Health and Community Services

Mental Wellness

NunatuKavut Inuit Mental Wellness Initiative

The “Understanding People, Place, and Culture: A NunatuKavut Inuit Mental Wellness Initiative” endeavours to strengthen mental wellness resources in NunatuKavut. It includes the design, pilot, evaluation and implementation of a culturally appropriate mental wellness program.

Community members are invited to share their experiences and expertise through storytelling, photovoice and theatre. It involves local expertise from diverse people including patients, families, health care providers, and community leaders.

Provincial All-Party Committee

Over the past few years, an All-Party Committee was established to review the mental health and addictions system in Newfoundland and Labrador. The All-Party Committee heard from people throughout the province that mental health care needed to be more accessible. NunatuKavut was involved in these discussions.

The report from these sessions outlines recommendations on the following areas: Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention; Access to services; Quality of care; Policy and programming; Community supports; and Accountability and performance monitoring.

In June 2017, the Provincial Government accepted all 54 recommendations of the All-Party Committee and provided an action plan and timeline for implementing them in Towards Recovery: The Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador. This document can be found at www.health.gov.nl.ca

NL Residential Schools

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered an official apology to former students of Newfoundland and Labrador residential schools in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on November 24, 2017. Implementation of the remaining elements of the settlement agreement has continued over the past year.  A ministerial special representative was retained and a historian was contracted. Community healing and commemoration sessions have taken place in several communities.

There will be six commemorative plaques installed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NWR, Cartwright, Makkovik, Nain and St. Anthony. There will also be an educational traveling exhibition developed and preservation of a documentary record related to the schools.

NCC will work with former students to plan community healing and commemoration activities in NunatuKavut.

Links to Other Health and Social Resources

Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP)

The Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP) provides financial assistance to beneficiaries of the Medical Care Plan (MCP) who incur substantial out-of-pocket travel costs to access specialized insured medical services which are not available in their immediate area of residence and / or within the Province.

MCP beneficiaries required to travel for specialized insured medical services may be eligible to apply for financial assistance under MTAP for airfare (and related eligible taxi fares); private vehicle usage; purchased registered accommodations (and related meal allowance); busing and use of ferries based on program criteria (deductibles may apply).

Claims must be submitted to:
Medical Transportation Assistance Program
Department of Health and Community Services
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s, NL
A1B 4J6

For more information about the Medical Transportation Assistance Program, call 1-877-475-2412 or visit https://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/mcp/travelassistance.html

Air Daffodil

In partnership with Provincial Airlines – Innu Mikun Airlines, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) offers transportation support through the Air Daffodil Program. The Air Daffodil Program is for cancer patients who live in Labrador and need to travel for a cancer related appointment under the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Care Plan (MCP).  The Society will provide the following:

• Three return flights, per patient per year
  • These flights can be split between the patient and an escort if one is required (e.g., 3 return flights per patient, 1.5 flights for the patient and 1.5 flights for the escort, or 2 flights for the patient and 1 flight for the escort).
  • Note: The escort is not eligible to receive more flights than the patient as the escort must be with the patient to receive the flight.

The criteria are as follows:

• Must live in Labrador;
• Have a scheduled cancer related appointment outside of Labrador but within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador;
• Clients must provide an appointment verification letter from their physician that confirms cancer related appointment(s) to the Canadian Cancer Society;
• The escort must travel with the patient receiving treatment, to and from their cancer related appointment, to be eligible for coverage;
• The return flight is booked after the cancer related appointment is completed unless return date is known in advance.

The Air Daffodil program is offered based on funding received from generous donors and the CCS continue to provide the service as funds allows.

For any further information about the Air Daffodil Program, please contact:
Phone: 709-753-6520
Toll-free: 1-888-753-6520 
Fax: 709-753-9314
Email: airdaffodil@nl.cancer.ca

Help Lines

Newfoundland and Labrador HealthLine 811 Toll-Free TTY	yourhealthline.ca 1-888-709-2929 1-888-709-3555
Pediatric Telephone Advice Line Toll-Free	(709) 722-1126 1-866-722-1126
Poison Control Centre (24 Hour) Toll-Free	(709) 722-1110 1-866-727-1110
Children’s Protection Services (24 Hour)	(709) 752-4619
Kid’s Help Phone 24 Hour	1-800-668-6868
Libra House (Emergency Women’s Shelter)	(709) 896-3014
Sexual Assault Crisis Line 24 Hour	(709) 726-1411
Mental Health Crisis Line 24 hour	1-888-737-4668
Gambling Help Line (Toll-Free)	1-888-899-HELP (4357) 1-800-363-5864
Smokers Help Line (Toll Free)	1-800-363-5864
Pap Screening or the Cervical Screening Initiatives Program (Toll Free)	1-866-643-8719
CHANNAL Peer Support Warm Line	1-855-753-2560
Mental Health and Addictions System Navigator	1-877-999-7589

Housing supports

Struggling with housing or homelessness? Contact your nearest:

• NL Housing Corporation office (Goose Bay: 1-800-563-4434)
• Salvation Army
• HVGB Housing Liaison Worker 896-5977
• Labrador West Housing Support Worker 944-3757
• Housing and Homelessness Coalitions: HVGB – Kelly Goudie 897-2110; Labrador West – Noreen Careen 944-6562

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation Programs

For Rental Applicants:

• Rental Housing Program

Homeowner Support:

• Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP)
• Provincial Home Repair Program (PHRP)
• Home Modification Program (HMP)
• Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP)

For Contractors, Developers, and Non-Profit Groups:

• Provincial Homelessness Fund (PHF)
• Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH)
• Partner-Managed Housing Program
• Supportive Living Program (SLP)

For further information, please visit website: http://www.nlhc.nf.ca/programs/programs.html

Federal

Homelessness Partnering Strategy (capital & capacity-building funding):
Contact Person: Crystal Cater – Town of Grand Falls-Windsor
(709) 489-0436; Email: hps@townofgfw.com
Website: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/communities/homelessness/funding/index.shtml

Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC):
Contact Person: Glenn Furlong – 709-772-4949 Email: gfurlong@cmhc.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador – St. John’s Point of Service
Dorset Building; 6 Mount Carson Avenue, Suite 106; Mount Pearl, NL; A1N 3K4
Phone: 709-772-4400

CMHC SEED Funding: Contributions and Interest-Free Loans
Website: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/afhoce/afhoce/afhoce_001.cfm

CMHC Proposal Development Funding (PDF):
Website: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/first-nation/financial-assistance/non-profit/proposal-development-funding.cfm

CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance Flexibilities:
Website: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/afhoce/afhoce/afhoce_007.cfm