2023-24 Reporting on the Calls for Justice: 7.1 - 7.9: Health and Wellness Service Providers
Learn how the Government of Canada is responding to Calls for Justice 7.1 to 7.9.
Based on data provided June 3, 2024.
On this page
- 7.2 Ensure that health and wellness services for Indigenous Peoples include supports for healing from all forms of unresolved trauma, including intergenerational, multigenerational, and complex trauma
- 7.3 Support Indigenous-led prevention initiatives in the areas of health and community awareness
- 7.4 Support the revitalization of Indigenous health, wellness, and child and Elder care practices
- 7.6 Ensure that health service employees receive ongoing training on Indigenous realities
- 7.7 Support Indigenous people to train and work in health and wellness services
7.2 Ensure that health and wellness services for Indigenous Peoples include supports for healing from all forms of unresolved trauma, including intergenerational, multigenerational, and complex trauma
2023-24 Updates
- Through investments announced in Budget 2021 and Budget 2022, Indigenous Services Canada provided funding to maintain community-based trauma-informed programs for Survivors of colonial sources of trauma including MMIWG2S+, Indian Residential Schools and Federal Indian Day Schools, and continued relationship building with Métis including funding Métis-specific mental wellness interventions in recognition of their unique circumstances and needs.
- Between April 1st, 2023, and December 31st, 2023, the Hope for Wellness Helpline, National Indian Residential School Crisis Line and MMIWG Crisis Line responded to over 66,178 calls.
Initiatives
Supporting Comprehensive Approaches to Mental Wellness, Including Distinctions-Based Approaches
Progress to date
The Government of Canada has made significant recent investments to improve mental wellness in Indigenous communities, with Budget 2021 and 2022 investments contributing to an annual investment of approximately $650 million in 2023-24. These investments respond to Call for Justice 7.2 as they are made to meet the immediate mental wellness needs of communities by supporting Indigenous-led suicide prevention, life promotion and crisis response, including through crisis line intervention services, enhancing the delivery of culturally appropriate substance use treatment and prevention services in Indigenous communities, and supporting access to trauma-informed mental health and cultural support programs. In recognition of the unique circumstances and needs of Métis in Canada, a historic investment was made through the Budget 2021 investment, in which $30 million over three years was provided for Métis mental wellness. This investment has supported Métis partners to implement mental wellness strategies or health strategies with mental wellness components, as well as provide direct mental wellness service delivery. The Budget 2021 investments for Métis and continued support for access to trauma-informed health and cultural supports to Métis help address Call for Miskotahâ 53.
These investments continue to fund community-based trauma-informed health and cultural support workers to expand and maintain access to a network of health and wellness services accessible to Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors of colonial sources of trauma including MMIWG2S+, Indian Residential Schools and Federal Indian Day Schools, including access to cultural support (i.e. Elders, Knowledge Holders and Traditional Healers), to all Indigenous People.
Indigenous Services Canada supports several initiatives related to mental wellness, including direct community-led approaches. While not project based, funding from the Government of Canada includes:
- Ongoing support for a network of 45 substance use treatment centres, as well as community-based prevention services in most of the First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada.
- Supporting wraparound services (e.g., on-the-land components, prevention, case management, counselling, aftercare) at 82 opioid agonist therapy sites supporting over 100 communities in addition to the pharmacotherapy provided for opioid use disorder. An increased number of multi-disciplinary, community-designed and culturally focused local Mental Wellness Teams. There are currently 75 Mental Wellness Teams supporting 385 First Nations and Inuit communities (excluding British Columbia and the First Nations Health Authority).
- The Hope for Wellness Helpline offering culturally competent crisis intervention services, and expanded chat-based service option, in addition to the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, and the MMIWG Crisis Line. Together, the three crisis lines responded to over 66,178 calls between April 1st and December 31st, 2023.
- Support for essential suicide prevention and life promotion activities, including community-based suicide prevention funding, First Nations and Inuit youth-led life promotion projects through the Youth Hope Fund, and the implementation of the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy.
