Gitanyow Human Services Authority

We provide traditional and modern health services to build a strong and healthy community

Announcements

It is Gitanyow’s vision that “Gitanyow is a healthy, active, safe and prosperous community that respects our traditions and history”.
This vision encompasses the philosophy of a holistic approach to program service delivery incorporating Gitanyow’s traditional with the conventional systems.

Our Staff

Yvonne Starlund
Yvonne Starlund

Patient Travel & Receptionist

Yvonne hails from Wilps ‘Wiilitsxw of Gitanyow and has been with Gitanyow Human Services since we opened our doors.  Yvonne is dedicated to helping community members. Each an every day you will find Yvonne at the reception desk working very hard to help the community members of Gitanyow.

The Medical Transportation is a critical piece of Gitanyow Healthy Authority’s mitigation efforts of the barrier of Access to Healthcare in the community of Gitanyow. 

The Medical Transportation Program offers mileage assistance to on-reserve members to attend specialists, dentists, laboratory, and IRS counselling services. 

Selma Mclean
Selma Mclean

Personal Care Aid & Medical Office Assistant

Selma has been a part the community of Gitanyow for 30 years. Selma has also been with Gitanyow Human Services since its inception.

provide personal care such as bathing, oral hygiene, toileting, dressing, grooming, mobilization and transferring

Personal Care Aide provide support to encourage independence and healing after medical treatments. Provides support and education to families of the patient to ensure that the patient can remain in the home safely while maintaining good health

Selma also provide MOA assistance to Dr Naigh and NP Kyle Munroe on Dr days.

Selma is another Gitanyow Health team member who works tirelessly to assist community members in need of healthcare support. One of the main objectives of Home & Community Care program is to promote wellness and indedependence and family support for clients.

Pamela Good

Community Health Representative & CHR Trainee

Under the direction of the Executive Health Director, the Community Health Representative, CHR Trainee will receive training and will work toward CHR capacity:

To coordinate and facilitate preventative health care education programs and/or events for families, the school, and the community, including information on nutrition, personal management, growth and development, stress management, accident prevention, etc.

To work with individuals and families to find solutions for problems that affect their health

To provide support and resource linkages for chronic disease care to affected members and their families

Betty Milton
Betty Milton

Sim Algyax Language Recorder & Editor

Betty was born and raised in Gitanyow.  She hails from the house of Nisdoo of Gitsegukla.

Betty bring with her a background in Business Administration.

As the Sim Algyax Language Recorder/Editor Betty records, edits and archives our precious Sim Algyax onto FirstVoices.com.

Betty welcomes Sim Algyax speakers of all levels to come to be recorded and have their recordings forever saved onto First Voices for future generations.

All recordings sessions will be paid a generous honoraria.

Contact Betty for more information.

Mia White
Mia White

Indian Day School Support Worker

Mia White is the new Indian Day School Support Worker. The IDS Support Program Services are safe, confidential, respectful and non-judgmental.

The Indian Day School (IDS) Support term position provides support services to individuals who former attended Indian Day Schools as well as survivors of Indian
Residential Schools.

All former Indian Day School students Indian Day Schools may receive support services from the Gyets Gitxsan IDS program under the umbrella of the Gyets Gitxsan Indian Residential School Program.

Loretta Morgan
Loretta Morgan

Wellness Counsellor & Language Advocate

Loretta Morgan hails from the house of Guxsen, sigidim hana’k Skawah. Loretta was born and raised Gitanyow community member Wellness Counsellor / Language Advocate, providing counseling services and support to individuals and families who are dealing directly or indirectly with root causes of substance abuse.
The wellness Counsellor  promotes substance abuse prevention programs and activities in collaboration with other Gitanyow Health Centre programs; provide appropriate assessment and referral services; deliver appropriate substance abuse treatment services to community members; and include Wilp and community members in dealing with the root causes of substance abuse in Gitanyow.

