Community Programs Directorate

The Community Programs Directorate (CPD) aims to improve the health of First Nations on reserve and Inuit by promoting health and preventing disease among children and youth, and persons at risk of chronic disease, mental illness and addictions.

CPD does this through funding of community-based programs focussed on providing:

• Children with a healthy start in life;
• Community mental wellness;
• Youth suicide prevention programming;
• Addictions prevention and treatment programming;
• Healthy nutrition and activity promotion programming; and
• Disease/injury risk-factor prevention programming.

Divisions

CPD is comprised of the following three divisions:

• Children and Youth Division
• Chronic Disease Prevention Division
• Mental Health and Addictions Division

Children and Youth Division

The Children and Youth Division is responsible for the development and delivery of community health programs and services for First Nations and Inuit children and mothers that are especially designed to provide children with a healthy start in life. The Division is working to develop options toward a single window approach to Early Childhood Development programming for Aboriginal children.

Programs

The Division programs include:

• Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP);
• Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve;
• Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects (FAS/FAE); and
• Maternal health.

Chronic Disease Prevention Division

The Chronic Disease Prevention Division is responsible for the development and delivery of community health programs and services for First Nations and Inuit that contribute to building healthy communities.

The Division has a strong focus on:

• Preventing diabetes and other chronic diseases;
• Injury prevention; and
• Promoting Healthy Living through nutrition and physical activity.

Programs

The Division has four main areas:

• Aboriginal Diabetes Initiatives;
• Injury Prevention;
• Nutrition; and
• Chronic Disease Prevention.

Mental Health and Addictions Division

The Mental Health and Addictions Division is responsible for both national and community-based programming. Mental health and addiction services are often required by the same clients. In response, the Division is working to develop a more coordinated continuum of mental health and addictions services for First Nations and Inuit to improve overall community wellness.

The Division focuses on:

• Brighter futures;
• Building healthy communities;
• Alcohol, drug and solvent abuse;
• Tobacco control;
• Indian residential schools;
• Suicide prevention;
• Crisis management; and
• Innu healing strategy.

Programs

Division programs include:

• Indian Residential Schools Mental Health Support Program
• National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program
• Tobacco Control Strategy

In addition, programs are being developed in the areas of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, arthritis, fitness and obesity.

For further information, please contact the Community Programs Directorate.