Two support programs that have been serving youth and their families in the Evergreen School Division’s catchment area for about 20 years are seeing a steady demand for service and positive outcomes, and could use some additional funding support.
Kellie Yellowega is the program coordinator for the FYRST program and the Re-START program, both of which serve youth and families in the Gimli, Arborg, Riverton, Winnipeg Beach and surrounding areas.
The FYRST program, which stands for Family & Youth Regional Support Team, assists youth aged 12-18. The Re-START program supports those 18 years of age and older. Participants in the FYRST program can transition to Re-START if a continuum of support is deemed beneficial for them.
Youth from all socio-economic backgrounds who’ve had contact with social services or the justice system and are struggling at school, have family challenges or are using substances such as alcohol and drugs are eligible to join the programs, which are purely voluntary.
Yellowega’s job is to bring together a number of agencies – including the school division and the RCMP – to one table where they can collaborate and determine the best supports for each youth or adult taking part in the programs. She also works one-on-one with each participant.
“In order to be accepted into FYRST, youth need to have three agencies in place which can include CFS [provincial Child and Family Services], Manitoba Justice or an addictions therapy program. A lot of times these are the kids we see that are struggling and need help,” said Yellowega, who has a mediation certificate and a degree in conflict resolution. “There are lots of agencies in place, but there’s not a lot of coordination. We facilitate getting those agencies around the table and seeing how we can best support the youth and their family.”
The FYRST program was originally called START. It began in Selkirk over 20 years ago. It has now expanded to Interlake communities and other areas of the province such as Dauphin, whose program is called DART, and Steinbach, whose program is called Headway. Selkirk’s program is called START.
Yellowega, who’s based out of the Gimli RCMP detachment, said she’ll get referrals to the FYRST program from a school team that’s determined a youth would be willing to take part in the program, from the RCMP, from probation services, from mental health services from either the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority or a private mental health service such as CTS [Elements CTS], which provides assessment, counselling and therapeutic services for kids in the Riverton area.
One of Yellowega’s latest clients, for example, is a youth in Grade 8. The youth had not been attending school and was struggling with drug and alcohol use, and the parents didn’t have external supports for them. Yellowega received a call from community mental health services (IERHA) asking whether she could coordinate some services for the youth through the FYRST program.
Because the child is a minor, the mother had to sign a referral form that CMH provided. Once that was completed, Yellowega spoke with the mother to see what services should be provided immediately then set up a joint in-person meeting with the school, mental health services and the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) to discuss the challenges.
Youth don’t attend the first meeting with the multidisciplinary team and they have the¬¬ option of whether or not to attend subsequent meetings; they won’t be forced to attend.
“I would meet the child before [subsequent] meetings happen and I’ll let them know these meetings happen once a month and that they’re for them,” said Yellowega. “But if they don’t feel comfortable coming, that’s no problem. But I would ask what the youth wants us to talk about. We let them know that this team of people is here to support them. For example, if it’s a foster child and they say they want a visit with their family, the team would talk about what it would take to do that. We look at things that are important to the kids, but also look at the whole picture.”
Some of the root causes of youth becoming involved in drugs or alcohol or coming into contact with the justice system stems mainly from family challenges, said Yellowega. A lot of the kids she works with (at least 70 per cent) are in the foster care system in which kids lack a permanent home structure. But social media and peer groups can also play a part in youth becoming involved in unhealthy behaviours.
In addition to alcohol and drug use and involvement with the justice system, youth can engage in other risky behaviours such as being sexually promiscuous.
Yellowega said participants who still need supports once they’ve turned 18 and are no longer eligible for the FYRST program can transition to the Re-Start program should they require continuing support.
Re-START helps adults in areas such as housing, justice involvement, addictions, unemployment and family difficulties. It can also help them with basic things that may pose challenges such as obtaining a social insurance number, a health card or employment.
“Re-START is voluntary. Participants can choose whether or not they get help from AFM or mental health if they need those services. We can’t make people go, but we can set them up with those services when they’re ready,” said Yellowega.
The Addictions Foundation has staff (one for youth and one for adults) working in Gimli so that participants don’t need to travel to Winnipeg. And addictions counsellors that are part of the IERHA can travel to different communities or do video calls with program participants.
Just knowing that someone has your back – despite mistakes you might have made along the way – is a relief for many of the participants, said Yellowega.
