Social Development Program Mission Statement:
To promote the restoration of the health and wellbeing of Nuu-chah-nulth communities, and to provide people with the opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency and self-determination for themselves and for our nation as a whole. To be a truly healthy community or person, this mission must be understood in terms that promote respect, empowerment, and equality.
Contact Information for Nuu-chah-nulth Community Engagement Hub
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council
Community and Human Services Program
P.O. Box 1383
Port Alberni, B.C.
V9Y 7M2
Phone: 250-724-5757
Fax: 250-723-0463
Victoria Watts
Manager of Health Promotion and Social Development
phone: 250-724-5757
email: Victoria.Watts@nuuchahnulth.org
Matilda Atleo
Sr. Community Health Development Worker—Southern Region
phone: 250-724-5757
email: Matilda.Atleo@nuuchahnulth.org
Jackie Corfield
Community Health Development Worker—Northern Region
phone: 1-877-283-2012
email: Jackie.Corfield@nuuchahnulth.org
Melody Charlie
Community Health Development Worker—Central Region
phone: 1-250-726-7347
email: Melody.Charlie@nuuchahnulth.org
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Community Engagement HUB
Northern Region (Kyuquot, Ehattesaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, Nuchatlaht)
Central Region (Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Toquaht, Ucluelet)
Southern Region (Ditidaht, Hupacasath, Huu-ay-aht, Tseshaht, Uchucklesaht)
Community engagement Hubs are groups of First Nations to plan, collaboration, communicate to meet their Nations health priorities. Hub stands for ‘Help us Build.’
Hubs also provide a vehicle for First Nations communities to partner with First Nations Health Council to implement the Tripartite First nations Health Plan.
Key objectives of the Nuu-chah-nulth Community Engagement Hub are:
Collaboration
Communication
Consultation
Health Planning
Health Promotion
Victoria Watts, Manager of Health Promotion and Social Development, is the
Nuu-chah-nulth Community Engagement Hub Coordinator. In addition, the Hub has a Community Health Development Worker for each of the 3 Nuu-chah-nulth Regions.
Nuu-Chah-nulth Community Health Development Worker is a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Community and Human Services (CHS) Health Promotion and Social Development Department. The Community Health Development Worker is assigned to work mainly with four or five First Nations Communities in their designed Region, but will participate as a team member in support of all Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations:
Roles of Community Health Development Worker
Work collaboratively with Nuu-chah-nulth communities and other NTC/CHS staff to assist with development of community health plans and to assist community workers to identify health promotion priorities.
Support community health promotion activities in areas identified as a priority by the community.
Support front line community health workers take an active role in health planning and promoting healthy living for community members.
Identify resources, training and information needs for the communities such as: nutritional counseling and education.
Assist in providing information and workshops in support of community health priorities, and planning.
Coordinate sessions with communities as a means to share constructive ideas and experiences from one community to another.
Assist communities to develop their own health plans, including assessment of health needs, identification of resources, actions, timelines and indicators.
Provide support to First Nation Community Health Workers including information on resources and health services.
Health Governance
January – 2011 – The Nuu-chah-nulth Health Caucus met in Port Alberni on January 21. Paachedaht joined us for the first time. We discussed the tight time line provided by the Federal Minister of Health. She prefers that we come to a formal binding agreement for the Health Transfer, before any cabinet shuffle or Federal election. The First Nations Health Council’s Governance Working group met with the Federal Government and B.C., the week of January 17. The Framework Agreement was discussed. This will be a legal, binding contract setting out key commitments including funding, plan and process for transfer of FNIH, and working with Provincial Regional Health Authorities. The Partnership Agreement will set out a shared vision of the Parties, and describe the long term relationship between the FNHC, FNHA, Canada and BC. The third document being worked on is the Implementation Plan, which will manage the change in a way that will reflect our capacity to manage the Health Transfer. We will set to be achieved over time.
It is expected that an initialled Framework Agreement will occur by the end of February.
John Rampenen, Vancouver Island Health Governance liaison worker, presented information on the Health Partnership Workbook for BC First Nations. This workbook is on the First Nations Health Council web site. It is designed to get views from leadership, managers and frontline workers on this First Nations Health Governance Initiative. These views will be compiled Province wide, into a consensus. John and NTC staff will be happy to assist any of our communities with the completion of responses to the workbook.
The Draft Terms of Reference for the Nuu-chah-nulth Health Caucus, has now been formally approved by our NTC Directors. It will be posted on the NTC website soon.
Individual Nuu-chah-nulth Nations continue to work on their communities Health Plan.
An Island Health Caucus will take place on February 28 and March 1, in Nanaimo. Some issues to be addressed are: Terms of Reference, Communications, best use of available resources and advice to Negotiations from an Island perspective and finally a plan to engage VIHA.
Communication
Newsletters
January 2011
October 2010
July 2010
March 2010
Links
First Nations Health Council
Tripartite First Nations Health Plan
First Nations Inuit Health
VIHA Aboriginal Health
NTC Resource Manual
Health Governance
NIHB Mission Statement:
To deliver various components of the Nuu chah nulth Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) in coordination with community development/initiatives, and provincial agencies/resources. To test future management options for the delivery of the NIHB programs in a manner that is conducive to an effective and efficient information process.
This document is designed
to pass on Non-Insured Health Benefit information
to Nuu chah nulth communities. My contact
with the communities and First Nations and Inuit Health Brach, Vancouver, keeps me up to date on
changes that affect NIHB. This contact will
help me inform the First Nations CHR or Health
Clerk on changes to benefits. The developments
created in our communities at this time of
transfer, will determine the future of our
NIHB program.
