HEAL Resources

Findings and impact

The HEAL Project demonstrates that trauma-informed, culturally responsive expressive arts interventions can meaningfully support the healing and well-being of newcomer survivors of domestic and family violence. The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative insights from participants, peer facilitators, and community partners with quantitative measures of program outcomes. This approach provided a comprehensive insight of the changes in behaviour, attitudes, and knowledge of HEAL participants following the completion of the expressive art program.

Evaluation approach

Through community-based participatory research, the findings reflect participants’ lived experiences, observed changes over time, and practical lessons for organizations delivering similar programs. The results show how co-designed, culturally safe expressive arts interventions can foster trust, engagement, and empowerment while offering actionable guidance for adapting and scaling programs in diverse community settings.

Qualitative highlights

The qualitative findings highlight participants’ lived experiences and personal growth throughout the HEAL program. They reflect how expressive arts activities supported healing, emotional regulation, and community connection. Participant stories, facilitator reflections, and follow-up discussions reveal the processes that contributed to empowerment, belonging, and improved well-being across all cohorts. The qualitative findings demonstrate a clear progression of change across the HEAL program.

Short and medium term, participants described improvements in emotional regulation, stress reduction, and self-expression through the use of art, movement, and storytelling. These early shifts created the foundation for trust, belonging, and peer connection within the groups.
Longer-term outcomes, including increased self-confidence, effective boundary setting, and greater engagement with community supports.
Facilitator and partner reflections revealed similar patterns of growth at the organizational level. Teams reported enhanced confidence in trauma- and violence-informed facilitation, stronger collaboration across agencies, and a deeper understanding of the importance of debriefing and co-facilitation to prevent burnout.

Collectively, these insights confirm that expressive arts interventions can address both individual and systemic dimensions of healing. Participants gained tools to manage emotions and rebuild social networks, while facilitators developed the skills and structures needed to sustain safe, inclusive, and equitable programming beyond the funding period.

The HEAL project was designed to improve the mental health, safety, and social well-being of newcomer women and gender-diverse survivors of family and gender-based violence while strengthening the capacity of health and social-service professionals to deliver trauma- and violence-informed care.

A mixed-methods evaluation framework was employed, combining pre- and post-program surveys, focus groups, facilitator reflections, and feedback from service providers. Quantitative data captured measurable changes:

Increase in participant well-being, sense of belonging, and access to supports, while professional-capacity indicators assessed growth in staff training and cross-sector collaboration.
Participants across six linguistic and social identity cohorts consistently reported improvements in self-esteem, coping, sense of belonging, and access to services, with notable declines in stress, self-blame, and feelings of isolation.
More than 160+ health, settlement, and community practitioners were trained through webinars, conferences, and resource distribution, strengthening cross-sector capacity to deliver trauma- and violence-informed, culturally responsive care.

Using a health promotion model, the project demonstrated measurable impact across individual, organizational, and systems levels, read below:

Individual & interpersonal level (Micro): Creating supportive environments and developing personal skills. Participants experienced growth in self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and empowerment. They developed skills to manage stress, express themselves effectively, set boundaries, and engage with community support services. Expressive arts were practical for newcomer participants due to cultural and linguistic tailoring.

Organizational & community capacity (Meso): Community action and reorienting healthcare services. Partner organizations strengthened their ability to deliver trauma- and violence-informed expressive arts programs. Staff and peer researchers gained facilitation and evaluation skills, while structured debriefs supported staff well-being. Artists, as part of the interdisciplinary team, improved care and retention.

Systems & policy level (Macro): Building healthy public policy. The project advanced understanding of culturally grounded arts-based approaches and their potential to reduce barriers to service access. Dissemination through conferences, the Knowledge Hub, and publications contributed to Canada’s gender-based violence strategy. Insights highlight the importance of inclusive programming and sustained investment in culturally specific interventions. The project demonstrates another avenue towards health equity.