The Centre de santé and de services sociaux de la Vallée-de-l’Or (CSSSVO), the Centre jeunesse de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CJAT) and the Val-d’Or Native Friendship Centre (VDNFC) are proud to announce the opening of the Minowe Clinic (Algonquin word meaning “being healthy”). The result of a partnership between these three organizations, the Clinic offers health and social services to the urban native population within the premises of the Friendship Centre.

The Minowe Clinic is a resource integrated within the local health and social services network of the Vallée-de-l’Or. In the pilot phase, the clinic offers services to pregnant women, children from 0-5 years old and their families, through a team made up of a nurse and a social worker.

The nurse’s more specific responsibilities are individual prenatal, post-natal and perinatal follow-ups, the vaccination of children, home follow-up and accompaniment to services when required. In addition, she will work closely with the social worker, and close to the vulnerable clientele in a health-promotion and prevention approach while ensuring liaisons with the network’s services. As for the social worker’s role, he accompanies and supports parents, of children in the above-mentioned age group, who encounter difficulties in their parental role; he also works in close collaboration with the Centre jeunesse de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Considering the native population’s low level of CSSSVO service use, except for emergencies and obstetrics, and this despite its accessibility, the partners agree that the ultimate goal of this alliance is to mitigate social inequalities and gaps regarding native health and social issues. More specifically, the new Minowe Clinic will allow natives to have access to health and social services in a culturally-adapted environment.

Ms. Édith Cloutier, executive director of the VDNFC, explains: “This type of approach is innovative in Quebec and this project will go beyond the region’s boundaries, since the model will be exported to other Friendship Centres in Quebec.” Mr. Régean Bergeron, executive director of the CJAT, mentioned: “The implementation of the Minowe Clinic demonstrates that partnership work can bring more to the population, namely by offering services that are more accessible and better adapted to urban native needs.” For his part, the executive director of the CSSSVO, Mr. Jérôme Lamont explains: “The CSSS de la Vallée-de-l'Or is proud to be a partner of this innovative initiative which is the result of local joint effort. The Minowe Clinic fits very well with our establishment’s will to improve service accessibility and quality on its territory.”

The Minowe Clinic was created through non recurrent funding from Health Canada and exceptional collaboration from the management and staff of the Centre de santé and services sociaux de la Vallée-de-l’Or and the Centre jeunesse de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue. For information on the Minowe Clinic, you can call (819) 825-8299 ext. 292, or check on the Web site: caavd-vdnfc.ca or on Facebook.