Editor's Note – for background, please visit last week's post regarding the Ryan's Hope Breakfast-To-Go program moving to an indoor location: https://www.engagebarrie.org/post/ryan-s-hope-breakfast-to-go-moves-indoors
Christine Nayler, contributing member:
My response to the press release put out today regarding our Ryan’s Hope Breakfast-To-Go program.
I think it is absolutely disgusting for anyone to try to lay claim on a program we started in memory and honour of our son. We are 100% volunteer run organization. This is a full time job for me which I don't get paid for. My husband works 7 days a week so I can do what I have been called to do by God. We didn't choose this path, but it is the one we have been asked to walk. To use the strength and truth of our lived experience to help others.
I attended a great Trauma informed care workshop on the weekend. One of the key guiding principles of trauma informed care is CHOICE!
Why is choice important? Trauma is caused by a lack of choice. Healing from trauma cannot begin to happen when a person doesn't have a choice in the type of care or service they receive or who they receive it from.
As someone who lives with the lifelong effects of trauma I understand the importance of operating from a trauma informed model of care. That is why Ryan's Hope is committed to operating from a trauma informed model of care.
Trauma informed care includes the following Five Guiding Principles: safety, CHOICE, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment.
During Ryan's illness while we were trying to get him the help he desperately needed we heard the phrase 'Duplication of Service' over and over again. This phrase was used to deny him supports and services he should have had access to.
We talk a lot in this County about wrap around services but I can tell you from our lived experience and that of so many of our friends, they only exist on paper. It's impossible for people to access these services when needed.
We do such a disservice to people when we deny them choice. When we allow one agency or organization to be in charge of all services for a specific population – homeless – we are taking away their choice and doing further harm to them. I question then why organizations that supposedly operate from a trauma informed practice don't advocate for choice. Taking away a person's choice to chose who they receive support and services from can be deadly. If someone has had a traumatic experience somewhere and that is the only provider of a specific service, they have not made a choice to not get help, they were never given a choice. A choice is only a choice if there option between a minimum of two things.
I will never stop speaking out about how incredibly broken our social service and mental health systems are. I will never stop advocating for a system properly funded and for one that is built on safety, CHOICE, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment.
Engage Barrie Organization encourages our members and guests to contribute blog posts on a variety of topics that fall under our "equitable, empowered, engaged" umbrella, in the hopes of sharing a variety of perspectives and experiences. Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed by our blog contributors do not necessarily reflect any official position of Engage Barrie Organization.