Loretta is a dedicated advocate of Gitxsan Sim Algyax successfully pursuing and obtaining funding from FPCC for Sim Algyax learning classes in Gitanyow.

Melody Derrick
Melody Derrick

Right to Play Mentor

GHSA would like to welcome Melody Derrick to the team as the new Right to Play Mentor. The Community Youth Mentor will be responsible for implementing the core Play for Prevention program for Gitanyow Human Services Authority.

The overall goal as a Community Youth Mentor will be to create and facilitate a successful core program that will improve the life skills of youth in your community.

  • Plan and perform all details and logistics needed to deliver the program session, activities and events for a minimum of 10-20 youth lead and assess core program
  • Learn the core program and delivering these sessions to youth participants
  • Support youth as they plan, lead and assess community-based events
  • Plan and host three intergenerational events or tournaments that will allow children, parents, and grandparents to play together.
Jeremy Byle
Jeremy Byle

Community Health Nurse – LPN

The Home & Community Care Program delivers intake, assessment, monitoring and support to clients in the community of Gitanyow. The HCC LPN will provide direct nursing care, case management, and participate in relevant community health initiatives.

The Community Nursing Program strives to:

Use culturally safe and trauma informed approaches, collects holistic client information that includes health history, medication history, and physical condition.

Administer medications, injections and treatments as prescribed by a Physician or Nurse Practitioner (NP) according to established policies, protocols, and standards.

Jeremy is in the office Mondays and Wednesdays.

Jackie Morgan
Jackie Morgan

Adult Care – Homemaker

The GHSA Homemaker program provides support to adults who are in need of in-home support for basic homemaking requirements.  This program is based on Home Assessments made by our Community Health Nurse Jeremy.  The objective is for adults in need of support to be able to remain in their homes safely and healthfully.

Jackie is currently on leave. 

Donelda Turley is the temporary Homemaker fill – in.

Howie George
Howie George

Adult Care – Meals on Wheels Cook & GHSA Custodian

As part of the Adult Care In-Home support program Howie George provides Meals on Wheels to adults in need of meal support . This program objective is primarily to give support primarily to elderly adults who live alone and are in need of additional support to enhance their nutrition and thereby raising their level of health and well being.

Raylene Johnson
Raylene Johnson

Wrap Around Facilitator – COHI

GHSA would like to welcome newly hired Raylene Johnson to the team! 

As our Wrap Around Facilitator Raylene will work with the Homecare nurse, Personal Care Aide, COHI Dental Therapist. As Wrap Around worker she will effectively provide support to Home & Community Care clients, prenatal parents, new moms and children aged zero to five years of age.

Courtney Homeniuk
Courtney Homeniuk

Community Health Nurse – RN

The FNHA Community Health Nurse Program is patient-centred disease prevention, working collaboratively and to their respective full scopes of practice.  Integrates health services at the community level and integrates health services with other services, including traditional wellness, available in the community. Courtney is in the office Thursday and Fridays.

Thank you Courtney for your continued dedication.

Marlene Araujo
Marlene Araujo

FNHA Dental Hygiene Practitioner – COHI

The First Nations Health Authority provided Dental Hygeine Program, Marlene is in Gitanyow on Thursdays.  Marlene offers:

Dental screenings

Dental cleaning

Flouride application

Children’s Oral Health Initiative, COHI

Referrals for emergencies and treatment

Marlene will work with Raylene Johnson who takes on COHI one day per week.

Sam Williams
Sam Williams

Community Shuttle Bus Driver

The Gitanyow Community Shuttle bus run is a Northern Development funded program that provides safe transportation for community members of all ages. 

Sam Williams provides friendly, safe rides for anyone in the community who need to get to Kitwanga and back Monday through Thursday at 11 am.

Sam also does two monthly bus runs. One on the 20th of each month and another on the 1st of each month.  Please call the Health Centre to book your seat on the monthly bus run.  For the daily bus run just be at the Gitanyow Gas Bar at 11 on Monday through Thursday.

