made to legislative requirements to reflect services that are culturally appropriate.The First Nation has the inherent authority to make decision on child welfare matters with regards to individuals that are community band members. This inherent authority is recognized under Part X of the CFSA.

4. Evolution of Mikinaak Service Model Continued…
Dilico Ojibway Child & Family Services – July 23, 1986
Kitchi-Gaa-Ming Anishinabek Ogemaag – September 21, 1994
Dilico’s Child Welfare Mandate – April 1, 1995
Pre-Standards
ORAM, 2000
Differential Response, 2007
Mikinaak Service Model, 2012
Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2018

5. Mikinaak Service Model
A framework for the delivery of Child Welfare services in the agency
Prevention Model of Care: strength based approach, will implement supports with family, help for parents
Recognition of the intergenerational trauma of the residential school legacy and the sixty’s scoop
An agreement between:
Caregivers
Family children safely cared for
First Nation
Mikinaak Case Conferencing

6. Mikinaak Case Conferencing
Dilico has a responsibility to work collaboratively with the family, extended family, First Nation and community resources. Dilico staff are accountable to the First Nations under our First Nations mandate and legally responsible under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. Dilico is a multi-service agency with many services and programs that provides an integrated approach. There will often be several workers and Managers involved from different programs in the case management approach of each family and/or child(ren).

7. Mikinaak Case Conferencing
Dilico requires Mikinaak Case Conferences to be held at both the community level and within the agency. The agency’s First Nation mandate and Mikinaak Service Model require families, extended family members, First Nations, children in care, and community resources to be involved in decision making. At the same time, internal agency Mikinaak Case Conferences are required at a number of key decision making points in order to co-ordinate services and have a clear agency decision on important issues.

8. Mikinaak Service Model
Dilico’s Mikinaak Service Model is culturally based where the First Nation community, family and extended family are involved in ensuring a child’s safety and well-being
At the core of the Mikinaak Service Model, it is the belief that it takes a “community” to raise a child. It is the role of the worker to ensure that the “community” guides the decision making for families and children of the First Nation

9. Customary Care Customary Care is defined by each First Nation
First Nation implements Customary Care according to their own customs and practices
Customary Care encompasses prevention, protection, healing and reunification
Respect for the inherent authority of the First Nation and their involvement/partnership in the planning and decision making for the child

10. Customary Care Con’t…
First Nation Declaration and a Customary Care Agreement when a child needs safety intervention
A commitment to ensuring that children remain connected to their families, communities, land, culture and language given an underlying belief that children permanently belong to their extended family, clan or community

11. Customary Care Parents Language Extended family Customs Leadership
Land base Teachings
Natural Helpers
Spiritual teachings
Elders
Family Relationship
Culture
Social Political systems
Traditional teachings

12. Mikinaak Service Model Service Delivery
First Nation Protocol’s
Dilico has engaged with First Nation’s for the development of a collaborative working relationship to outline an established protocol with the First Nation.
Inter-agency Protocol’s
Dilico has developed Inter-agency Protocol’s to work collaboratively with other First Nation Child Welfare agencies in recognition of providing customary care to provide culturally appropriate services that recognizes the traditions and customs of the families and children served.

13. Parallel Systems CYFSA Mainstream Child Protection System Mandate
Dilico’s Mikinaak Customary Care Model
Mainstream Child Protection System
Mandate
1. Kitchi-Gaa-Ming Anishinabek Ogemaag
2. First Nations Mandate
3. Child and Family Services Act (Part X)
Child, Youth and Family Services Act
Intake and Investigation
1. Mikinaak Service Model
2. Risk Assessment Model
3. Child Protection Standards
1. Risk Assessment Model
2. Child Protection Standards
Supervision
Voluntary Service Plan
Supervision Order
Emergency Care
Customary Care Declaration
1. Brought to a place of safety
2. Interim Care & Custody Order
Temporary Care
Mikinaak Short-Term Customary Care Agreement
1. Temporary Care Agreement
2. Interim Society Care
Permanent Care
Mikinaak Long-Term Customary Care Agreement
Extended Society Care
After Care Support
Continued Care Youth Support Program
Emergency Alternative Care Resource
Mikinaak Customary Care Home Declaration
Emergency Foster Home Provisional
Alternative Care Resources
1. Mikinaak Customary Care Home
2. Foster Home
Foster Home
Group Care Resources
1. Agency Staffed Home
2. Group Home
3. Outside Purchased Resource
CYFSA

14. Mikinaak Service Model Service Delivery
Intake Investigations:
Child Welfare investigations include consultation with the First Nation on reports received and investigated
Intake investigation workers will contact the designated Band Representative
First Nation protocol’s outline the working
relationship with the First Nation on
investigations

15. Mikinaak Service Model Service Delivery
Family Services:
Family Service Case Managers work collaboratively with the designated Band Representative with the ongoing case management within Family Services that include:
Ongoing Mikinaak Case Conferencing that include the extended family, designated First Nation Band Representative, Health, Mental Health, and others that are part of the family and child(ren)
Service Planning
Integrated approach to least intrusive approaches
The First Nation is consulted and part of the ongoing case management on any new child welfare reports

16. Mikinaak Service Model Service Delivery
Children Services:
Children Services Worker will work collaboratively with the designated Band Representative with the ongoing case management within Children Services that include;
Case Managers and/or Managers and the designated Band Representative will work collaboratively should a child be required to be brought into the care of Dilico
Mikinaak Service Model teaches us of the Medicine Wheel teachings to have balance in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being. For a person to be healthy, each quadrant must be balanced and nourished

17. Mikinaak Service Model Service Delivery
Alternative Care Services:
Mikinaak Customary Care Homes are declared by the First Nation to provide a safe and nurturing home that is culturally appropriate to meet the child’s safety and well-being. The Mikinaak Customary Care Home ensures that First Nations maintain full involvement in protecting and caring for their children.
The Mikinaak Customary Care Home promotes and reinforces community-based decision making which involves the child, his or her family, extended family members and community members
Kitchi-Gaa-Ming Anishinabek Ogemaag
Mission Road Group Home

18. Quality Assurance Program
Ministerial Reports & Reviews
Policies & Procedures
Quality Assurance of programs, integration, communication, tools, assessments, etc.
Training & Mentoring Program
In-Services, Community Training and Engagement, Student Program etc.

19. Integrated Services Team
Agency initiated process
Targets risk related to family breakdown
No barrier access
Leveraged internal resources
546 individuals served since 2015

20. Natural Family Helper
Supports caregivers from a traditional perspective
Prevention Focus
Funded pilot project
Learning lead to agency changes in delivery of Family Services program

21. Medication Review Committee
Initiated in 2014 as a response to alarming number of children in care being prescribed multiple psychotropic and “natural” health medications
Multidisciplinary
Continuous service for all children in care prescribed medication

22. Abiinojiishiik-amino-yawook Early ON Child & Family Centre
1st Anishinabe-led EarlyON Centre in Thunder Bay
Onsite – Dilico developed Traditional Parenting Program
June 1, Sept,
320 visits by caregivers
432 visits by birth to 6yrs

23. Clinical Triage Multi-disciplinary Cultural Knowledge & Norms
Prevention Focused:
Parenting capacity
Medication review and requests
Interventions

24. Research Advisory From CANS Child Mental Well-being Measure
Culturally relevant Strengths -based Assessment
Wellness Through Water
Housing Outreach Program – Collaborative
Kookum’s Garden Project
Culturally relevant Stop Now and Plan
Adverse Childhood Experiences

25. Questions?
Miigwetch