News Updates from the VI Region
January 10, 2023
Greetings respected Vancouver Island First Nations Leadership;
Welcome to our VI Regional e-newsletter. This newsletter will highlight updates for the Vancouver Island region from the FNHA, Island Health, Government of BC, Government of Canada, alongside many other partners.
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In today's edition you will find:
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VI REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR
JANUARY 2023
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News Release: New Resilience and Safety Grants
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Island-wide – Collaboration and partnership can be transformative to improving the health of individuals and communities. In order to expand collaborative opportunities, Island Health is allocating up to $1 million for a new grant program aimed at helping improve mental health, mitigate the harms associated with illicit substance use and build youth resilience.
Island Health is seeking Expressions of Interest from not-for-profit organizations, local governments, Indigenous Nations and local businesses for initiatives that keep your community safe and healthy. Grants of up to $50,000 are available to launch new and innovative initiatives in communities across Island Health.
For more detailed information, including the principles or components these initiatives should address, and to submit an Expression of Interest please refer to the Resilience and Safety Grants webpage.
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Join us for the VI Region Lunch & Learns!
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The Mental Health and Wellness regional team invites you to join our upcoming lunch and learns that will take place bi-weekly on Wednesdays from 12-1pm. Starting on January 11th, we are offering opportunities to come together virtually to learn about health and wellness topics of interest, and highlighting communities and organizations doing good work across the region. Through connection and collaboration, we can share our knowledge and gather information to best support the communities we serve.
January 11th from 12-1pm: Community Approaches to Culturally Safe Harm Reduction with Jolene Pagurut
These sessions are open to health directors, community staff, and interested health partners within the Vancouver Island region. We hope you will join these conversations to learn and share with other members of our Vancouver Island community.
See poster for upcoming topics and dates.
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Health Emergency Management Online Indigenous Engagement Sessions Now Open for Registration
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We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the first Health Emergency Management online Indigenous engagement sessions on January 19 & 20th, 2023.
The meeting will take place throughout two-half day sessions, facilitated by Nakanagis - an Indigenous-owned company that utilizes culturally relevant approaches to guide conversations, understanding the unique needs, priorities and directions of Indigenous peoples. The overarching theme of the workshop is emergency management through the lens of reconciliation and self-determination. This will be further explored through the pillars of emergency management (preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery), placing focus and emphasis on the individual and cultural needs of Indigenous partners within broader health emergencies, and health emergency programming.
We are seeking active participation from Indigenous communities and health organizations.
We ask that you please reserve the following dates and times:
Day 1: Thursday, January 19th, 2023
Time: 12:00pm-4:00pm EST
Day 2: Friday, January 20th, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm EST
Please feel free to reach out should have any questions or require any additional information.
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Fellowship Application Deadline Extended
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Additional funded fellowship opportunities are available at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use's Indigenous Addiction program for self-identifying Indigenous applicants.
The BCCSU Interdisciplinary Addiction Fellowship program is pleased to share that additional funded fellowship opportunities are now available for self-identifying Indigenous applicants.
This opportunity is available only for the 2023-24 program.
Applicants with a background in medicine, nursing, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, and social work qualify for this funding.
The deadline to apply is Jan. 19, and Feb. 24 for the Addiction Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Pharmacy, and Social Work Fellowships.
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FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY CONTACTS
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FNHA COVID-19 Inquiries
If you have general FNHA COVID-19 questions, please email COVID19@fnha.ca
For any requests relating to COVID-19 please email: COVID19needs@fnha.ca |
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Vice President, Vancouver Island
Director, Regional Community Health and Wellness
Director, Regional Engagement
Manager, Regional Operations
Manager, Community Engagement
Community Engagement Coordinators
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Nursing Manager
Community Practice Consultants:
Nurse Navigators:
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Community Relations Representative, Health Benefits
Registered Dental Therapists
- Kim Trottier, Kim.Trottier@fnha.ca (Communities: Stz’uminus, Penelakut, Dzawada’enuxw)
- Janeen Campbell, Janeen.Campbell@fnha.ca (Communities: Cowichan Tribes)
- Melanie Braker, Melanie.Braker@fnha.ca (Communities: Ka;’yu:’k’t’h’/Che;k’tles7et’h’, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ, Ahousaht, Ditidaht, Huu-ay-aht, Hupacasath)
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Regional Manager, Health Emergency Management
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Mental Health, Wellness & Traditional Wellness Support
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Regional Manager, Mental Health and Wellness
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Regional Manager, Maternal Child and Family Health,
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Regional Manager, Primary Care
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Primary Care Project Manager
Traditional Wellnes Specialist
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South Island Director, Indigenous Health
Central & North Island Director, Indigenous Health
Medical Director, Indigenous Health
Medical Health Officers
Indigenous Health Managers
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Please join us on February 28 - March 2, 2023, for Gathering Wisdom for a Shared Journey Xll, hosted at the Vancouver Convention Centre on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
The Gathering Wisdom forum in 2023 will feature discussions on health and wellness including mental health specifically as we gather in-person for the first time since before the pandemic. This First Nations Health Council (FNHC) -hosted gathering is an opportunity for Chiefs, leaders and Health Directors to hear updates and engage in discussions with the First Nations Health Council (FNHC), First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and the First Nations Health Directors Association (FNHDA) and other health system and government partners.
