EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI): ELDERS AND ELDER HELPERS FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OF CANADA INSTITUTIONS IN THE PRAIRIES REGION
PURPOSE OF THE EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is asking Elders and Elder Helpers interested in providing Indigenous cultural support and guidance to offenders to contact the CSC Representative identified below.
BACKGROUND:
CSC has a legal obligation to provide Indigenous offenders with programs and reintegration support that respect Indigenous culture and values. Elders and Elder Helpers provide services under contract to CSC to assist Indigenous offenders in their traditional healing journey, to develop an understanding of traditional Indigenous culture through teachings, guidance, counselling.
CSC is committed to providing a variety of rehabilitation programs and opportunities to Indigenous offenders. Elders and Elder Helpers expose individuals and groups of offenders to traditional Indigenous ways of life, based on their own teachings, counselling and traditional ceremonies and practices to promote ongoing healing and balance, and increase the likelihood of successful reintegration.
CSC relies on support from First Nation communities, Metis communities, Inuit communities and Indigenous organizations to provide cultural immersion and practices to Indigenous offenders that CSC cannot offer or manage.
The Canadian Federal Correctional environment presents challenges in trying to offer Indigenous support and services within institutions due to the constraints of various security levels, the related level of controlled movement of offenders, and other security requirements. CSC has developed policy and guidelines to better support cultural practices and ceremonies.
REQUIREMENTS:
CSC respects the cultural and traditions of Indigenous communities and strives to treat Elders and Elder Helpers with the utmost respect.
Any Elder or Elder Helper interested in providing services to indigenous offenders must be recognized by their Indigenous community as having the knowledge and understanding of the community’s traditional culture, including their ceremonies, protocols, teachings and healing practices, according to their beliefs and social traditions.
Knowledge and wisdom are the essential and defining traits Elders and Elder Helpers achieve by following a traditional way of life consistent with the teachings of their community’s Elders and healers over a significant period. Elders and Elder Helpers must be recognized as such by Indigenous communities, other Elders and their teachers.
The tasks Elders within CSC typically perform include counselling, teachings, ceremonies and activities for individuals and groups such as:
- Providing guidance and teachings through group sessions (circles) and individual discussions with offenders in the institution.
- Conducting spiritual services and various traditional ceremonies based on each Elder’s teachings.
- Assisting offenders following a healing path in support of their correctional plan.
- Escorting offenders on Escorted Temporary Absences (ETAs) for ceremonial and other spiritual purposes as requested and mutually agreed upon.
- Providing advice and information to staff and management, locally, regionally and nationally on issues of Indigenous spirituality, cultural practices, ceremonies, ceremonial objects, traditional practices and protocols, traditional medicine or sacred grounds within the institution. This includes the collection and storage of ceremonial objects and traditional and ceremonial medicines.
- Introducing institutional staff to various elements of traditional spirituality as deemed appropriate based on the Elder’s teachings.
- Participating in case conferences as requested and providing verbal comments to the offender’s Case Management Team regarding the offender’s participation in a healing path and cultural involvement.
Elder Helpers within CSC support and assist Elders to facilitate delivery of services and provide support, such as:
- Ensuring offenders and staff follow appropriate protocols when approaching the Elder
- Ensuring there are adequate supplies of traditional and ceremonial items, materials and medicines for ceremony purposes as requested by the Elder
- Coordinating and providing supervision of offenders during ceremonies and assistance at the Elder’s request. Providing performance of ceremonies in the Elder’s absence. This also includes scheduling of ceremonies and providing notification of participants to Elders and staff as required.
- Conducting group discussions and teachings, with the Elder’s agreement, in the identification and proper use of ceremonial objects to offenders and staff.
- Assisting the Elder in preparing written and verbal reports to support case management teams and participating in staff meetings.
- Providing counselling services as directed when the Elder is unavailable.
- Providing cultural awareness sessions to staff to promote a culturally safe environment.
