The IFISC resource library.
Curated reading and reference for Indigenous families, practitioners, and policymakers. Organized by the seven pillars of the IFISC standard.
148 Curated resources
7 Pillars covered
30+ Organizations referenced
24/7 Crisis lines included
No resources match that search. Try a different term or suggest one.
Pillar 01
Health and Wellness
Read about this pillarIndigenous mental health and healing
- SERVICE First Nations Health Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry FNHA virtual care service.
- SERVICE Tsow-Tun Le Lum (Helping House) Indigenous-led healing centre on Vancouver Island.
- GUIDE An Indigenous Guide to Healing Sexual Trauma Flipbook resource.
- SERVICE Somatic Birth and Coaching Trauma-informed birth and body work.
- LIBRARY Free trauma-informed mental health resources CTRI Institute library.
- SERVICE Brotherhood to Support Men’s Health and Wellness Dudes Club.
- VIDEO Documentary: Kids Are Only Kids Once Documentary on child welfare experience.
- ARTICLE A Conversation with Elder Raven Wing (Lorelei Hawkins) on Two-Spirit Identity YWCA Vancouver, 2023.
- SERVICE BC’s Two-Spirit, Queer, and Trans Resource Centre Qmunity.
Harm reduction and substance use
- SERVICE BCCDC Harm Reduction Services Toward The Heart · BC harm reduction programs.
- SERVICE Rapid Access Addiction Clinic (RAAC) Specialized addiction medicine. Providence Health Care.
- RESEARCH iOAT Study BCCSU evaluation of injectable opioid agonist treatment.
- DIRECTORY An Assortment of Services Related to Substance Use VCH directory.
- ADVOCACY Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War Peer-led drug policy education.
- PDF FNHA Treatment Centre Adult Referral Package Inclusion criteria, treatment centre descriptions, referral application.
- LIBRARY Psychoactive Plant and Drug Dictionary Erowid harm-reduction reference.
Mental health system accountability
- REPORT Façade of Safety Gender-based violence in BC’s involuntary mental health system.
- POSITION Pivot Legal Society position paper on involuntary treatment Position paper calling for elimination of involuntary treatment in BC.
- PDF Aboriginal Health Complaints Process Pathway for complaints about racism in BC health care.
- REPORT Addressing Racism in BC Health Care Independent investigation led by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.
- REPORT In Plain Sight Summary Report Indigenous-specific racism in BC health care.
Pillar 02
Rights and Legal Accountability
Read about this pillarKnow your rights (for families)
- GUIDE Bill C-92 Rights Guide for Parents University of Alberta Wahkohtowin.
- GUIDE The Arrest Handbook 2023 Your rights if stopped, questioned, or arrested. BCCLA.
- TOOLKIT Pathways to Police Accountability Toolkit How to file complaints and seek accountability for police misconduct. BCCLA.
- GUIDE Police in Schools: A Pocket Guide to Your Rights BCCLA, 2024.
- GUIDE Digital Privacy Rights for Youth BCCLA, 2022.
- GUIDE Know Your Rights Handbook Pivot Legal Society.
- GUIDE A Citizen’s Guide to Rights When Dealing with Police CCLA, 2021.
- TOOLKIT The Access Toolkit West Coast LEAF.
Legal aid and representation
- SERVICE Indigenous Community Legal Clinic UBC Allard. 604-822-1311 · [email protected]
- SERVICE Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Services Society VATJSS. 604-251-7200.
- SERVICE Rise Women’s Legal Centre Family law representation. 604-827-4111.
- AGENCY West Coast LEAF Gender-based discrimination law. 604-684-8772.
- SERVICE Family Advocacy Support Centre Family advocacy across BC.
- AGENCY Pivot Legal Society Public legal information and advocacy.
- AGENCY Transform the Family Justice System Collaborative BC family justice reform.
Court rulings and human rights
- COURT Supreme Court of Canada Upholds the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families UBCIC summary.
- NEWS Human Rights Tribunal Fines Indigenous Child-Care Agency $150K for Discriminating Against Mother CBC.
- NEWS Afro-Indigenous Mom Wins Case in BC Court Against Agency That Seized Her Kids IndigiNews.
- NEWS BC Human Rights Tribunal Will Hear Indigenous Mother’s Case Against Child-Welfare Agency The Discourse.
- NEWS In the Province’s Top Court, an Indigenous Mother Continues Her Fight for Justice IndigiNews.
- NEWS BC Judge Breaks With Convention in Indigenous Child-Protection Case The Discourse.
Legislation and frameworks
- LAW Bill C-92: An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families Parliament of Canada.
