Aboriginal Health

Aboriginal Health Team

Team Members

Aboriginal Health Initiatives Program (AHIP)

AHIP is coordinated by our Aboriginal Health Initiative Program Community Developer. The Community Developer supports AHIP projects across the VCH Region by assisting the First Nation or community organization to develop effective proposals and evaluation frameworks, offering educational skill enhancement and developing effective network relationships within and between projects and their communities and VCH to increase the capacity of all stakeholders to support the strategic community and corporate initiatives of VCH.

In addition, the Community Developer works on the following initiatives:

• Develops collaborative relationships with all funded projects
• Establishes with the funded projects appropriate evaluation frameworks
• Researches and writes reports on topics relevant to funding initiatives
• Develops/facilitates educational workshops, showcases and forums, for both internal and external purposes
• Maintains a strong network of community leaders, members of the public and service providers to ensure informed decision-making by the SMART Fund Team
• Supports collaborative partnerships among community, community-based agencies and VCH services, in order to promote learnings and promising practices to influence future policy and planning of services and programs

Read more info on AHIP funding.

Aboriginal Health Strategic Initiatives

The Regional Leader for Aboriginal Health Strategic Initiatives works on the following strategic initiatives:

• Prepares the Aboriginal Health Strategic Plan
• Chairs the Coordinating Committee
• Identifies systems and policy issues related to the Plan and options to address them
• Develops partnerships with federal, provincial and Aboriginal organizations to support the implementation of the Plan including planning for the Aboriginal Healing Center
• Represents VCH on Provincial Leads Group
• Monitors performance against the Plan
• Develops the framework and policies for the Aboriginal Health Improvement Fund and presents to Coordinating Committee for approval
• Collaborate with SMARTFund, and Community Consultation in managing implementation of the Fund
• Participate on the Aboriginal Community Health Advisory Committee

Community Engagement

The Leader of Community Engagement for the Aboriginal Community builds and maintains partnerships with Aboriginal communities to help develop creative solutions to health service delivery issues in the VCH Region. In order to ensure that community input is heard and incorporated, the Leader encourages effective two-way communication between the Aboriginal community and VCH.

The Leader provides leadership and support within VCH on the following activities:

• Coordination of and participation in the Aboriginal Community Health Advisory Committee (ACHAC), and participates in the Aboriginal Coordinating Committee.
• Designs, implements and evaluates VCH Aboriginal community engagement activities
• Enhances and promotes Aboriginal community participation in the development and implementation of the VCH Aboriginal Health Strategic Plan and other relevant planning and policy development processes.
• Increases VCH organizational capacity to engage Aboriginal communities and stakeholders . Represents VCH and the needs of the community to local governments, health care organizations, and prospective funding agencies.
• Determines the effect of emerging Aboriginal community health issues and service delivery trends by consulting with community stakeholders, program managers, planning task groups and committees.

Find more info on Community Engagement.

Vancouver Community

The Aboriginal Health Services Manager works to address health issues for the Aboriginal community living in, or receiving health services, in Vancouver. An overall goal of this work is to identify and develop ways to support the implementation of the urban Aboriginal community vision for health and wellness. This includes the management and development of Aboriginal community contracted health services, the development of Aboriginal specific and culturally competent services within VCH as well as cross-cultural education opportunities for VCH staff and others. The Manager works closely with a variety of committees, teams and projects, both within VCH and within the Aboriginal community, to ensure Aboriginal health issues are identified and addressed.

Click here for more info on Vancouver Community.

Vancouver Community, Aboriginal Program Advisory Committee

Volunteer positions are available on Aboriginal Health Services Program Advisory Committees (PAC's). These committees are put in place to provide feedback and advice to Aboriginal Health Services on program development issues in a variety of areas. The current PAC's include addictions; mental health; education; and research. PAC's are developed and implemented as required, based on Aboriginal Health Services planning needs, and are updated annually. Volunteer's commit to attending and actively participating in a minimum of 4 meetings (quarterly) and a maximum of 12 meetings (monthly) over the course of a year depending on the particular PAC.

PAC members include Aboriginal Health Services and VCH staff, Aboriginal community members with an interest or experience in the area, Aboriginal service providers with expertise and/or interest in the area and provincial, federal or academic participants as appropriate to the PAC and their activities. To find out more information or receive an application package, please call Aboriginal Health Services at 604.633.4238.

Read More

• Aboriginal Health Team
• Aboriginal Health Team Committees
• Contact Us

VCH Resources

• About VCH
• VCH Quick Facts