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KNC Social Sector Overview
The vision for the Ktunaxa Nation begins with “Strong, Healthy citizens…” – the Social Sector’s objective is to create and maintain vital health and wellbeing systems that are integrated, culturally grounded, easily accessed and oriented to achieving this goal.
COVID-19 Information
All programs will continue to run following COVID health and safety protocols.
Programs and Services
For information on programs and services and our referral process, please call 250-919-6500 or email intakes@ktunaxa.org.
Health
- Public Health Nursing Services include clinic visits for preventative health, pregnancy education and baby care, school visits, child health clinics, immunization, community workshops, communicable disease control, environmental health prevention and education, HIV screening and STI education, and harm reduction supplies.
- Home Care Nursing Services include First Nation and Non-Insured Health Benefits information, direct client care for nursing interventions such as wound treatment, foot care, physical assessments and screening activities, consultation, referral and liaison with other care providers, organizations and institutions, medication management and understanding, palliative care, linkages to community service providers, and learning resources (books, videos and pamphlets).
- Two Nurse Practitioners: Outreach/In-reach and Street Angel: nurse practitioners are health professionals who have achieved the advanced nursing practice competencies at the graduate level of nursing education. Nurse practitioners provide health care services from a holistic nursing perspective, integrated with the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, including prescribing medications. NP Outreach services are provided to the Ktunaxa Communities.
- Aboriginal Patient Navigator Services include navigation at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital, advocacy, discharge planning, promoting access to services and assistance in understanding the hospital system, and referral to Aboriginal Community Liaison services.
- Aboriginal Community Liaison Services include discharge planning, navigation to community services, advocacy, promoting access to community services, assistance in understanding community service systems and referral to Aboriginal Patient Navigator services.
- Community Dietitian Services include individual and group sessions, diabetes, chronic disease management, lifestyle and nutrition coaching.
- Community Exercise Therapy Services include recovery from injury, better manage chronic pain such as arthritis and back pain through gentle movement and exercise, improve control of blood sugars with daily light exercise, increase general activity levels at home, in the community or at fitness facility, and healthy activity for weight management.
Urban Services
Ktunaxa Aboriginal Wellness Center: Operation Street Angel provides services to the homeless and vulnerable populations in the Cranbrook area which include nurse practitioner services, mental health and substance use, street outreach advocate and RN, nutrition, advocacy, justice and linkage/referrals to services and providers within the community and region.
Ktunaxa First Nation Health Authority Community Engagement HUB: Community Engagement Hubs bring grassroots voices into the implementation of the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan and work with First Nations communities to help determine and achieve their own health priorities. Community Engagement Hubs (CeH’s) are groups of First Nations communities who agree to plan, collaborate, and communicate to meet their nation’s health priorities. CeH’s also provide a vehicle for First Nations Communities to partner with the First Nations Health Council to implement the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan. CeH’s are collaborations between First Nations communities working through one agreed upon organization. The formation of CeH’s encourages natural collaborations based on tribal and geographical factors, and provides resources to existing capacity.
Regional Social Governance: Research, develop and assist in the implementation of Ktunaxa Nation social governance systems that support the elimination of the access-to-service gaps currently facing Aboriginal people in the Region. Overall goal is to have Ktunaxa Governance over an integrated social investment service delivery and governance model for all Aboriginal people within the Ktunaxa Traditional Territory, providing individuals and families access to culturally relevant service through which to gain strength and independence. The Social Investment Sector Indicators of a ‘Strong, Healthy Ktunaxa Citizen’ have been developed and are a compilation of two decades of sharing, listening and learning. Although there are too many meetings, activities and interactions to list here, the breadth of involvement spanned from Community Gatherings to Band and Sector Council Meetings to Agency, Community and Nation Strategy Sessions. All ages participated from children to Elders and everyone in-between. The Nation’s strategic framework and the vision, values and principles supplied many of the overarching indicators. The majority of child-specific indicators originated from KKCFSS’s work in defining a “strong, safe, supported child”. It was this range of input, both in terms of age, community and type of engagement that created the Ktunaxa Nation’s comprehensive list of Social Investment Indicators.
Connecting to the Social Sector
Social Investment Sector Director: Debbie Whitehead – 250-489-2464, DWhitehead@Ktunaxa.org
KNC Health Registered Nursing Services are open 8:30 to 4:30 daily.
Call 250-420-2700
Cathy Eaton, MN, NP(F), Outreach/In-reach Nurse Practitioner – (Cathy.eaton@interiorhealth.ca)
Aboriginal Patient Navigator – 250-464-1053
Diane Whitehead, Intake Aboriginal Community Liaison Services (250-919-5099 – DAWhitehead@Ktunaxa.org)
Street Angels
Street Angel is open 7 days a week and offers drop-in services, advocacy, mental health services and CLBC support services.
Monday to Friday – 9 AM to 7 PM
Saturday & Sunday – 10 AM to 7 PM
Tammy Pocha, Site Supervisor: 250-420-2756 (tpocha@ktunaxa.org)
Governance Development
Debbie Whitehead Regional Social Governance:250-489-2464, DWhitehead@Ktunaxa.org
Melanie Gould, Regional Governance Development Officer: 250-489-2464, MGould@Ktunaxa.org
Ktuq̓ȼqakyam Newspaper