2024-2025 Grant Recipients

1. Integrating Indigenous Approaches to Care at Herway Home Clinic: Unceded Traditional lək̓wəŋən Territory (Victoria, BC)

This project aimed to enhance the integration of Indigenous models of care into HerWay Home clinic, which is a clinic and program that provides care to individuals and families impacted by substance use.
Stakeholders, such as the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH), Songhees Nation representatives, Elders and Aunties, were engaged to establish ongoing partnerships and to define the project goals. These consultations provided ways to optimize cultural safety in the HerWay Home clinic service model. Funding was used to hire and formalize a part time position for an Indigenous Outreach Worker/Knowledge Keeper. This role provides cultural support in groups, medical visits and supports clients individually. Informal feedback from clients highlighted appreciation for the cultural support which affirms the importance of continuing and expanding Indigenous-centered care.

HerWay Home clinic has committed to continuing this work and sustaining funding for the Indigenous Outreach Worker/Knowledge Keeper role beyond the grant period.

Improving Access to Culturally-Safe Abortion Care on Southern Vancouver Island: Unceded Traditional lək̓wəŋən Territory (Victoria, BC)

A project that aims to improve abortion and contraception care to First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM) people through education for providers. This work will be done through implementation of a workshop of staff, reflections on learning and development of training materials which will serve as a resource for staff members at Vancouver Island Women’s Clinic. Through teachings about the impacts of colonization on FNIM women and reproductive health, the clinic will aim to improve its ability to provide culturally safe and accessible care for patients.

Shuswap Lake General Hospital – Sacred Garden Revitalization Project: Unceded Traditional Territories of the Secwépemc people (Salmon Arm)

A project that will implement a sacred Indigenous healing garden at Shuswap Lake General Hospital. The healing garden will be co-developed with local Indigenous partners and will provide a space for traditional medicines, ceremonies and land-based healing practices that will integrate Indigenous healing models into the healthcare system. This project seeks to enhance cultural safety competency, improve communication and foster trust with Indigenous patients and communities, and create a welcoming space that will inspire others in their journey towards Truth and Reconciliation.

Leading Our Way with Culture – Nisga’a Valley Health Authority Community Guidance Circle Project: Nisg̱a’a Lands (Gitlax̱t’aamiks, BC)

The project will form a Community Guidance Circle of community appointed Indigenous Elders and individuals which will meet with physician and nursing teams to align the work that the Nisga’a Health Authority does with Nisga’a principles. Initial \goals for the Community Guidance Circle will be to inform how to create more culturally appropriate and safe clinical spaces and how to better integrate traditional medicines and wellness into health centers. This project will aim to strengthen relationships between the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority, the four Nisga’a communities ((Gitlax̱t’aamiks, Gitwinksihlkw, Lax̱g̱alts’ap, and Ging̱olx) and Nisga’a Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

Healing Encounters: Cultural Safety and Trauma Sensitive care in the ER: Unceded Traditional territory of the Wet’suwet’en people (Smithers, BC)

This project will have 3 three hour sessions, with a group of 10-15 family physicians and other front line staff, which will be facilitated by a local Wet’ suet’ en leader. The aim of this project is to learn about Indigenous-settler relations in the Smithers area as well as to become more informed about healthcare related trauma for Indigenous patients. It is through this work that primary care providers will be able to provide safer and more sensitive care to vulnerable patients.

Enhancing Cultural Safety in Family Medicine: Partnering with Indigenous Communities to Co-Create Culturally Safe Care Pathways: Unceded Traditional territory of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples (Chilliwack, BC)

This project will be guided by local Indigenous leaders and health advocates to educate and equip family physicians with knowledge so that they may work together to co-create culturally safe practices and protocols to provide care for Indigenous patients. This project seeks to establish sustainable relationships with knowledge keepers, Elders and community leaders to support ongoing cultural safety training for health care providers. The work will prioritize a reciprocal partnership with Indigenous communities so that patients and families can share their experience and help to inform create of culturally safe care pathways.

Walk-in Clinic at Osoyoos Indian Band Health Centre: Unceded Traditional territory of the sukənaqin and sməlqmix people (Oliver, BC)

This project supported the creation of culturally safe community-based care walk in clinic in the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) Health & Resource Centre. The clinic seeks to address the shortage of primary medical care by attaching Indigenous patients to providers that provide care with a cultural safety and humility lens.
The creation of the Osoyoos Indian Band Health Centre has made a large community impact. Several residents, family physicians and an Indigenous nurse practitioner have all seen patients at the clinic. The clinic allows flexibility for patients that live in community and has diverted approximately 15 people each day it was open from the local emergency department. It has also been a place of learning for rural family medicine residents and medical students in culturally safe and humble care.

Food & Friends – Strengthening Relationships and Raising Voices: Unceded Traditional territory of the Coast Salish People (Langley, BC)

This project will be supported by the Langley Division of Family practice and their existing relationships with Kwantlen First Nations, Matsqui First Nation, Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society, and Waceya Metis Society and Foundry. The project will use a decolonial approach to gathering through creation of a safe space for family physicians, community family care providers, local First Nations and Indigenous community members to have dialogue about how to best incorporate culturally safe practices in primary care. The project seeks to foster trust between community and primary care providers and build relationships.