UPWORDS
YOUR SUPPORT | THEIR STORIES | OUR THANKS
A Sense of Self
Imagine not being allowed to be who you truly are
The implications can be stunning.
The teens and young adults that access the Street Services
programs at Wood’s Homes come from every type of
family and experience.
Many have endured trauma, abuse and neglect. And many
come from places you might least expect – seemingly stable
families that are often seen as pillars of their communities.
A disturbing number of the homeless or at-risk young
people that come to us – 60% or more – are part of the
LGBTQ+ community. These young people, navigating
their way through the ‘typical’ challenges of their teenage
years, have the added complexity of big questions around
their sexuality and gender.
Sex and sexuality are often sensitive topics for any family,
and become even more difficult
when the questioning of gender
identity is added to the mix. This
can result in misunderstanding
and confusion for both the child
and their parents.
A clinician with Wood’s Homes
Street Services, Gio Dolcecore,
explains it this way: “Today, we
know that there are more than
two genders, and sexuality is
about what we find physically
attractive and who we are
emotionally connected
to.” Serious conflicts
can arise when this
understanding
collides
with
the
social and cultural
understanding
and
beliefs of a family and
community.
woodshomes.ca | Spring 2017
This was exactly the situation that a transgender youth
named Chase found himself in.
Growing up in rural Alberta, in a very tight-knit
community grounded in tradition, Chase never felt like
he fit the roles laid out for girls and boys. Simple things
like the choice of clothing were cause for serious friction.
Constantly met with reprimands and discipline at every
turn, Chase was told and believed from a very young age
that there was something wrong with him and that he was
possessed by something ‘evil’.
As Chase grew up and continued to question the world
around him, he would wander the dirt road beyond the
wheat fields, imagining the end of the earth was at the end
of the road. Each day he’d walk a little farther along the
road and eventually came to the realization that the world
was bigger than the limited one he knew.
Throughout his childhood, he was subjected to many
forms of abuse and trauma – emotional and physical. He
was subjected to lectures on the evils of any expression of
gender or sexuality outside the accepted norms, sent to a
camp designed to ‘fix’ him, and once was locked alone in a
windowless attic for weeks. Chase’s teenage years were no
less difficult as he continued to be bullied by his peers and
viewed as disgraceful by his community.
See “A Sense of Self”, Page 2
A Sense of Self
Continued from Page 1
Finally gathering the courage to run away, he headed
toward the nearest big city, but was soon overwhelmed
and found himself facing jail time – he was sent for mental
health treatment after insisting to officials that he was
possessed by the devil.
After his release, he kept heading south and eventually
ended up at Camp fYrefly, a retreat for the LGBTQ+
community. For the first time, Chase was able to ask
questions and get respectful, thoughtful answers that took
into account his upbringing and beliefs. The counsellors
there referred him to EXIT Street Services and a housing
organization that EXIT works closely with - the SORCe.
As Chase experienced understanding and compassion and
discovered the resources available to him, he also started
to believe in his own self worth. However, now in his early
20s, his challenges were again multiplied, as he would
soon ‘age out’ of all the services geared for youth.
Chase worked with the Wood’s Homes Youth Culinary
Arts (YCAP) and Linking Employment, Abilities and
Development (LEAD) programs and gained skills, training
and practical advice for finding a job. The staff at the
SORCe helped find some funding to help with rent. Finally,
it seemed he was on his way to independence.
Chase has experienced a few setbacks along the way –
but considering that he started from a place where he
constantly suffered physical, emotional and spiritual
abuse, didn’t know the greater world existed, and hadn’t
ever heard about the concept of transgender, simply being
listened to and learning the language to express himself
has made a huge difference.
The staff in the Street Services programs at Wood’s
see young people who have had a dizzying array of
experiences. Domestic violence, family conflict, addiction,
post-traumatic stress, trauma. There are also many
barriers that need to be removed – preconceptions, stigma,
prejudices, ignorance, and misunderstanding.
When there is a willingness to grow and learn – and with
a measure of compassion along the way – these teens and
young adults can work towards a brighter future.
Reputation and Reach
From Foundation Board Chair, Robert Hayes
This issue of UPWords has a particular focus on Street
Services and the true continuum of service offered by
Wood’s Homes.
