Partnering with Purpose for Indigenous Survivor Healing | Code: November

ACCESS CODE: November

From Policy to Practice: Partnering with Purpose for Indigenous Survivor Healing

Survivor-centered programs typically offer services and supports that may include basic necessities, financial assistance, ongoing safety planning, economic advocacy, shelter, and healing options. However, advocates may not adjust or individualize any activities to account for the importance of cultural practices in Indigenous survivors’ lives. Other advocates may refer Native survivors back to their Tribe, even when the survivor has chosen to flee that area for safety. There are big and small adjustments that can be made, based on capacity, that help decrease the gaps in culturally specific services and healing supports. This webinar will focus on figuring out your next steps for the one or one hundred Indigenous survivors that you serve. For example:

• Do you know which Indigenous services currently exist in your area?
• Are you able to explain, to a program partner or volunteer, some of the ways cultural supports fit within advocacy services?
• Do you know some ways to find and then contact (other) Tribal programs?
• What are some strategies that you plan to use when building new partnerships with culturally specific providers?
• How are you learning best practices for Indigenous survivors, and how have they been implemented in your organizational policies and procedures?
• Have you written any partnership policies and procedures (for calls, meetings, visits, etc) to prevent cultural harm?

The session will include interactive brainstorming about policies, procedures, and local partnerships to aid you in building culturally specific connections.

LIVE ATTENDEES WILL RECEIVE 1.5 CE HOURS FROM THE NACP

About the Presenter

Wyanet Tasker, Lumbee & Eastern Band of Cherokee, is the Executive Director and founder of Indigi-Ripple Connect, a consulting firm that specializes in culturally specific, safe housing for survivors. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, she was the Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement at the Safe Housing Alliance (formerly the National Alliance on Safe Housing), which strives to ensure that survivors have a full range of safe housing options. She has been working alongside survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking since 2005 after graduating from Colorado College with a major in Neuroscience. Her direct service experience includes establishing a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) apartment program, which included Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) funded units. She transitioned to national training and Technical Assistance (TA) in 2015, as an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Tribal Housing and Homeless Services TA provider with Red Wind Consulting. While in that role, she facilitated partnership development between survivor and housing services to ensure wrap-around advocacy supports, confidentiality, and safety for survivors participating in shelter and housing programs. She enjoys engaging in projects that improve access for special survivor populations, such as children/youth, Indigenous, male, Two Spirit/LGBTQ+, and survivors with disabilities. She has authored multiple products, including Creating a Safe Space to Grow: A Guide for Tribal Child and Youth Advocacy. She has facilitated multidisciplinary team trainings with survivor advocates, Transitional Housing providers, Public and Tribal Housing Authorities, Continuum of Care members, batterer intervention staff, law enforcement, child protection, and supervised visitation providers.