Residential schools secretariat launches call for Group IAP proposals

The Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat has launched a call for proposals to fund group healing activities for former residential school students.

The program, called Group IAP, supports healing and reconciliation for former students of Indian residential schools, their families, and communities.

The program falls under the Independent Assessment Process (IAP,) aimed at former students who suffered sexual or serious physical abuse while attending residential school.

IAP provides compensation on top of the Common Experience Payment program — now closed — which recognized anyone who attended residential school.

But Group IAP offers community healing, not just individual healing.

“Group IAP provides an opportunity for individuals to come together with others who have shared similar experiences to provide mutual support as they prepare for, and go through the IAP process,” said Chief Adjudicator Dan Shapiro in an Oct. 9 release.

Funding under Group IAP can be used to support traditional healing activities, counselling or skills workshops or community events that promote healing, the secretariat said.

Although the Group IAP program has handed out money each year since 2008, it has yet to fund any projects from Nunavut. Up until last spring, no Nunavut-based projects had even applied.

The deadline for groups to submit a proposal for consideration for funding for the 2015-16 fiscal year is Dec. 15, 2014 at 3:00 p.m.

To be eligible, groups must be a non-profit entity or associated with one at the time of application.

Click here for more information on preparing a Group IAP proposal.