Wanda Good
Wanda Good

Indian Residential School Program Manager & Interim Health Director

The Gyets Gitxsan IRS Program provides ongoing support services including, Gitxsan Lifeskills, Gitxsan Grief and Loss and Grooming Gitxsan, Gitxsan traditional roles and Guks Guuhl Oo’ts’in – Calling Back Spirit sessions.  These incorporate elder advisors, language  and a holistic culturally safe approach to healing.

Future plans are to link in with the local treatment centre Wilp Sisatxw to bring Grief and Loss and other sessions to IRS survivors.

The Trauma support funding also gives opportunity for the IRS team to creating teaching tools for survivors in cultural activities, protocols, language and lifeskills. The Ayookw project envisioned by the late Vernon Milton, Hereditary Chief and Indian Residential School survivor.

IRS Team includes:Raymond Jones, Chairperson and IRS survivor

Vernon Smith, Cultural Support Worker and IRS survivor

Gary Williams, Cultural Support Worker and IRS survivor

Arthur Mathews, Cultural Support Worker and Elder Advisor

Larry Marsden, Cultural Support Worker and Elder Advisor

Philip Daniels, Cultural Support worker and Elder Advisor

Ravyn Good, Videographer

Kelly Thomas
Kelly Thomas

Foot Care Practitioner – LPN

Kelly provides contracted footcare services to GHSA as follows:

Perform specialized nursing procedures specifically to foot care for which recognized training and current competency can be demonstrated.

Understand and implement infection prevention practices while specifically adhering to care standards as it relates to foot care, and diabetic foot care.

Observe and document client conditions and changes following proper standards and in accordance with professional and First Nations Health Authority standards.

Provide client care by utilizing the skills of observation, assessment, nursing diagnosis, counseling and health teaching; Provide care according to the established care plan ensuring that, on an ongoing basis, the emotional, spiritual, physical comfort and safety of clients are met to the greatest possible extent; care must be within the scope of practice of a Licensed/Registered Practical Foot Care Nurse. Kelly is in the office once per month.

Sandra Rodgers
Sandra Rodgers

FAST Team Lead

Sandra may be reached on Monday throught Thursday at the Gianyow Human Services Office telephone:

Toll free 1-833-902-1324.

Welcome aboard Sandra! We look forward to a great working relationship with all of the twelve member organizations.

Gitanyow Human Services is pleased to announce that we are now housing the Northwest BC FAST Program with Team Lead Sandra Rodgers.

Provides support to communities to enhance culturally safe FAST mitigation measures, community suicide prevention, crisis response and post-vention capacity. The First Nations Actions Support Team (FAST ) Lead  role assists leadership, the twelve (12) member organizations., through effective engagement with community members, and health partners.

The First Nations Actions Support Team (FAST) Lead is responsible for providing the following suicide prevention activities including:

– Work closely with the members of the FAST Working Group develop an annual workplan, budget in collaboration with the twelve (12) member organizations.

– Provides assessments and screenings as needed upon discovery of the presence of suicide risk and mental health related issues

– Respond to clients/community members after hours, in case of crisis.

– Develop and coordinate training programs, outreach activities,  liaison client communities.

– Work closely with the members of the FAST Working Group in times of crisis response to garner support, coordinate volunteers and activate crisis response plan.

– Coordinate with colleagues for Crisis Response, Prevention and Post-vention  follow-up; in person, by telephone, text, and/or email as necessary.

Darlene Russell
Darlene Russell

Interim Finance Manager

Darlene hails from Wilps Luuxhoon of Gitanyow

Gitanyow Health Goals

To raise Gitanyow standard of living through the capacity building and empowerment of community members and its service providers.

Goal 2

To protect, improve and advance the health and well-being of individual community members through healthy Gitanyow Gitxsan living and community-based learning.

Goal 3

To improve and expand all existing health services and access to health services.

Goal 4

To support health living and cultural connections through new community infrastructure and improve upon existing infrastructure.