COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HUB Lake Babine Nation Crystal Harwood.

15
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HUB Lake Babine Nation Crystal Harwood

Transcript of COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HUB Lake Babine Nation Crystal Harwood.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HUBLake Babine Nation

Crystal Harwood

A Brief History of Community Engagement Hubs

Community Engagement Hubs (CEH) provides a vehicle through which First Nations communities can partner with the FNHC, Health Authorities and the Federal Government to participate in the TFNHP. CEH’s are collaborations between First Nations communities working through one agreed upon organization that the members choose. The purpose of CEH’s is to develop planning, collaboration, and communication opportunities for member communities. The focus should be on the relationships and communication processes – NOT the ‘structure’.

Working Together

The formation of CEH’s encourages natural collaborations based on tribal and geographical factors, and provides resources to engage extra capacity to facilitate the coordination work between communities.

The Benefits of Community Engagement Hubs

Providing a mechanism for communities to work together – Once members share their respective health plan aspirations with other communities, they may find needs that each has which could be solved through a joint solution.

Improving the linkage with the Health Authorities

Health Authorities have a responsibility to provide their services to First Nations on and off reserve but often they find it difficult to engage with First Nations and to develop solutions for service delivery that will work for communities. The hubs provide a forum for health authority personnel to meet with a group of linked communities, to look at ways of better serving those communities.

Sharing Knowledge and Expertise

Within the hub membership, there will be a wide range of skills and experience among the member’s workforces, from management through to health service expertise. Some member communities may be advanced in their Community Health and Wellness Planning while others may be finding it difficult – so there is opportunity to learn from one another and to help each other.

Sharing Innovations

Many hub members have developed new ways of doing things that they have trialed and tested in their various communities. Some communities have implemented best practices and formed relationships with other stakeholders to successfully implement their service innovations - such as the BC Cancer Agency or the BC Diabetes Association. Some communities have developed new resources and informational material for the families, schools and Band Councils in their communities. Hubs provide a mechanism for communities to share these innovations.

Providing Peer Support

Many communities are isolated and as a result the health center workforce is often isolated. Health professionals, Managers and health workers often do not have opportunity to speak with their peers from other health centers to share issues, challenges and innovations – and to give and receive support to each other.

Improving access to services Collaboration and joint

planning create efficiencies, and will provide better health services for BC First Nations people. For example, where it may not be feasible to have a mental health expert in every community, the hub concept would allow for planning to have one expert available to serve the member communities of the hub.

Improving communications

Hubs also act as a communications vehicle, allowing the First Nations Health Council to effectively communicate in an accurate and timely manner with all 203 BC First Nations.

The Medium – Long Term Intention for Community Engagement Hubs

In the last few of years the new hubs have been developing their relationships and discussing the benefits of working together, including looking for ways that they can use their collective strengths to coordinate services; share resources and knowledge and collaborate together.

Aligning Health Authority Plans with FN Community Wellness Plans Focusing on the Social Determinants of Health- As work continues to strengthen individual Community Wellness Plans which focus more holistically on the needs and aspirations of each community, there will be an opportunity for communities within hubs to share these plans and to look at further ways to collaborate, share resources and advocate for much needed services into their respective communities.

Focusing on the Social Determinants of Health- One key intention of hubs is to strengthen community wellness planning and for communities to support each other to develop plans which not only look at current FNIH and FN-provided services, but also look at the social determinants of health.

Supporting Communities to develop their Health and Wellness Plans- The First Nations Health Society, through methods such as supporting the Health Directors Association; engaging Community Engagement Coordinators; supporting hubs and assisting with health planning

Playing a role in local and regional FN governance in health- The Community Engagement Hubs, working alongside their Regional Caucuses at political levels. Hubs will be gathering information about a range of issues, and when brought together with issues raised by other hubs in the region, a Regional Caucus and/or Tables may find there are many common issues across the region that need to be escalated to higher levels to resolve.