Deconstructing Disability: Definitions, Data, and Discussions from First Nations Child Welfare Agencies in Northern Saskatchewan Raissa Graumans, PhD Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute National Child Welfare Conference, Calgary October 24, 2018
Presentation Overview 1. Project Background & Research Approach 2. Partners & Participants 3. Methods & Results 4. Recommendations & Future Plans
PURPOSE, SE, AND OBJ BJECTI CTIVES VES • SFNFCI is a non-profit that conducts research, policy development, training and supports to First Nations CFS agencies across the province • SFNFCI is the primary applicant and coordinates the project in partnership with FNCFS agencies • The Disability Research Partnership is a series of yearlong community-based research projects • Funded through the Disabilities Initiative of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)/Department of Indigenous Services Canada (DISC) • Develop a clearer understanding of the experiences of children/youth living with disabilities on reserve • Establish a culturally relevant definition of disability • Identify service availability, gaps, and needs • Develop a data collection instrument to gather relevant information from FNCFS case files
LITERATURE REVIEW: KEY TOPICS • The Canadian go vernme nment nt discrimi iminates against st First Natio ions children by failin ling to provide ide adequat uate funding ng for services (Benjamin, 2018; First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada et al. v. Attorney General of Canada, 2016; Sinha & Kozlowski, 2013; Blackstock, 2011) • First Nations ns child ldren/yo n/youth th are over-repre resent nted in the Child Welfare system m (both in Saskatche hewa wan & C Canada) (Sinha, & Orav-Lakaski, 2018; Kirmayer, Sheiner, & Geoffroy, 2016; Fallon et al., 2015; Barker, Alred, & Kerr, 2014; Statistics Canada, 2013) • Children/youth with disabilities are more likely to experience neglect and abuse (Perrigo et al., 2018; Helton & Cross, 2011; Stalker & McArthur, 2010; Jaudes & Mackey-Bilaver, 2008; Fuchs et al. 2007; Sullivan & Knutson, 2000) • Lack of specif ific, ic, reliabl ble data on prevale lence rates, function ional l impacts, s, and other key informat mation ion related to disabil biliti ities among Indig igenou nous s commun munit itie ies in Saskatc tchew hewan, , Canada, and around nd the world (Di Pietro & Illes, 2016; Lightfoot, Hill, & LaLiberte, 2011; AFN, 2007; Wright, Hiebert-Murphy, & Gosek, 2005; Gething, 1994)
RESEARCH APPROACH
PARTNERS & PARTICIPANTS 2016-17 2017-18 Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 ACCFS 0 26 26 MLTCCFS 0 27 27 53
Support from the 3 Chiefs and Councils in Athabasca: Chief Rudy ACCFS Sub-Office, Big River First Nation: Adam (Fond du Lac); Chief Coreen Sayazie (Black Lake); Chief Prevention Worker Interviews. Bart Tsannie (Hatchet Lake) September 16, 2016 September 28, 2017 L-R: Jacqueline Hale, Joyce Roy, Doreen Sayazie, Rose MLTCCFS Sub-Office, Key Informant Interviews. Buffalo Narrows, Mary Campbell October, 2016 SK. October 11, 2017
METHODS QUALITATIVE: QUANTITATIVE: ONE NE-ON ON-ONE NE-IN INTERV TERVIE IEWS WS DISABILI SABILITY TY INFOR FORMAT ATIO ION N TOOL OOL Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 Biolo logic ical l Parents 11 11 0 Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 Foster Parents 0 3 ACCFS 0 26 26 CFS Workers 3 13 13 Service Provid iders rs 6 5 MLTCCFS 0 27 27 Band Leadersh ship ip 3 0 53 23 21 41 41
DEFINING DISABILITY • Information on the ways that ‘disability’ is defined, conceptualized, and enacted in Indigenous communities is limited (Sabatello & Schultz (Eds.), 2014). • “The definition and perception of disability within the Aboriginal community is different from that of mainstream Canada” (Dion, 2017) • “Many Aboriginal people with disabilities do not recognise or acknowledge they have a disability (as defined by government legislation)” Gething, 1994) Unspecified Terms & Usage Social & Child-focused Functional perspective Impacts
QUANTITATIVE: Disability Information Tool (D.I.T.) Six Key Sections: 1 •Demographics 2 •Child Welfare Information 3 • Health Condition 4 •Assessment, Diagnoses, & Services 5 • Functioning 6 • Contextual Factors
