Annapolis Valley District Health Authority: Project to Improve Mental Health Services and Address the Complex Discharge Planning Needs of First Nations Residents

• Lead/Recipient: The Annapolis Valley District Health Authority (DHA) serves a population of 85,000, and is located in the south western part of Nova Scotia, in close proximity to Halifax
• Partners: Acadia; Annapolis Valley Bear River and Glooscap First Nations; Nova Scotia Department of Health; First Nations and Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $166,700
• Duration: October 2007 - August 2009
• In Brief: The South West Nova DHA will work with four First Nations (Acadia, Bear River, Annapolis, and Glooscap) and the Annapolis Valley DHA to improve mental health services and discharge planning for complex cases. Mental health partners will develop a communication plan and joint planning process, analyse gaps in the availability of mental health services in the two districts, and identify strategies to improve the quality of discharge planning.

Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq (CMM): Collaborative Care for the Children and Youth We Share

• Lead/Recipient: The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq (CMM) is a tribal organization which represents the First Nation communities of Annapolis Valley, Bear River, Glooscap, Millbrook, Paq'tnkek and Pictou Landing
• Partners: Annapolis Valley, Colchester East Hants, Guysborough Antigonish Strait, Pictou County and South West Nova District Health Authorities; Capital Health IWK Health Centre; Eastern Shore Musquodobit Community Health; First Nations and Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $247,400
• Duration: February 2008 - March 2010
• In Brief: Partners in this project led by the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq will work together to develop collaborative mechanisms, policies and procedures to improve the delivery of mental health services for children and youth in First Nations communities in Nova Scotia. The project will develop recommendations for the streamlining of referrals, discharge planning and after-care planning and will implement a model collaborative system based on best practices.

Continuing Care Branch, Department of Health, Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia, Federal, First Nations Home Care Service and Policy Integration Initiative

• Lead/Recipient: The Continuing Care Branch is a division of the Nova Scotia Department of Health and is committed to supporting Nova Scotians in their home and communities. It provides adult protection services, home care services, and long-term care services, including nursing home and residential care facilities
• Partners: Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs, Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq and Union of Nova Scotia Indians; Cape Breton, Guysborough Antigonish Strait, and South West Nova District Health Authorities; Nova Scotia Office of Aboriginal Affairs; Indian and Northern Affairs Canada; First Nations Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $295,790
• Duration: September 2007 - March 2011
• In Brief: First Nations, the provincial and federal governments will work together to integrate home and continuing care services for First Nations communities in Nova Scotia. An integrated home care framework will be developed, with a recommended action strategy, based on an assessment of community needs. Partners will also develop a plan to roll out discharge planning to all reserves and establish an ongoing trilateral forum to address issues related to home and continuing care.

Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority (GASHA): Enhancement of GASHA and First Nation Communication, Service Coordination and Access via Memorandum of Understanding Development

• Lead/Recipient: The Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority (GASHA) is responsible for providing health services and programs to over 47,000 residents of Antigonish, Guysborough, and Richmond Counties and the southern portion of Inverness County
• Partners: Paq'tnkek First Nation and Potlotek First Nation; First Nation and Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $127,500
• Duration: July 2007 - March 2010
• In Brief: A Memorandum of Understanding will be developed bilaterally between two First Nations communities and the GASHA in Nova Scotia to clarify roles and responsibilities for health service delivery, establish specific targets and improve coordination of health services. An asset mapping exercise will be undertaken and a joint planning framework developed.

Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority (GASHA): People Assessing Their Health (PATH) – First Nations Community Health Impact Assessment Tool Development

• Lead/Recipient: Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority
• Partners: Paqtnkek First Nation; Potlotek First Nation; First Nations Inuit Health Branch, Atlantic Region
• Funding: $87,500
• Duration: September 2009 - March 2010
• In Brief: In partnership with the Paqtnkek and Potlotek First Nations, GASHA will develop a community health impact assessment tool to assess the impacts of its health policies, programs and services on the communities, to identify community health priorities and support community health planning. This project is part of the implementation of the MOU developed with the First Nations on enhanced communication and coordinated service delivery.

Pictou County Health Authority: Collaboration for Improved Integration of Mental Health Services for Pictou Landing First Nation

• Lead/Recipient: The Pictou County Health Authority is responsible for providing health services to a total population of 48,000 residents (both within Pictou County and other populations from north eastern Nova Scotia). Pictou Landing First Nation has a population of approximately 580
• Partners: Pictou Landing First Nation; Mental Health Services, Pictou County Health Authority; First Nations and Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $187,500
• Duration: October 2007 - March 2010
• In Brief: Pictou Landing First Nation and the Pictou County Health Authority will work together to increase the capacity of First Nations community health staff to respond to mental health issues, design and implement on-reserve support groups for specific conditions, and develop a strategy for enhanced collaboration between the two organizations.

Wagmatcook First Nation: Working Toward Health Status Reporting with First Nations in Nova Scotia

• Lead/Recipient: This project includes five First Nation communities within Cape Breton, representing a population of approximately 5,300
• Partners: Eskasoni, Membertou, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, and We'koqma'q First Nations; Department of Health Promotion and Protection - Government of Nova Scotia; Cape Breton District Health Authority; First Nations and Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $245,000
• Duration: April 2008 - March 2010
• In Brief: The Wagmatcook First Nation is leading this project to work towards improving integration and coordination of provincial, community and federal health services for First Nations people in Nova Scotia by integrating public health surveillance data and health status reporting as it relates to communicable disease prevention and control, and working to implement the Pan-Canadian Public Health Surveillance Management System (Panorama).

We'koqma'q Health Centre: Telling Our Stories: Quantifying, Documenting and Articulating First Nations' Health Needs

• Lead/Recipient: This project is administered by the We'koqma'q Health Centre on behalf of five First Nation communities in Cape Breton, representing a population of approximately 5,300
• Partners: Eskasoni, Membertou, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, and We'koqma'q First Nations; Nova Scotia Department of Health, Population Health Research Unit; Guysborough Antigonish Strait and Cape Breton District Health Authorities; Cancer Care Nova Scotia; Cardiovascular Health Nova Scotia; Reproductive Care Program of Nova Scotia; First Nations and Inuit Health - Atlantic Region
• Funding: $430,593
• Duration: February 2008 - March 2010
• In Brief: The project led by the We'koqma'q Health Centre will begin to address gaps in the collection and accessibility of Aboriginal health information in Nova Scotia. The project will enhance the current health information management system, facilitate the sharing of health information between communities, regional health authorities and the province, and improve access to health information by all partners.