JUSTICEHELPING HAND TO

2012A N N U A LR E P O R T

Mission StatementHelping Hand to Justice.

Value StatementThe Native Courtworker and Counselling Asso-ciation of British Columbia provide culturallyappropriate services to aboriginal people andcommunities consistent with their needs. Ourservices are accomplished by assisting personsinvolved in the criminal justice system; accessto counselling and referral services for clientswith substance abuse and detox support issues;advocate services for aboriginal family andyouth. Our dedicated employees are responsiveto the needs of the community by providing qual-ity, innovative and educational options wherepeople are treated with dignity and respect.

HistoryNative Courtworker programs have been inexistence in Canada in some form for over thir-ty years. In the late 1960’s, the Department ofIndian Affairs, Health and Welfare, Employ-ment and Immigration and Secretary of Stateprovided helped to fund the Native Courtwork-er pilot project. In 1973, responsibility for theprogram at the federal level was assigned tothe Department of Justice and was establishedon an ongoing basis in 1977.

In British Columbia, the Vancouver IndianFriendship Centre, Indian Homemaker’s Asso-ciation, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, BC Associ-ation of Non-Status Indians, North AmericanIndian Brotherhood and the John Howard Soci-ety, decided then to start a courtworker pro-gram. Under the management of the JohnHoward Society, a courtworker pilot projectwas initiated in 1970. By 1972 the projectexpanded to become the Native CourtworkerAssociation. In 1973, it had added counsellingas a service and became the Native Courtwork-er and Counselling Association of BritishColumbia. (NCCABC)

The NCCABC is a provincial organization witha thirty-nine year history of providing servic-es to aboriginal peoples in conflict with thelaw. Over fifty staff are employed. Twenty-seven of these are courtworkers. Native Court-workers cover approximately 70% of thecourthouses throughout the province. The bal-ance is drug and alcohol counsellors and detoxworkers; family and youth advocates; aborig-inal resource worker; Aboriginal Case Work-er at Community Court; and administrativepersonnel and senior management staff.

PurposeThe purpose of the Native Courtworker programis to facilitate and enhance access to justice by

assisting aboriginal people involved in the crim-inal justice system to obtain fair, just, equitableand culturally sensitive treatment.

ObjectivesTo provide aboriginal accused at the earliest pos-sible stage, and all stages of the criminal justiceprocess with timely and accurate informationabout:

- the nature and consequences of the charge;

- their rights, responsibilities and options underthe law including alternative justice processes(if available)

- the philosophy and functioning of the criminaljustice system, and of alternative justiceprocesses (if available);

- court procedures; and the disposition or direc-tion given by the court or community to theoffender.

Provide aboriginal accused with appropriatereferral to legal resources (as available and wherepractical).

Refer aboriginal accused to appropriate social,education, employment, medical and otherresources to enable them to address the underly-ing problems which contribute to their chargesand follow-up on these referrals.

Liaise between aboriginal accused and criminaljustice personnel to help overcome communica-tion barriers and reduce aboriginal alienationfrom the criminal justice system. This mayinclude being available to provide appropriateinformation to the court and/or speaking onbehalf of the accused.

Inform justice officials about the cultural tradi-tions, values, languages, socio-economic condi-tions and other concerns of the aboriginal com-munity and the perspective of aboriginal accused.Initiate further understanding when required.

Promote understanding within the aboriginalcommunity, of the existing criminal justice sys-tem and alternative justice processes.

Promote and facilitate community-based justiceinitiatives and help build community capacity toidentify and address problems, which could endup in the courts or community justice system.

GovernanceThe NCCABC Board of Directors operates withtwo main committees: an executive committeeand a finance committee.

The Board of Directors is community-elected inthirteen regions throughout the province, serv-ing four year terms and function primarily as a“policy board”. The Executive Director is respon-sible for the operations of the association.

INDEX

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT 3

LOWER MAINLAND / SOUTHERN INTERIOR REGIONS 5

SOUTH COAST REGION 7

NORTHERN INTERIOR / NORTH COAST REGIONS 9

COURTWORKER PROFILE 13

VANCOUVER OUTPATIENT ADDICTION SERVICES, DETOX AND ELDER PROGAMS 15

TRAINER REPORT 17

YEAR IN NUMBERS 19

CONTACTS 20

This past year we have moved forward with a number of new initiativesand projects to support the mandate and mission statement of theAssociation. In particular, we have concentrated our efforts to supportaboriginal women, children and communities to live free from violence

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

3

DARLENE SHACKELLY | Executive Director

As we leave behind another year, ourAssociation continues to meet thechallenges of an uncertain economic

climate. This success has been achieved fromour fundamental dedication and responsive-ness to develop strategies that meet the needsof our clients and their families, and our abil-ity to obtain resources to meet those demands.