D.I.T.: CONDITIONS 49 36% 9 7% 33 24% 40 29% 137 instances 6 (diagnoses, 4% assessment referrals, suspected cases)
D.I.T: PLACEMENTS & ADDICTIONS/SELF-HARM Placements • Average number of placements per child = 7.5 • Children with only 1 placement (never moved) = 2 • Child who was moved the most = 23 placements (in 4 years) • Number of children who have moved 10 + times while in care = 8 (15% of cases reviewed)
QUALITATIVE: THEMATIC ANALYSIS The systems that participants mentioned most often as not meeting their needs are: • Education • Health • Housing & Band Support • Mental Health Services • Social Programs
QUALITATIVE: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
THE IMPACTS OF INADEQUACY SOCIAL “ None of the families with kids with special needs really go out – we just stay home .” “ I didn't want him to go down south, I didn't want him to lose our culture, to miss his family .” EDUCATIONAL “She doesn't go to school because there is no one to help teach her .” Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 “Almost every day they send him home and ACCFS 0 26 26 every year he is growing and missing so much important stuff. So he will be falling behind .” MLTCCFS 0 27 27 ECONOMIC “I can’t get a job because he has so many 53 appointments and is not in school .” PHYSICAL “Travelling is hard on both of us.” “ As she is growing up it is getting worse. It is really so hard .” EMOTIONAL “I just didn't know where to go or what to do. I just started to get counselling myself because people started to push me away because of my kid and I just didn't know what to do.”
ACTIONS YEAR 1 YEAR 2 Professional Training for ADCFS Staff Caregiver Training (Exceptionalities and (FASD Network, Disability/Challenging Therapeutic Interventions) Behavior) (MLTCCFS and ACCFS, Feb-Mar 2018) (Stony Rapids, March 2017) Reaching in Reaching Out Resiliency Group Home Disability Training, Training Staff (Black Lake, May 2017) (MLTCCFS/ACCFS, March 2018) Parent Workshops (FASD Network, Information sessions by Onion Lake Disability/Challenging Behavior) FASD Diagnostic Team (Fond Du Lac, Hatchet Lake, (MLTCCFS and ACCFS, Jan/Feb 2018) Black Lake; March, 2017) Family Conference Presentations: Results Sharing Lunch and Learn (Fond Du Lac, Hatchet Lake, Black (MLTCCFS and ACCFS, March 2018) Lake; Feb/Mar 2017)
RECOMMENDATIONS
Benjamin, C. (2018). Standing with First Nations children until the discrimination finally ends. Discrimination Against First Nations Children in Canada. Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.ca/category/issue/discrimination-against-first-nations-children-canada Blackstock, C. (2011). The Canadian human rights tribunal on First Nations child welfare: Why if Canada wins, equality and justice lose. Children and Youth Services Review , 33 (1), 187-194. Dion, J. (2017). Falling Through the Cracks: Canadian Indigenous Children with Disabilities. International Human Rights Internships Program - Working Paper Series, 5, 12. Accessed September 13, Di Pietro, N., & Illes, J. (2016). Closing gaps: strength-based approaches to research with Aboriginal children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuroethics , 9 (3), 243-252. Gething, L. (1994). Aboriginality and disability. Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal , 18 (3), 29. Perrigo, J. L., Berkovits, L. D., Cederbaum, J. A., Williams, M. E., & Hurlburt, M. S. (2018). Child abuse and neglect re-report rates for young children with developmental delays. Child Abuse & Neglect , 83 , 1-9. Sabatello, M. & Schulze, M. (Eds.)(2014). Human Rights and Disability Advocacy. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Sinha, V., Delaye, A., & Orav-Lakaski, B. (2018). Reimagining Overrepresentation Research: Critical Reflections on Researching the Overrepresentation of First Nations Children in the Child Welfare System. JL & Soc. Pol'y , 28 , 10. Sinha, V., & Kozlowski, A. (2013). The structure of Aboriginal child welfare in Canada. The International Indigenous Policy Journal , 4 (2), 2.
THANK YOU! Raissa Graumans raissa@sfnfci.ca 306-373-2874 x 223 SFNFCI.CA
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