Submitted by: MNO Métis Healthy Babies and Healthy Children Coordinator Lisa Poulin
MNO participants in the Mattawa Service Provider Gathering
(left-right): MNO Métis Family Wellbeing Coordinator Christy
Lewin, MNO Employment Coordinator Mark Burns, MNO
Community Support Services Mary-Kelly McCormck, MNO
Community Wellness Coordinator Mattingly Turgeon and
MNO Métis Healthy Babies and Healthy Children
Coordinator Lisa Poulin and MNO Mattawa Métis Council
Senator Joyceline Rose. Click here for larger picture.On September 25, 2017, Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) staff hosted a Service Provider Gathering in Mattawa. MNO programs that participated included the Métis Family Wellbeing, the Métis Healthy Babies/Healthy Children, Community Wellness Worker and Community Support Services programs as well as Employment and Education program staff.
The Service Provider Gathering brought together MNO staff with other agencies in the Mattawa area that provide services to the same clientele as the MNO. It provided an opportunity for all involved to network and learn from each other.
The MNO staff members acted as a team to promote the MNO programs to the group of service providers who attended. The objective for these promotions was to raise awareness of what the MNO has to offer to the community and to the local service providers.
By collaborating with other service providers in the area, MNO staff are strengthening relationships between the providers and their organizations in the Mattawa area. The MNO staff provided to workshops at the Gathering to give other service providers an idea of the kinds of services the MNO offers.
The first activity was a Faceless Dolls Workshop that addressed the critical issue of violence against Indigenous women and girls.
The second activity was creating a banner titled “These Hands Don’t Create Violence.” All participants painted their hands and placed them on the banner. They then wrote their names under their hand print.
During the event, each provider shared what services their organization or program offers. By knowing what providers offered in the community, the MNO encouraged and promoted cooperation and cultural understanding between providers.
Knowing who is who in the community is significant when it comes to referrals and social support systems. The Service Provider Gathering allowed the MNO staff to connect to other providers and who they could potentially refer their clients to in the future.
The banner and Faceless Dolls was donated to the Mattawa Hospital to bring awareness about MNO programming and service provider awareness to those who may not know who offers what in the community.
The Gathering helped identify service gaps that exist in some instances and were able to fill those gaps by networking amongst their peers.
The Service Provider Gathering proved to be very valuable for both the MNO staff and other service providers in the Mattawa area.
Posted: November 21, 2017