Val-d’Or Native Friendship Centre – Provincial funding to set up the first Indigenous health clinic in Quebec. This investment is not only a major step forward in the collaboration between the provincial health network and services for Indigenous people, it also affirms First Nations specificities in front-line healthcare and social services.

In brief:

The $27 million in funding from the Government of Québec is broken down as follows:

• $12 million to pursue the VDNFC’s Indigenous health clinic initiative
• $15 million to improve front-line services for the urban Indigenous populations served by the Native Friendship Centres

Operating since 2011, the Indigenous health clinic is a concrete example of the successful partnership between the VDNFC and the CISSS Abitibi-Témiscamingue. It has improved access to care in the region in a way that takes Indigenous determinants of wellness into consideration.

In addition to its provision of care and various health services (routine and perinatal care, disease prevention, health promotion, screening, etc.), the clinic also offers psychosocial, community and cultural services, and traditional healing. Its work encompasses the preservation of cultural identity in Indigenous children, mental health support, anti-addiction services, assistance for clients with intellectual disabilities, the creation of healthy and safe environments, and the promotion of social and citizen participation. The Indigenous health clinic model will lead all Native Friendship Centres to reap the benefits of VDNFC’s knowledge and forge links between the various actors in the field. These services are part of an Indigenous approach and knowledge.