Aboriginal Women, Children and CommunitiesThis past year we have moved forward with anumber of new initiatives and projects to sup-port the mandate and mission statement ofthe Association. In particular, we have con-centrated our efforts to support aboriginalwomen, children and communities to live freefrom violence through the development of anumber of projects such as Victim AwarenessWeek’s posters and pamphlets; our report tothe Assembly of First Nations National JusticeForum on Violence against Women; a newWomen’s Resource Program in Prince George;and the continued request for the “Women’sRight to Be Safe” resource guide.We are grateful that continued requests fromFirst Nations communities and schools forthis guide. It is our intention to secure fund-ing to update the guide on new programs andresources that support women, children andcommunities. I continue to participate on theMinistry of Aboriginal Relations and Recon-ciliation, Minister’s Advisory Council on Abo-riginal Women (MACAW). This two-yearterm is to provide advice to the provincial gov-ernment on how to improve the quality of lifefor aboriginal women.

Aboriginal YouthIn support of aboriginal youth, funding hasbeen received from the Department of Justiceto provide Native Courtworkers with trainingto address Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder(FASD) for Aboriginal youth involved in thejustice system. We have also completed the

second phase on “Aboriginal Youth LeadershipProject in Northern British Columbia”. Thereport is available on our website.

New Relationship TrustOur sincere thanks are extended to New Rela-tionship Trust (NRT) for their financial sup-port to develop our five-year Social JusticePolicy Platform and Strategic Plan for theAssociation.Throughout the course of the year, our man-agement team meets to ensure the goals andtactics of the strategic plan are a continuedwork in progress. Each team member holds aspecific goal and it is their responsibility todevelop approaches and solutions that sup-port the overall strategic plan of the Associa-tion. My sincere thanks are extended toArthur Paul, Gordon Edwards, JacksonDionne, Darryl Shackelly, Pamela Scorah andCarol-Ann Nickel for their dedication to thisimportant work.I continue to participate as a Tripartite Work-ing Group (TWG) member through theDepartment of Justice that holds the contractsof all aboriginal courtworker programs acrossCanada. They have announced that no feder-al government cuts to the Aboriginal Court-work Program are forthcoming, but unfortu-nately they have also stated there is no increaseto help support these important programs. AsI have repeatedly stated for a number of years,funding to support our Native CourtworkerProgram remains our number one priority.

Mental HealthThis past year, our association is participatingon a Comprehensive Mental WellnessApproach Advisory Panel through HealthCanada’s First Nations and Inuit HealthBranch, in the development of a coordinated,comprehensive approach to mental healthservices. I am extending my thanks to our staffwho participated in a review of mental healthissues that their clients are facing. These find-

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

ings have been submitted to the advisorycouncil to ensure justice issues forms a part oftheir review process. I am extremely gratefulto Pamela Scorah who is participating on thisadvisory panel to ensure justice issues areincluded in this review.As well, we are in the process of developing aCommunity Action Initiative – Mental HealthProject for Aboriginal Seniors. The Commu-nity Action Initiative project will complementthe much-needed service to support aboriginalseniors/elders.We have been a community partner with theUnited Way of the Lower Mainland for manyyears, and we are grateful for their financialcontribution to support aboriginal seniors/elders and youth ages six to twelve. JacksonDionne, Manager for our Alcohol and DrugProgram, Outpatient Addiction Services doesan exceptional job by working with UnitedWay and is instrumental in the formation ofan elder’s council. We have worked hard during 2012 to supportupcoming initiatives such as a new five- yearaboriginal youth project through the Nation-al Crime Prevention Centre, Public SafetyCanada. As well, to establish a multi-user

online provincial contact management systemto be shared between Native Courtworkers andAboriginal Restorative Justice Workers toincrease their internal capacity to better serv-ice their clients and expand opportunities forcollaboration. I am proud of all the Association’s employeesand their performance in the delivery of theirprogram and services. A tremendous amountof both individual and team effort went intoachieving this year’s accomplishments. Iwould personally like to extend my gratitudeto Donna Tennant and Bill Derksen who worktirelessly in the development of new fundinginitiatives on our behalf.I also want to recognize the NCCABC’s Boardof Directors, community partners, and indi-viduals who volunteer their time to assist thisAssociation throughout the year. Withouttheir support, personal commitments andencouragement, we would not have advancedas rapidly in the development of these impor-tant projects and programs this past year.

Darlene ShackellyExecutive Director

Year in Review continued:

Lower Mainland and Southern Interior Regions

We are coming to a closing of theyear and moving into a new yearfor the Lower Mainland and

Southern Interior of the NCCABC. Native Courtworkers have met more chal-lenges again this past year and again, we haveprovided extraordinary service. Your NativeCourtworker has shown exceptional com-mitment to their community and the indi-viduals they serve. There are daily challengesin court and I commend those Courtwork-er’s on how they have learned to cope withthe ever-evolving demands put on them asprofessionals. We all continue to strive to improve ourservices in meeting the needs of our com-munities by seeking new partnerships tosupport our offices in providing the supportand outreach needed to improve the lifes ofthose we serve. I must thank our Community Resources orService Providers in each of the area of theprovince. I thank those agencies who sup-port and cooperate with our Courtworker’sto improve access to a variety of communi-ty resources to those we serve. Together,meeting the community members, agenciesand our partners, we are all seeking newways to improve the justice system on howto work with our Aboriginal communitymembers.

