103-2090 Coutlee Ave
Box 3090 Merritt BC V1K 1B8
T.250.378.9745 F.250.378.4962
Toll Free: 1.888.667.2477
[email protected]
www.schss.com
Jim Adams
Executive Director
Lori Clark
Operations Manager
Linda Murray
Reception
Stephanie McRae
NIHB Clerk
Barbra Huston
Dental Driver
Rena Jones
Home Care Nurse
Dawn Chypyha
Personal Care Aide
Rose Kramer
Community Health Nurse
Bonita Norman
Community Health Associate
Gina Andrew
Community Health Associate
Lucy Henry
Youth Dev/Rec Worker
Darlene Rodominski
Assistant Youth Worker
Diana Lepine-Thomas
Mental Health/Addictions Mngr
Doreen Jules
SCHSS is exploring some opportunities to seek
additional funds to enhance services. We
would like to ask the membership to share any
ideas they may have by submitting a short
note explaining what
opportunity they would like us to pursue.
While we encourage all tasks, only a few will
be pursued this year. Some example projects
are to secure an individual in the Mental
Health & Addictions department that will specialize in child and youth issues. Another example is to fund some gatherings of the elders
to share their cultural knowledge with the
younger generations.
Please submit your ideas to:
[email protected]
Mental Health/Addictions Cnslr
May Gilbert
Mental Health/Addictions Cnslr
Patrick Lamour
Mental Health/Addictions Cnslr
Judy Chillihitzia
Medical Driver
Sonny Oppenheim
Sha, Noo, and CW Driver
NIHB AFTER HRS
For
emergency travel & benefits
Medical
call 250.280.1644
4:30PM-10:30PM
This number is not for general inquires, &
not available during regular office hrs.
Emergencies call
911
Scw’exmx Community Health Services Society Health Fair
/Beefy Chiefs’ Winners
SCHSS would like to thank all the participants in the first
annual Nicola Valley Health and Wellness Fair on April 25th. We had
a terrific turn out, more than 40 organizations and businesses with
tables, and some very informative
speakers! Thank you to all our sponsors and participants,
especially the Lower Nicola Health Unit, Planet Fitness, and
City Furniture!
Congratulations to Our Beefy Chiefs’ Challenge Winners!
Scw’exmx Community Health sponsored 100 Fit Bits to community members and staff during the
recent First Nations Health spring Beefy Chiefs’ Challenge. We are proud to announce our winners
in the following categories:
Most Steps: Mandy Jimmie
Honorable Mention for Most Steps goes to Molly Toodlican.
Most Calories Burned: Dominic Spahan
Honorable Mention for Most Calories Burned goes to Tracy Lindstrom
Most Improved Blood Pressure: Mary June Coutlee
Honorable Mention for Most Improved Blood Pressures goes to Joan Shackelly and Christine Oppenheim!
WAY TO GO Ladies for all your hard work and dedication to Better Health!
Nurses Note
Calling All Women!
SCHSS and the Lower Nicola Health Unit are teaming up to deliver
mammogram, STI, and PAP testing days this June 29th and 30th. Testing
is by appointment only; please call Rose or Rena at 378-9745 to book.
Rides available if needed!
Why get a mammogram?
About 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Regular screening
mammograms (breast x-rays) can find breast cancer early, usually before it has
spread. Research has shown a 25% reduction in deaths amongst women who screen
regularly.
How often do you need a mammogram?
Make it part of your regular health routine - every 2 years.
The usual recommended age to start having mammograms is 50 years, however if
you have a family history of breast cancer, your doctor may recommend you start having regular mammograms at age 40.
Why get a PAP test?
A Pap test can find abnormal cells on your cervix before they become cancer. If these changes are found and treated early,
cervical cancer can be prevented. Most cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is easily spread through sexual contact. 3 out of 4 people will get HPV- often without knowing it. Usually, the body’s
immune system clears the virus by itself within 2 years. However, for some women HPV doesn’t clear and can cause abnormal cells that can develop into cervical cancer if not found and treated early.
How often do you need a PAP test?
Women should start having Pap tests at age 21 or 3 years after first sexual contact. Start with a Pap test every year for the
first 3 years; continue every 2 years if your results are normal.
Screening may be stopped after age 69 if you have had normal test results in the past. Talk to your primary care provider.
New Life
Your child, your daughter, your son
They’re a gift from the creator
The creator blessed your child with innocence, with purity
When a child is born
Happiness makes the parents shine
Daddy wants to dance
Hop in the air and click his heels
Mommy she is overwhelmed with love for her baby
Her heart wants to sing
The news!! The news!
New born baby has been born!!!
The grandmas!!! The Grandpas they are tickled with the new addition
To the family!!
There’s going to be a lot of proud uncles and aunties
In the forest!! Yes!! In the forest!!
They heard there’s a new baby!!
The bears are dancing
The birds are singing
The rivers are flowing with splashing joy
The mountains are laughing and the flowers are gleaming
With bright colors!!
The first teacher, mommy and daddy
Mommy and daddy will teach their child about love, respect and honor
Everyone in the family has a role to help raise the child
Grandma she can teach her grandchild how to cook, how to sew
Grandpa he can tell stories of long ago
The aunties and the uncles can show, their nephews, their nieces
How to work
The whole community can help raise the child
Today is a special day mommy and daddy
When your child was born
You become parents
Your became protectors
You became providers
And you created a beautiful family
Your child…..
