Offices have been established in both First Nations with teams of Innu community workers and social workers working together and with other Innu health staff from the communities to develop and provide prevention activities and services. These range from parenting programs to walking expeditions in nutshimit for Innu women and girls to direct advocacy work for individuals and families. Prevention staff provide leadership to the notification process under the working relationship agreement.

At Sheshatshiu in early 2019 the executive director of the IRTS and the director of Social Health made an agreement for both organizations to work together on forming one prevention services coordination team. The mandate of this team is to ensure that families involved in the child protection system can be provided support. The team mainly meets weekly to do intake, assign files to workers for follow up and discuss confidentially how more effective services may be provided to families and individuals. Please see below for the organizational structure of this team.

Staff of prevention services in both communities have been working the past many months to get ready for changes in the provincial child protection legislation. They have been important participants in a working group with provincial Children, Seniors and Social Development (CSSD) staff to help write new policies, especially with regard to the culturally connections work that is mandated under the new Act.

PREVENTION SERVICES COORDINATION TEAM SHESHATSHIU