In the Lower Mainland we are thankful tothe First Nations Court in New Westminsterand its six year judicial resourcefulness whichhas changed and improved the lives of Abo-riginal people. We thank First Nations Courtand all those who are involved in its success. In talking with our staff, they remind us tothank our legal partnership in our commu-nities for their support and direction inassisting Aboriginal people. My staff and Iwant to thank all those Lawyers who take onone more Aboriginal referral from theCourtworker. To Crown Counsel whoinforms the Courts to utilize Courtworker’sexperience and knowledge in providingassist for those individuals in the Court-room. To the Judges who seek the assistanceof Courtworkers to streamline the judicialprocess that builds a healthier and safercommunity. As for those educational partnerships thatimpact our organization every year and inthe future, in particular Educational Insti-tution like NEC, NVIT, SFU, UBC, UVICand a few other colleges throughout BC,because we believe we have a lot of experi-ence to share with practicum placementsstudents from the institutions mentioned.We believe that the students will be ourfuture leaders. It has been a delight in placing a few of these

We all continue to strive to improve our services in meeting theneeds of our communities by seeking new partnerships to supportour offices in providing the support and outreach needed toimprove the lifes of those we serve.

ARTHUR PAUL | Regional Manager

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

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practicum placements within our association. I am proud of all those practicum placements.They provide excellent ideas and rekindle ourmotivation for work with new challenges thatbuild on our old way of doing business. Thanks to our Board of Directors for theirguidance and support throughout BritishColumbia. The Courtworker’s feel the sup-port the Board members provide in theircommunity. A special thanks to all thoseBoard members who stay a little longer to lis-ten and chat about the issues and offer someguidance at our board meetings. Thank youfor all your comments on how we can be apart of the change in Justice and guiding meto new partners in all the communities.Thanks to those Board committees who worktirelessly to ensure we move forward. I’m grateful for the other Managers and staff

that makes my job look easy, thank you forsupporting me, I truly appreciate your sup-port. Sometimes we don’t thank each otherenough for the work we do. It is good to be apart of a team that shares the same vision ofbuilding a better organization. I know I missed a few people such as our sup-pliers and support techs who work in the background to make sure our communication andequipment is working. Some have been withus for years assisting us with our achievementsin communications and materials withoutthem, we may not have been successful inreaching our goals. Thank you.

Arthur PaulRegional Manager

Lower Mainland and SouthernInterior continued:

South Coast Region

Once again, 2012 turned out to be agood year for NCCA. The Board, themanagement team, and the staff made

some tough decisions to the court worker pro-gram as the budget, at its best, is still at a mini-mum. We do know that at this moment anyfurther diminishment of our funds can resultin a provincial aboriginal courtworker servicethat will be minimal and unimpressive. Thereare over 50 court locations throughout theprovince and less than 30 are covered by NCCACourtworkers. At one point in our historythere was a NCCA courtworker in most of theBC provincial courts. We are fortunate to beintricately involved with the provincial courtsof BC. NCCA assists Aboriginal people to beactive, informed participants within our justicesystem. With the determination, hard work and the

confidence of our island staff: Shane, Mabel,Trisha, Boyd, Georgia, Natalie and Les, NCCAcontinues to provide quality, effective front-line service for aboriginal people with legalissues in our province. One of our highlightsthis past year was having many of our IslandCourtworker staff attend the Cowichan Band’sJustice Committee’s 4 day Workshop onRestorative Justice “Strengthening Connec-tions” in November. Last May Rachelle Dol-laire was elected as our Board member for thesouth island district Region 7. Welcomeaboard Rachelle. Then in November 2012, weadded Natalie Hans to our staff list as the newCourtworker for Bella Coola.Thank you to the First Nations’ communityprograms of our province for the support you

give us to serve aboriginal people and thankyou to the NCCA Staff for helping us ‘to lookgood.’ If it weren’t for staff and Board ourSociety would not be as strong as it is. Wewould like to express appreciation and toacknowledge the many Provincial and Nation-al aboriginal political agencies that have beenat our side supporting the work we do. Overthis past year key Provincial GovernmentMLA’s and their advisors have developed aclose association with the NCCA and we arelooking forward to continued dialogue andsupport. NCCA is developing partnership agreementsand increasing government relations. Thispast year our management team has workedhard at this. Darlene, Carol Ann, Art, Darryl,Pam, and Jackson, meet each month andreview our progresses, goals, and ambitions.One of the resulting determinations is thatNCCA needs to increase its service delivery toinclude Family Court issues and other familymatters. NCCA took broad new steps in 2012 to exam-ine how we can increase our service deliveryto include Family Court matters. Court work-ers throughout the province are concernedover the increased numbers of calls theyreceive from Aboriginal people in their com-munity who need help with understandingfamily and child legalities. As a result themanagement team looked closely at this con-cern to develop strategies with new objectivesfor NCCA staff.Currently, Aboriginal people appearing inFamily Court have limited or no representa-

7

I feel that the NCCA is the best Aboriginal justice service organizationacross Canada. We have a unique client data base program, aneffective working rapport with court agencies, and a dedicated staff.

