ABORIGINAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAM

Aboriginal Health Outreach Program

at The Ininew Friendship Centre

Stella Etherington

Aboriginal Health Outreach Worker

Phone; 705-272-4497 Ext. 34

Our Goals

To assist Aboriginal individuals and families to access traditional healers/ midwives an d mainstream health providers, services and institutions

To act as a support/ liaison for Aboriginal individuals and families requiring support.

To ensure that Aboriginal individuals and families understand the health system and the care they are recieving by ensuring that information is provided in a manner understood by the Aboriginal individual and family.

To obtain, if necessary, Native culture and/ or language interpreters so Aboriginal individuals and families are provided with appropriate health services.

To promote healthy lifestyles by conducting home visits, circles, workshops, seminars, and public education forums, etc.

To develop, or obtain, Aboriginal health promotion materials.

To know of and work with community aqgencies to support healthy Aboriginal individuals and families.

To promote violence-free lifestyles.

To promote Aboriginal culture-based family healing.

To work with other Friendship Centre's programs and staff to promote a co-coordinated approach to health.

To make referrals to appropriate health programs, services and institutions.

Community

To coordinate children's, youth, men's and women's healing circles
To promote, by programming and personal example, the development of positive role models in the community.
To initiate community development activities which will lead to healthy families and lifestyles
To facilitate community events to promote healing, wellness, addictions free activities, positive parenting, family interaction and cultural awareness.
To promote positive family interaction and activities targeting disadvantaged and single parent families.
To facilitate the positive re-establishment of families
To participate in the development and establishment of culturally sensitive services which address family healing and wellness.
To facilitate the involvement of elders and traditional people, who have undergone their own healing and wellness journey, in the Aboriginal Healing & Wellness Program.
To promote the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy.

Other Community Services

To establish a relationship with community resources to facilitate increased sensitivity and awareness

To establish a system of referrals.

To assist, upon request, Non-Aboriginal agencies in order to ensure that Aboriginal clients receive the service and support they require.

To promote linkages amongst community agencies so that the Aboriginal community will have greater access to holistic healing and wellness approaches.

To facilitate the understanding and support of community agencies for the Aboriginal Healing & Wellness Strategy.

To assist with NHIB medical travel request forms through Moose Factory WHA and the Wabun Health Services.

The HOW Program

Vision Statement

To ensure that the health needs of the Aboriginal community are addressed by undertaking health promotion, education, referrals and linking with Aboriginal cultural resource people and mainstream health providers.

The HOW program focus is to organize and facilitate health promotion, illness prevention and family violence workshops and seminars, refer clients to link with Aboriginal resource people and appropriate health service providers/ agencies, as well as provide client support and home visits. HOW liaise with Aboriginal and mainstream health service providers/ agencies to increase access to client services and to increase Aboriginal representation on health decision-making bodies. Aboriginal cultural approaches will be reflected or used as part of the activities and services.

The Aboriginal Health Outreach Program

Promotes a traditional holistic approach to health. Good health is based on, not only physical health, but also encompasses the spiritual, emotional, and mental health of the individual, family, and community (throughout all stages of life).

The program is also responsible for the promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of various health issues.

For Information regarding the Aboriginal Health Outreach Program, contact Stella Etherington at...

Phone; 705-272-4497 Ext. 34 Fax; 705-272-3597