White Rock / South Surrey

East Van Dan’s is a therapeutic program designed to meet the needs of youth in the Downtown Eastside and East Vancouver who have cognitive disorders, spectrum disorders, mental health challenges, and living with the impacts of trauma. This series of workshops will be trauma-informed, facilitated by two specially-trained therapists, and include art, music, cultural, and land-based therapies. Youth will also be involved in group life-skills and one-to-one counselling sessions.

The program gives youth a secure and safe place to meet and bond, and then opt in to the counselling programs. This program partners with various organizations currently working with these at-risk youth and expands on the gains they have already made.

East Van Dan’s targets at-risk youth residing in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) and surrounding Vancouver neighbourhoods including Strathcona, Mount Pleasant, and Grandview Woodland. The program supports 75 youth and their families and address the challenges that these youth face by strengthening the resiliency already imbedded in the community, such as: belonging, connection, healing, and culture.