The Ottawa Indigenous Health Alliance is made up of Indigenous service organizations and the health institutions including local hospitals and health clinics. The Alliance works to increase the capacity of the Ottawa health institutions to provide inter-culturally competent services for Indigenous community members.

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Elements of Indigenous Model of Care

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• A focus on prevention and promotion (requires a realignment in the system).

• The community member is the lead in how they address their health concerns and we strengthen their will to stay healthy and in balance in their life. They “own” their care plan.

• We practice informed choice instead of making decisions for others.

• We recognize that community members are dealing with multiple issues at the same time and so we would use a wholistic model that simultaneously considers the four directions of health: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.

• There are multiple people supporting the community member.

• There are collaborative relationships between health institutions and community services as the community member is supported in their life journey (health services, community services, managing of conditions, exercise, diet, mental health factors)

• A recognition that people maintain their own health when they have a strong sense of healthy identity and a sense of belonging to the community so that they can access services and programs they need. If a person experiences shame they are not motivated to access any services.

• A recognition that historical colonization policies and institutional cultures have built in practices that reinforce shame relationships.

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To view a presentation of this report, click here. Ottawa Urban Indigenous Health Alliance – February 2017

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Urban Indigenous Health Alliance, Bus Tour 2018 Photo Gallery