First Nations-staffed mobile outreach van aims to build trust with unhoused clients in northern Manitoba

An Indigenous health organization says a van run by the organization's new mobile outreach program will provide a bridge of trust for people who are experiencing homelessness. 

The Minoayawin Mobile Outreach Program is a result of a partnership between Indigenous health organization Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. (KIM) and the province of Manitoba, and began delivering harm reduction and medical services to the unhoused community in Thompson last month.

Dr. Barry Lavallee, CEO of Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc., says the van will meet people where they're at. A lot of street-involved or unhoused people who access the van say that doesn't always happen at clinics or hospitals — in part due to institutionalized racism, Lavallee says.

"It's hard to gain access because people don't want somebody who looks, or maybe acts like, or they think, that they might be intoxicated going into a [health-care] system," said Lavallee. 

"We will provide that care," Lavallee said.

The van is equipped to fulfill a wide range of services and will partner with local stakeholder organizations as needed such as the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc., Keewatin Tribal Council, the Northern Regional Health Authority, the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network, the city of Thompson and the RCMP, according to a Monday news release from KIM Inc.

Lavallee says he hopes that the way the Minoayawin Mobile Outreach Program runs by centring care through First Nations systems of relationality will help show the broader health-care system how to treat First Nations clients and fill gaps in the system.

"We have to help them get over the hump of racism that they grew up in, in medical school, in nursing school and other professional school," said Lavallee. "And this van will actually show them actually how to care for somebody who's human."

All-First Nations team

Lavallee says the project and its services are open to everyone but geared toward supporting First Nations people in northern Manitoba through an Indigenous-centred model of wellness that's focused on relationality.

"We chose the staff to occupy the van and service the community based on certain qualities, not only their scientific, medical and nursing qualities, but also their ability to engage with First Nations in a trauma-informed and a First Nation-specific way," said Lavallee.

The van is staffed with a multifaceted team, including a program director, social worker, nurse practitioner, outreach nurse and an outreach worker. The project is looking at how to add a knowledge keeper to the team next.

The van runs Monday to Friday from 9-5 p.m. and will be stationed at The Wellbriety Centre and other strategic locations around Thompson where the unhoused community may need access, but Lavallee says the hours and locations may change depending on feedback from the community.

"It's evolving," said Lavallee. "There's a lot of engagement and speaking with people who want access to the van and finding out patterns where people are staying, where they feel more comfortable."

Quality culturally-based care

Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Bernadette Smith said in a news release that the investment the province is making in the project will help to support hundreds of people in Thompson.

"This has been something that's been identified as a gap," said Smith in an interview with CBC.

"They're servicing not only Thompson, but five other surrounding communities."

The Minoayawin Mobile Outreach Program costs $1.34 million per year to operate. 

Smith says the project will help connect people to primary health care sooner rather than later, and connect people to culturally-based care in their communities. 

"These are folks that are helping to build healthy relationships and trusting relationships within their community, but within the health-care system as well," said Smith.

"The faster we get them connected to care, the sooner they're being connected to upstream care," said Smith.

"Quality, culturally-based care."