One of the things that I hear from residents who attended is that it's structured so that you call to make a counselling appointment, and you go to your appointment and it's for an hour, regardless of what stage you are at. You've just disclosed this terrible trauma you've experienced, and it's like, “The hour is up. See ya.” Out the door you go, but “Let's book another appointment”.
In contrast, the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation is there and helps you through that journey of trauma. It's not that rigid structure that boots you out the door once your time is up. It's been incredibly beneficial. For example, there was a resident who had been drinking on the streets for many years and he went there just to enjoy tea and something to eat. There was no pressure to talk. The attitude is that “When you're ready, you can open up, and we'll be there for you”. He never left. He stayed and he was the security for the camp, and that was his thing that helped him get sober. Then he was able to go to treatments and come back and continue to work there.
The other beneficial thing is that it really enables the sharing of the traditional knowledge between the elders and the new generation so that it can be continued for years to come. There are so many great success stories. It's just a grassroots organization that currently has no core funding. It is struggling to continue to operate year after year.