indigenous Occupational Therapy Services
Phenix Wellness is founded on the understanding of antiracism and decolonization, and we educate all our staff in this foundational knowledge to best support our clients.
Indigenous children deserve support and services from people who understand historical and intergenerational trauma. Using our unique model Occupational therapists will travel to First Nations and Métis communities to provide anti-oppressive Occupational Therapy assessments and develop treatment plans to specific to Indigenous children.
Individual Assessments
Phenix Wellness provides consultation as well as assessment/treatment for children with any ability or need. We focus on both child and family centered care because children are the center of our families. We can see children in different environments including the clinic, their homes, and their schools to provide the best overall assessment and treatment plan.
Typically an assessment will be completed over several sessions and possibly different environments the child is in. Each assessment will vary, depending on the child, but often a combination of interaction and skills evaluation, observation, and possibly standardized assessment will occur. Standardized assessment is not the default or “go-to” model of practice and when the decision is made to use use standardized assessment, it is a collaborative decision. We believe our model of practice to be less oppressive to children who need our strength the most.
Treatment is unique to each child and can consist of behavioural strategies, sensory and self-regulation strategies, movement and skill based techniques, and social skills strategies, among other areas.
Please see the online booking calendar to book individual assessments for children living in Regina or surrounding area.
Please call 306-527-9007 for more information.
School Based Assessment
Phenix Wellness provides school based assessments in the child’s home community, where a hands on and holistic based approach is used. Most western models use standardized assessments, pull the child into a closed off 1:1 space and then complete an assessment to prepare a treatment plan. We strongly believe this model ends up with harmful consequences for Indigenous children, therefore we take a different approach. Usually in a western model a report is written and there may be one follow-up visit/meeting to convey assessment findings. This may be beneficial and appropriate in some cases, but we feel that a one size fits all approach to assessing Indigenous children does not work for everyone.
We offer an Occupational Therapy approach with a twist, and will work with the child’s circle of care including the school or healthcare team and family to develop a strengths based treatment plan that works better for both the child and the school. We can also continue to support the school on an ongoing basis.
We will travel to the child’s home community or school to complete the assessment. Please note that the therapists travel costs are an additional cost.
Please email otconsulting@phenixwellness.com for more information.
We are Autism Funded Service Providers and a Jordan’s Principle vendor and we can do assessments with Métis Nation of Saskatchewan funding through the SOAR program.
Assessments based on a western paradigm have caused harm in Indigenous communities. Most service providers are not Indigenous and are coming from a western worldview. Our organization is different because it offers services by Indigenous OTs.
We are Autism Funded Service Providers and a Jordan’s Principle vendor and we can do assessments with Métis Nation of Saskatchewan funding through the SOAR program.