Reading about all of this reminded me of two things: the
breadth of “reach” that Wood’s Homes has through its
many programs, and the great reputation the organization
has. When I think of Wood’s in the context of the business
world, I would use the analogy of Apple as a comparison.
Apple is by definition a tech company, and Wood’s at its
core a social services organization.
2
Within the tech world Apple has carved
out expertise and best in class status
within multiple product lines, by
delivering superior customer service
and being innovative.
Similarly, Wood’s within
its macro social services
role has carved out
expertise in multiple
areas, is innovative in
pushing the envelope by developing new programs such
as the Whole Family Treatment Program, and is viewed
as a best-in-class organization under many measures the manner it operates, the people who work there, the
research they do and most importantly by those they help.
As Board Chair I see this first hand and I could be accused
of being biased, however, when third party entities such as
Accreditation Canada bestow their highest possible rating
on Wood’s, well, it really exemplifies what an incredible
place it is and the value of the work they do.
Thank you for helping us to get this message out in the
community more often!
20 thAnniversary
JOIN US ON
SEPTEMBER
30th
Tickets available online at: woodshomes.ca/gala2017
Building Relationships
With Gio Dolcecore, Street Services Clinician
Mental health supports including counselling, specialized therapy and skills training are just the
beginning in the Wood’s Homes Street Services programs.
Q:
A:
Who do you work with as a
Street Services clinician?
I work directly with clients
and staff, but I also spend lots
of time building relationships with
other service providers, making sure
that the resources our clients need
are available when they need them.
In order to serve the teens and young
adults we see through the Street
Services programs, we really need
to build and foster community – with
them, between our own programs,
and with others in the city. Trust is
vital, and that takes intention.
Q:
Have you seen a difference in
the delivery of programs for
those who are homeless and at-risk
since you started this work 7 years
ago?
A:
Absolutely. There is more of a
focus now on being proactive
and preventative, rather than simply
reacting to immediate and basic
needs. We work with clients to help
them have supports in place so they
don’t need to access services like the
shelter so often, to explore and work
on family and kinship relationships,
and we use harm reduction
techniques with addictions - finding
out WHY the addiction is there, and
addressing those issues, rather than
simply reacting and only looking at
the addiction itself.
Q:
Can you tell us about some
of the mental health support
available for these young people?
A:
They definitely have some
options! As a clinician, I
am at EXIT Community Outreach
downtown each week, and meet with
clients on a walk-in basis, free of
charge. We also hold a monthly group
session for clients in the New Horizon
housing program to supplement
the daily support they receive and
help their transition to successful
independent living. There are others
available, too, like art therapy and
dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).
Q:
A:
are always looking for opportunities
to improve and grow. And being part
of a collaborative group of agencies
in the city who are working together
to find solutions while offering each
other resources and support.
What are some of the
challenges in your work?
Stigma is a huge issue. There
are so many preconceptions
and assumptions made that add to the
difficulties these young people face.
Anyone can be in a situation where
they are homeless; sometimes we all
forget that.
And then there are all the other
factors that might be in play –
gender, race, mental health, poverty,
sexuality, abuse – you can’t begin to
imagine the barriers that some of
these youth have to overcome.
Q:
A:
What is the most rewarding
part of your day?
Seeing the results of building
those strong relationships.
The client who came to us in such
despair who is now addiction free and
with a good job and stable housing –
and who makes a point of staying in
touch with us. Working within the
Street Services team at Wood’s who
Consider a gift in your will that will reflect your values for generations
to come. Visit woodshomes.ca/legacy or call us for more information.
3
Positive Mental Health
Your support leads to success
We believe in every child and family that comes into our care and work together to help them regain their balance, their
capacity to cope, and their hope for the future.
BELIEVE IN
YOURSELF
& HAVE
CONFIDENCE
CO
NC
ST on Y ENT
RE O RA
NG UR TE
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S
RESILIENCE
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CONTR
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SU IBILI n the
CC TY
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the FAM DS
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PROBL
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SOLVE
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There are many aspects to positive mental health, and many of them are related to resilience - the ability to recover quickly
from change or misfortune. The family centred care your support helps us deliver at Wood’s Homes helps everyone build
resiliency to help them ‘weather the storms’ of life.
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woodshomes.ca
Names and identifying details have been changed
as necessary to protect the privacy of our clients.
WE NEVER SAY NO. WE NEVER GIVE UP. WE NEVER TURN ANYONE AWAY.