Project Spotlight: Bridges for Women

Indigenous Women’s Bridging Program

Supporting Indigenous women to recognize and heal from experiences of trauma

WHO
WHAT
HOW
WHERE
WHY

Indigenous women (transgender and cisgender), non-binary, and two-spirit people who identify as part of the women’s community living in urban areas of Greater Victoria and in the reserve communities of individual nations within the W’SANEC and Lkwungen territories.

Objectives

Break the cycle of trauma by supporting Indigenous women to:

Learn and recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships;
Develop healthy coping and healing tools;
Develop knowledge and skills related to their personal growth; and
Support the development of skills and networks to foster their personal and financial security.

Using a trauma-informed, culturally safe, and women-centered approach, this program delivers:

Group Supports – sessions will explore various topics (e.g., overcoming the effects of trauma, boundary-setting, violence prevention, exploring volunteer opportunities), as well as incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and cultural practices (e.g., Elders story-sharing, beading, field trips).
Individual supports — participants will receive one-on-one trauma counselling from a clinical counselor.

Settings

Community

Implementation sites

Victoria, BC; and
Reserve communities within the W’SANEC and Lkwungen territories

Indigenous women experience greater rates of violence, re-victimization to violence, poorer mental health outcomes, and heightened barriers from intergenerational trauma resulting from Residential Schools and effects of colonization.

The impacts of the pandemic – including economic, health, social connection, family violence, and opportunity impacts – have been disproportionately felt by Indigenous women already contending with the challenges of their trauma histories.

The program aims to address the service gap of safe, culturally appropriate programs for Indigenous women survivors of trauma.