- LAW Bill C-15: UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Department of Justice.
- LAW Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA) BC primary child welfare statute.
- GUIDE Bill C-92 Compliance Guide for Social Workers and Service Providers Practical implementation guide.
- BRIEF Bill C-92 National Standards Brief for Legal Professionals UAlberta Wahkohtowin.
- POLICY Child Protection Response Policies BC policy document.
- POLICY Best Practice Approaches: Child Protection and Violence Against Women BC Government.
Pillar 03
Indigenous Law and Tradition
Read about this pillarIndigenous legal scholarship
- AGENCY Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU) Indigenous law research and resurgence.
- RESEARCH Wahkohtowin: Indigenous Law and Governance Research University of Alberta.
- LIBRARY First Peoples Law: Publications Plain-language Indigenous rights writing.
- AGENCY Indigenous Bar Association Promoting the development of Indigenous law.
- LIBRARY Indigenous Peoples and the Law Databases University of Calgary legislation, commentary, and databases.
- LIBRARY UNDRIP Implementation: Braiding International, Domestic, and Indigenous Laws Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Nation-specific jurisdiction
- ANALYSIS A Roadmap to C-92: The Federal Child Welfare Law OKT Law analysis.
- AGENCY First Nations Leadership Council — Children and Families BC FNLC family law portal.
- LIBRARY FNLC Technical Resources for Children and Families Resource library.
- VIDEO Splatsin First Nation: Jurisdiction 41 Years In A Bylaw for the Care of Our Indian Children.
- VIDEO Indigenous Child and Family Services Directors Society Agreement-In-Principle Webinar Webinar on jurisdiction transitions.
- PRIMER Policy Primer on Practice Shifts Required With Canada’s Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families Plain-language primer.
International frameworks
Land, tradition, and Indigenous worldview
- APP Whose Land Web app identifying Indigenous nations, territories, and communities across Canada.
- PROJECT Testify Indigenous Indigenous law expressed through art, dance, storytelling, sculpture, song.
- REPORT Wrapping Our Ways Around Them Aboriginal worldview applied to BC child protection law.
- FRAMEWORK Aboriginal Policy and Practice Framework in BC BC practice framework.
- GUIDE Decolonization Handbook FPSE handbook.
Pillar 04
Family and Reunification
Read about this pillarPrevention and family preservation
- REPORT Pathways in a Forest: Indigenous Guidance on Prevention-Based Child Welfare West Coast LEAF.
- REPORT Strathcona Early Childhood Needs Assessment 2023–24 Community-level data on early childhood.
- GUIDE Jordan’s Principle Frequently Asked Questions First Nations Health Authority.
- GUIDE Jordan’s Principle — First Nations Child and Family Caring Society Caring Society background and current campaigns.
Reports on children in care
- REPORT Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the MMIWG Inquiry National Inquiry, 2019.
- REPORT MMIWG Calls for Justice The 231 Calls for Justice.
- REPORT Skye’s Legacy: A Focus on Belonging Representative for Children and Youth BC.
- REPORT Stories of Children and Youth Lost or Missing From the Child Welfare System RCY, April 2023.
- REPORT Caught in the Middle RCY 2019.
- REPORT IWG2S Coming Home Report Prepared for the City of Saskatoon.
- REPORT DEWC Written Report to the National Inquiry into MMIWG Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
- REPORT Women’s Coalition: Women Serving Organizations in the DTES Getting to the Roots, 2014.
Direct family support and youth aging out
- HUB AgedOut.com Resource hub for BC youth aging out of care.
- HUB AgedOut Health and Wellness Section Health-focused resources for transition-aged youth.
- AGENCY Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks Youth-driven non-profit for young people in and from care, ages 14–24.
- AGENCY Justice for Girls Equality and well-being of teenage girls in poverty.
Trial and tribunal stories
- NEWS ‘Justine’ to Get Her Girls Back From Foster Care The Discourse.
- NEWS This Indigenous Mom’s Two-Front Fight Might Be Gaining Ground The Discourse.
- NEWS Judge Asks: Should a Mother Lose Her Kids Because She Challenges the Foster-Care System? The Discourse.
- NEWS An Indigenous Mom’s Fight to Get Her Kids Out of a Foster Care System She Calls Biased The Discourse.
- NEWS Government Witness ‘Not Qualified’ to Testify in Child-Protection Trial, Judge Rules The Discourse.
- NEWS When Your Child-Protection Trial Is “To Be Continued…” The Discourse.
- NEWS Trauma or Not, This Indigenous Mother’s Unfit, Ministry Tells Court The Discourse.
