Pathways to Prosperity names DIVERSEcity’s Roots of Safety model a Promising Practice
DIVERSEcity’s Roots of Safety has been named as a Pathways to Prosperity “Promising Practice.” Funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, P2P’s Promising Practices project highlights approaches in immigrant settlement and integration that have an empirical basis for their effectiveness.
“Roots of Safety explores culturally agile, and trauma-informed approaches in safety planning for clients who have been affected by gender-based violence,” says DIVERSEcity counsellor and Roots of Safety training facilitator Golnoosh Hakiman.
“The training applies to all sectors who support immigrants, newcomers and refugees, enhancing their capacity in violence prevention,” adds Golnoosh, who recently ran a refresh training for DIVERSEcity staff. “In the training, we review statistics, case studies, intersectionality in clients and use of appreciative inquiry from a curious and culturally humble lens.”
Central to the Roots of Safety approach is the use of a three-column framework, which guides newcomer women and other survivors to: identify their strengths; outline the risks and challenges they face; and collaboratively develop a personalized empowerment plan that links strengths directly to those challenges.
Why Roots of Safety is effective
According to P2P’s brief on the practice, conventional approaches often fail to consider cultural values and social connections, inadvertently causing additional distress and isolation.
It states: “The Roots of Safety program is innovative and forward-thinking because it integrates empowerment planning into culturally agile practices that address underlying factors of vulnerability rather than merely focusing on immediate problems. This approach moves beyond conventional interventions by prioritizing clients’ strengths and resilience, and explicitly acknowledging intersectionality and trauma-informed principles.
“Additionally, the program emphasizes capacity building among service providers, equipping them with adaptable and practical tools applicable to multiple contexts — not limited to crisis management. This comprehensive approach, which positions clients as active experts in their own lives, promotes sustainable interventions adaptable to various client contexts and community settings.”
All of DIVERSEcity’s Gender-Based Violence Programs use the Roots of Safety safety and empowerment planning model, including Stopping the Violence counselling and outreach services, and the Stories of Strength program, where trained community members deliver empowerment-based workshops tailored to their own communities.
While originally developed for gender-based violence contexts, Roots of Safety has also been used to support clients facing settlement challenges such as housing, employment, medical care and community integration.
Learn more about Roots of Safety here.
Photo above: Roots of Safety training for DIVERSEcity staff in July 2025.