GORD EDWARDS | Regional Manager

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

tion available to them. Our greatest successin criminal court is provided by court work-ers who speak to sentence. NCCA wouldlike to apply the same approach for Aborig-inal peoples appearing in family court.NCCA’s purpose is to facilitate and enhanceaccess to justice by assisting Aboriginal peo-ple involved in the justice system to obtainjust and equitable treatment. We would liketo create the successes we have in criminalcourt and apply them in Family Court.This past year my duties were increased toinclude being a “Government Liaison “forthe NCCA. I am to develop and maintaincontact with Provincial Aboriginal ServiceAgencies, MLA’s and their support staff, andthe Ministry of Child and Family Develop-ment. We have met with MLA’s and theirsupport staff plus many Opposition criticsthroughout our province to advocate theneed to enhance NCCA’s programs. I havemade new contacts and acquaintances withMLA’s, their support workers and Aborigi-nal service agencies throughout the city ofVictoria. All are in support of our worklocally and throughout our province.Through our discussion with them we knowthat there is a current lack of funding formany programs throughout BC.Our NCCA strategy is working. We are mak-ing real improvements in services and oper-ations and investing in our strategies. We

remain focused on improving service deliv-ery in the year ahead and are confident thatpositive trends will continue. I have seen aremarkable growth with our achievements.However, there is more that can be done tomake a difference for our clients, supporters,staff, Board and communities around theprovince and throughout Canada. I feel that the NCCA is the best Aboriginaljustice service organization across Canada.We have a unique client data base program,an effective working rapport with courtagencies, and a dedicated staff.I also believe that we have all the pieces inplace to build on our successes and to deliv-er value for our clients and staff. We continue to strengthen our next genera-tion of efforts by utilizing practicum stu-dents and investing in technology, innova-tion, and infrastructure. It is rooted in ourculture to be in the forefront of change. Forinstance, this past year, two of our Courtworkers are controlling Video Court in theircommunities and we receive funding for thisservice. We aim to bring about change in jus-tice strategies through our efforts in courtand through our community involvements.NCCA is a concise and efficient organizationand we need to remain that way.

Gord EdwardsRegional Manager

South Coast Region continued:

Northern Interior and North Coast Regions

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff in my areafor all their hard work and dedication to their programs. Aschallenging as client-based work is, we have seen each of you rise tothe challenge and go beyond the call of duty in assisting our clients.

Greetings from the Northern Interiorand the North Coast regions for theProvince of BC. I became the

NCCABC Regional Manager for the area inApril 2011 and I am excited to be workingback in the area. I grew up in Quesnel andleft in 1977 to raise a family in the EastKootenays. My manager duties include the supervisionof the staff of the Native Courtworkers pro-gram in Prince George, Prince Rupert, Ter-race, Moricetown, Fort St. John, Vanderhoof,Dawson Creek, Williams Lake, and Cran-brook areas. I also oversee two family andyouth advocates in Prince George and Ter-race.I would like to take this opportunity to thankthe staff in my area for all their hard workand dedication to their programs. As chal-lenging as client-based work is, we have seeneach of you rise to the challenge and gobeyond the call of duty in assisting ourclients. We have recently added an Aboriginal Helloand welcome to the 2012/2013 annual reportfrom the interior, southern interior andnorthern regions of the province of BC. Thisupcoming year marks our 40th year anniver-sary of the Native Courtworkers and Coun-selling Association of British Columbia(NCCABC). I would like to start by thankingall of the staff for their outstanding work inthe field. I am excited and proud to be a partof this organization and to be able to work

with the amazing and passionate members. Ialso wish to recognize the innovative recom-mendations of staff regarding clients. Theoutcome of many of these cases has beenremarkable and has also garnered praisefrom the judiciary. I would also like toacknowledge our Board Members for theirdedication to the Native Courtworkers andsubsidiary programs. As well, bringing yourthoughts and the concerns of your commu-nities has helped us move forward as a teamto better serve our clients. Your involvementhas been invaluable!Last year one of our goals was to increase thevisibility of the NCCABC in the northernregions. We have been quite successful withan initial increase in community events andprograms in Prince George but we still havework to do. Some of the events we attendedthis year were:Take Back the Night, a community-basedwalk to end the violence of women in Cana-da. We were asked to speak and share ourexperiences around this event bringing tolight the vulnerable group of people we areserve. We had call backs from the local news-paper and radio around our activities in end-ing the violence in our community. We also attended Aids Walk where we raisedin the sum in excess of $800.00 for theresearch and preventions of aids. We havecommitted to this fundraiser for next yearand will look how to involve all of the staff. June found us attending National Aborigi-

9PAM SCORAH | Regional Manager

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

nal Day in the park with a booth that was filledwith brochures and give aways. We met manyorganizations on this day and proved to be asuccessful networking opportunity for all of us. In late September we were invited to speak atSister in Spirit, a memorial/gathering remem-bering missing and murdered Aboriginalwomen, hosted by the Carrier Sekani TribalCounsel. This event turned out very well withus getting to meet their team and hopefullywork closer with them in the coming year. Wehave also appeared on local radio this year toimprove our visibility. In addition, we spokeat the Montreal Massacre Memorial: an eventthat links the deliberate killing of 14 Canadianwomen with larger problems of violenceagainst women in Canada. The event was heldat the University of Northern British Columbia(UNBC) winter gardens and our messagerelayed the vulnerability of the group of clien-tal we work with in the courts.

