Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement – Health Support component

General information

Lead department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Federal partner organization: Indigenous Services Canada: First Nation and Inuit Health Branch

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

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

Total federal funding allocated (start to end date):

$38,900,000 (Crisis Line) + $571,863,046 (Health Support) = $610,763,046

Total federal planned spending to date (dollars):

$33,423,384 (Crisis Line) + $571,863,046 (Health Support) = $605,286,430

Total federal actual spending to date (dollars):

$30,330,983 (Crisis Line) + $592,113,594 (Health Support) = $622,444,577

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

Governance structures: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is responsible for the overall implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and is working in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada's First Nation and Inuit Health Branch to coordinate and provide services for former Indian residential school students and their families throughout all phases of the Indian Schools Settlement Agreement.

Description: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada' 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. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is also responsible for coordinating the verification of program eligibility, and ensuring that Indigenous Services 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.

Indigenous Services 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 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The Resolution Health Support Program 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: No evaluation is planned for this program.

Shared outcome of federal partners:

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement's 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 percent busy signal on calls received, b) 85 percent of calls answered within three rings (Crisis Line).

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

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

Performance highlights: The Indian Residential School Crisis Line gives critical and culturally appropriate aid to former Indian residential school students, their families and persons of interest throughout Canada, including remote regions where alternate services are limited. Outcomes for 2017-18 were within expected service levels (just below financial targets and consistently above the 95 percent operational target).Crisis counselors handled 8,972 calls in 2017-18, compared to 7,979 calls in 2016-17, including 59 suicide interventions. The Crisis Line mandate also provides similar services for people affected by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This support Line handled 293 calls in 2017-18 including 14 suicide interventions.

Former Indian residential school students and their families have received demand-driven mental health, cultural and emotional support through each phase of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. In 2017-18, approximately 88,813 mental health counselling sessions were provided to former residential school students and their families, an increase of approximately 17percent compared to the previous fiscal year.

Contact information:

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Denis Bouthillette
Senior Program Manager
Settlement Agreement Branch
Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector
Telephone: 613-894-2823
denis.bouthillette@canada.gc.ca

Indigenous Services Canada
Mathieu Larose
Senior Manager
Population Health and Primary Care Directorate
First Nations and Inuit Health Branch
Telephone: 613-796-3546
mathieu.larose@canada.ca