In 2023-24:
- Funding was provided to maintain community-based trauma-informed programs for Survivors of colonial sources of trauma including MMIWG2S+, Indian Residential Schools and Federal Indian Day Schools.
- Indigenous Services Canada continued relationship building with Métis including funding Métis-specific mental wellness interventions in recognition of their unique circumstances and needs. These efforts are funded with Budget 2021 Distinctions Based Mental Wellness investments.
Some examples of funded projects through this initiative include:
- Thunderbird Partnership Foundation enhancing the Addictions Management Information System for treatment centres and pilot a project with First Nations communities to support them in better capturing data and outcomes in Mental Wellness.
- First Peoples Wellness Circle being funded to design and deliver a suite of comprehensive tools and resources to support regional Mental Wellness and Crisis Support Teams and provide a platform to share evidence, best practices and resources to improve access to essential services in First Nation communities
- We Matter, an Indigenous youth-led organization dedicated to Indigenous youth support, hope and life promotion, received funding for youth-led community projects, effective social media campaigns and toolkits to support youth in overcoming challenging situations.
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada
Funding Amount: $597.6 million/3 years (Budget 2021); $107.2 million in 2021-22 (August 2021); $227.6 million / 2 years (Budget 2022)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Community-based organizations; Health providers; non-indigenous organizations; Organizations representing urban Indigenous, Métis, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and Indigenous youth
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 53
Related Calls for Justice: 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.7, 7.3, 17.4
7.3 Support Indigenous-led prevention initiatives in the areas of health and community awareness
2023-24 Updates
- The Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy has spent a total of $31.3 million in violence prevention this year.
Initiatives
Comprehensive Approach to Mental Wellness / Distinctions-Based Mental Wellness
Progress to date
The Government of Canada has made significant recent investments to improve mental wellness in Indigenous communities, with an approximate annual investment of approximately $650 million in 2023-24. These investments respond to Call for Justice 7.2 as they are made to meet the immediate mental wellness needs of communities by supporting Indigenous-led suicide prevention, life promotion and crisis response, including through crisis line intervention services, and enhancing the delivery of culturally appropriate substance use treatment and prevention services in Indigenous communities. In recognition of the unique circumstances and needs of the Métis Nation, a specific allocation from Budget 2021 investments was identified for the Métis Nation. The Budget 2021 investments for the Métis Nation and continued support for access to trauma-informed health and cultural supports to members of the Métis Nation help address Call for Miskotahâ 53.
These investments continue to fund community-based trauma-informed health and cultural support workers to expand and maintain access to a network of health and wellness services accessible to Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors of colonial sources of trauma including MMIWG2S+, Indian Residential Schools and Federal Indian Day Schools, including access to cultural support (i.e. Elders, Knowledge Holders and Traditional Healers), to all Indigenous People.
Indigenous Services Canada supports several initiatives related to mental wellness, including direct community-led approaches. While not project based, funding from the Government of Canada includes:
- Ongoing support for a network of 45 substance use treatment centres, as well as community-based prevention services in most of the First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada.
- Supporting wraparound services (e.g., on-the-land components, prevention, case management, counselling, aftercare) at 82 opioid agonist therapy sites supporting over 100 communities in addition to the pharmacotherapy provided for opioid use disorder. An increased number of multi-disciplinary, community-designed and culturally focused local Mental Wellness Teams. There are currently 75 Mental Wellness Teams supporting 385 First Nations and Inuit communities (excluding British Columbia and the First Nations Health Authority).
- The Hope for Wellness Helpline offering culturally competent crisis intervention services, and expanded chat-based service option, in addition to the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, and the MMIWG Crisis Line. Together, the three crisis lines responded to over 66,178 calls between April 1st and December 31st, 2023.
- Support for essential suicide prevention and life promotion activities, including community-based suicide prevention funding, First Nations and Inuit youth-led life promotion projects through the Youth Hope Fund, and the implementation of the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy.
