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Healthy Minds – Healthy Communities

Learn about the North Shore Micmac District Council Inc.'s FASD Project and its impact on Mi'kmaw communities in New Brunswick. This presentation covers project participants, goals, unique features, activities, evaluation, and future steps. The project aims to increase understanding of FASD through training, education, and advocacy, with a focus on traditional values and culture. Key components like community coordinators, partnerships, and activities are highlighted to showcase the project's success in supporting individuals with developmental conditions and their families.

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Healthy Minds – Healthy Communities

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  1. Healthy Minds – Healthy Communities Community Coordinator Project North Shore Micmac District Council Inc. FASD Project Presentation- January 2012

  2. Content of Presentation • Project Participants and design • Our communities • Background • Goals • Objectives • Unique Features of our Project • NSMDC level duties & activities • Community level activities • Lessons Learned • Project Evaluation • Next Steps

  3. Bouctouche Eel Ground Metepenagiag NSMDC FASD Project Pabineau Eel River Indian Island Fort Folly Project Participants & Design

  4. Our Communities • Seven Mi’kmaw communities that vary in size and are spread throughout Northern New Brunswick. • Traditional values and culture are very important and many events are centered around traditional activities. • Many students attend schools off-reserve. The activities in our project gives us a chance to out-reach and share traditional values and culture to these children and youth. • Total population within seven communities: 2, 553 people. • This project has served 137 participants to date.

  5. Map of our communities

  6. Background • Project has currently evolved from a 3 year FASD Mentoring project within the seven participating communities. • Purpose of the project is to increase the understanding of developmental conditions, including FASD through training, education and advocacy. • Resource guides for communities have been developed and support was given to mothers-to-be, their partners and families. • To conclude the mentoring project, the decision was made to follow the guidelines for a Community Coordinator project, and continue some of the mentoring activities.

  7. Goals of Community Coordinator Project

  8. Prevention Objectives • Community Coordinators will: • Select and develop resources on issues related to FASD that reference the traditional teachings of the Medicine Wheel. • Share information with community members on FASD at community events in a sensitive manner. • Embed information on FASD in Youth Leadership events and information sessions.

  9. Intervention Objectives • The community coordinators will work with other community-based workers: • To help develop a comprehensive system of supports, programs and interventions for people with developmental conditions, including FASD, and their families and caregivers. • Will help to provide support for people with developmental conditions, including FASD, and their families and caregivers as they go through the referral process to access appropriate assessments, programs and interventions.

  10. Unique Features of the Project

  11. 1. Blended Positions • The position of community coordinators is blended with other positions in the community, such as Head Start and Health positions. • By working in and with other programs, community coordinators had recognition and trust in communities and are familiar with mothers-to-be and people with disabilities and disorders, including FASD. • Community coordinators are able to offer their support in a nonintrusive manner. This contributes greatly to the success of the project.

  12. 2. Shared Positions • Each community has two community coordinators. • This has lead to increased collaboration among agencies/organizations. • The wide range of competencies and experience of the community coordinators enriches the project as a whole.

  13. 3. Proposal Driven Component • There is an equal amount of funding set aside for each community for activities. • Community coordinators submit proposals for funding for community activities to the project supervisor. • A sample proposal form is available at the NSMDC Inc. FASD Community Coordinators Table. • This component respects the diversity of our seven communities as one size does not fit all!

  14. 4. Project Partnerships • The NSMDC FASD Project partnered with: • Glenelg Youth Alliance • New Brunswick Community College, Miramichi • Partnered Activities: • Development of the NSMDC FASD Manual: Behind The Belly. • Three-Day Youth event in Metepenagiag. March 2011 • Conference: Developing the Child’s Spirit, April 2011. The community coordinators partnered with agencies / organizations in their communities on issues related to FASD. Some community coordinators made presentations in schools.

  15. Highlights of District Level Activities • Development of pamphlet customized for communities • Development of Behind the Belly Information Guide for communities • Collection and sharing of resources from across Canada for community resource centers • Conference: Developing the Child’s Spirit • Guest Speakers – Glenda Carson, Pre-Natal Nurse, IWK & Isabel den Heyer, Consultant • Meeting with District 16 School Board

  16. Highlights of Community Activities All Communities: • Participated in the district-wide Youth Event held in Metepenagiag in March, 2011 • Took part in leadership events, such as those promoting Shannen’s Dream • Held youth events in their communities and developed relationships with parents • Began to collaborate with other agencies / organizations in their communities • Shared information on FASD in communities

  17. Highlights: Examples of communal events

  18. Highlights: Examples of communal events

  19. Highlights: Examples of communal events

  20. Lessons Learned • “Working with partners helped me to adapt and respect other’s views.” • “I had to be assertive when it came to sharing the workload – We now write things down and discuss how we share.” • “It takes time to build relationships with parents – don’t worry if things go slowly at first.”

  21. Lessons Learned… • “When presenting to groups, understand that there may be people in the audience who may have symptoms of FASD, but have not been aware of it before. It may be a good idea to have a debriefing room available and somebody ready who can provide counseling.” • “Be organized and well prepared.” • “Be sensitive to the composition of talking circles. Some people may be afraid to talk if a person with power, such as police officer or social worker, is in the circle.”

  22. Project Evaluation:How well are we doing? • As part of evaluation, we developed a questionnaire be given in years 1 & 2 of the project. • The results showed the areas where we had success and areas where we needed to do more work. • The results of the questionnaires given in years 1 & 2 can be seen at out table. • We are doing pretty good!

  23. Next Steps.

  24. Next Steps. Cont…

  25. We have much more information to share! Please look at our project’s display tables for more information on our activities!

  26. Thank you from (List of all the coordinators) • Jaime Levi • Gina Patles • Anna Augustine • Kim Harrison • Jolyne Knockwood • Lisa Steeves • Pauline Sanipass • Christine Leblanc • Amanda Peter-Paul • Tracey Gray

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