Community Care
COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM TEAM:
Charity White - CCP Supervisor / ccpsupervisor@naongashiing.ca
Boozhoo my name is Charity White and I am the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing Community Care Program Supervisor. I am originally from Whitefish Bay ON, but have since transferred to the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing. In 2017, I earned my Bachelor’s of Social Work degree with an undergrad in Indigenous Studies and Psychology out of the University of Regina. I have always had an interest working with people and have done so over the years in many types of positions.
As the CCP Program Supervisor, I case manage two separate teams which is the Protection and Preservation aspect of Weechi-it-te-win Family Services that ensures the safety and preservation of families within the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing. I have numerous responsibilities and duties as the CCP Supervisor with our main focus on children in care and families.
Mary L. Big George - Program Secretary
Boozhoo my name is Mary BigGeorge and I am the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing Community Care Program Secretary, some of my duties include greet the public in a friendly manner & direct to the proper department with the confidence of keeping confidentiality for all matters. Field calls on behalf of the team as requested, assessing and prioritizing urgency calls, referring them to the appropriate staff member & notify the CCP Supervisor. Record in-coming mail, faxes & distribute to the CCP staff. Organize the CCP van schedule, monthly on-call schedule. Responsible for all financial submissions and making sure staff receive travel, reimbursements and any other submissions. Offer the community coffee, tea while they are visiting awaiting to see one of the CCP staff.
Please feel free to come by and have coffee/tea!
Rhonda Big George - Family Counsellor/Family Support Worker
familysupportworker@naongashiing.ca
Boozhoo, my anishinabe given name is Nii'sah'tay and waabaanonung. I am from the Mashkooozh (elk) clan. I am a community member of Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing First Nation. I have been employed with Community Care Program for 9 years with various positions such as oncall worker, Secretary, Secretary/Alternative Care Coordinator, Child In Care Worker/Alternative Care Coordinator Worker, Child In Care Worker. I am presently the Family Counsellor/Family Support Worker since January 2018.
My job profile consists of booking assessments with phsycologists, therapists, referrals for requested services from clients and community members.
As the Family Counsellor/Family Support worker it is very important that the services are met for either clients and or community members of Naongashiing.
Please feel free to come by the CCP office for any questions regarding any of the Programs of Family Counsellor or Family Support.
Miigwetch,
Rhonda Big George
Family Counsellor/Family Support Worker
Jocelyn Gibbins - Family Well Being Worker
familywellbeing@naongashiing.ca
Boozhoo, My name is Jocelyn Jane Gibbins. I am a band member of Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing. I’ve lived here my whole life, I have 4 beautiful children. I worked in Big Grassy as the Administrative Assistant for the Community Care Program before coming to Big Island CCP.
Family Well Being works with helping to keep families together, providing Cultural Services, Supporting and Assisting families and to improve the overall health and well-being of the communities. It is geared to assist in preventing the need to bring Indigenous children into the child welfare and youth justice systems as well as to help reduce family violence and crisis in the family systems.
Ashley Little - Addictions Worker
ccpaddictionsworker@naongashiing.ca
My Name is Ashley Little I was born and raised in Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing First Nation, I come from the Moose Clan. My Parents are Patrick and Virginia Handorgan also members of Naongashiing First Nation. I Graduated with my College Diploma in Indigenous Wellness & Addiction Prevention through Canadore College.
Within the last 10 years, I have worked in the Social Services field starting my Journey off at the Youth Treatment Center with Weechi-it-te-win Family Services, following there, I worked for my community of Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing for a number of years as their Child In Care Worker also my neighboring community of Big Grassy First Nation as there Child In Care Worker, before coming back to my community as the Family Well Being Worker in October of 2018.
I Began my position as the Addictions Worker on July 15, 2019. As the Addictions Worker for the Community Care Program it is my duty to help clients find treatment centers suited to their needs and meet each client’s expectations. I also offer supports within the prevention team in dealing with Trauma in the child welfare system, to help find cultural resources and skills for each individual client’s that comes through our program.
Brian Hook - Youth Worker
ccpyouthworker@naongashiing.ca
My name is Brian Hookimawillillene¸ I am from Big Grassy River F.N.I started working as a youth worker in late July. My job will have me working with the youth that are getting ready to make the transition into adulthood and out of the child care system. I am hoping to provide the resources and direct the young adults to the resources they will need to begin life on their own. I will also be working with the youth within the big island community, and I am hoping to get programs started that will get the youth reconnected with their culture.
I strongly believe that youth are very sacred, and I plan on using every possible resource to help them become the integral pieces of society that our culture needs.
Laura Major - Family Preservation Worker
ccpfamilypreservation@naongashiing.ca
Boozhoo! My name is Laura Major and my Spirit Name is Mother Earth. I am from the Lynx clan and a member of Big Grassy River First Nation.
I am the Family Preservation Worker for Big Island First Nation and I began my position here on August 6, 2019. My background for the last 14 years is in Child Welfare and I previously worked as a Child in Care Worker with Big Grassy CCP before coming to Big Island CCP.
Family Preservation came in to affect in June 2017 when Weechi-it-te-win Family Services did an Agency Needs Assessment and did consult with our 10 First Nations Community Care Programs.
My role as Family Preservation Worker is to work with the families that require supports to maintain and preserve that family unit when they are going through crisis in their lives, to prevent children from coming into care with whatever means needed to assist and help prevent that.
A few ways to accomplish this may be:
Meeting with the parents/families, listening to them and identify where they need supports. Some ways may include referring to and/or attending counselling, helping with Respite when they are feeling overwhelmed or need a break. Providing homemakers if needed. It also may require referring them to treatment if needed. We can also assist in providing Cultural services if they so wish to go that route. Whether it may be through healing ceremonies, family circles, sweats etc.
Family Preservation works in helping to keep families together by preventing breakdown, separation or disconnection with family systems through strengthening, supporting and assisting families in ways that work for them.
Robert Handorgan - Cultural Coordinator
ccpculturalcoordinator@naongashiing.ca
Boozhoo, Robert Handorgan (Chops) ndizhinikaaz.I am the Cultural Coordinator at the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing Community Care Program as part of the Family Preservation Team. I started here August 26th, 2019 and I provide cultural support for AON band members, children in care, workers through community based programming/events. I also have other duties and obligations such as planning cultural events, provide care for sacred items, building trusting relationships with families and individuals. I am the primary source of cultural resources and cultural delivery within the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing. It is also my responsibility to provide and coordinate cultural teachings and ceremonies, to promote positive and strong cultural identities as needed by the AON community and its members.
Miigwetch
Brittany Bowman - Case Aide / ccpcaseaide@naongashiing.ca
My name is Brittany Bowman and I am the Case Aide with the Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing CCP team.
I graduated with honors from the Social Service Worker program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay. After graduation I worked in various agencies such as an Aboriginal Head Start in Edmonton and the Mètis Nation of Ontario in Fort Frances. I have multiple certifications which include Infant Massage, Healing Touch Instructor, Little Warriors, and Aboriginal Parenting in a Traditional World.
I am happy to be a part of the CCP team in Big Island where I will be assisting the Protection and Preservation Workers with their daily tasks to ensure the children and families receive the best care possible. I will also assist to complete home visits, maintain the office documentation and assist with medical transportation when needed. I look forward to meeting everyone in the community.