In 2023-24:
- There was a total of 148 new Contribution Agreement Recipients to establish and maintain community-based trauma-informed programs for Survivors of colonial sources of trauma including MMIWG2S+, Indian Residential Schools and Federal Indian Day Schools.
- Indigenous Services Canada continued relationship building with Métis including funding Métis-specific mental wellness interventions in recognition of their unique circumstances and needs. These efforts are funded with Budget 2021 Distinctions Based Mental Wellness investments.
Some examples of funded projects through this initiative include:
- Thunderbird Partnership Foundation enhancing the Addictions Management Information System for treatment centres and pilot a project with First Nations communities to support them in better capturing data and outcomes in Mental Wellness.
- First Peoples Wellness Circle being funded to design and deliver a suite of comprehensive tools and resources to support regional Mental Wellness and Crisis Support Teams and provide a platform to share evidence, best practices and resources to improve access to essential services in First Nation communities.
- We Matter, an Indigenous youth-led organization dedicated to Indigenous youth support, hope and life promotion, received funding for youth-led community projects, effective social media campaigns and toolkits to support youth in overcoming challenging situations.
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada
Funding Amount: $597.6 million/3 years (Budget 2021); $107.2 million in 2021-22 (August 2021); $227.6 million / 2 years (Budget 2022)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Community-based organizations; Health providers; Non-Indigenous organizations; Organizations representing urban Indigenous, Métis, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and Indigenous youth
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 53
Related Calls for Justice: 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.7, 7.2, 17.4
Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy
Progress to date
Indigenous Services Canada
The Family Violence Prevention Program funds the operations of emergency shelters and transitional (second stage) housing to improve the safety and security of Indigenous women, children, families and 2SLGBTQI+ people across Canada, including in the North and in urban centres. The program also provides funding for community-driven proposals for family violence prevention projects. The program also created a second stream of funding for project development to support Indigenous communities in applying to the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, and to expedite the progress of selected shelter projects. In recognition of the unique circumstances and needs of the Métis Nation, a specific allocation from Budget 2021 investments was identified for the Métis Nation.
Between fiscal years 2021-22 and 2023-24, $107 million was allocated for Indigenous Services Canada to fund the operations of new shelters and transition homes and to support violence prevention activities. As of April 2024, Indigenous Services Canada spent 100% of its allocation. Of the $107 million the department has spent, $76.7 million has gone to programs and services for Indigenous people facing gender-based violence, and $30.3 million on initial operational costs ($9.3 million) and project development ($21 million).
As of April 2024, during the 2023-24 fiscal year the program has spent a total of $43.5 million in violence prevention under the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy.
In fiscal year 2023-24, the program supported a project to increase awareness of violence against Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, and build partnerships to help implement the 231 Calls for Justice and the Kepek-Quebec 21 Calls for Justice through a culturally supportive approach. The project includes an Education and Awareness Coordinator to undertake education and awareness activities, and develop partnerships in the area of Family Violence Prevention and the Calls for Justice. In addition, the project included distinctions-based Grandmother supports.
Another activity included increasing access to land-based healing practices for Indigenous women, youth and children to support their healing from the impacts of violence. The programming supports holistic health and wellbeing by providing the opportunity for community members to: reconnect to culture and community, including elders and traditional knowledge holders; process and heal trauma in a culturally safe and supportive environment; and strengthen knowledge and confidence in their identities as Indigenous people.
Further, another project supports a youth-founded Indigenous organization to undertake arts-based programming, outreach and service delivery, community mobilization, and culture. The project seeks to empower young women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ youth while simultaneously engaging young men and boys in the prevention of family, intimate and gender-based violence through healing circles and support groups, land-based activities, culturally appropriate mental health and addiction supports, educational workshops and arts-based awareness programming.