This fall we were invited to the First NationsMental Wellness Continuum hosted by HealthCanada, and various other governing bodies.We brought attention to the strong connectionbetween mental health wellness and justice thathas been often overlooked by government andagencies. NCCABC was well received as anaboriginal organization that has firsthandknowledge on how mental health affects ourclient, not only being incarcerated, but at first-stages of entering the court system. The infor-mation and insights we provided is set to beincluded in a presentation to the Assembly ofFirst Nations federally and include justice in allfurther discussions.Our First Line of Defense women’s program,added last year, has been a success in PrinceGeorge and is being used by a number ofwomen. This program assists Aboriginalwomen within the court system that are inneed of second stage services such as: housing,

Northern Interior and NorthCoast Regions continued

education, employment and counseling.Under this program we held a financialliteracy workshop that was attended by 45women, with all participates graduatingfrom the event. The materials concentrat-ed on financial information, teaching theparticipants how to: budget, managemoney and why avoid pay day loan serv-ices. Thank you to the Royal Bank fortheir financial support in hosting thisworkshop. We also hosted a Lunch &Learn for input from the communitystakeholders. We invited 24 agencies andover 30 attended. Three main focuseswere identified by the group: educationfor young women to stop violence in theirlives, fostering better relationships withthe RCMP and cultural awareness, anddeveloping a better relationship with theMinistry of child and family development. Throughout the year we have been active-

ly pursuing a better relationship with theRCMP. In April we had a meeting withthe superintendent to discuss how best toachieve these improved relationships. Wehave been asked to speak to their watchesto explain the role of NCCABC andactions the RCMP can implement to fos-ter these relationships with our staff andto create a better understanding of abo-riginal people. Many worthwhile projects have beenundertaken this year, such as improve-ment of RCMP relations, and I would liketo see us maintain and further expandupon them. Visibility in our communi-ties is so important; the more peopleknow who we are and what we offer, themore people will utilize us. As such, it ismy intention for 2013/2014 to continueto foster community engagement inPrince George as well as build on that suc-

cess and to expand it to all the communi-ties in the northern region. As well Iwould like to see us enhance the programsthat are already operating and to createnew programs that will be beneficial toaboriginal people. In closing, I would like to thanks all thecommunity organizations in our regionthat supported the NCCABC. As well asthe Board for all your wisdom in movingforward, the management staff, supportstaff and the Executive Director. I wishyou all success for the next year and lookforward to continuing to work with you.

Pamela Scorah Regional Manager

11

That belief, coupled with her drive to help others bet-

ter their lives, plays out virtually every day as she

assists First Nations people facing a legal system that

can be confusing and intimidating. Pantell’s goal is to help

them avoid a criminal record, transforming their offence

into a mistake that can be learned from, rather than a black

mark that could stain them for years.

A self-described problem-solver – “if I run into closed

doors, I look for other doors to open“ -- she helps find

alternate ways for First Nations people to atone, from heal-

ing circles and educational programs to diversion and resti-

tution. From the time she first meets a client, usually at the

courthouse, she provides a calming and consistent pres-

ence. Whatever they need – be it finding a lawyer, register-

ing for legal aid, making appointments and following up, or

talking with justice officials on their behalf – she provides.

It can be a stressful job, but she says her time with the

Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of B.C. is

more personally satisfying than anything else she has done.

“The rewards are seeing our clients progress and never

return to the judicial system. I also love the connections I

get to make with families everywhere.”

She`s had many success stories, and retelling them brings

out a broad smile. One of her most memorable concerns a

family that was tearing itself apart, with a husband repeat-

ing the abuse he had endured in his own upbringing. At its

depths, the crisis saw the family lose their children. Today,

with help from a support team that included Pantell, eld-

ers, the band leaders, relatives and the probation officer,

the family is reunited. Now equipped with tools to cope

with their issues, thanks to counselling and a family heal-

ing treatment centre, both parents are in university. And

they own their own home.

Pantell says the credit for such a turnaround should be

shared between the family members, who wanted change

but didn’t know how to create it, and the support team that

pointed the way.

But as with any success in life, it always comes down to

individual commitment, she says. “It's the family that has to

put the work into it.”

Pantell says she often serves up tough love to her clients –

“I can be really nice, but I can be firm when I have to,” she

says with a laugh – by encouraging them to accept respon-

sibility for their own thoughts and actions. She also

demands accountability.

Pantell now passes that attitude of perseverance and self-

reliance along to her two grown sons, and proudly sees her-

self as a role model for other aboriginal women. “I believe

if one sets goals and hold this true to oneself, is able to for-

give mistakes and learn from them, than one is able to fol-

low through with her dreams, wishes and always hold her

own confidence.”

She's also proud of the team she works with at the Native

Courtworkers Association. Not only does it have the respect

of clients, but it is also a trusted resource for justice offi-

cials, who often turn to it for guidance when dealing with

First Nations people who find themselves in a legal system

that is culturally foreign to them.

Pantell takes it as a personal challenge to overcome the

hopelessness many feel when dealing with the courts.

