Six communities and organizations on Vancouver Island that are receiving grants from a provincial program to expand overdose response and awareness efforts.
B次元官网网址淧eople living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities are best equipped to address the overdose crisis on the ground in their communities,B次元官网网址� Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson said in the grant announcement. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 grateful for the wisdom and expertise of community leaders whose innovative projects are making a difference during two public health emergencies.B次元官网网址�
The recipients are GwaB次元官网网址檚ala-B次元官网网址楴akwaxdaB次元官网网址檟w Nations, Indigenous WomenB次元官网网址檚 Sharing Society, Kwakiutl District Health Council, TsB次元官网网址檈wulhtun Health Centre, Dudes Club Society, West Coast Community Resources. More than $1 million in grants is being distributed to 23 rural, remote and Indigenous communities and organizations throughout B.C.
B次元官网网址淭rust is an important part of mental health supports, so itB次元官网网址檚 important that people be able to access culturally appropriate supports in their own communities,B次元官网网址� said Courtenay-Comox MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard. B次元官网网址淭hese First Nations and community organizations are doing great work getting people the care they need close to home, and IB次元官网网址檓 glad to see them being supported.B次元官网网址�
People living in rural and remote areas face obstacles such as longer travel distances to health care access, and limited supplies of Naloxone and harm-reduction services. The aim of the grants is to better connect those people to life-saving supports, reduce stigma, and develop harm-reduction policies.
First Nations people and Indigenous communities are over-represented when it comes to overdose deaths and an increasingly toxic drug supply has magnified the impact of the overdose crisis, the press release noted. Data from January to October 2020 shows First Nations people died from overdose at a rate 5.5 times higher than other residents in B.C.
B次元官网网址淚ntergenerational trauma stemming from a history of colonization and racism has given way to a terrible reality that Indigenous peoples continue to be disproportionally impacted by the overdose crisis in the province,B次元官网网址� said Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin. B次元官网网址淭his crisis has only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new funding will help those struggling connect with community-led, culturally appropriate programs, which is vital to support recovery and promote healing.B次元官网网址�
