Trauma-Informed and Culturally Safe:
At Castlemain, we know that good communication is about more than words, it’s about wellness, safety, and dignity. This belief is the foundation of our trauma-informed and culturally safe approach, which guides everything from our national media campaigns to one-on-one claimant support.
We recognize that many of the people we serve, particularly Indigenous Peoples and other equity-deserving groups, have lived through systems that caused harm – a harm that echoes through families, communities, and generations. For this reason, we take seriously the responsibility to inform without retraumatizing, to engage with care, and to deliver services that build trust rather than erode it.
What Trauma-Informed, Culturally Safe Service Looks Like
In practice, this means more than good intentions. It means structured approaches, trained staff, and intentional design.
In our communications work
We build plain-language campaigns that reflect cultural nuance and lived realities. For example:
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On FNChildClaims.ca, we developed a full suite of materials in English, French, and Indigenous languages to raise awareness and remove barriers.
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On IHClassAction.ca, where Castlemain serves as Court-Appointed Notice Administrator, we carefully mapped media channels to reach isolated communities while centering the voices of class members in campaign tone and imagery.
In our community support programs:
Our team of 140+ trained Claims Helpers, most of whom are Indigenous, provides in-person and virtual navigation across Canada. Every team member receives specialized training in trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, and the legacy of the child welfare system in Canada.
Support doesn’t stop at form completion. Claims helpers also refer claimants to local wellness supports, cultural ceremonies, and other resources, creating space for healing as well as justice.
In our service design and capacity bridging work:
Whether it’s helping establish community governance for healing foundations like SixtiesScoopHealingFoundation.ca, or supporting culturally respectful engagement for the National Inuit Health Survey, we begin every project with relationships. We don’t drop into communities with pre-written plans. We co-create with care.
Our Guiding Principles
Our trauma-informed and culturally safe approach is grounded in five core commitments:
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Cultural safety and humility
We listen first. We respect lived experience and local traditions. We don’t assume what safety looks like. Instead, we ask and adapt.
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Compassion and empathy
Many people we serve are navigating systems built without them in mind. We meet that with patience, understanding, and care.
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Choice and empowerment
We provide options. We don’t pressure. We respect people’s right to decline, question, or disengage without consequence or judgment.
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Relationship building
Our work is long-haul. We invest in trust, not transactions. That means transparent communication and a commitment to showing up.
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Person-centred safety
Every interaction, whether it’s a poster, a call, or a community visit, is shaped to reduce harm and affirm dignity.
What we’ve learned
Trauma-informed work takes time. It requires care for the people delivering the work, not just those receiving it.
We’ve learned that trauma-informed doesn’t mean soft. It means rigorous. It means knowing that how you deliver a message can be as important as what the message says.
And above all, we’ve learned that when people feel safe, seen, and supported, they engage and access the resources they need to continue their own healing journey. And that’s what this work is about.
