Component: IHWS – Promotion and Prevention

Legislation: Ministry of Community and Social Services Act

Service objectives

  • Improve access to culturally responsive and safe programming for Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ identifying individuals and their families/support systems
  • Improve the healing, health, and wellness of Indigenous Two-Spirit and LGBTNBQQIA+ individuals
  • Reduce violence against Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ individuals
  • Improve communal knowledge of 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ life experiences, and work with all community members to ensure positive, respectful relationships in all community spaces

Service description

  • Supports a range of culturally responsive and safe programming to address the unique needs of Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ individuals, including 1-on-1 supports, group activities, knowledge mobilization and communities of practice, and training and capacity development

People served

  • Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ identifying individuals and their identified families and support systems
  • LGBTNBQQIA+ refers to individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transexual, Non-Binary, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other sexual and gender diverse individuals

Program / Service Features

The program/services contracted by the Ministry will reflect the following features

  • Indigenous cultural approaches are reflected or used as part of the activities and services
  • Programming and services are inclusive, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based to reflect the individual, family and/or community needs

Specific services provided may include

Client-specific services

  • Client-specific services are culturally responsive 1-on-1 supports provided to an individual and/or family and may include
    • Peer mentorship
    • Peer counselling
    • Wellness planning
    • Case management
    • Assisting individuals to access services related to reducing family, sexual and gender-based violence and improving Indigenous health, healing and wellness
    • Advocacy
    • Crisis intervention
    • Creating safe (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually) spaces and opportunities for clients to build healthy relationships with their family
    • Safety planning
    • Support in the administrative processes related to name change, sex designation, and gender affirming surgeries
    • Providing information and support regarding access to safe sex supplies and healthy relationships, housing, gender affirming gear and supplies, etc. 
    • Referrals to other services such as mental health and substance use, counselling, legal services, shelters, court workers, food banks, employment, training, housing, etc

Group activities

  • Group activities may include
    • Healing/cultural teaching circles and/or support groups
    • Ceremonial and traditional activities, such as (but not limited to) sweat lodges, medicines, teachings, beading, moccasin making, Indigenous arts and crafts, drumming, ribbon skirt/shirt making, etc
    • Land- and water-based activities Fitness and/or recreational activities

Community outreach, engagement & relationship-building

  • Activities may include (but are not limited to)
    • Coordinating knowledge transfer events
    • Community-driven research
    • Establishing Communities of Practice to inform co-construction, co- learning and implementation of community-driven supports and services that address the needs of Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ individuals
    • Advocacy
    • Networking and collaboration with community partners to establish and maintain safe spaces and promote the well-being of Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ individuals (e.g., information sharing, referral protocol development, building cultural awareness and competency, hosting gatherings)
    • Workshops focused on Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ individuals health, healing and wellness
    • Organizing or participating in community, health and wellness fairs or events (e.g. pow-wows, feasts)
    • Public presentations, including awareness and education campaigns
    • Participating in local committees

Training & capacity development

Activities may include (but are not limited to)

  • Trainings and workshops, e.g., creating safe spaces and positive conditions for the well-being of Two-Spirit and Indigenous
  • Creating leadership opportunities for Two Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ young people
  • Developing and/or mobilizing actionable resources and wise practices

Reporting requirements

Year-end narrative report

  • Service partners are required to create a year-end narrative report that communicates the impacts and outcomes of the program
  • Service partners should include information on ongoing community needs and priorities, as well as gaps and challenges in delivering or collaborating across services to address the needs of Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ people
  • Service partners may highlight participant feedback on projects and services and use participants’ own words when possible
  • Narrative reports can utilize creative forms of communication and reporting, including audio, visual, oral and/or written formats

Service data requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

Service Data Name Definition

# of Individuals: Received Client-Specific Services: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

Unique, or unduplicated, count of all individuals (including dependents/children) who received client-specific services during the reporting period. This count includes individuals who do not self-identify as 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ but received services through 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports program (e.g., family members, etc.) during the reporting period. Each unique individual is counted only once per reporting period even if they received multiple services. If the individual carries into the next fiscal year, the individual is counted again in the new reporting period. See Service description for further details and examples of client-specific services.

# of Families: Received Client-Specific Services: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

Unique, or unduplicated, count of families who received client-specific services during the reporting period. Families are self-defined by the individuals’ accessing services and does not need to be limited to individuals living in the same dwelling.
Each family is counted only once per reporting period even if they received multiple services. If the family carries into the next fiscal year, the family is counted again in the new reporting period.

See Service description for further details and examples of client-specific services.

# of Client-Specific Services Delivered: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

The total number of 1-on-1 client-specific services provided to individuals during the reporting period. For example, if an individual accessed peer counselling services five times in the reporting period, this would be counted as five. See Service description for further details and examples of client-specific services.

# of Group Activities: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

The total number of group activities delivered during the reporting period. Each activity should be counted as 1. If a group activity is jointly organized/funded with another IHWS program, only one program should report the group activity (to be decided by the service provider). The program that reports the group activity should also report the total number of individuals who attended that group activity under the “Number of Individuals:

Accessed Group Activities: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports”. If group activities are not provided through your IHWS-funded program, put “0”. See Service description for further details and examples of group activities.

# of Individuals: Accessed Group Activities: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

The total number of individuals who took part in group activities during the reporting period. Each unique individual within one group activity is counted as 1. The same individual can be counted more than once if they participate in more than one group activity in the same reporting period. The total number of unique participants for each group activity is added to calculate the total number of individuals who took part in group activities in the reporting period. For example, if an individual attends four group activities in a reporting period, count four (4).

If a group activity is jointly organized/funded with another IHWS program, only one program should report the group activity (to be decided by the service provider). The program that reported the group activity (to be decided by the service provider) is responsible for reporting the total number of individuals who accessed the group activity under this data element. Do not include participants of the group activities that were not reported in “Number of Group Activities: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports”.

If group activities are not provided through your IHWS- funded program, put “0”. See Service description for further details and examples of group activities.

# Community Outreach, Engagement & Relationship- Building Activities: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

The total number of community outreach, engagement & relationship-building activities completed during the reporting period. Each activity held in the reporting period should be counted as 1.

See Service description for further details and examples of community outreach, engagement & relationship-building activities.

# of Trainings & Capacity Development Activities: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

The total number of training sessions delivered during the reporting period. Each activity held in the reporting period should be counted as 1.

See Service description for further details and examples of training & capacity development activities.

# of IHWS-Funded FTE Staff: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

The number of assigned IHWS staff (full-time equivalent), including program delivery and program administration.

Ministry-funded Agency Expenditures: 2SLGBTNBQQIA+ Supports

Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver Supports for Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTNBQQIA+ Individuals in the reporting year (cumulative).