One additional violence prevention project supported by Indigenous Services Canada is a project that seeks to address violence prevention through improved mental health. The project seeks to improve the mental health of participants and ultimately contribute to violence prevention through the provision of a support group and safe space, nutritious food, six wellness workshops on topics including family violence, red flags, resources, substances, and mental health, etc. It also provides six cultural workshops on such skills as ribbon skirts, medicine pouches, plant medicine, etc.
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada; Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Funding Amount: $724.1 million/5 years and $96.6 million ongoing
Funding Source: Fall Economic Statement 2020
Partners: Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada; Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak; Assembly of First Nations' Women's Council; National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence; National Family and Survivors Circle; Urban partners; 2SLGBTQQIA+ partners
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 19, 23, 25
Related Calls for Justice: 1.8, 3.4, 4.7, 16.19, 16.29, 17.20, 17.23
Reconciliation and Strength for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people Through Sport–Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) Stream Three
Progress to date
Ensuring representation of Indigenous-led and self-determined processes are core principles of the SSDIC program component. From December 2022-March 2023 an SSDIC Program Design and Delivery consultation took place. The program consultation engaged with Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations and communities on the topics of evaluation mechanisms to improve service delivery of the program, gauging awareness of the program, and self-determining program eligibility.
- 10 interviews with National Indigenous Organizations, National Indigenous Women's Organizations, and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations helped inform the design and delivery of Stream Three.
In the consultation process, Indigenous partners (including past and current recipients) determined if program delivery should extend to non-Indigenous recipients that have partnerships with Indigenous communities. They determined that funding and program delivery is best suited to Indigenous recipients only. The new eligibility criteria will apply to the next Stream Three intake for 2024-26. With Stream Three eligible to Indigenous recipients only, it will empower communities and organizations to have more opportunities to build sustainability, build, design, and implement programs that meet their needs.
Drawing upon the feedback from the program consultation, the application form, guidelines, reporting templates, and assessment criteria for Stream Three have been redesigned. The new materials are now user-friendly, clear, and transparent with what information is requested and how it is used (reporting deliverables). Reporting templates include more evaluation opportunities so recipients can provide feedback to help inform program design and delivery.
Each intake has a Review Committee comprised of Indigenous stakeholders and partners, to ensure there is equitable and equal opportunity of funding distribution. The criteria they advise upon and recommend projects for funding had applications representing one or more of the following:
- Jurisdictional representation of rural, remote, northern, and urban.
- Distinction representation of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, on-reserve, off-reserve, non-status, and 2SLGBTQI+ peoples
- Merit based scoring approach and need based assessment to determine file recommendations.
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Canadian Heritage
Funding Amount: $14.3 million/5 years and $2.9 million ongoing
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Indigenous consultant firm; National stakeholders; Aboriginal Sport Circle; National Indigenous Organizations; National Indigenous Women's Organizations; Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies; Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ representative organizations
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 3.1
7.4 Support the revitalization of Indigenous health, wellness, and child and Elder care practices
2023-24 Updates
- As of December 2023, Indigenous Services Canada provided funding to 95 Indigenous communities and organizations to implement midwifery projects.
Initiatives
Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems
Progress to date
Indigenous Services Canada
Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems initiatives respond to Call for Justice 7.4 and Calls for Miskotahâ 6 and 19 by funding Indigenous-led projects that help strengthen and integrate cultural and patient safety in health systems, as well as through increased Indigenous representation in health professions. Indigenous Services Canada's Cultural Safety Partnership Fund provides funding for activities and initiatives that help to integrate cultural and patient safety in health systems, which supports Indigenous-led community and regional intiaitives that aim to strengthen cultural safety and address anti-Indigenous racism and systemic barriers in health systems.These initiatives also respond to Call for Justice 7.4 and Calls for Mistokahâ by funding Indigenous communities and organizations to expand Indigenous midwifery and doula education pathways, create new services and infrastructure. By increasing Indigenous midwifery and doula services, it increases access to culturally safe reproductive care.
