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Letter from FNIHB Ontario Region Director ...

UPDATE UPSTREAM INVESTMENT PROGRAMS 2007/08

To: All Ontario Chiefs, PTO Health Directors, Tribal Councils

Ontario Region has received the Upstream resources for fiscal year 2007/08 for the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI), Maternal/Child Health (MCH) and National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy (NAYSPS). This means that, to date, we have received $8.3M to implement these programs inclusive of the $1.M to establish a comprehensive cross-training package for the communities, as well as establishing a comprehensive Training Advisory Committee.

The Upstream Investment allocation of $7.3M will be distributed in accordance with the recommendations presented at the Chiefs Health Forum/SCA Meeting held on February 28th and March 1st, 2007. The implementation and communications for the rollout of the Upstream Investment programs in accordance with the recommendations will be provided at a June 26-27, 2007 meeting, to be held in London, Ontario. Once arrangements have been finalized with the hotel, details will be provided to all communities, Tribal Councils and Regional Authorities. Communities will be resourced to send a maximum of three (3) representatives as the ADI, MCH and NAYSPS sessions will be held simultaneosly. These representatives will be the contacts responsible at the community level for completing workplans and other reports in the three (3) upstream program areas (ADL, MCH and NAYSPS).

Implementation of the Upstream programs, at the community level, should begin between July and August, 2007 once the workplans have been received from the Communities with a full fiscal year allocation being provided for the applicable programs. Funding guidelines/criteria, and workplan templates will be provided to the First Nations at the June workplan meeting.

The ADI program will be implemented universally with the Region, and the individual communities who wish to maintain prior year relationships with Organizations must negotiate these arrangements internally, within the allocation provided.

The MCH program will be made available to those communities where the number of children aged 0 to 6 years plus the number of pregnant wormen (prenatal) is at least sixty (60). Communities can meet these criteria either individually or by working together, for example, through a tribal council or health service organization. Those communities not meeting the MCH program criteria may be approved for a funding enhancement to the existing ECD allocation. More specific information concerning the MCH program will be sent prior to the June meeting.

The NAYSPS program will be implemented by a proposal driven process for individual communities up to a maximum of $150K and up to a maximum of $300K for multi community initiatives through Tribal Areas or Regional Authorities. Templates for the proposals will be developed and provided at the June Workshop. Criteria for the proposals will be as presented at the Chiefs Health Forum/SCA.

If you or your staff have questions on this matter, please feel free to contact:

• Renee Crompton ADI 613-954-5699
• Nicolette Kaszor MCH 807-343-5360
• Lynda Roberts NAYSPS 807-343-5357

At this time, we would to thank the Advisory Committee Members for their participation in forming and presenting the recommendations at the Chiefs Health Forum/SCA held on February 28 - March 1, 2007. We will be asking the Advisory Committees will remain in place for fiscal year 2007/08 to assist in the review and preparation of the documents for the implementation of the initiatives.

Donna Barnaby
Director, Governance, Community Programs & Southern Operations
May 24, 2007