“Participants who are or have been involved with the justice system don’t really have a lot of allies because they’ve done something that has caused them to be part of the justice system. I come in and I’m immediately on their side, and I think that’s helpful for them to know they have someone who will be there to support them,” she said. “Some of my newer clients have made a name for themselves in their community – not in a good way – and they now feel they have no one to reach out to. That’s where I come in to get them the support they need.”
FYRST and Re-START receive funding support from the provincial justice department. As one of the partner agencies in the programs, the RCMP provides in-kind support through the provision of office space and other resources.
Staff serjeant Rob Gray of the Gimli and area RCMP detachment said the START model originated in Prince Albert, Sask., after the chief of police there determined there was a need for a multidisciplinary approach to helping people overcome challenges.
“Every organization has a piece of the puzzle. And we all struggle with our own specific mandates. While the RCMP doesn’t enter the realm of social work because we’re not social workers, sometimes our job involves part of that,” said Gray. “Having everyone at the same table enables us to see where the issues are and where an organization can best fit in order to help support these kids and their families. Sometimes it’s not just issues with the kids, but with family.”
Gray said there has never been a large criminal youth element in the Evergreen catchment area, and the kids who need help generally – but not always – come from families that are struggling to make ends meet. Requests for RCMP intervention typically involve mental health issues.
“There is a big divide, I think, in this area between people at different social and economic levels,” said Gray. “There are families that are wealthy and those who aren’t. Those who struggle the most are those whose families tend to be at a lower economic level. And if they’re struggling already, those families may not be able to take a day off, for example, to drive their kids to appointments that could be in the city. So the kids may be less likely to get the required services.”
Yellowega said the outcomes of each program are tracked, feedback from both participants and service providers are gathered and an annual report is provided to the provincial government.
The 2023 annual report shows success is areas such as youth with improved school attendance and academics, a reduction of risk factors, fewer calls to RCMP, fewer mental health-related calls to the RCMP, links to culturally appropriate services, reduced barriers in accessing services and service providers (support agencies) saying participation in the programs is a good use of their time.
For the Gimli, Arborg, Riverton and Winnipeg Beach areas in particular, the statistics show that 68 per cent of program participants (FYRST and Re-START) are accessing mental health treatment, 100 per cent have obtained housing, 60 per cent have improved living conditions, 57 and 54 per cent, respectively, had improved school attendance and academics, 67 per cent had barriers to services reduced and 76 per cent had a reduction in risk factors.
A parent whose child took part in the FYSRT program said: “I really like having support from multiple resources; it helps me not feel like I’m alone trying to help my child. It shows here are people looking out for her too. It’s a mental relied for me.”
For the Selkirk area, the 2023 statistics show 76 per cent accessing needed mental health treatment, 95 per cent having obtained housing, 75 per cent having improved living conditions, 63 and 60 per cent, respectively, having improved school attendance and improved academics, 91 per cent having barriers to accessing services reduced and 86 per cent having a reduction of risk factors.
The success of the programs doesn’t mean there’s a reduction in need. Yellowega said there is a consistent demand for FYRST and Re-START programs in the Evergreen catchment area. And some program participants do experience financial challenges obtaining services.
Indigenous youth, for example, are guaranteed access to services through Jordan’s Principle and FYRST doesn’t have to help find coverage for them (i.e., funding support). But kids who are non-Indigenous and whose parents fall below the poverty line can struggle to get service and FYRST looks at ways to support them.
“We’ve been working with Haley’s Way, an organization in Gimli that is willing to provide funding for kids who can’t afford services,” she said. “It’s been wonderful getting to know the Haley’s Way group and it’s really hopeful for our community that we have potential access to funding for services for kids who meet Haley’s Way criteria.”
In the past, some municipalities such as the former Village of Riverton would provide funding support so that the community’s kids could get the help they needed. The RM of Gimli and the Town of Winnipeg Beach currently provide funding support to the programs.
Yellowega said she’ll be reaching out this fall to municipalities such as Bifrost-Riverton and Arborg to see if they can contribute some funding support to the programs.
“The reason we’re looking to increase our funding is to potentially bring another person in to support more kids. The need is staying consistent,” said Yellowega. “And in the past few months we’ve seen an increase in Re-START cases.”
For more information about the FYRST and Re-START programs, contact program coordinator Kellie Yellowega at (204) 641-2914.