As of December 2023, 95 Indigenous communities and organizations received funding to implement midwifery projects that are focused on one or more of the following priorities:
- Community readiness and planning;
- Growing the workforce via community based, Indigenous-designed and delivered midwifery and doula education and training;
- Sustaining the workforce via funding for Indigenous midwives and doulas and new or expanded programming;
- Infrastructure for service delivery;
- Addressing legal and policy barriers to Indigenous midwives practicing in their communities.
ISC is currently supporting seven communities/ organizations/projects:
- Kehewin Cree Nation (Alberta)
- Opaskwayak Cree Nation (Manitoba)
- Sturgeon Lake First Nation (Saskatchewan)
- Nunatsiavut
- Nunavik
- Nunavut
- Inuvialuit Regional Corporation
Details on some of the projects funded by this initiative include:
- The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is currently establishing a Traditional Health team to lead the design and delivery of culturally responsive and safe environments in First Nations health systems in Saskatchewan.
- Indigenous Dental Association of Canada (IDAC) will create tools and resources for communities to improve oral health through its Indigenous Oral Health Knowledge Transfer Project. This project also seeks to bridge cultural understanding and combat racial biases in receiving oral health care.
- Sturgeon Lake First Nation is one of three First Nation demonstration projects that receives ongoing funding (source from a Budget 2017 investment) to develop and sustain new community-based birthing supports and programs that have a traditional knowledge base. The project formally started in 2019 and includes Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Grandmothers. Key activities include:
- Revitalizing and documenting traditional birthing knowledge, practices and ceremonies;
- Creating an Sturgeon Lake First Nation Grandmother's Knowledge Centre, complete with a curriculum. Topics will include traditional medicines, spirituality, cycle of life, cultural practices, rites of passage, self-care, natural laws, codes of conduct, and ceremony;
- Incorporating traditional birthing knowledge and practices within Sturgeon Lake First Nation's existing maternal health programming;
- Providing traditional activities and workshops to community members, to increase awareness and support for traditional birthing;
- Supporting two staff to become trained as Indigenous midwives (the community already employs Indigenous birth support workers);
- Constructing a standalone birthing centre (fully funded by Indigenous Services Canada via Budget 2021 and the Health Facilities program); and
- Developing clinical policies/procedures for the services to be delivered out of the birthing centre.
Health Canada
Through Budget 2021, Health Canada received $14.9 million over three years to establish the new Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada's Health Systems Program, which provides contribution funding for projects that address systemic racism and discrimination in Canada's health. The Program has two distinct streams of funding: (1) the Project Stream, which provides funding for projects that address systemic racism and discrimination in Canada's health systems; and (2) the Engagement Stream, which supports capacity development for Indigenous organizations to meaningfully engage on their health priorities.
The Ottawa Hospital received $825,922 in funding in 2023-24 through the Project Stream for the Advancing Culturally Safe Care for Inuit in the Canadian Health System project to foster culturally safe, wrap-around care for Inuit people in Ottawa, in order to improve patient experiences and health outcomes for Inuit in health care settings. This project aims to support education and knowledge-building on anti-racism and discrimination for healthcare staff; explore the provision of traditional Inuit materials and food within acute care settings; create engagement structures with Inuit and health organizations; and conduct post-education experience evaluations using an existing Indigenous-led evaluation platform. The recipient was granted an extension to complete project activities, as such, reporting is not currently available.
Yukon Hospital Corporation: First Nations Health Programs was approved for $459,993 through the Project Streatm, to fund a project titled Growing Our Community: Cultural Safety and Indigenous Representation in Yukon's Acute Care. The project aims to improve the delivery of culturally safe care. First Nations Health Programs will deliver these outcomes through hiring an Indigenous Nursing mentor, advancing Indigenous Youth advocacy, and engaging Indigenous youth to develop and distribute life promotion kits and cultural interventions. The project will aim to ensure all Indigenous patients have access to culturally rooted mental health and self-care materials that promote and affirm life while in hospital. The recipient was granted an extension to complete project activities, as such, accurate reporting is not currently available.
