Client Support
Employment & Learning Opportunities
Positive Living North
Positive Living North: No khÄ“yoh t’sih’en t’sehena Society is an AIDS / HIV service organization based in Prince George and serving Northern BC. It has strength in its governance: a diverse Board with representation from many communities including 57% of Aboriginal descent; a long-term, committed staff (50% Aboriginal) with a vision and proven fiscal responsibility.The agency offers client services to approximately 120 people living with HIV and their families. We have more than enough opportunity to see the direct effect of HIV on Aboriginal people when 75% of our clients are of Aboriginal descent. Our newest program, the Fire Pit Cultural Drop In Centre is focused on providing service to street-involved people. The Fire Pit is open 5 afternoons per week and serves between 80-120 people each day. See www.positivelivingnorth.org for more details. PLN has been a long time and close partner with CINHS in the provision of quality care for Aboriginal people in Northern BC.
The Fire Pit
The Fire Pit is a Cultural Drop-In Centre where Aboriginal people and their friends can gather to learn, share and understand culture, health and community. It is part of Positive Living North’s outreach and prevention work. For a long time the centre was in the basement of the CINHS clinic. It provides food and company, access to arts, crafts learning (such as computers and Carrier language lessons) and connection to cultural practices. It operates Monday to Friday from 1pm to 4pm but if additional funding is secured they expand the hours, an especially important resource during the cold winter months. You can find out more about the FirePit Drop in Centre on the PLN web site at www.positivelivingnorth.org
AIDS Prevention Services / Needle Exchange
The Needle Exchange operates from the corner of third avenue and George Street and is an important partner in providing low threshold services for those use the CINHS services, and referrals to CINHS where appropriate.
The needle exchange has been operating in the Prince George downtown – across from the Court house to quote from an article by Linda Keefe, the coordinator, it “…is so much more than a needle exchange: -- offering HIV and hepatitis testing and follow-up, and STI (STD) testing and treatment, routine vaccinations, reproductive health services (PAP and pregnancy tests, emergency contraceptives), wound care, routine health promotion, health prevention and risk-reduction counselling. We can and do provide these services to everyone and anyone who comes through our doors. While the downtown clinic is designed to help people with addictions, we also provide health services to any others requesting care.” See: “Needle exchange offers many services, Prince George Citizen - Wed 22 Oct 2008 found at: http://www.bcnu.org/whats_new_media/nurses_speak_out/needle_exchg_srvs.htm
New Hope
New Hope is a street level agency with the mandate among other things to “identify and address the barriers that women, both adult and youth, face while working in sex work and survival sex in Prince George and Northern BC and to facilitate educational opportunities that will empower women, both adult and youth, who work and live in this environment” CINHS helped support New Hope. You can learn more about New Hope at http://www.princegeorgenewhopesociety.ca/