Eagle Heart Centre opens new mental health group home for youth in Regina
CBC
A new five-space mental health group home for youth had its grand opening Thursday in Regina.
Joe and Irene's Youth Home is run by Eagle Heart Centre, a community-based organization that provides culturally relevant services and trauma-informed care for vulnerable youth and families in Saskatchewan.
Eagle Heart leaders say the goal of the group home is to provide youth ages 12 to 18 with short-term residential care that includes 24-hour mental health and addictions support.
Joe and Irene's Youth Home was named in honour of the Métis parents of Delora Parisian, founder and executive director of Eagle Heart. Joe and Irene raised 11 children.
"Despite facing racism, poverty and personal hardships, my parents raised us with the values of hard work, financial independence and the encouragement to follow our dreams," Parisian said.
Similarly, Eagle Heart Centre board president Linda Anderson grew up in a house of 11 people.
"We grew up very poor as well in a small 600-square-foot house, living in poverty [with] no indoor plumbing," Anderson said.
Anderson got through those hard times and said every challenge makes you stronger.
"I would just love to see the young people become a hero in their own story. and they too can set an example and be a mentor to others," she said. "That even though times it can be so tough, so challenging, [you can] continue to pursue and you'll get there."
Anderson said that naming the new youth home after Parisian's parents was right on the nose.
"The naming is just perfect because I think that all families of those days that had 10, 15, 20 kids deserve something named after them," she said with a laugh.
Anderson said it's far too common to see youth out on the streets in Regina.
"I mean, you have to be blind to not see the need out there."
She said that even though youth in need don't know many other people from the community, she wants them to understand that Eagle Heart is really concerned about them and cares about their wellbeing.
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