At this time, Health Canada does not have sufficient information to provide separate examples for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations, and qualitative and quantitative data. This is because several projects concluded at the end of March 2024, while others received extensions to complete project activities. This information will be available in early 2025.
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada; Health Canada
Funding Amount: $111.8 million/3 years (ISC); $14.9 million/3 years (HC)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: ISC: Pan-Canadian Health Organizations; National Indigenous health professional organizations; National Indigenous Organizations; Indigenous organizations; Health systems partners; Educational institutions; Provincial/Territorial Government representatives; Regional/community-based health system partners; Indigenous governments and communities / Health Canada: Pan-Canadian Health Organizations; National Health system partners; National Indigenous Organizations; National Indigenous health system partners; Provincial/Territorial Governments; Indigenous governments; Organizations and communities; Regional and community-based health system partners; Educational institutions
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 6, 19
Related Calls for Justice: 1.8, 3.2, 3.4, 7.6, 7.7
7.6 Ensure that health service employees receive ongoing training on Indigenous realities
2023-24 Updates
- In 2023-24, the Canadian Institute of Health Research Nursing Chairs of Indigenous Health Research partnered with the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing to develop and teach a workshop series for faculty members in Canadian Schools of Nursing to improve Indigenous cultural competency.
- The National Collaborating Center for Indigenous Health continued to implement their Cultural Safety and Anti-Indigenous Racism Repository project, which provides cultural safety strategies, resources and tools to the public in various languages. Resources include professional competencies, health practice standards and guidelines, cultural safety educational resources and training initiatives developed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous organization.
Initiatives
Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems
Progress to date
Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems initiatives partially responds to the Calls for Miskotahâ 6 and 19 by funding projects which are developing and implementing training, education, accreditation requirements and other tools and resources to ensure that health care professionals and health systems are culturally safe and responsive for the unique circumstances of all Indigenous Peoples, including Métis. By advancing cultural competency training and safety in health systems, healthcare professionals can become better equipped in understanding and respecting the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis patients. This can help create trust between Indigenous Peoples and healthcare providers and ensure that Indigenous women can receive trauma-informed care and support when needed. As such, the projects funded under this initiative are improving access to equitable healthcare by addressing the barriers to safe and quality healthcare for Indigenous Peoples, supporting the well-being of Indigenous women, girls and 2S+ Peoples.
Indigenous Services Canada
The Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems initiatives respond to Call for Justice 7.6 and Calls for Miskotahâ 6 and 19 by funding national and regional Indigenous partners and organizations to provide culturally safe training to health care professionals to build awareness on Indigenous realities and respond to anti-Indigenous racism in Canada's health systems. This includes funding to support Métis-specific culturally safe training to ensure that health services providers are knowledgeable and responsive to Métis cultures and realities.
In 2023-24, the Canadian Institute of Health Research Nursing Chairs of Indigenous Health Research partnered with the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing to develop and teach a workshop series for faculty members in Canadian Schools of Nursing to improve Indigenous cultural competency. Further, the National Collaborating Center for Indigenous Health continue to implement their Cultural Safety and Anti-Indigenous Racism Repository project, which provides cultural safety strategies, resources and tools to the public in various languages. Resources include professional competencies, health practice standards and guidelines, cultural safety educational resources and training initiatives developed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. In addition, the First Nations Health Managers Association launched the Rise Above Racism campaign, which highlights the issue of anti-Indigenous racism in the Canadian health care system. The campaign focuses on changing problematic biases and perceptions by promoting mutual respect, understanding and empathy toward Indigenous Peoples seeking health services. The campaign is aimed at hospitals, health care providers, health authorities and medical schools.
The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan is working to improve cultural responsiveness and cultural competency in healthcare systems by holding discussions with the University of Saskatchewan's College of Dentistry to examine Métis dental needs within Saskatchewan. This includes the need for trauma informed dental care and dental care access for rural and isolated communities.
