Kwae Kii Win

Kwae Kii Win (KKW), meaning 'turning point' in Anishinaabemowin, is a groundbreaking initiative offering a supportive, residential environment for those managing chronic alcohol dependency.

The program provides structured access to alcohol in a safe and controlled manner, alongside personalized support such as healthcare services, case management, and culturally informed programming.

With expert medical staffing from NorWest Community Health Centre, Kwae Kii Win not only stabilizes lives today but is also set to expand in 2025 with the addition of palliative spaces for end-of-life care.

Managed Alcohol Programs (MAPs)

A Housing First, client-centered, harm reduction approach to homelessness and addiction.
At MAPs, individuals are provided with supports without the expectation of abstinence from alcohol.

Why?

Access to housing supports often requires abstinence, making it difficult for people with alcohol use disorder to get help for their addiction while meeting their basic needs.

MAPs meet people where they are in their addiction by providing regularly scheduled doses of alcohol, along with other supports.

Who?

Each program has its own eligibility criteria. Considerations may include:

• Alcohol Use Disorder diagnosis
• Complex mental health care needs
• History of non-beverage alcohol use
• Public intoxication
• Frequent use of public resources
• Being unhoused for a prolonged period of time

Goals

• Improve health and wellness
• Reduce use of emergency services
• Reduce or eliminate non-beverage alcohol use
• Lower the risks of withdrawal and other alcohol-related harms

Guiding Principles

• Respect
• Collaboration
• Honesty
• Trust
• Harm Reduction
• Trauma-informed

Supports Provided

• Individual care planning
• Food and accommodations
• Financial management support and services
• Regular health monitoring and access to primary care providers
• Social and cultural connections

Challenges to Implementation

• Participant buy-in and engagement
• Building and maintaining trust between residents and staff
• Pressure to drink from social groups
• Shame, guilt, and stigma
• Logistics