A child of Mother Earth
A child of Father Sky
A child of the universe
Your child will have fun playing
River child
Mountain child
Rock child
And Moon child
-BY Dennis Saddleman
Thank you to everyone who
participated in the Coldwater,
Nooaitch, and Shackan Mother’s Day and New Life
Celebrations!
Congratulations to all the new
parents this last year!
Summer Employment Opportunity
Shackan Medical Van
is now Every second Friday as well as on Wednesdays
Scw’exmx Community Health Services Society now has a medical van that can pick you up and bring you to your
appointments in town.
Shackan, Coldwater and Nooaitch Van guidelines:
The Community Medical Van is a 6 passenger van for members of the Shackan, Coldwater, Nooaitch Indian Bands
to attend medical appointments in Merritt:
Schedule for the van is:
Tuesday: Coldwater
Wednesday & Second Friday: Shackan
Thursday: Nooaitch
Clients who have medical appointments have first priority. If there is enough time clients can do a few, small
errands. The van will pick clients up at home and drop them off at home.
Everyone who rides the Medical van must respect the driver and other passengers. Keep the van clean and take
out any garbage at the end of the trip.
NO violence and NO drinking
Who is Eligible?
Band members or residents of Shackan, Coldwater and Nooaitch.
Booking van:
The van must be booked by calling the Non-Insured Health Benefits Clerk at Scw’exmx Community Health
Services Society at (250) 378-9745. Appointments NEED to be booked before 3:30 pm, the day before the travel
day. For example, a Coldwater client would call Monday before 3:30 pm.
Cancelling a trip:
Call the NIHB Clerk (250) 378-9745
Hours:
The van leaves SCHSS office at 8:30am and leaves town 3:30 pm sharp. If the client is not ready or at the pick-up
location assigned by the driver, they will be fully responsible for finding their own way home.
Fares:
There is NO cost for clients
Non-Insured Health Clerk
Reception Position
Stephanie McRae will be the Non-Insured Health Clerk during Tamara George’s one year maternity leave.
Linda Murray will be the Receptionist during Tamara’s leave.
K.A.W.S
Knowledge, Action, Wellness, Sharing
MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS TEAM
Diana Lepine-Thomas ~ Mental Health & Addictions Mngr
May Gilbert ~ Mental Health/Addictions Counsellor
Doreen Jules ~ Mental Health/Addictions Counsellor
Patrick Lamour~ Mental Health/Addictions Counsellor
With Merritt’s June 2015 Grad soon approaching, this article which has been reprinted from the Vancouver Province Newspaper, is a good reminder to all of us
that we have an important part to play in ensuring our teens become aware of, and
remain safe from, the potential
dangers of alcohol.
The article by John Colebourn is called, “Adults urged to deny BC high
school grads access to alcohol” and here is the story:
Zak Saint-Onge vividly recalls the day he had his first beer at age 12. It
was pretty much downhill from there, he said Wednesday at a media
conference in North Vancouver to kick off a public awareness campaign
urging adults to prevent teens from gaining access to
alcohol at graduation parties.
As the 2014-15 school year winds down, North Van’s school, health and police
officials want to remind the public about the ongoing problems they see when adults
buy booze for teens.
Now sober and reunited with his family, Saint-Onge, 18, said giving teens liquor for their
end-of-school grad parties is asking for trouble.
Soon after his first drop of booze, Saint-Onge recalled how drinking became the focal
point of his life and by the age of 15 he was kicked out of the house and
living in shelters. “I started drinking every weekend,” he said. ”I felt drinking was what I could do to
feel cool.”
K.A.W.S
Knowledge, Action, Wellness, Sharing
MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS TEAM
Diana Lepine-Thomas ~ Mental Health & Addictions Mngr
May Gilbert ~ Mental Health/Addictions Counsellor
Doreen Jules ~ Mental Health/Addictions Counsellor
Patrick Lamour~ Mental Health/Addictions Counsellor
Like a worrisome number of teens who need to drink at
a party, Saint-Onge said he would raid his parent’s liquor cabinet. Stealing money from his family became another method of obtaining alcohol. He said that even at
parties where booze was permitted, parents who were
supposed to be overseeing the evening were not on top
of things.
“When there were parties with parents around,
everyone was too drunk to care,” he said. “Sex, drugs
and fights still happened even with the adult supervision.”
Vancouver Coastal Health officer Dr. Mark Lysyshyn said the
warning was being issued as grad parties approach because
alcohol has a much more harmful effect on teens because
they’re still growing physically and mentally. “Alcohol affects
the adolescent’s judgment and decision making,” he said. “An
adolescent’s brain is so susceptible to alcohol.” Statistics show
about 70 per cent of all Canadian teens in 2012 had tried alcohol.
About 60 per cent of underage drinkers reported binge drinking
one or more times in the year.
North Vancouver Counsellor Linda Buchanan, who sits on the North Shore Substance Abuse Working Group,
said this is the time of year to think about teenage drinking. “This is an issue that affects all
communities,” she said. “We have to set boundaries ... we have to say ‘no’ to teens trying to
access alcohol. It’s not an easy task.
“We have to be positive role models and NOT provide them with alcohol.”
SCHSS Eye Clinic
DENTAL CLINIC
Stoyoma Dental Clinic did a draw at the Scw’exmx
Community Health Services Society Health Fair
on April 25, 2015 for signing up to be new patients at Stoyoma clinic.
Ryder
Gary & Barbara
Please call 250-378-5877
to make an appointment or
stop by our dental clinic at 1999 Voght St.