Archived - Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement — Health Support component

General information

Lead department: Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

Federal partner organization: Health Canada

Non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable

Start date of the horizontal initiative: September 2003 (Resolution Health Support Program), July 2004 (Crisis Line)

End date of the horizontal initiative: March 31, 2018 (Crisis Line and Resolution Health Support Program)

Total federal funding allocation (start to end date) in dollars: $38,900,000 (Crisis Line) + $558,963,046 (Health Support) = $597,863,046

Total federal planned spending to date (dollars): $30,323,384 (Crisis Line) + $429,725,000 (Health Support) = $460,048,384^{Footnote 1}

Total federal actual spending to date (dollars): $26,723,778.31 (Crisis Line) + $448,915,131 (Health Support) = $475,638,909.31^{Footnote 1}

Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable

Governance structures: INAC is responsible for the overall implementation of the IRSSA and is working in partnership with Health Canada to coordinate and provide services for former Indian residential school students and their families throughout all phases of the IRSSA.

Contact information

• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
• Denis Bouthillette
• Senior Program Manager
• Settlement Agreement Operations
• Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
• Telephone: 613-894-2823
• denis.bouthillette@aandc-aadnc.gc.ca

• Health Canada
• Mathieu Larose
• Acting Manager
• Population Health and Primary Care Directorate
• First Nations and Inuit Health Branch
• Health Canada
• Telephone: 613-796-3546
• mathieu.larose@hc-sc.gc.ca

Results information

Description of the horizontal initiative: INAC's Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector supports former students in crisis by funding the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, a national, 24-hour toll-free support service (1-866-925-4419) operated by trained crisis counselors, including Indigenous counselors. INAC is also responsible for coordinating the verification of program eligibility, and ensuring that Health Canada is aware of dates for Independent Assessment Process hearings and Truth and Reconciliation and Commemoration events as they arise, so that health supports can be provided to former students and their families in a seamless fashion.

Health Canada's Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program (IRS RHSP), a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) ensures that former students of Indian residential schools and their families can safely address a broad spectrum of mental wellness issues related to the disclosure of childhood abuse through all phases of the IRSSA. The RHSP components include: cultural support services provided by Elders and/or traditional healers; emotional support services provided by Resolution Health Support Workers; professional mental health counseling; and assistance with the cost of transportation to access counseling, Elder, and/or traditional healer services.

Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation: Not applicable.

Shared outcome of federal partners: The IRSSA Health Supports component works toward the achievement of two outcomes:

• Eligible former students of Indian residential schools and their families have access to mental health, cultural and emotional support services.
• Eligible former students of Indian residential schools can safely address a broad spectrum of mental wellness issues related to the disclosure of childhood abuse.

Performance indicators: Percentage of calls receiving a busy signal in a 24-hour period, and percentage of calls answered within three rings in a 24-hour period (Crisis Line).

Targets: a)  Maximum of 5% busy signal on calls received, b) 85% of calls answered within three rings (Crisis Line).

Data source and frequency of monitoring and reporting: Call information is tracked and reported to INAC daily, weekly, and monthly by the Crisis Line provider (Crisis Line).

Expected outcome or result of non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable

Planning information

Planning highlights: The horizontal initiative will:

• continue to deliver mental health, cultural and emotional supports to former Indian residential school students and their families through the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program;
• provide former Indian residential school students and their families with access to a 24-hour national crisis line;
• disseminate information about the health supports program; and
• strengthen research, knowledge and training initiatives to ensure that health supports are well suited to meet the needs of Indian residential school students, their families and communities.

This horizontal initiative fulfils Canada's legal obligation to provide ongoing mental health and emotional support services to the end of the Settlement Agreement. The key priorities are to ensure that health supports are in place at all appropriate events, including Independent Assessment Process hearings and that access to the 24-hour national crisis line is available. The Crisis Line provides a wide range of services, including suicide intervention. It is demand-driven and provides critical and culturally-appropriate support to individuals from all areas of the country, including many isolated regions where alternate services are very limited. The Crisis Line is advertised in conjunction with all communications directed towards former students regarding Settlement Agreement processes. The service recognizes that engagement in the process may place former students and those around them at significant risk, and the horizontal initiatives serve to mitigate that risk.