Learning, Listening, and Showing Up: Yorktown’s Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

At Yorktown Family Services, we believe that reconciliation starts with listening, learning, and showing up. That’s why our Truth and Reconciliation (T&R) Committee is working year-round to help our agency grow in its understanding of Indigenous history, culture, and community, and take action that truly makes a difference.

Each year, we recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) on September 30. It’s a day to honour the children who never came home from residential schools, support survivors and their families, and commit to learning the truth of Canada’s history. But at Yorktown, this work doesn’t stop when the day ends.

Here’s a look at what our T&R Committee has been up to and how we’re continuing to grow.

What is the Truth and Reconciliation Committee?

The T&R Committee is a group of Yorktown staff working to make sure reconciliation isn’t just something we talk about, but something we act on. That means looking at our:

• Policies and practices
• Training and education
• Day-to-day culture
• Connections with Indigenous partners and organizations

The goal? To align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and to foster a culture of reflection, accountability, and allyship.

What We’ve Done This Year

✅ Welcomed new members to strengthen our team and expand our perspectives
✅ Continued sharing a regular T&R newsletter full of learning resources, community events, and updates
✅ Hosted lunch-and-learns for staff to learn and reflect together
✅ Partnered with the University of Toronto’s Indigenous Initiatives Office for Cultural Competency Training, which explored:

• The hidden history of Canada that examines the attitudes, legislation and policies of the Crown that erased Indigenous peoples’ history from the Canadian landscape.
• How the past attitudes, policies and legislation has impacted the current situation of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous resiliency.

• Explore the importance of land acknowledgements and how to be intentional with acknowledgements. 

• Explore how to engage in the continuous process of self-reflexivity and meaningful collaboration with Indigenous peoples.

We also began connecting with local Indigenous knowledge keepers living in Tkaronto to help guide our practices, especially around land acknowledgements.

What’s Coming Next

Our committee is already planning for the future. Here’s what’s on the horizon:

• Agency-wide Land Acknowledgement development
• More specialized training on Indigenous history and community care
• Stronger relationships with Indigenous child welfare and youth organizations
• Increased visibility of Indigenous-led community events and initiatives

Why This Matters

We know that reconciliation is a journey, not a destination. At Yorktown, we’re walking this path with humility and care. Whether it’s through staff training, agency-wide reflection, or community partnerships, we’re committed to doing the work — not just on September 30, but all year long.

I believe the ongoing journey of Truth and Reconciliation provides opportunities for learning and unlearning with cultural humility. It invites us to engage in reflective practices and co-create environments where every family feels acknowledged, valued, and supported in their healing. As an agency offering a diverse array of social and mental health services to children, youth, women, and families, it is essential to acknowledge the systemic and intergenerational harms caused by children’s social services, particularly the lasting impacts of the Sixties and the Millennial Scoop. With open hearts and minds, we must commit to ongoing learning and engagement, guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.– Shantel Aboagye Mensah, Black Lives Accessing Care Therapist

I joined the Truth and Reconciliation Committee to help cultivate equitable relationships that support Indigenous communities. Often, there is a shared lack of understanding concerning those who differ from ourselves, and I seek to dismantle systemic barriers and promote cultural awareness, not just within the workplace but also in the communities we serve. Love transcends color; it is an action.– Karlene Haughton, Manager of Brief Services. 

Want to Learn More?

Did You Know? September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It’s also known as Orange Shirt Day, which honours residential school survivors and the children who never came home. You can show your support by wearing orange and taking time to learn, reflect, and act.

We encourage all staff, clients, and community members to reflect, learn, and engage. Thank you to our T&R Committee for leading with care, and to our entire team for being part of this important journey.

Let’s keep walking forward together. 

Sally Chung (Family, Child and Youth Therapist), Karlene Haughton (Manager of Brief Services and Intake), Shantel Aboagye-Mensah (Black Lives Accessing Care Therapist), Heulwen Williams (Violence Against Women Focus Therapist), Stasia Dias (Talent & Culture Coordinator), Aleka Allen (Administrative Assistant)

Chantal Fraizinger (Grief Counsellor)

To learn more about Yorktown Family Services Truth and Reconciliation Committee, visit https://www.yorktownfamilyservices.com/.