“There's too many people not fighting for certain rights

that they may have,” she says, her compassion the client

shining through. “We have to get out of this mindset.”

She's no lawyer, and has no plans to become one. Her mis-

sion can best be accomplished, she says, as a Native Court-

worker, advocating for clients, finding resources, pushing

for and motivating change, and doling out advice that can

often border on parental.

13

Advocate. Resource person. Catalyst for change. Defender. Motivator. Mom.Trish Pantell fills all those roles – sometime simultaneously – as a Native CourtWorker based in Nanaimo. And she's as passionate for each one as she is for herclients' welfare. “I don't think jail helps anybody in any situation,” she says firmly.

PROFILE | TRISH PANTELL

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

Vancouver and Surrey Outpatient Addiction Services, Detox and Elder Programs

It seems that 2012 came and went by veryquickly. I would like to share a number ofhighlights and activities over the last year.

As the Manager of the Alcohol and Drug Out-patient Services, the theme this year seemed tobe partnership development, client services andmarketing and communications. We have con-tinued to develop partnerships through ourexisting networks such as taking part in theAboriginal Health Practice Council whose pur-pose is to work collaboratively with AboriginalHealth Services – Vancouver Community, indeveloping and implementing best health carepractices that are relevant for Aboriginal com-munity members. We continued workingclosely with the Downtown Community Courtin providing services to their clients while alsoattending their Social Services Working Groupmeetings. We attend First Nations Court inNew Westminster and North Vancouver offer-ing support services. We are closely linked withthe Red Road HIV/AIDS Network and wereable to attend their skills building workshopand Annual General Meeting. We also part-nered with Strathcona Mental Health in organ-izing a two day mental health conference called“Aboriginal Elders – The Forgotten Ones”where approximately 200 people attended eachday.In addition to continuing our partnershipdeveloped we attempted to forge new relation-ships in providing presentations to variousorganizations such as Sts’ailes, St Paul’s Hospi-tal All Nations Healing Room, Heartwood

Treatment Center, Dr. Lee Brown and the Insti-tute for Aboriginal Health, and the Tradition-al Mother’s Center. Typically we share our“Model of Care” approach to these organiza-tions at the same time listening to the servicesthey provide with the overall hopes to improveour networking relationship. Networkingrequires constant improvement of approachesto those already in the network, while at thesame time, building new contacts.This is one of the reasons we continue havingour Network Potlucks where Together Every-one Achieves More. The professionals attend-ing the Potlucks were becoming very familiarwith the services we offer while we were not sofamiliar with their services so we decided torotate the Potlucks among those organizationsthat attend regularly. This year we co-hostedtwo Potlucks with other organizations, TheLegal Services Society and the Native Educa-tion College. This is a trend we hope to con-tinue in the future.This year we were privileged to meet with twointernational organizations. We met with Mex-ican Delegates through the International Pro-gram of the Justice Education Society and wemet with two staff from the Aboriginal Alco-hol and Drug Service Inc from Perth Australia.These meetings were a tremendous experienceto be part of where we were able to outline ourorganization, culture and history.In addition to providing presentations to var-ious organizations we provided direct servicesto two organizations. We were able to facilitate

team building games both for the staff ofthe Recreation Department at theFriendship Center and for the day campparticipants. The other organization wefacilitated team building games was forthe Canadian Cancer Society Relay forLife event. A video highlighting the typeof games provided is available onYoutube. We coordinated three fundrais-ing activities such as a garage sale for theRelay for Life in which we raised approx-imately $2500.00.We have also continued being a consider-able supporter of the United Way of theLower Mainland. We have attended theirAnnual General Meeting, their Commu-nity Spirit Awards, been asked to be partof the Canadian Labour Congress andattended their Employee CampaignCoordinator Training among otherevents . We hosted a United WayFundraising Kickoff event called the Chiliand Bannock Cook Off and Open Housein which over 80 people attended.With United Way’s financial contributionto our Child and Elders Support Pro-gram we were able to address some socialissues related to Elder and Youth. Afterhosting the Elders Forum in 2011 we cre-ated an Elders Council. This council wasdesigned to guide our educational activ-ities in the Child and Elders Support Pro-gram based on the findings from the Eld-ers Forum. During our first meeting the

Elders unanimously decided that our firstpriority would be to connect with theyouth. With the assistance of AmitaDaniels from Urban Inc and the contri-bution of The Vancouver Trolley BusCompany we coordinated two Red Roadto Higher Education Trolley Bus Tourswhere the Elders and Youth connected todiscuss the importance of higher educa-tion. We toured the Native EducationCollege, UBC Farm, Garden and Long-house and a very unique school calledQuest University which is Canada’s firstindependent non-profit nonsectarianuniversity.In partnership with the Portland HotelSociety and the Elders Council we co-hosted the second annual DowntownEastside Powwow Honoring the Eldersof the Downtown Eastside. Over 500people attended this event. Two addi-tional activities Ceceilia, our Elders andYouth Coordinator, arranged were tak-ing youth age 6 – 12 to the PNE, whomay not have otherwise been able toattend, and arranged the purchase ofschool clothes for 20 selected children age6 – 12 from Old Navy in North Vancou-ver. With Old Navy’s assistance we wereable to save a total of $730.34 whileensuring these children have a fresh startfor the school year. Lastly out of the Eld-ers Council meetings we were able to cre-ate the BC Changes Group. This is a

