The Health Department,

Responsible for the overall health and well-being of all the Sipekne’katik community members. The Health Centre has several programs available that include:

The Maternal Child Health: This program offers home visits and support to all pregnant women and families with young children 0-6 years. The vision for this voluntary program is for all children to reach their fullest developmental potential. The Maternal Child Health Home Visitor is available to visit with families and can visit on a weekly basis to provide the Growing the Great Kids Curriculum, if requested. The Community Health Nurse provides developmental screening, case management and referrals for all ages to other services within and outside the community, such as:

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language
• Early Intervention
• Physician
• Physiotherapist
• Autism Clinic
• Attention Deficit Disorder/ Hyperactivity Clinic
• Mental Health Services
• Diabetes Clinic

Prenatal classes: are offered at Sipekne’katik Health Centre several times throughout the year. Topics discussed at each class may include:

• Nine Months of Change and Discomforts of Pregnancy
• Nutrition
• Healthy Lifestyles
• Methadone and Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding
• Labor and Delivery

Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program: This program is for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living in First Nation communities. The main activities include:

• Nutrition screening, education, and counselling.
• Maternal Nourishment: delivery of the milk and juice during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
• Breastfeeding promotion, education and support.

All pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who register for the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program will receive six litres of milk and one two-litre of juice each week.

Parent Programming

Baby and Me is a parenting education and support program for parents with young children. It is offered every Monday at Sipekne’katik Multipurpose Centre in the Aboriginal Head Start Room at 10 a.m.

Kindermusik is offered to parents with young children every Monday at the Sipekne’katik Multipurpose Centre at 11 a.m. Your child will experience music in a fun and nurturing environment. Various activities are used to enhance your child’s overall development, as well as stimulate their natural love of music. All families will receive a CD, book, artistic banners, and an instrument to help continue their experience at home.

Make the Connection is a program that focuses on activities that parents and caregivers can use to strengthen their relationship with their children from birth to three years. It is usually held by the Maternal Child Health (MCH) Home Visitor every Wednesday at Sipekne’katik Multipurpose Centre in the Aboriginal Head Start Room at 10 a.m.

Adult Health: A Healthy Lifestyle Clinic is offered every Monday (9am-12noon) at the Sipekne’katik Health Centre. The clinic offers:   Blood pressure, Blood sugar testing & Weight check

Public Health Protection: The Community Health Nurse offers immunization clinics for infants, children and adults. All child immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases are given according to the Nova Scotia Immunization Schedule at:

• Two months
• Four months
• Six months
• 12 months
• 18 months
• 4-6 years (before starting school)

Adults are advised to have their Tetanus and Diphtheria immunization updated every 10 years if they:

• Can’t remember the last time they had a booster
• Plan to travel in the near future
• Are a health care provider or child care worker
• Have a health condition that puts them at risk.

All adults with a chronic illness such as diabetes or who are 65 years and older are advised to have a Pneumococcal vaccination.

Children’s Oral Health Initiative: COHI is a dental initiative designed to prevent and control tooth decay in young First Nations and Inuit (FN/I) children and to set the stage for a lifetime of healthy teeth. Please fill out an authorization form for your child if you would like them to participate in the COHI program. All COHI services are free.

For More information about what our department has to offer please contact our Health Cent