Announcing the new First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service
Due to the urgency of bridging additional support for substance use and mental health services in this challenging time, this service will be available to community health and wellness providers starting August 24th, 2020. This service will be an additional tool to support community-based Health and Wellness providers to further enhance wraparound mental health and substance use care closer to home for First Nations people and their families.
The dual public health emergencies of the COVID-19 pandemic and BC’s overdose crisis have deeply affected BC First Nations communities. In the months following the launch of the First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day service, barriers to accessing culturally safe and trauma-informed psychiatry and addictions assessment, care planning, and treatment have become more evident. In response, the FNHA is launching the First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service.
The purpose of the service is to:
1. To provide direct virtual access to addictions specialists and psychiatric care for First Nations people and their family members living in BC (even if those family members are non-status)
2. To provide addictions medicine and psychiatry services where every client encounter is aligned with the principles and practices of cultural safety and humility
3. To provide addictions medicine and psychiatry services where collaborative care planning and wraparound care services are integral to all client encounters
In the coming weeks, we will be hosting regional webinars for community-based providers to give an additional overview of the program and processes, encourage further dialogue about the program, and answer any questions you have. You can contact dustin.johnson@fnha.ca for more information.
In the meantime, we invite you to view our Referral Guide for Health and Wellness Providers, and to watch for further information and webinar learning opportunities coming in the next few weeks.