group of troubled youth who gatheraround Broadway and Commercialwhose population seems to be unnoticedwhen it comes to service provision man-dates. This group participated in the RedRoad to Higher Education Trolley BusTour.This year would not have been as pro-ductive and successful as it was withoutthe contributions of the Alcohol andDrug Counselling Team Tina Duguay,Tabitha Paul, Earl Quewezance andKaren Longmuir, the Aboriginal DetoxSupport Worker Team Rodney Olinekand Melissa Vabic, and the Elder andYouth Coordinators Amber Katzel andCecelia Boersen, not to mention ournewest member Ava Varga, who pho-tographed most of these activities. Wewould also like to thank various educa-tional institutions for allowing us to hostseveral practicum placements. This teamappreciates the support of the NCCABCManagement Team and local BoardMembers.Lastly and most importantly we wouldlike to thank the funders for these pro-grams and events – Vancouver CoastalHealth Authority, Fraser Health Author-ity, Aboriginal RunWalk Program, Com-munity Physical Activity, AboriginalSport, Recreation and Physical ActivityPartners Council, and the United Way ofthe Lower Mainland. Thank you all foryour continued support and we look for-ward to working with each of you in theNew Year.

Jackson DionneManager

15

Our theme this year seemed to be partnership development, clientservices and marketing and communications. We have continuedto develop partnerships through our existing networks

JACKSON DIONNE | Manager

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

We were successful in securing a contract to support and develop aNational Aboriginal Courtwork Training Resource Tool. The projectincluded setting up an advisory committee, review previous trainingand a national consultation to research training practices in otherjurisdictions and review the evolving role of the Courtworker.

Provincial Training

This has been a great year for theNCCABC’s Provincial training anddevelopment program. Our rela-

tionship with the Department of Justice(DOJ) continued to improve over thecourse of this year and the NCCABCstepped up and shined.

Resource Toolkit

We were successful in securing a contractto support and develop a National Aborig-inal Courtwork Training Resource Tool. Inaccordance with the contract, the toolkitreflects the approved National TrainingFramework to ensure that full ProgramCourtworkers are sufficiently skilled toadapt to changing program needs and tomake the resource adaptable enough toaddress each jurisdictions unique characterand mandate. The project included setting up an adviso-ry committee, review and research of pre-vious training and a national consultationto research training practices/content in allother jurisdictions in Canada and reviewthe evolving role of the Courtworker. Thiswork took up most of 2012. The consultation process provided a veryinteresting vision that would change thefull direction of the contract. People hadexpressed that there are a lot of bookletsand manuals defining the role and direc-tion of the Aboriginal Courtworker. Peo-ple wanted to tap into advanced technolo-gy and utilise the skill of storytelling. Theresult is a video tutorial DVD that explains

various processes practiced by Courtwork-ers outlined in the Aboriginal Courtwork-er Program Logic Model. The Resource Toolkit and Video Tutorialhave been sent to Aboriginal Courtwork-ers across Canada. As well, we wereapproached by the Aboriginal Justice Strat-egy who also requested a reprint to beplaced in the hands of Aboriginal Restora-tive Justice Workers. I would like to thankall the people who were involved in the cre-ation of the Resource Toolkit and VideoTutorial.

Management

Kevin Hill has continued to impress allmembers of the Vancouver DowntownCommunity Court team and Aboriginalpeople needing help. He maintains a highlevel of class and dignity to the judiciaryand the people using NCCABC services.Jacqui Humchitt has finished her secondyear in December with the NCCABC andher position of the Aboriginal ResourceWorker. Her hard work and persistence hascreated invaluable connections with Pro-bation Services. The NCCABC is pavingthe way when working with aboriginalpeople for successfully completions of Pro-bation.With the continued positive momentumof both positions, we are looking to expandour service with bold new initiatives.

Darryl Shackelly Provincial Trainer / Manager

17

DARRYL SHACKELLY | Provincial Trainer/Manager

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

A and D ProgramVancouver

DescriptionA and D ProgramSurrey

AboriginalDetox SupportWorker Program

GenderMaleFemaleEthnicityStatusNon-StausMetisInuitOtherTotal Referrals InTotal Referrals OutCaseload# of intakes / assessments# of new clients files opened# of inactive / closed filesPrimary Substances MisusedAlcoholAmphetaminesBarbituatesCocaine (& derivatives, e.g. crack) HallucinogensInhalentsMarijuanaMethamphetaminesOpiates (e.g. heroin, methadone)Over the counter medicinesPrescriptionOtherPrimary Presenting Issue(s)Academic / learning stylesPersonal substance misuse issuesFamily substance misuse issuesSocialization issuesJustice-related issuesViolent behavioursWitnessing ViolenceInappropriate sexual behavioursSexual abuse issuesOther family issuesOther personal issuesIndividual Counselling# of sessions held# of individuals seenGroup Counselling# of group sessions# of individuals attending groups# of drop-ins

