PROGRAMS

Street Outreach & Support Services

This service provides indigenous-specific outreach services using a mobile approach with support workers and Elders. They engage with male and female Indigenous homeless clients to secure housing, develop a crisis plan, access services, and foster a greater sense of cultural awareness.

Mino Kaanjigoowin: Changing My Direction In Life

Mino Kaanjigoowin means finding the good to change yourself or your direction in life. This intensive program helps clients with severe mental illness or addiction issues. From a holistic perspective, we meet the men where they’re at, weaving in connection to culture and spirituality through the Medicine Wheel teachings to support them along their path. As with all Na-Me-Res programs, we help men find housing and create a life with the right direction.

Auduzhe Mino Nesewinong

Auduzhe Mino Nesewinong means place of healthy breathing. It helps bridge the gap in access to healthcare often experienced by indigenous peoples.

The clinic offers a suite of health services to meet the community’s needs, including integrated COVID-19 testing, school-based vaccines (Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus-HPV, and Meningococcal vaccines), flu shots, and monkeypox vaccines. In addition, case management, contact tracing, and outreach support are also available.

If you are indigenous and need COVID testing, vaccines, or other health services, the clinic is located at 22 Vaughan Rd near St. Clair and Bathurst. For contact information and clinic hours, see below.

Hours:

• Monday: Covid Testing 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Tuesday: Covid Vaccine Clinic 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Wednesday: Covid Testing 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Thursday: General Vaccine Clinic 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Friday: Outreach Vaccine Clinic

Phone: 416-654-4184 | Email: appointments@healthybreathing.co (not.com)

The clinic is made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts of Na-Me-Res, Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto (SGMT), Well Living House at St. Michael’s Hospital, and the Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health at Women’s College Hospital.

NILO – Native Inmate Liasion Officers

The NILO program provides outreach support to indigenous men who are incarcerated. Our liaison officers visit inmates to provide counseling, cultural connection, and support. It is an essential service for clients to provide resources for education, employment, housing, health, or other needs following their release.

Cultural and spiritual resources include healing and wellness activities such as sweat lodge ceremonies, healing circles, smudging, and drumming. This ensures indigenous men have the same access afforded to other faith groups. The program also delivers indigenous cultural training for prison staff to foster greater understanding.

Apaenmowineen: Having Confidence In Myself

Apaenmowineen is a 3-to-6-month program at our Sagatay transitional residence. It helps clients develop the life skills needed to maintain stable housing, find employment and build community. The workshops include:

• Healthy living
• Literacy
• Employment
• Financial literacy
• Creative writing
• Photography
• Drumming
• Community gardening
• Sharing circles
• Traditional teachings
• Cree history and culture
• Cree language classes
• Addiction counseling

Clients participating in the Apaenmowineen program stay at Sagatay for one year. Once the program is completed, support for affordable, long-term accommodations is provided, including the two organization-owned properties.

Ngim Kowa Njichaag: Reclaiming My Spirit

The Ngim Kowa Njichaag program aims to assist all Na-Me-Res clients in claiming their culture, identity, role, and responsibilities. Re-connecting with their culture is vital for our clients. It helps them increase self-esteem, find community and meet their goals. All ceremonies are provided in a healing environment and facilitated by an Oshkabaywis (spiritual helper.)

Medicine Wheel Garden

The Medicine Wheel Garden is Toronto’s first Aboriginal community garden. It began in 2013 when Elder Jacqui Lavalley named this green space “Mashkikii;aki’ing” (Medicine Earth). It is a one-of-a-kind sacred space that gives the men of the Apaenmowineen program an opportunity to learn more about gardening and Aboriginal medicinal plants.

It nurtures teamwork, healthy living, and employment skills. They also reap the rewards of their hard work as the harvested plants and vegetables are used for cooking healthy meals for the Na-Me-Res residences. Growth in this garden comes not only from the plants but also from the participants’ hearts.

The Espaniel/Menzies Education Fund

The Espaniel/Menzies Education Fund offers an annual bursary to two Indigenous men to help them further their education through secondary, post-secondary, or apprenticeship programs. These $500 awards can be used towards school-related expenses such as tuition, books, supplies, or transportation.

Nursing Health Services

The Nursing program seeks to support the residents’ health in a holistic and flexible manner. The Nurse responds to emergent health issues as they arise. Residents are supported to navigate the complex healthcare system so they can manage their health. Residents have access to a Primary Care Physician and Psychiatrist who are on-site weekly. The Nurse works alongside the providers to create comprehensive care plans to address residents’ complex health concerns and needs. The Nurse makes connections and refers residents to interdisciplinary health services within the community. The Nurse provides case management and works with residents to co-create holistic care plans that focus on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.