Indigenous Health Outreach team making connections, one step at a time
For the members of a small outreach team on the Downtown Eastside (DTES), it can be as simple as a cup of coffee or a quick chat about family that makes all the difference in getting the clients they serve connected to the health-care system.
The Indigenous Health Outreach team at VCH advocates and assists people who self-identify as Indigenous. This includes connecting them to cultural supports and health services, including existing mental health and substance use programs and primary care. The current team of six Indigenous Cultural Practitioners has been providing outreach and support and building relationships with Indigenous people since April 2023.
Doris Prest, an Indigenous Cultural Practitioner with the team, noted that when a connection is made, it’s a moment to celebrate. “It’s the best day in the world,” she said, adding the team is there to support and help clients access and navigate the system.
The Indigenous Health Outreach team
Providing cultural and relational strengths-based care
Since the program launched a year ago, the team have provided cultural and relational strengths-based care to 409 people with referrals to other aspects of care.
“It’s really that relational care that matters, having people being heard, being seen. Having a service that is Indigenous-led and informed by culturally safe practices, leading with culture and a relational strengths-based approach, is critical to the population we serve.” - Dr. Lindsay Farrell, Director of Indigenous Mental Wellness and Substance Use, and Community Services
Witnessing results of the team's work
Paulette Nyce, an Indigenous Cultural Practitioner on the team, has witnessed the results of the team’s work firsthand. “Someone who is very shy and doesn’t speak or share much, approached me for the first time last week. I’ve been able to get folks who do not engage in any health care, seen by primary care and have other needs met through relational and relentless visits to check in with them,” she said.