797513

11094219

235

886863

854551105

114012

9323

391

3651539

521

8

1141226

372205397

4641

623

103101

15101504

166578

1089

5126

669102

139462

7373

5610

4600

279

240

144

22746067

75

1209

5675

299285

116907

75

419309

57360303530

728728

7285968

676676

00

ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROGRAM20

12IN

NU

MBE

RS

19

Clients Assisted

Description Adult YouthClient Gender Male

Female

Charges Adult YouthHomicide (1&2 degree murder, manslaughter, infanticide)Attempted MurderRobbery (firearms, other offensive weapon)Sexual Assault (aggravated sexual assault, with weapon, other)Sexual Abuse (other sexual offenses)Major Assault (assault with weapon level 2,3, bodily harm)Simple Assault - Level 1Kidnapping and forcible confinementAbduction (person <14, <16 contravening custod Arson

Break and Entere (business, residences, other)Fraud and Related (cheque, credit card, counterfeiting, other)Theft < or > $5,000 (bicycles > $1000, from Motor vechicles)

29491128

293146

Property Damage/Mischief

3 02 2

46 3273 673 3

370 421014 69

11 10 22 0

84 23130 17

61 2597 63107 5183 21

1 0

Weapons and Explosives (prohibited, restricted)

Possession of Stolen property (have stolen goods)

Morals (gambling & betting house, gaming)Morals Sexual (procuring, prostitution, indecent acts) 5 2Public Order offenses(disturb peace, obstruct, trespass at night) 240 37Admin of Justice - Breach, etc 523 33Other Criminal Code Offenses, eg. Impaired Driving 180 19Trafficking or Importing Drugs 132 3Possession of Drugs 110 6Other Federal Statutes 64 0Provincial Offenses Excluding / Traffic (Liquor, Securities) 84 0Provincial Statute Offenses Traffic 308 0Criminal Code Offenses 136 1Reserve Local ByLaw 2 0

NATIVE COURTWORKER PROGAM: Clients Assisted

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012

LOWER MAINLAND Phone Fax

Toll Free 1-877-811-1190Vancouver Extension 340 (604) 775-1144 Robson Street Youth Courthouse Extension 341 (604) 660-7455Surrey Courthouse Extension 342 (604) 543-3151Chilliwack/Abbotsford Extension 343 (604) 792-5539North Vancouver/Pemberton Extension 344 (604) 929-1027

Administration Office Extension 306 (604) 985-8933

SOUTHERN INTERIOR 1-877-811-1190

Kamloops Office Extension 361 (250) 828-7969Williams Lake Extension 362 (250) 398-6819Penticton Extension 363 (250) 493-5302Vernon Extension 364 (250) 545-8885Cranbrook Extension 365 (250) 426-8935

SOUTH COAST 1-877-811-1190

Nanaimo Extension 351Victoria Courthouse Extension 353 (250) 386-6760Port Alberni Extension 354 (250) 724-3110Port Hardy Extension 356 (250) 949-7201Bella Coola Extension 358 (250) 799-5453Campbell River Extension 357 (250) 287-2378Duncan Extension 359

NORTHERN INTERIOR 1-877-811-1190

Prince George Courthouse Extension 322 (250) 562-1578Vanderhoof Extension 325 (250) 277-2251Fort St. John/Fort Nelson Extension 376 (250) 785-5519

NORTH COAST 1-877-811-1190

Prince Rupert Extension 374 (250) 624-3897Smithers Extension 373 (250) 877-5097Terrace/Kitimat Extension 372 (250) 635-8105

ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROGRAM 1-877-811-1190Vancouver Extension 332, 334, 335, 346 888-520-6140Surrey Extension 336 (604) 630-7204

DETOX SUPPORT WORKERS 1-877-811-1190Vancouver Extension 337, 338 888-520-6140

YOUTH AND FAMILY ADVOCATES 1-877-811-1190Prince George Extension 321 (250) 277-2251Terrace Extension 371 (250) 635-8105

DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT (604) 660-8743 (604) 660-8705

ABORIGINAL RESOURCE WORKER (604) 880-2475

STAFF DIRECTORY

w w w . n c c a b c . c a

Margaret BelcourtSteven WilsonGloria GeorgeNorma-Jean StumpMary BrownLynn CollinsRachelle DallaireHugh BrakerTerry La LiberteLindsay PattonDanielle SeymourJon Spotted EagleTroy Sebastian

NCCABCBOARD OFDIRECTORS

NCCABC HEAD OFFICE207-1999 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, B.C. V7P 3J3

Toll Free: 1-877-811-1190Phone: 604-985-5355Fax: 604-985-8933Email: nccabc@nccabc.netOnline: www.nccabc.ca

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS• Vancouver Coastal Health Authority• Ministry of Children and Family Development• Fraser Health Authority• Deparment of Justice Canada• B.C. Ministry Of Justice• United Way of the Lower Mainland• Status of Women Canada• Ministry Health - Aboriginal

Healthy Living Branch• Royal Bank of Canada• Progressive Employment Services Ltd.• Aboriginal Justice Directorate

A N N U A LR E P O R T

2012