Sunday is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Niagara Health has a strong partnership with the De dwa da dehs nye's Aboriginal Health Centre, which provides a wide variety of healthcare services and supports across a number of different locations within the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, and Brant region.
One of their services that assists Niagara Health patients is the Aboriginal Patient Navigator program, which was launched in 2015. Designed specifically to meet the needs of Aboriginal people, the program provides support to patients and their families and assists in accessing the healthcare system as well as traditional healing and wellness practices. The program also provides navigation services that are culturally appropriate within the health/social service systems for individuals, caregivers and their families to improve patient outcomes.
The centre’s Niagara office has also expanded over the past few years, adding six new programs. As the Niagara office continues to gain momentum, the centre’s ability to meet the needs of the Indigenous community increases.
New positions added to the Aboriginal Health Centre team in Niagara include:
- Adult Mental Health Counsellor
- Traditional Healing
- Child and Youth Mental Health Counsellor
- Child and Youth Outreach Worker
- Two Rapid Access Addictions Medicine Outreach Addiction Counselors
- Adult Addictions Counsellor
The healthcare services the centre provides can be seen across the Niagara region with provision of supports within the hospital system as well as with their community partners.
The mission at De dwa da dehs nye is to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous individuals, families and communities through wholistic Indigenous, traditional and Western ways of healthcare. Their vision is vibrant, healthy Indigenous communities.
Learn more about the Aboriginal Health Centre on their website: www.aboriginalhealthcentre.com