CONSTRAINTS:
Characteristics of the offender population:
Along with recognizing the gender, cultural, religious and linguistic differences of inmates, Elders and Elder Helpers must particularly take into consideration the historical context of the lives of Canada’s Indigenous peoples and be sensitive to the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the physical, mental, emotional, and social harms experienced by Indigenous people.
Security:
As Elders or Elder Helpers under contract to CSC have access to protected information and provide cultural support and guidance within correctional facilities, they are subject to security requirements. They must take measures to protect shared personal and protected information in accordance with the contract’s security requirements.
Insurance:
Elder and Elder Helpers must comply with CSC’s insurance requirements including Commercial General Liability Insurance and maintain it through the duration of the contract.
SUPPORT TO CONTRACTOR:
To support Elders and Elder Helpers in providing services to Indigenous Offenders, CSC provides the following:
1. Appropriately equipped facilities for the provision of confidential spiritual services, including the designation of (private) indoor and outdoor space to conduct traditional ceremonies, spiritual activities, and one on one counselling.
2. Ensuring financial and human resources are provided for the gathering of ceremonial objects outside the institution.
3. Ensuring Indigenous Liaison Officers or Parole Officers are available to assist Elders and Elder Helpers in documenting verbal reports Elders and Elder Helpers provide and ensuring the completion of Elder Reviews as per the outline in Commissioner Directive 702 (i.e. Intake, Progress and Decision).
4. Providing orientation to the institution, including all policies and security requirements Elders and Elder Helpers have to follow when carrying out their tasks.
5. Ensuring Elders Elder Helpers are paired with offenders with the same language requirements (French or English).
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
Elders and Elder Helpers providing services to CSC offenders must meet the following essential requirements. CSC reserves the right to modify any and all of these requirements at any time in accordance with its needs.
1. The Elder or Elder Helper must be recognized by their community as an Elder/Elder Helper/Cultural Advisor within that community.
2. The Elder or Elder Helper must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience obtained in the past 10 years in delivering spiritual and cultural services and teachings to Indigenous people. This experience must include:
a) providing counselling and guidance according to the traditions and teachings of their own community; and
b) being familiar with and able to conduct a variety of ceremonies with a focus on healing according to their own teachings.
3. The Elder or Elder Helper must be familiar with and able to provide guidance to staff and offenders regarding the protocols surrounding the use, disposition, and searching of traditional medicines and spiritual effects.
4. The Elder and Elder Helper must have the support of their Cultural Community to provide Elder and Elder Helper services. A circle of Elders already under contract with CSC will meet with the Elder or Elder Helper to discuss their teachers, protocols, and experience.
CSC reserves the right, at its own discretion, to request that suppliers provide a reference letter and/or resume, to support the knowledge and experience claimed.
SCHEDULE
This EOI will remain posted on CanadaBuys until such time that CSC determines, at its sole discretion, that it is no longer required.
SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
At any time, interested Elders and Elder Helpers may contact the following CSC representative by email. Elders and Elder Helpers may send an email in English or French, and should describe their ability to meet the requirements of the Statement of Work. They should also provide any comments and submit questions to the CSC representative.
CSC REPRESENTATIVE:
Emma Martel
Title: Procurement Officer
Correctional Service Canada / Government of Canada
Email: Emma.Martel@csc-scc.gc.ca
Telephone: 343-552-8523
REVIEW OF THE EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
CSC reserves the right to request additional information for clarification during the review of expressions of interest against this Expression of Interest.
THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION PROCESS
Suppliers are to note that this is not a tender process, nor a request for proposal. The issuance of this EOI does not create an obligation for CSC to issue or negotiate a subsequent contract, and does not bind CSC legally or otherwise to enter into a contract or to accept any suggestions from suppliers.
Canada is not bound to accept any expression of interest or to consider it further.
Changes to this EOI may occur and will be advertised on the Government Electronic Tendering Service. CSC asks suppliers to visit Canadabuys regularly to check for changes, if any.
All inquiries and other communications related to this EOI should be directed to the CSC representative named above.