Contact Number - 1 888
407-4888
Robert Cluett
NTC CHS NIHB Program Coordinator
email:robert.cluett@nuuchahnulth.org
Patricia Little
NIHB Accounts Payable
email:patricia.little@nuuchahnulth.org
Delavina Lawrence
NIHB Clerk
email: delavina.lawrence@nuuchahnulth.org
Optical Program
Medical Patient
Travel
Mental Health Services
Medical Equipment and Supplies
Dental
Pharmacy
Status Card/Care Card/Medic Alert/CNIB
Optical Program
Eyeglasses Replacement
- Minimum change of .5 diopter to change eyeglasses
- High index (thinner lenses) 7.00 diopters
or more - The NTC CHS NIHB Program (cost may
be lower than what is charged)
-24 months for 18 years and up
-12 months for 17 and under
- Physiological change related to physical need
Eye Exam frequency and Care Card
- Eye examinations limited to once every 24 months. The limit does not
apply to persons under 19, over 65, or with a medical condition requiring
more frequest examinations
- The NTC CHS Program now pays a maximum of $46.17 for eye exams for
persons between the age of 19 and 64. Eye specialists and Optometrists
may charge a range of $90 to $120 per exam.
Contact Lenses
- Hard Lens may be approved under the following
criteria:
- Aphakia (post cataract surgery)
- Cornea Irregularities
- Astigmatism (inadequately corrected by eyeglasses)
Contact Lens for cataract surgery falls under medical care plan and
currently only approves the hard lens as a replacement. There is a new
state-of-the-art soft acrylic lens with a current cost of $300 per eye.
For CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) contact Vancouver
Island District at (250) 595-1100
Medical Patient Travel
Community Level Patient Travel has to be accessed through the
Community where you are resident. Away from home travel is
administered through through your current
community and they will
access re-imbursement through the NIHB Program at NTC.
The Pacific Regional Guidelines medical patient travel sets out minimum benefits
that must be provided to all Nuu chah nulth
and members of other
First Nations normally resident in their community.
The Medical Transportation Policy covers only "medically and legally"
required travel expenses for the client and as medically required escorts.
The current minimum mileage is 25 cents per kilometre for unpaved roads and 20 cents per kilometre for paved roads.
Away from home travel requests administered through your community
office will be reimbursements from NTC NIHB. Reimbursements will be
strictly in accordance with the Pacific Region Regional Medical Patient Travel Guidelines.
Coordination of benefits is strongly enforced with other agencies, and
only provided when a client signs a form assigning benefits to the
First Nation in the amount of the assistance provided.
A client who feels the decision made within the Pacific Region medical patient travel guidelines
are unjust to them have a right to appeal these decisions by going
through the process in the policy and their
community appeal panel. Contact your current
community for further details.
Mental Health
Program under agreement with First Nations and Inuit Health Branch
Medical Equipment and Supplies
-Under administration and operation of FNIHB (1-800-317-7878)
-Requires a medical prescription, and if required an assessment to be forwarded to the appropriate provider for onward transmission to FNIHB Vancouver Zone for predetermination.
-Lifeline phone and monthly payment are not a benefit under NIHB Program
Dental
-Under administration and operation of FNIHB
(1-888-321-5003)
-Does not cover for cosmetics
-Assistance given for Dental Braces coverage
up to a maximum of $5500 when approved, if cavity free for
6 months
-Community prevention is strongly encouraged if there is a reasonable chance of transferring this program and staying within budget. A highly volatile and cost driven program
Pharmacy
-Under the administration and operation of FNIHB Vancouver Zone
-The Prescription Drug Exception Centre is in Ottawa
-When brand-name and generic versions of the
same drug are available, the NIHB program
will pay for whichever drug has the lowest
price. Generic drugs contain the same main
ingredient as the brand-name original. Hospitals
know the value of generic drugs, they have
been using them for years instead of the more
expensive brand-name drugs
-If a prescription is denied through the National NIHB Program you have the right to appeal this decision. the appeal begins with the Pharmacist advocating by sending an appeal electronically on a clients behalf to the Drug Exception Centre (DEC) Ottawa. they will in turn decide if they will process it through the clients family doctor requesting justification for the prescription medicine. the doctor completes a specific form and returns it to DEC Ottawa for a final consideration, at which time they will inform your pharmacy of the decision
Care
Card
Call 1-800-663-7100 or visit BC MSP Care Card web site.
Medic Alert - Membership Registration Application
Client gets an application from Band Office or their doctor's office
and completes the form and forwards form direct to:
Canadian Medic Alert Foundation
2005 Sheppard Avenue East
Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario
M2J 5B4
CNIB
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is a voluntary,
not for profit organization that provides services to anyone with a
visual impairment, which cannot be corrected by ordinary lenses.
CNIB is not a government agency. Thousands of people receive
services from professional staff supported by volunteers within BC
and the Yukon.
The CNIB Program offers the following services that are intended to
minimize the effects of visual impairment and to learn from others
who have had similar experiences:
-Counseling and Referral (Adjustment to Vision Loss)
-Rehabilitation Teaching (Enhancing Life and Skills)
-Career and Employment Counseling (Find Work)
-Orientation and Mobility (Learning Safe Travel)
-Technical Aids Service (Simple Product Solutions
-Library Services (Access to Information)
-Public Education (Brochures and Videos)
-Volunteer Services (Support and Assist)
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