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Indigenous Opioid Response Fund applications open for northern B.C.

Funding will support creative and low barrier responses to the opioid crisis
Hugging First Nations Health Authority
The new funding wills support creative and low-barrier responses to the opioid crisis.

Indigenous communities in northern B.C. can now apply for funding to help support local opioid response efforts.

The Pounds Project and First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) have partnered to create the Northern Indigenous Opioid Response Fund which is now open for applications.

“The intent of the fund is to support really creative and like community-specific responses to the drug poisoning epidemic and the way that Indigenous people are being so disproportionately affected by fatal overdose rates,” said Jordan Stewart, executive director of the Pounds Project.  

FNHA reports that in 2020, 254 First Nations people died due to toxic drugs which is a 119 per cent increase from 2019 and the highest number of toxic drug deaths recorded for First Nations since 2016 when the province of BC first declared a public health emergency.

First Nations individuals make up 3.3 per cent of BC's population yet account for almost 15 per cent of toxic drug deaths in 2020. This is an increase from 11.8 per cent in 2019. 

The new funding is intended for rural communities as well as urban and municipal hot spots that are serving Indigenous people who use substances and are living away from their home communities. This includes places like Prince George, Terrace and Quesnel.

“Those larger communities are eligible to receive up to $50,000 and then our smaller northern communities are eligible for up to $20,000,” said Stewart.  “Best-case scenario like the impact of this fund is going to be live saved, and in addition to that we also have a strong mentorship program in place for recipients of the fund.”

Stewart said mentorship and guidance will be provided for groups or communities looking to initiate on the ground projects in overdose prevention work or who are working with people who have lived experience with substance abuse.

“It’s also about connection building and strengthening our network in the north.”

The Pounds Projects has already supported a number of creative and low-barrier initiatives that align with this new funding.

“We have worked with a small regional community to increase nursing support for a registered nurse who provides mental health and addiction support to individuals using substances in that community,” explained Stewart.

Another project they funded was a clean team in Quesnel which where people with current living experience of substance abuse do daily cleanups in the community.

“That combination of really positive and meaningful employment, for people who use substances, combined with that positive community impact that break down stigma of substance use, those are all things that are completely in line with this fund.”

They have also supported mobile outreach for individuals who are using substances in rural and isolated communities.

Stewart said they hope to fund 20 to 30 applications, which will be reviewed on a first-come-first-serve basis.

More information can be found through the Pounds Project Facebook Page and those wanting an application package can contact NIORF@thepoundsproject.com.