CANADIAN MULTICULTURAL DISABILITY CENTRE INC.

PROGRAM 1 APPLICATION OF STORY TELLING MUSIC AND DANCE IN MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY IN IMMIGRANT REFUGEE AND BLACK YOUTH. THIS PROJECT IS MOTIVATED TO: EMPOWER IMMIGRANT REFUGEE AND BLACK YOUTH EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THROUGH THE USE OF STORY TELLING BY ELDERS AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE BIPOC COMMUNITIES. IN THIS APPROACH THE SYMPTOMS AS EXHIBITED BY MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES WHICH MAY INCLUDE THOSE DISTURBANCES IN THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS THAT AFFECT A PERSON'S COGNITIVE EMOTIONAL OR SOCIAL ABILITIES WILL BE NARRATED THROUGH THE USE OF ORAL TRADITION OF STORY TELLING. THIS PROCESS DE-STIGMATIZES MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. PROGRAM 2: ESTABLISHMENT OF A CULTURALLY ATTUNE GENDER BASED REFUGEE CENTRE. THIS CENTRE IS MOTIVATED TO COMBINE AFRICAN INDIGENOUS AND CANADIAN CULTURES INTO MITIGATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN BLACK AND OTHER ETHNO-CULTURAL COMMUNITIES. THE CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR PROJECT IS THE APPLICATION OF ALTERNATIVE EFFECTIVE CONFLICT RESOLUTION INTERVENTION TO THE LEGAL APPROACH TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SUCH AS RESTORATIVE APPROACH TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. KEY FEATURES OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: 'RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IS A PROCESS THAT TAKES DIFFERENT FORMS INCLUDING VICTIM-OFFENDER MEDIATION VICTIM-OFFENDER RECONCILIATION FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING CIRCLE SENTENCING AND VICTIM IMPACT PANELS