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Nogdawindamin launches neonatal, children's mental health hubs (3 photos)

Federal government commits more than $6 million to Indigenous child welfare

Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services is expanding its footprint in the Sault Ste. Marie area with the launch of Baby Lucious Neonatal Hub for mothers living with opioid addiction in the downtown core, and Nogdaawenmishin children’s mental health services hub in Batchewana First Nation.

Board of directors president Elaine Johnston – who also serves as chief of Serpent River First Nation – says that the two hubs are part of an one-year pilot project.

The Baby Lucious Neonatal Hub was made possible with a $437,000 investment from the federal government, along with a $5.9 million investment for the Children’s Mental Health Initiative, which will provide services to approximately 350 children living in the seven member First Nations of the North Shore Tribal Council.

“We want to work with mothers before they have their babies,” Johnston told SooToday. “If they are addicted [to] opioids, we’re going to work with them to see if we can get them off the opioids – if they’re still using, how can we work with them and their baby, connect them with their families back home, provide them supports that they need.”

“So that’s what we’re working on, so we can try and keep these kids out of care, but also provide supports for that child.”

Johnston says that the neonatal hub is already getting referrals, and that non-Indigenous agencies have expressed interest in being a part of it.  

"We’ve only just started, and we’re being asked by outside agencies that are non-Aboriginal if they can participate, but we only have funding for our First Nations. If there is a desire to expand this program – if it’s successful – there might be opportunities in the future, we don’t know yet.”

Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services hopes that successes during the one-year pilot project will translate into more solidified funding.  

Johnston says she’s encouraged by Friday’s announcement by the federal government that legislation on Indigenous child services will be implemented in 2019, giving more power to Indigenous child welfare agencies in terms of jurisdiction.

“What we’re trying to do is make a case to the federal government that they need to continue to support these programs, so I’m hopeful that they will, especially with the announcements that have been coming out,” Johnston said.

Nogdawindamin, along with similar Indigenous-led child welfare agencies, have been attempting to assert jurisdiction so that provincial and federal governments aren’t ‘scooping’ Indigenous children away from their families and their culture.

“That’s the whole issue with child welfare – a lot of our kids under the sixties scoop were taken out of hospitals, so we don’t want to do that,” Johnston said.

Before the ribbon was cut outside the Nogdawindamin hub in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Batchewana First Nation Chief Dean Sayers, flanked by dignitaries, spoke to the importance of the newly-expanded programming.

“I think this is probably going to take off right across the region, right across Ontario, right across Canada - and it’s important,” Sayers told onlookers during the official launch. “It’s part of our reclaiming and re-taking of our jurisdiction over child welfare.”

Johnston says it’s important to give Indigenous children and families the cultural supports they need in the fight against mental health and addiction issues.

“With those two pilots, that’s what we’re trying to do, is really look at language and culture, really work with the children and their families so that we can connect them back to their families in the community,” she said.

Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services assumed full responsibility as the child welfare authority for the seven communities under the North Shore Tribal Council in April 2017.

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James Hopkin

About the Author: James Hopkin

James Hopkin is a reporter for SooToday in Sault Ste. Marie
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