Pillar 05
Culture and Identity
Read about this pillarCultural frameworks
Parenting and family practice
- LIBRARY Parenting Booklet Resources for First Nations and Métis Parents Manitoba Healthy Child Office.
- RESOURCE Attachment Is for Life Parenting resources from Roy Holland, MD, FRCP(C).
- RESOURCE Sex Positive Families Sex education resources for families.
- POST Strategies for Supporting Children Through Pandemic KFT resource.
- PROGRAM Live 5-2-1-0 Children’s healthy behaviours initiative across BC.
Youth voice and belonging
- RESOURCE Mindfulness for Teens Youth voices, guided meditations, related resources.
- PDF Affirmation Deck of Cards Printable deck on consent, pleasure, gender, sexuality, identity, healing.
- RESOURCE UBC Learning Circle: Crisis and Counselling Support Indigenous youth resources.
- NEWS ‘We’re Rising and Taking Our Place Now,’ Say Indigenous Women Behind Ambitious BC Testimony Project Toronto Star, 2019.
Pillar 06
Community and Accountability
Read about this pillarInvestigative journalism on child welfare
- PROJECT Spotlight: Child Welfare Collaborative journalism project on BC’s child-welfare system. @ChildSpotlight
- NEWS IndigiNews Indigenous-led news organization in BC.
- NEWS The Discourse — Child Welfare In-depth coverage of family policing.
- NEWS The Tyee BC investigative reporting.
- MAGAZINE Rise Magazine Information and peer support by and for parents.
- ARTICLE The Long History of Discrimination Against First Nations Children Cindy Blackstock, Policy Options.
System performance reports
- REPORT Project Inclusion Pivot Legal Society on harassment, displacement, racism by police across BC.
- REPORT Defunding the Police: Defining the Way Forward for HRM Halifax board report.
- GOV BC Child Welfare Practice Audits Government of BC.
- POLICY Quality Assurance Programs and Services BC quality assurance framework.
- REPORT Challenging the MCFD Culture of Risk and Surveillance West Coast LEAF.
- LETTER Release: Stop Involuntary Drug Testing of Parents Engaged With MCFD West Coast LEAF open letter.
- POLICY Policy 1.1: Working with Indigenous Children, Youth, Families and Communities Family policing policy (BC).
- ARTICLE Dr. Dawn Beichner’s UN Journal Issue on Violence Against Women Illinois State University coverage.
Podcasts and audio
Current news stories
- NEWS Tenant Accuses BC Housing Employee of Coercively Calling Child Services CityNews Vancouver, 2026.
- NEWS Grieving Mom Seeks Answers After Learning Teen Son Died by Suicide in Vancouver Foster Home CTV News.
- NEWS Single Mother of 3 Calls for Better Services for Indigenous Families on the DTES CBC Indigenous.
- NEWS Psychologists Using Biased Tests to Assess Indigenous Parents, Experts Say The Discourse.
- NEWS Kicked Out of Supportive Housing After Saying She Was Sexually Assaulted The Tyee.
Pillar 07
Crisis Intervention
Read about this pillarCrisis lines and immediate help
- CRISIS 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline 24/7 talk or text in Canada.
- APP Lifeguard App For drug users alone or self-isolating.
- CRISIS The Lifeline Canada Foundation Positive mental health and suicide prevention.
- GUIDE Alternatives to Calling 911 Community-developed list of mental health and safety alternatives.
Violence and personal safety
- REPORT Road to Safety: Indigenous Survivors in BC Speak Out Against Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 pandemic.
- GUIDE Peace Bond BC For anyone in BC who fears for their safety. Women’s Legal Centre.
- NEWS Indigenous Mom’s Address Shared With an Abusive Ex The Tyee. A Vancouver social agency sent info to a violent former partner.
- REPORT Justice or ‘Just’ a Piece of Paper? BWSS report on police response to gender-based violence.
Birth alerts and emergency removal
Residential schools legacy and unmarked graves
Adjacent
Housing and Basic Needs
Essential context for family integrity. Housing, food security, and connectivity.
Housing
- DIRECTORY BC Housing: Indigenous Housing Providers List of off-reserve Indigenous housing providers across BC.
- PROGRAM Rent Supplement Program for Youth From Care BC rent supplements available for youth from care.
- HUB AgedOut Housing Section Housing resources for youth aging out of care.
- AGENCY Vancouver Tenants Union Tenant rights advocacy.
- AGENCY Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) Legal education on tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities.
- GUIDE Guide: Changing Locks When You Are a Renter in BC Women’s Legal Centre.