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Recovery & Wellness Program

Healing happens in many ways — through culture, connection, creativity, and community. At Whistling Wind, we offer a wide range of Action Therapy™ programs and activities that support personal growth, cultural pride, and meaningful relationships.

Whistling Wind Recovery and Wellness Centre

A Recovery Program for Male Youth Living with Addiction or problematic substance use
The Whistling Wind Recovery and Wellness Centre is a four-month live-in treatment program located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, created specifically for male youth aged 14 to 18 who are experiencing addiction or substance use challenges.

Our Centre offers youth the chance to step away from harmful environments and into a structured, safe, and culturally grounded setting where recovery is supported through connection, accountability, and purpose.

This program is not a general wellness or respite program — it is designed for youth who are seeking meaningful recovery from the impacts of alcohol and drug use. Whether their struggles have led to system involvement, family disruption, or personal crisis, the youth we support are ready to make a change — and we are ready to walk with them.

What makes our approach unique is how it blends three powerful therapeutic models

Action Therapy™

A relational, movement-based, trauma-informed
practice that brings therapy into real-life settings through shared activity,
cultural engagement, and advocacy.

12-Step Recovery

A spiritually grounded and values-based model rooted
in honesty, accountability, self-reflection, and daily recovery practice.

Narrative Practice

A clinical framework that helps youth externalize
problems, reclaim their identities, and re-author their lives around
strengths, dignity, and possibility.

Together, these frameworks offer more than sobriety — they offer restoration. The Whistling Wind Recovery and Wellness Centre is not just a treatment space. It is a healing home, a circle of care, and a culturally grounded path toward a better future.

Who We Serve

This program is for male youth ages 14–18 who are:

  • Actively seeking recovery from addiction or substance use
  • Living with the impacts of trauma, grief, violence, or family breakdown
  • Struggling to maintain safety, structure, or wellness in their current environment
  • Ready to participate in a therapeutic program focused on recovery and reconnection

Youth do not need to be involved with CFS, the justice system, or unhoused to qualify. While we work closely with youth in those systems, we also serve young
people referred by families, schools, support workers, and community organizations who are ready to begin the recovery process.

Our Therapeutic Approach

We do not treat youth as broken — we see them as sacred, capable, and deserving of support. The Recovery and Wellness Centre is built on cultural teachings, relational accountability, and clinical integrity. Our programming includes:

  •  Action Therapy™ — where healing happens not just through talk, but through presence, activity, and connection to land, culture, and others
  • 12-Step Recovery — helping youth explore values, spirituality, and self-reflection through adapted, youth-friendly recovery materials
  • Narrative Practice — weekly one-on-one therapy sessions that explore identity, meaning, trauma, and personal story in a supportive, strengths-based way
  • Therapeutic Community Living — youth live together in a structured, safe, and caring environment where mutual respect and shared responsibility are emphasized

Core Program Components

1. Daily Routine & Structure

  • Morning check-ins, group reflections, and daily planning
  • Shared meals and household responsibilities to build consistency and accountability
  • Evening routines designed to support rest, safety, and regulation
  • Time for physical activity, quiet time, and structured free time to encourage balance

2. One-on-One Therapy

  • Weekly 60-minute sessions with a registered therapist (BSW, MSW, or equivalent)
  • Trauma-informed, narrative-based, culturally responsive care
  • Focus on emotional regulation, identity, grief, and recovery planning

3. Action Therapy™ Integration

  • Therapeutic support through real-world activities: walks, meals, cultural work, service projects
  • Relationship-centered support from dedicated Action Therapists
  • Daily engagement that fosters trust, consistency, and healing through
    action

4. Cultural & Land-Based Healing

  • S fires, sweat ceremonies, drum group, naming ceremonies
  • Medicine harvesting, storytelling, drumming, and teachings with Elders
  • Grounding practices that restore cultural identity, spiritual connection, and self-worth

5. 12-Step Recovery Programming

  • Structured delivery of 48 recovery classes grounded in 12-Step principles,
    adapted for youth
  • Topics include honesty, powerlessness, amends, relapse prevention, emotional regulation, and spiritual growth
  • Supported by journaling, group dialogue, and mentorship
  • Youth are supported to define their own recovery journey while staying accountable to themselves and others

6. Life Skills & Future Planning

  • Completion of 48 life skills classes focused on personal responsibility, communication, emotional regulation, and community living
  • Topics include budgeting, cooking, hygiene, boundaries, conflict resolution, school/work readiness, and reintegration planning
  • Designed to prepare youth for independent living and meaningful re-entry into community with dignity, confidence, and practical tools

7. Community Engagement & Service

  • Youth actively participate in service-based healing: preparing meals, offering support at cultural events, , community patrols, assisting Elders, or giving back through acts of kindness
  • Service fosters purpose, pride, and identity as contributors — not just recipients of care
  • Builds peer connection, dignity, and a sense of being valued and needed

What Youth Can Expect

  • A stable, supportive, substance-free home in Winnipeg
  • Daily structure, meals, chores, rest, and wellness routines
  • One-on-one clinical therapy and Action Therapy™ support
  • Group-based recovery and emotional wellness sessions
  • Cultural engagement through ceremony and land-based practice
  • Skill-building and future planning
  • Peer connection and shared growth in a therapeutic community

Aftercare and Continued Support

Healing continues beyond the four-month stay. Each youth receives:

  • A personalized aftercare and reintegration plan
  • Continued support through Action Therapy™ in the community
  • Help reconnecting with school, family, or housing
  • Access to cultural gatherings, peer circles, and mentorship
  • Ongoing emotional and therapeutic support from their care team

Our Commitment

At Whistling Wind, we don’t offer quick fixes — we offer real relationship, real healing, and real accountability. We meet youth with compassion and consistency. We hold space for their struggle and strength. And we walk beside them — not ahead of them — as they reclaim who they are.

This is recovery. This is Action Therapy™. This is Whistling Wind.

For more information about the recovery program to contact
Dan Neault
dan.neault@actiontherapy.ca