Through Budget 2021, Health Canada received $14.9 million over three years to establish the new Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada's Health Systems Program, which provides contribution funding for projects that address systemic racism and discrimination in Canada's health. The Program has two distinct streams of funding: (1) the Project Stream, which provides funding for projects that address systemic racism and discrimination in Canada's health systems; and (2) the Engagement Stream, which supports capacity development for Indigenous organizations to meaningfully engage on their health priorities.
Health Canada provided the University of Winnipeg with $1 million in funding through the Project Streatm, for the Developing and Piloting Indigenous Community-Based Perinatal Support Worker Training project. This initiative aims to tackle systemic racism and discrimination against Indigenous women and gender-diverse birthing individuals within the healthcare system. The project involves creating, implementing, and evaluating a curriculum for Indigenous community-based perinatal support workers (ICPSWs). The recipient has developed the ICPSW training curriculum with area experts and a Curriculum Guidance Circle. In addition, the recipient has developed a supplementary digital app for mobile devices to provide virtual support to trainees. The project's final report is currently pending.
Health Canada provided Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami with $100,000 in funding in 2023-24 through the Engagement Stream, to advance the Inuit Para-Professional Healthcare Workforce project. The project plans to increase the tools for health system decision makers to increase Inuit representation in Para-Professional Health Workforce (PPHW) roles to fill many of the vacant positions, provide culturally safe health care supports, and increase access to health care services and decrease wait times. The recipient will gather available and existing data, conduct interviews, roundtables, and workshops in each of the four Inuit regions on health outcomes, skills development and jobs, income, costs of healthcare delivery, service wait times, and uptake of healthcare services in Inuit communities. The information collected will feed into development of an Economic-Health Impact Study. The result will be an Inuit health sector intelligence tool, the first of its kind, providing a clear picture of the impact of Inuit PPHW's on the Inuit economy and Inuit health. The project's final report is currently pending.
Health Canada provided $100,000 in funding through the Engagement Stream to the Métis National Council for their project titled "Métis Nation Dialogue on Mental Health and Cannabis" in 2023-24. The recipient aimed to collect Métis Peoples' perspectives and understanding of mental health and cannabis. The project would seek information on how cannabis, and mental health and wellness, is perceived in Métis communities; identify potential research and knowledge exchange regarding how cannabis impacts mental health and wellness in the Métis context; identify challenges, gaps, and opportunities to work in partnership with the Métis Nation; and identify the health and wellness needs and priorities of the Métis Nation. The recipient's progress report is currently pending.
Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak received $100,000 in funding through the Engagement Stream. to advance its efforts in exploring the perspectives of Métis women on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and Mental Illness in 2022-23. The recipient organized national level, in-person focus groups engaging Métis women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Métis to gather insight on Métis-specific perspectives on Medical Assistance in Dying where a mental disorder is the sole underlying medical condition. This was supplemented by a virtual validation session to incorporate additional feedback for the development of a comprehensive "What We Heard" report. This report, along with recommendations for action, is currently pending.
Health Canada allocated $99,997 to the Native Women's Association of Canada in 2022-23 through the Engagement Stream. This funding was specifically aimed at engaging Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQI+ communities on experiences of oral health care to learn about shortcomings, accessibility, and service needs, as well as experiences of racism and discrimination when accessing care. The recipient hosted four in-person Sharing Circles in multiple demographic locations and virtual Sharing Circles in order to ensure representation of regional perspectives. The recipient also surveyed oral healthcare professionals' needs and resources, knowledge, and educational requirements. These efforts led to publication of their report in June 2023, titled "An Investigation into Anti-Indigenous Racism and its Impacts in the Oral Healthcare of Indigenous Women, Two-Spirit, Transgender, and Gender-Diverse People in Canada".