For more information and registration details click here.
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The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and filmmaker Asia Youngman (Cree/Métis) to create the Connecting to Culture video series. The videos are teaching tools intended to support discussions in First Nations communities about harm reduction, substance use and stigma. The series uses an Indigenous lens and includes the perspectives of Elders, peers and youth.
“I try to keep culture at the center of my approach to harm reduction," says Marnie Scow (Heiltsuk / Kwakiutl First Nations), an Indigenous harm reduction consultant. “I believe that low barrier and no barrier access to culture really makes a huge difference."
Indigenous harm reduction goes beyond keeping people safer while using substances. It includes undoing the harms of colonialism, which places Indigenous people – First Nations, Métis and Inuit – at higher risk of harmful substance use. It's a decolonized, Indigenized approach to harm reduction that re-connects people to culture.
Read full story here on our website.
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Hi everyone! I’d like to start out by acknowledging that I am proud to be part of the Frog clan and a descendant of T’Sekani Carrier from McLeod Lake on my mother’s Doris Prince side and a bilingual French Canadian on her father’s side. As a 60’s scoop affected individual, I am growing in my knowledge and feeling more connected as I get reconnected to, and learn of my culture through the love and support of all the Elders and community members who offer me teachings along my journey. Having grown up on the Island, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. I am a very proud mother of 3 adult children 22, 24 and 26, and an Atsu to a beautiful little girl.
I received my Bachelors in Science in Nursing through Vancouver Island University 12yrs ago now. I have been in the health field for, dare I say it, 19 years. I started as an RCA and LPN in long-term care facilities and worked my way up the education ladder to become an RN working at NRGH.
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It's a new year, which often means time for New Year's Resolutions. Starting the new year with a healthy start is easier when using the FNHA's Health and Wellness Daily Organizer. It provides tips on maintaining health and wellness and allows you to plan and journal a routine that fits your schedule.
Link here to review the FNHA Health and Wellness Diary. If you would like to request for a hard copy, please reach out to Joely Fulcher at Joely.Fulcher@fnha.ca
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Data from the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network (SPSN) is showing the flu shot is providing substantial protection against the virus. Most flu cases this season have been due to the H3N2 subtype, which is often associated with more severe epidemics and lower vaccine effectiveness.
To learn more, please click link here.
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We're still in the midst of the respiratory virus season and the FNHA has published a poster with reminders on how we can all make healthy decisions. The poster provides simple tips on what we can all do to keep ourselves and each other safe as we begin the new year.
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In winter 2023, a new program providing bed-based treatment services for individuals identifying as women and non-binary individuals experiencing substance use challenges will be opening in Victoria.
The program will be a regional service providing substance use treatment and recovery services for six individuals at a time from any community in Island Health’s service area. Participation the program will be voluntary and participants will not be using substances during their stay in the treatment and recovery program.
The program will provide a safe place for wrap-around, culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, recovery oriented services to individuals identifying as women and non-binary individuals with moderate to severe substance use issues and concurrent social, mental and physical health concerns. Stays will be up to 90 days and include a virtual after-care component.
If you have questions or would like additional information about the service, please reach out to Melanee Szafron, Manager of Withdrawal and Recovery Services at Melanee.szafron@islandhealth.ca. If you would like to watch the video walk-through of the house, click here.
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Island Health is excited to announce a call for proposals for the 2023/2024 Island Health STOP HIV/AIDS Community Grants Program. Island Health will award grants of up to $10,000 each to communities or organizations who are interested in planning and delivering activities addressing HIV prevention, testing and engagement into care and treatment.
Special focus will be given to specific priority populations who experience a higher burden of disease or who may face additional barriers to accessing or engaging with HIV services. These include: Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Metis), women, youth, and Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.
Interested communities and organizations are asked to submit a completed application form (link below) by 4:00 PM Pacific Time on January 19th, 2023 to Amy Prangnell at Amy.Prangnell@islandhealth.ca
Information on how to apply can be found in the application guide (links below). Communities or organizations awarded grants will have 12 months to complete their activities.
Application Guide, click here. Application Form, click here.
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The Government of Canada has introduced a new affordability measure to help lower-income renters who are most affected by the rise of inflation and struggling with the cost of rent. The one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit provides eligible applicants with a one-time payment of $500. It is estimated that roughly 1.8 million lower-income renters will be able to benefit from this targeted investment.
We are excited to announce that as of December 12, 2022, applications for the new one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit are now open, and you may be eligible to apply! To make it as easy as possible for Canadians to get the financial support they need, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is leveraging its experience administering essential benefits to Canadians, to deliver a smooth, secure, and user-friendly application process.
The information here will help guide you through some of the important questions that you might have when it comes to eligibility, how to apply, and how you can get your payments faster.
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Welcome to the slightly delayed January PharmaCare Newsletter! Thank you for your patience as we caught up with the news and the people who make this happen every month. This edition features news about expanded coverage for a handful of common drugs, new coverage for offloading devices, and helpful reminders about adaptations and scope of practice - and more. Happy reading!
Information about the Pharmacare Newsletter here. Pharmacare Newsletter, January Edition here.
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The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profits as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery. Now more than ever, charities and non-profits are playing a key role in addressing persistent and complex social problems faced by all communities. The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what charities and non-profits need right now and supports organizations as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.
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