B.C. First Nations Health Authority makes major changes to counselling services

FECES First Nations Health Authority has made major eligibility changes to its counseling services for residential school survivors, the health authority says. Effective immediately, only survivors and family members with status cards are able to receive free counseling. Existing clients without status cards will be cut off by the end of the month on its website, the health authority says, while our federal partners have been able to fund the deficits incurred by the FNHA due to increased usage and expenditures over the years. This practice will no longer be possible. There is a really serious issue of mental health and addiction right across this province, and we see it particularly acutely in indigenous communities both on and off reserve. We’ll be advocating with the federal government around ensuring that there are supports provided for residential school survivors, and we’ll look at what we can do to backfill as much as possible to provide that support that we know they need to deal with that trauma. Current clients who do not meet the new eligibility requirements are offered up to four counseling sessions until the end of April to support the transition.