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada; Health Canada
Funding Amount: $111.8 million/3 years (ISC); $14.9 million/3 years (HC)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: ISC: Pan-Canadian Health Organizations; National Indigenous health professional organizations; National Indigenous Organizations; Indigenous organizations; Health systems partners; Educational institutions; Provincial/Territorial Government representatives; Regional/community-based health system partners; Indigenous governments and communities / Health Canada: Pan-Canadian Health Organizations; National Health system partners; National Indigenous Organizations; National Indigenous health system partners; Provincial/Territorial Governments; Indigenous governments; Organizations and communities; Regional and community-based health system partners; Educational institutions
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 6, 19
Related Calls for Justice: 1.8, 3.2, 3.4, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7
7.7 Support Indigenous people to train and work in health and wellness services
2023-24 Updates
- 14 communities and organizations across the country are providing doula and birth support worker training, with approximately 110 new workers expected to be trained by the end of March 2024.
- The National Council of Indigenous Midwives is piloting a new national Indigenous midwifery education framework.
Initiatives
Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health System
Progress to date
The midwifery stream of Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health System partially responds to Call for Justice 7.7 and Calls for Miskotahâ 6 and 19 through funding Indigenous communities and organizations to provide midwifery and/or doula/birth support worker training to community members. By increasing Indigenous midwifery and doula services, it increases access to culturally safe, reproductive care.
14 communities/organizations across the country are providing doula/birth support worker training, with approximately 110 new workers expected to be trained by the end of March 2024. Three communities/organizations are delivering new Indigenous-led midwifery training programs, that will take students four to five years to complete.
In addition to the midwifery investments, Indigenous Services Canada has funded 13 communities and groups to support initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Indigenous health professionals. This supports Indigenous specific health education programs and training and development initiatives to address anti-Indigenous racism in Canada's health care system. The funded activities focus on recruiting and developing new Indigenous health professionals and supporting new or current workforce in rural and remote Indigenous communities. This funding supported a number of Indigenous people to attend Licensed Practical Nursing programs in Saskatchewan; Indigenous students were enrolled in emergency response in Manitoba; and, a Dental Therapy Program was established at the University of Saskatchewan.
The Labrador Innu has launched their newly created community-based midwifery education program, adapted from the internationally recognized Inuulitisvik Midwifery Program in Nunavik. The training officially launched in April with a midwife instructor and four students from the communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish. The program includes educational laddering, which will see the students graduating as maternity care support workers by March 2024.
The National Council of Indigenous Midwives is piloting a new national Indigenous midwifery education framework. 15 Indigenous students and staff from four communities across the country are enrolled in the program. Students have recently registered for their foundational science courses at several partner universities and will also be taking part in training with a travelling Indigenous midwife over the next coming year.
Berens River (Manitoba) currently has a Practical Nursing Diploma in place to train people in Berens River community to obtain their practical nursing license.
Chiefs of Ontario is working to develop and implement a regional Indigenous Health Human Resource strategy in collaboration with communities and partners in Ontario to address Indigenous health human resources issues.
The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies is currently running their Indigenous Practical Nursing Program. It is a full-time, two-year diploma program delivered at the Saskatoon Campus to support the expansion of the Indigenous Practical Nursing Diploma program to rural and remote locations
Funding and partner information
Lead Department: Indigenous Services Canada; Health Canada
Funding Amount: $111.8 million/3 years (ISC); $14.9 million/3 years (HC)
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: ISC: Pan-Canadian Health Organizations; National Indigenous health professional organizations; National Indigenous Organizations; Indigenous organizations; Health systems partners; Educational institutions; Provincial/Territorial Government representatives; Regional/community-based health system partners; Indigenous governments and communities / Health Canada: Pan-Canadian Health Organizations; National Health system partners; National Indigenous Organizations; National Indigenous health system partners; Provincial/Territorial Governments; Indigenous governments; Organizations and communities; Regional and community-based health system partners; Educational institutions
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 6, 19
Related Calls for Justice: 1.8, 3.2, 3.4, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7