Education and Community Building
Bridging the Gap
Navigating mainstream health and social service systems can be an experience marked by trauma and fear for many Indigenous Peoples.
The systemic impacts of colonization continue to shape how this group inherently mistrust programs that have historically been biased against them. Many services today still unintentionally mirror colonial structures, lacking critical Indigenous values. This often leads to low engagement and services that fall short of meeting community needs.
Good Shepherd, the largest community health and human services provider in the Hamilton region of Ontario, engaged local Indigenous communities and organizations to learn what it could do to drive change. From those conversations, it has decided to bring on a dedicated Indigenous Coordinator to its leadership team. This individual will be responsible for bridging the gap between Indigenous knowledge systems and the current health and social services in place. The coordinator will identify and define policies and programs to strengthen cultural safety, accountability and accessibility, and support leadership and frontline teams as they develop and implement strategies to understand the Indigenous communities they serve.
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is contributing support to help Good Shepherd significantly enhance access to its health and social services. By providing funding for the Indigenous Coordinator role, Good Shepherd will have a strong Indigenous leader in place to guide the organization and improve the experience of Indigenous Peoples accessing its services.
Diocese of Hamilton
